Astronomers have caught a nearby stellar duo in a dramatic act. A super-dense white dwarf star is siphoning material from its larger companion at a pace never seen before.



The system, known as V Sagittae (V Sge), sits about 10,000 light-years away and orbits so tightly that the two stars whirl around each other every 12.3 hours. 



As the white dwarf feeds, the pair blazes far brighter than similar systems - a century-old mystery that a new study says it has finally cracked.



Led by Pasi Hakala from the <a href="https://www.utu.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Turku</a> in Finland, the team used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile to probe V Sge’s extreme behavior. The results point to a runaway case of “stellar cannibalism.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-white-dwarf-in-a-feeding-frenzy">White dwarf in a feeding frenzy</h2>



White dwarfs are the ultra-compact embers left behind when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planet-forming-disks-surrounding-stars-often-last-much-longer-than-expected/">sun-like stars</a> exhaust their fuel. On their own, they glow faintly. Paired with a close companion, they can become voracious, as gravity from the white dwarf pulls gas - mostly hydrogen - off the neighboring star.



As that gas piles up, it heats to extraordinary temperatures and ignites thermonuclear burning on the dwarf’s surface. 



The study concludes that V Sge’s famous overbrightness comes from this very process operating at ferocious rates. It turns the white dwarf’s outer layers into a sustained, nuclear-powered beacon.



The V Sge system has baffled astronomers since its discovery in 1902 because it outshines its peers so dramatically. The study argues the system is in a “feeding frenzy,” with mass transfer exceeding what the white dwarf can absorb.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-luminous-halo-signals-instability">Luminous halo signals instability </h2>



One of the team’s most striking finds is a broad ring of gas - a luminous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breathtaking-photo-shows-an-ice-halo-forming-around-the-sun/">halo</a> encircling both stars. That ring appears to be the overflow. 



The system rips material from the companion that the white dwarf can’t accrete and flings it outward to form a circumbinary shroud.



The sheer energy released in the process, the researchers say, is also jostling the system, contributing to the erratic, “wild” motion seen in monitoring data.



That halo isn’t just window dressing. It’s a clue that V Sge is being pushed toward instability. When the inflow of fuel momentarily overwhelms the white dwarf’s ability to burn it steadily, pressure can build until the surface layers detonate in a thermonuclear flash.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-rare-outburst-on-the-horizon">A rare outburst on the horizon</h2>



The team warns that V Sge is primed for a classic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/t-coronae-borealis-nova-explosion-nearby-star-light-up-earths-skies/">nova</a> - a powerful, but non-destructive outburst triggered when accumulated hydrogen ignites on the white dwarf’s surface. 



If that happens in the coming years, the system could brighten enough to be visible to the naked eye. It would be a rare treat for skywatchers.



Farther down the line, the endgame could be even more spectacular. As the stars spiral inward and the white dwarf gains mass, they may collide or reach a catastrophic limit.



In that scenario, V Sge would explode as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernovae-explosions-seem-to-have-altered-earths-climate-in-the-past-and-could-do-so-again-at-any-time/">supernova</a> - an event so luminous it would be visible even in daylight. That fate isn’t guaranteed, and it may be centuries away. But the current feeding rate and the presence of the gas ring suggest this binary is on a dangerous trajectory.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-star-system-in-real-time">A star system in real time</h2>



For decades, astronomers struggled to explain why V Sge was the brightest system of its kind. 



By tying its glare to sustained thermonuclear burning driven by extreme mass transfer - and by revealing the telltale, system-wide gas ring - the new study provides a coherent picture of how this oddball works.



It also offers a living laboratory where scientists can study how close binaries evolve and how novae trigger. It may even explain how some white dwarfs cross the threshold into supernovae.



Most of the time, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-star-redefines-our-understanding-of-stellar-evolution/">stellar evolution</a> plays out slowly, across eons. V Sagittae is a rare exception: a nearby, rapidly changing system writing its next chapter in real time. Keep an eye on the southern sky. The next burst from this hungry white dwarf could be bright enough for all of us to see.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.22637" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</a>. 



Image Credit: University of Southampton



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White dwarf star devours its companion in record feeding frenzy

Astronomers have caught a nearby stellar duo in a dramatic act. A super-dense white dwarf star is siphoning material from its larger companion at a pace never seen before. The system, known as V Sagittae (V Sge), sits about 10,000 light-years away and orbits so tightly that the two stars whirl around each other every 12.3 hours. As the white dwarf feeds, the pair blazes far brighter than similar systems - a century-old mystery that a new study says it has finally cracked. Led by Pasi Hakala...

Erythrocyte,Interaction,With,Plastic,Microparticles,In,Blood.,3d,Illustration,Showing

Scientists can pull plastic particles out of seawater with relative ease, but finding and tracking them in human body tissue is far more complex. 



A new expert <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44222-025-00335-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> lays out how labs can detect plastic particles in blood, lungs, placentas, and other tissues - and why measurement choices will shape what health risks they reveal.



The authors dissect a fast-moving literature to show where current methods succeed, where they fail, and what must improve. 



They highlight the importance of sample preparation, standardized reporting, and clear metrics so that studies can be compared and results trusted.



At the center is a simple but daunting question: How do you measure plastic inside living systems without distorting the evidence?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-particles-in-human-tissue">Plastic particles in human tissue</h2>



“Every biological sample represents a different matrix,” said <a href="https://www.umass.edu/stockbridge/about/directory/baoshan-xing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Baoshan Xing</a>, professor of Environmental and Soil Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts (<a href="https://www.umass.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UMass</a>) and lead study author.



That simple point drives the lab playbook. Fatty tissues, protein-rich organs, shells, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prehistoric-humans-used-ancient-plant-fiber-technology-to-make-tools-39000-years-ago/">plant fibers</a> need tailored digestion steps, from alkaline solutions to enzymes. These steps allow researchers separate plastics without melting or morphing them.



Researchers use the term microplastics for solid plastic particles roughly one micrometer to five millimeters in size. It's a range now common in U.S. government and research guidance. 



Nanoplastics typically refer to particles smaller than one micrometer, often defined by colloidal behavior in the one to 1,000 nanometer range.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-plastics-in-the-lab">Finding plastics in the lab</h2>



After digestion, labs isolate particles and verify their identity. The main tools are Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and thermal methods like pyrolysis gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). 



Each comes with trade-offs in size limits, throughput, and polymer specificity, especially in complex tissues. Scientists use salty solutions to float or sink plastics, making it easier to recover heavier particles.



Quality control matters as much as the chemistry, including strict contamination blanks, clean air handling, and reporting of detection limits to prevent false positives or inflated counts.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/micro-nano-plastics_human-body-concentrations_illustration_credit-Nature_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/micro-nano-plastics_human-body-concentrations_illustration_credit-Nature_1s.webp" alt="Detection, concentration and distribution of MNPs in the human body. Credit: Nature Reviews Bioengineering" class="wp-image-1982042"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Detection, concentration and distribution of MNPs in the human body. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Nature Reviews Bioengineering</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-early-health-signals-show">What early health signals show</h2>



Researchers have measured <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-inhale-the-equivalent-of-a-credit-card-in-microplastics-each-week/">microplastics</a> in human blood, showing that polymer fragments can circulate systemically. They detected measurable mass concentrations using pyrolysis GC/MS.



Follow-up work has begun to profile sizes, shapes, and polymer types in blood from healthy volunteers to probe possible links with physiology.



Scientists have found plastic particles in human placentas on both the mother’s and baby’s sides. This raises concerns about exposure before birth, which cannot be answered without better, standardized tests.



Human lung tissue examined after surgery has contained identifiable microplastics. Micro-FTIR revealed polymer types and reported concentrations per gram of tissue under stringent blank controls.



Vascular studies have reported microplastics and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-could-help-remove-nanoplastics-from-the-environment/">nanoplastics</a> in carotid artery plaques and associated those findings with higher risks of heart attack, stroke, or death over follow-up periods in clinical cohorts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-methods-alter-outcomes">Methods alter outcomes</h2>



Dose matters, but researchers can count it in several ways. The number of particles per gram, mass per gram, or surface area per gram do not tell the same story in a tissue where sizes, shapes, and polymers vary widely.



Interpretation hinges on the metric. Fibers may be many but light, while spheres may be few but heavy. Different shapes behave differently, so researchers must choose measurement methods that fit the health question.



“There are no accepted protocols yet,” said Xing. Without standard methods, it’s hard to compare plastic levels across studies or turn them into health guidelines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-helps-track-plastics">AI helps track plastics</h2>



High-throughput imaging and spectral data generate mountains of information, which is where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-machine-learning-can-help-us-protect-chimpanzees/">machine learning</a> (ML) can help.



Researchers are pairing Raman datasets with classification models to speed up polymer identification and reduce analyst bias.



Thermal analysis coupled with FTIR is also being automated with ML to tease apart polymer signals in complex biological matrices, improving throughput while keeping false identifications in check.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastics-research-needs-standards">Plastics research needs standards</h2>



Reference materials, interlaboratory comparisons, and matrix specific digestion and detection protocols will make results more trustworthy and comparable across labs. 



Agencies are already coordinating methods of research, from definitions to practical measurement guidance, to support that standardization push.



“This is a headache,” said Xing. The upside is that a clear, shared toolkit would let scientists quantify risks with the same confidence we expect in other areas of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-in-human-brains-may-affect-mental-health/">environmental health</a>.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44222-025-00335-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Reviews Bioengineering</a>.



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Easier method helps detect and measure the amount of plastic particles in human bodies

Scientists can pull plastic particles out of seawater with relative...

Cast,Of,Fossilized,Early,Ancient,Man,Skull.,Australopithecus,Afarensis,Is

The story of human evolution is not a simple ladder from early forms to more advanced ones. For decades, fossils shaped a picture of steady, linear progress - one form giving rise to another in a neat sequence.



But science often rewrites its narratives when new evidence appears. Now, remarkable finds in Ethiopia are challenging long-held assumptions and painting a richer, more intricate picture of our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-males-small-females-a-window-into-prehistoric-power-struggles/">origins</a>.



Recent fossil discoveries in Ethiopia suggest that our evolutionary past was far more complex than a simple linear progression. 



Research led by UNLV anthropologist <a href="https://www.unlv.edu/people/brian-villmoare" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brian Villmoare</a>, in collaboration with the <a href="https://shesc.asu.edu/research/projects/ledi-geraru-research-project-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ledi-Geraru Research Project</a>, has revealed that Australopithecus and early and unidentified Homo species coexisted between 2.6 and 2.8 million years ago in the same part of Africa.



These findings challenge the traditional “march from ape to human” model and instead support the idea of a branching tree with multiple lineages.



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



Australopithecus walked the African landscape around 3 million years ago, bridging the gap between our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-males-small-females-a-window-into-prehistoric-power-struggles/">ape-like ancestors</a> and modern humans. 



They stood upright, though shorter and smaller-brained than us, and their mix of traits - long arms for climbing, but pelvis and legs built for walking - shows how they lived in both trees and open grasslands. 



Fossils of species like Australopithecus afarensis, best known from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lucy-could-barely-run-what-does-that-say-about-our-ancestors/">famous skeleton "Lucy,"</a> reveal that these early hominins were already experimenting with bipedalism while still relying on arboreal agility.



What makes Australopithecus so fascinating is the story their bones tell about adaptation. They didn’t use tools the way later hominins did, but they set the stage for it by freeing their hands once walking became the norm. 



Their teeth and jaws suggest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-had-surprising-diets-3-5-million-years-ago/">a varied diet</a>, probably fruits, roots, and tougher plants, helping them survive in shifting environments. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-australopithecus-lived-with-others">Australopithecus lived with others</h2>



At the <a href="https://shesc.asu.edu/research/projects/ledi-geraru-research-project-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ledi-Geraru site</a>, scientists found 13 teeth. Some belonged to early Homo, while others came from a previously unknown Australopithecus species.



The latter is different from the famous Australopithecus afarensis skeleton, known as “Lucy,” that disappeared from the fossil record around 2.95 million years ago. 



The research showed no evidence of Lucy’s kind aged any younger than 2.95 million years.



“This new research shows that the image many of us have in our minds of an ape to a Neanderthal to a modern human is not correct - evolution doesn’t work like that,” said <a href="https://www.asu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ASU</a> paleoecologist Kaye Reed. 



“Here we have two hominin species that are together. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-ancestor-paranthropus-robustus-walked-upright-2-million-years-ago/">Human evolution</a> is not linear - it's a bushy tree, there are life forms that go extinct.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-site-shows-oldest-homo-and-tools">Site shows oldest Homo and tools</h2>



Ledi-Geraru is already well known in paleoanthropology. It has produced the oldest known Homo jaw fossil, dated to 2.8 million years ago, and the earliest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-tools-ever-made-on-earth-hominins-3-million-years-ago-cradle-of-humankind/">Oldowan stone tools</a>. 



The site’s sediments, which are rich in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prehistoric-homo-sapiens-stone-tools-preserved-volcanic-ash-grotta-di-castelcivita/">volcanic ash</a>, allow precise dating.



Crystals in the ash, called feldspars, are key for determining the ages of fossils, as they can be dated from volcanic eruptions above and below the fossil layers. 



This geological context also provides clues about the environment in which these species lived.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-australopithecus-territory-had-rivers">Australopithecus territory had rivers</h2>



Two to three million years ago, the Ledi-Geraru area was a dynamic landscape of rivers, vegetation, and shallow lakes that expanded and shrank over time. 



This is a stark contrast to today’s faulted badlands. 



Geological evidence indicates that the region preserved an interpretable record for the period from 2.3 to 2.95 million years ago - a crucial time in terms of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-ate-tough-plants-and-changed-the-world-forever/">human evolution</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/new-hominin-species_fossil-teeth_LGRP_credit-Nature_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/new-hominin-species_fossil-teeth_LGRP_credit-Nature_1s.webp" alt="New hominin species fossil teeth from the LGRP. Credit: Nature" class="wp-image-1982136"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New hominin species fossil teeth from the LGRP. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Nature</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-multiple-lineages-multiple-niches">Multiple lineages, multiple niches</h2>



The study concluded that before 2.5 million years ago, eastern Africa may have had as many as four hominin lineages: early Homo, Australopithecus garhi, the newly discovered Ledi-Geraru Australopithecus, and potentially others in nearby regions.



“We used to think of human evolution as fairly linear, with a steady march from an ape-like ancestor to modern Homo sapiens," Villmoare said. 



Instead, humans branched out multiple times into different niches.



"Our pattern of evolution is not particularly unusual, and what has happened to humans has happened to every other tree of life.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tooth-enamel-holds-hidden-answers">Tooth enamel holds hidden answers</h2>



Detailed analysis of the teeth showed differences from known Australopithecus and Homo specimens. 



These distinctions suggest the Ledi-Geraru Australopithecus was neither a late-surviving A. afarensis nor A. garhi, but rather a previously unknown species. 



However, the team has not yet named it, as more fossils are needed for a full classification.



Researchers are now studying the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tooth-enamel-analysis-suggests-early-eurasians-were-multiple-species-paranthropus-robustus/">tooth enamel</a> to understand diet and possible interactions between early Homo and this Australopithecus species. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-study-is-needed">More study is needed</h2>



Key questions remain: Did they compete for food or share resources? How often did they encounter each other? Who were their ancestors?



“Whenever you have an exciting discovery, if you’re a paleontologist, you always know that you need more information,” Reed explained. “You need more fossils.”



“That’s why it’s an important field to train people in - and for people to go out and find their own sites and explore places where we haven’t yet found fossils.”



More finds could reveal not just how these species lived but also why some survived while others vanished.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09390-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



Image Credit: Kaye Reed, <a href="https://www.asu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arizona State University</a>.



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New early Homo species discovered that challenges "ape-to-human" evolution theory

The story of human evolution is not a simple ladder...

Your herb garden may be packing more plant power than you think. Common plants like basil, thyme, and lavender don’t just add flavor - they’re part of a botanical family that’s quietly storing enormous genetic surprises. 



One of their lesser-known cousins just revealed a hidden capacity that could have major implications for health, farming, and science.



In a new study, researchers at <a href="https://msu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michigan State University</a> discovered that a Mediterranean shrub called ground oak has a genome almost as large as a human's - about three billion base pairs. 



The shrub also carries four full sets of chromosomes, plus an unusually large gene cluster tied to the production of potent natural chemicals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plants-with-hidden-powers">Plants with hidden powers</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-in-the-mint-family-may-help-produce-new-medicines/">mint family</a> of plants has long intrigued scientists for its powerful natural properties. Certain species have shown potential as anti-cancer, anti-viral, or pest-repellent agents. But harnessing those chemicals in useful quantities has always been a challenge. 



The new genetic insight could bring researchers closer to doing just that - by replicating the plant’s chemical-making machinery in the lab.



“What if we could spray our veggies with a natural product that makes a hungry deer or insect say, ‘No thank you,’” said MSU researcher Björn Hamberger, pointing to possible agricultural uses.



“These plants also have exciting antimicrobial properties, which could help with the trouble we see nowadays concerning <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-fueling-antibiotic-resistance-in-our-soils/">antibiotic resistance</a>."



“This project was like many others where we walked in thinking we knew just what to do,” Hamberger said. “We’ve learned again that plants always have something more up their sleeves.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ground-oak-links-to-healing">Ground oak links to healing</h2>



Humans have relied on mint family plants for thousands of years - not just for taste and scent, but also for healing and wellness. 



At Michigan State University, Hamberger and his team focus on the special molecules created by these plants, known as specialized metabolites. The molecules help plants survive harsh environments and resist disease, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urgent-need-to-protect-earths-forests-from-non-native-pests/">pests</a>, or other threats.



Unlike basic molecules that all plants need to live (like sugars and amino acids), these specialized metabolites are more like bonus features. Some might <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aloe-vera-waste-shows-promise-as-natural-insect-repellent-anti-aging-properties/">repel bugs</a>. Others might fight off bacteria. And many of them, scientists are learning, could be used to improve human health or agriculture.



“Plants don’t have the luxury of running away from pests or pathogens, so they turn to chemistry to get the job done,” said Hamberger.



In previous work, the Hamberger Lab sequenced the genome of American beautyberry, a plant known for its mosquito-repelling properties. That work helped uncover how different mint family members evolved their chemical arsenals. 



The research also earned MSU graduate students Abigail Bryson and Nicholas Schlecht the university’s Neogen Land Grant Prize - awarded to research that promises real-world scientific and economic impact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-ground-oak">Why ground oak?</h2>



To push further into the mint family’s chemical secrets, Bryson set her sights on ground oak, a small mounded <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-shrub-holds-the-record-for-europes-oldest-tree/">shrub</a> with pinkish-purple flowers and oak-shaped leaves. Native to the Mediterranean, the plant hasn’t been widely studied.



“We thought: let’s sequence ground oak, find out how the plants achieve their useful chemical products, and get a blueprint to build plant-derived therapeutics in the lab,” said Hamberger.



“This was all good, until Abby found out ground oak had an unexpectedly massive surprise in store for us."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-one-of-the-largest-plant-genomes">One of the largest plant genomes</h2>



The commonly studied Arabidopsis plant has about 135 million DNA base pairs. Ground oak has nearly 3 billion - more than 20 times as much.



“When you assemble a genome, it's like you have parts of sentences of a book, and you are trying to figure out what the story says, line by line, chapter by chapter,” said Bryson, lead author of the study and now a postdoctoral researcher at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.



“Something about genomes that is difficult to picture is the size of the data we are working with. If the genome was the size of an actual book, the thickness of that book would be hundreds of feet, and the human and ground oak genomes would be around the size of world’s fifth tallest building,” she added.



To handle the challenge, Bryson collaborated with plant genome expert Robin Buell and got additional support from MSU's Department of Plant Biology and the Max T. Rogers Nuclear Magnetic Resonance facility.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ground-oak-holds-extra-genes">Ground oak holds extra genes</h2>



The surprises didn’t stop at size. Ground oak turned out to be tetraploid - meaning it carries four complete sets of chromosomes. Humans, by comparison, have two.



“Imagine if you have to sort through and solve four puzzles dumped into the same box - that’s what Abby achieved,” said Hamberger.



The team also found a large gene cluster - a tight grouping of related genes - linked to the production of the plant’s specialized metabolites. That’s significant because gene clusters like this can streamline how traits evolve and are passed on.



In an earlier study of American beautyberry, the Hamberger Lab found a similar but smaller gene cluster. The discovery suggests this kind of genomic arrangement might be common across mint family plants - and may help explain how these species evolved such a wide range of powerful compounds.



Why cluster or duplicate genes at all? According to Hamberger, it's about efficiency. “If one set of genetic information is already performing an important duty, its duplicate is free to evolve newer functions,” he said.



“Once materials are packed together tightly, it’s easier to move them onto the next generation."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-future-powered-by-plants">A future powered by plants</h2>



With these discoveries, the team at MSU is a step closer to producing useful plant-based chemicals in the lab at scale. That could mean more sustainable pest control, new antimicrobial treatments, or even fresh strategies to tackle diseases that resist current medicine.



So, the next time you smell mint or brush past rosemary in the garden, think about what’s really packed inside. It’s not just aroma or flavor - it might be the future of medicine or farming, encoded in a genome as tall as a skyscraper.



The work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2590346225001555" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plant Communications</a>.



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Ground oak’s genetic secrets may inspire new medicines and pesticides

Your herb garden may be packing more plant power than...

Imagine taking a single puff from an inhaler once a week and gaining protection from viral infections that make winters unbearable. Scientists believe such an approach could also guard against future pandemics. 



The idea comes from new animal studies on an mRNA treatment designed to boost our natural defenses against viruses.



“You can think about this as a universal antiviral,” said Dusan Bogunovic at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Columbia University</a> in New York. The treatment aims to activate the body’s built-in antiviral shield before <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/previously-overlooked-viruses-may-secretly-shape-bacterial-populations/">viruses</a> have the chance to spread.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-body-fights-viruses">How the body fights viruses</h2>



Our immune system already holds powerful tools against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-virus-spread-too-quickly-for-bats-alone-to-be-responsible/">infection</a>. When cells detect viruses, they release interferon, a molecule that activates about 1000 genes. 



These genes lead to the production of antiviral proteins. Some block viruses from entering cells, while others stop new viral particles from spreading.



“Our innate immune system is extremely powerful,” said Bogunovic. However, respiratory viruses reproduce so quickly that they often outpace these defenses. A head start could keep infections mild while the rest of the immune system catches up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-activating-protective-genes">Activating protective genes</h2>



In earlier research, many scientists believed that interferon itself could serve as a powerful, broad antiviral treatment. Interferon is a natural signaling molecule that helps cells activate hundreds of protective genes, which then produce antiviral proteins to fight <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-makes-a-virus-capable-of-causing-a-pandemic/">infections</a>. 



The idea was that by giving patients interferon directly, doctors could strengthen the body’s immune defenses and block a wide range of viruses. 



However, this approach faced a serious obstacle: interferon often caused harmful side effects when used as a drug. These side effects limited its practical use and prevented it from becoming the universal antiviral once hoped for.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-overcoming-the-interferon-challenges">Overcoming the interferon challenges</h2>



To overcome this, Dusan Bogunovic and his colleagues explored a different path. Instead of relying on interferon itself, they focused on the proteins that interferon activates. 



Out of the many possibilities, they selected ten promising proteins that are naturally produced when the body detects a viral attack.



The team then delivered instructions for making these proteins into cells using mRNA technology. This method has a unique advantage: rather than struggling to push large, pre-made proteins into cells, the mRNA allows cells to produce the proteins internally, right where they are needed most.



Laboratory tests showed strong results. Human cells infected with flu and Zika <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preparing-for-the-next-pandemic-lessons-about-viral-transmission/">viruses</a> displayed enhanced antiviral defenses after receiving this mRNA treatment. These findings gave researchers hope that such a strategy could also prove effective in living animals and, eventually, in humans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inhaler-that-targets-many-viruses">Inhaler that targets many viruses</h2>



The team then delivered the mRNA mixture directly to the lungs of golden hamsters. The results were striking. Treated hamsters resisted SARS-CoV-2 infection, showing much lower viral levels than untreated ones.



“I was like, ‘wow, this actually might be a universal antiviral,'” said Bogunovic. Current antiviral drugs usually target specific viruses. A treatment effective against many viruses would be a major breakthrough, comparable to antibiotics revolutionizing medicine by tackling a broad range of bacteria.



This method may also allow tailoring protein combinations for particular viruses. “Some combinations of interferon-triggered proteins might be especially effective against specific viruses,” said Bogunovic. 



Such flexibility could create both broad and targeted therapies depending on the need. Delivering enough mRNA to the right cells remains a technical challenge. 



“This is certainly exciting and could lead to very promising advances, but we are several steps down the line away from talking about a deployable, versatile countermeasure,” noted Aris Katzourakis at the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-of-the-mrna-inhaler">Potential of the mRNA inhaler</h2>



Despite hurdles, the research shows how mRNA technology can extend beyond vaccines. 



Bogunovic is optimistic that viruses may not easily evolve resistance, as multiple proteins target different parts of the viral lifecycle. This strategy has already proved successful in HIV treatments.



“The research highlights the potential of mRNA technology beyond vaccines. The current trajectory in the US with mRNA vaccines will certainly and tragically slow down progress on both of these fronts,” said Katzourakis.



If these advances continue, one weekly puff might one day shield us from the viruses that have long shaped human health.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adx5758" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Translational Medicine</a>.



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One puff inhaler could block many dangerous viruses

Imagine taking a single puff from an inhaler once a...

Scientists just measured something that sounds impossible. When light passes through atoms, it can spend what appears to be less than zero time interacting with them. Yes, negative time. And no, this isn't science fiction.



Picture a stadium crowd doing the wave. People stand and sit in sequence, but somehow the wave moves faster than any single person. 



Scientists at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Toronto</a> found light doing something similar with atoms, except they measured the part where it got really weird.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-experiment-that-shouldn-t-work">Experiment that shouldn't work</h2>



Light usually slows down when passing through materials. That's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/time-has-three-dimensions-and-space-is-just-a-byproduct-according-to-new-theory/">normal physics</a>. 



But with very short <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/intense-quantum-light-generates-weird-electron-behavior/">light pulses</a> and the right conditions, the peak of a light wave can exit a material before it seemingly should. 



Scientists have seen this for years but dismissed it as a reshaping effect, not actual negative time. The Toronto researchers weren't satisfied with that explanation. 



They cooled <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/rubidium-atom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rubidium atoms</a> to near absolute zero and shot incredibly weak light pulses through them - so weak that they could track individual photons.



<a href="https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~aephraim/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aephraim Steinberg</a>, a University of Toronto professor specializing in experimental quantum physics, led the work with researcher <a href="https://utoronto.academia.edu/DanielaAngulo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Daniela Angulo</a>. 



They used two laser beams. One carried the signal they wanted to study. The other acted like a heartbeat monitor for the atoms.



"This is tough stuff, even for us to talk about with other physicists. We get misunderstood all the time," said Steinberg.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-negative-time">Measuring negative time</h2>



Here's where things get strange. When a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-photons-fascinating-behavior-in-quantum-realm/">photon</a> passed through and excited the atoms, the probe beam detected tiny changes. 



These changes told them exactly how long the atoms remained excited. The answer? Sometimes it was negative.



"That time turned out to be negative," Steinberg explained.



The team discovered that when light pulses experienced what physicists call <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cta.4132" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">negative group delay</a> - when the pulse peak exits early - the atoms showed corresponding negative excitation times. 



The two measurements matched perfectly, proving this wasn't just a visual trick but a real physical phenomenon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-negative-time-actually-works">How negative time actually works</h2>



Before you start planning trips to yesterday, understand what's really happening. The speed of light remains unchanged.



"We don't want to say anything traveled backward in time," Steinberg said. "That's a misinterpretation."



Light pulses contain many frequencies mixed together, like a chord in music. When these frequencies hit <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/manipulating-quantum-dance-of-spinning-electrons/">resonant atoms</a>, each gets shifted slightly differently. 



Mix them back together, and the peak can end up ahead of where you'd expect. No single part breaks the speed of light - the wave just reshapes itself through <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-024-01633-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quantum interference</a>.



The atoms essentially record this reshaping. When the pulse peak shifts forward, the atoms' response shifts too, creating a measurable negative interaction time. It's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/impossibility-paradox-calculating-incalculable-quantum-realm-particles/">quantum mechanics</a> at its strangest, but it follows all the rules.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-scientists-care">Why scientists care</h2>



This experiment settles a long debate. Some physicists argued negative group delay was just mathematical sleight of hand. Others suspected it represented something physically real.



Their setup required extraordinary precision. They trapped rubidium-85 atoms in a tiny cloud, sending shaped signal pulses through it, while a probe beam traveled in the opposite direction. 



The signal matched a specific atomic transition in rubidium. The probe stayed slightly detuned to monitor without being absorbed.



By correlating probe changes with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supercooled-nanowires-detect-protons-at-close-to-the-speed-of-light/">single-photon detections</a>, they isolated effects from individual photons. 



Tests across different pulse durations and cloud densities confirmed their predictions every time. Where theory predicted negative delays, they measured negative times.



This discovery matters for quantum technology. Future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computer-defeats-a-supercomputer-in-crucial-annealing-optimization-task/">quantum computers</a> and networks need precise control of photon-atom interactions. 



Understanding these timing effects, even negative ones, helps engineers build better quantum systems.



The work also pushes quantum mechanics into new territory. At quantum scales, particles behave in probabilistic ways that defy everyday intuition. 



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



This experiment shows that time measurements can get equally weird, though causality never breaks.



Steinberg acknowledged controversy around their findings, but noted that no scientist has challenged the experimental results.



"We've made our choice about what we think is a fruitful way to describe the results," he said.



As for practical uses, Steinberg remains realistic. 



"I'll be honest, I don't currently have a path from what we've been looking at toward applications," he admitted. "We're going to keep thinking about it, but I don't want to get people's hopes up."



The discovery opens new paths for exploring quantum effects. Sometimes the strangest findings lead to unexpected breakthroughs. 



We now know negative time isn't just theoretical - it's measurable, real, and perfectly consistent with physics. It is not the kind that lets you change the past.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.03680" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arXiv</a>.



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Evidence of 'negative time' observed in quantum physics experiments

Scientists just measured something that sounds impossible. When light passes...

Little,Girl,Using,His,Inhaler,On,A,Sunny,Day

A rescue inhaler that pairs a bronchodilator with an anti-inflammatory steroid just changed the conversation about “mild” asthma. 



In a recent study, <a href="https://www.airsupra.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Airsupra</a> reduced the risk of a severe asthma attack by 47 percent versus albuterol alone and cut yearly oral steroid exposure.



Doctors have leaned on albuterol for decades, even though it treats tight airways but not the simmering inflammation that fuels future attacks. 



“SABA-only treatment of asthma is not recommended,” notes the Global Initiative for Asthma <a href="https://ginasthma.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GINA-2023-Pocket-Guide-WMS.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pocket Guide</a> 2023.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-this-asthma-inhaler-does">What this asthma inhaler does</h2>



Lead investigator <a href="https://www.pri-med.com/globals/faculty/l/laforcecraigf?refurl=www.google.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Craig LaForce</a>, M.D., medical director at North Carolina Clinical Research (<a href="https://nccr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NCCR</a>), led the U.S. study with collaborators across academia and industry.



Airsupra combines albuterol, a short-acting beta2-agonist (<a href="https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/drug-guide/short-acting-beta-agonists-(sabas)" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SABA</a>) that relaxes airway muscles, with budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid (<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4033967/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ICS</a>) that calms airway inflammation. 



It is delivered as a pressurized metered dose inhaler (<a href="https://scholars.uthscsa.edu/en/publications/pressurized-metered-dose-inhalers-pmdi">pMDI</a>), used as needed in response to symptoms.



<a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05505734" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BATURA</a>, the trial behind the new data, was fully virtual, randomized, double blind, and event driven, with participants treated for at least 12 weeks and up to 52 weeks, all visits conducted remotely and eligibility starting at age 12.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inside-the-batura-numbers">Inside the BATURA numbers</h2>



Participants using the combination had fewer severe attacks across a year, with an annualized rate of 0.15 compared with 0.32 on albuterol alone, and lower cumulative oral steroid doses over the same period.



An independent committee recommended stopping the trial early for efficacy, and adverse events were similar between groups, with no new safety signals reported.



The benefit was not a narrow statistical blip but a clinically meaningful shift in day to day risk. Fewer attacks mean fewer urgent visits, fewer courses of prednisone, and steadier lung health over time.



These findings also align with a broader pattern seen when an inhaled <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-new-asthma-treatment-in-50-years-offers-hope-for-millions/">steroid</a> is added at the moment symptoms flare. Treat the spasm and the inflammation together, and people have fewer bad days.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-asthma-inhaler-challenges-protocol">Asthma inhaler challenges protocol</h2>



For years, many people with intermittent symptoms were told to carry albuterol and rely on it when they wheezed. 



That approach left inflammation unchecked, which is why guideline groups have moved away from SABA only strategies at the first hint of symptoms.



Earlier evidence pointed in the same direction. 



In the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35569035/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MANDALA</a> trial, as needed, albuterol plus budesonide reduced severe exacerbations compared with albuterol in patients with moderate to severe asthma who were responding to symptoms, building the case for anti-inflammatory rescue therapy beyond maintenance plans.



Regulators also asked whether each ingredient pulls its weight. 



The <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11898224/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DENALI</a> lung function study answered that by showing that both albuterol and budesonide contributed to efficacy when combined in the pMDI, supporting the rationale for pairing symptom relief with anti-inflammatory action in one device.



Together, these strands explain why a rescue inhaler that includes a steroid can make sense even for people who think their asthma is “mild.” Symptoms may be occasional, yet risk still accumulates when inflammation gets ignored.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bringing-into-the-real-world">Bringing into the real world</h2>



The Food and Drug Administration (<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/fda-approves-drug-combination-treatment-adults-asthma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA</a>) cleared Airsupra for adults in January 2023 as an as needed therapy to relieve bronchoconstriction and reduce the risk of exacerbations. 



“It is the first combination of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a short-acting beta-agonist to be approved in the U.S.”



Guidelines now emphasize getting anti-inflammatory medication to the airways when symptoms arise. That can mean ICS formoterol in one track, or an ICS paired with a SABA, with the shared goal of treating both the immediate squeeze and the underlying inflammation.



BATURA focuses that guidance on people labeled as mild, who often are told they will be fine with a rescue bronchodilator alone. 



The new data indicate a practical alternative that can be used in the same moments a person would usually reach for albuterol.



Approval status and labeling still matter. BATURA enrolled participants 12 and older in the United States, but current U.S. approval for the combination rescue inhaler applies to adults 18 and up, so clinicians will continue to match evidence and labeling to individual care plans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-patients-and-families-should-know">What patients and families should know</h2>



If your plan today calls for albuterol alone, ask whether an as needed combination could better fit your pattern of symptoms and risk. 



You are not adding a daily controller here, you are changing what happens each time you reach for a rescue dose, which may cut the chance that a bad day becomes an emergency.



Oral steroids work, but frequent bursts carry costs for bones, blood sugar, mood, and more. A rescue inhaler that reduces total steroid exposure over a year, while still preventing attacks, is a meaningful quality of life gain for many people.



Device technique still counts. Two inhalations of the prescribed dose, proper timing with the canister, and steady follow up visits help convert evidence into outcomes that show up in daily life.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-new-asthma-treatment-in-50-years-offers-hope-for-millions/">Asthma</a> care is personal. The best plan takes into account age, triggers, how often symptoms show up, and how comfortable you are with as needed versus daily medication. 



Bring questions to your next appointment and expect a conversation about options that treat both symptoms and inflammation on the spot.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2504544" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The New England Journal of Medicine</a>.



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A new inhaler that could change asthma treatment forever

A rescue inhaler that pairs a bronchodilator with an anti-inflammatory...

OK shows up in texts and headlines worldwide. The trail to that simple pair of letters runs back to a newsroom prank in Boston in 1839. 



<a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/american-speech/pages/cc_adams_awr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Allen Walker Read</a>, an English professor at Columbia University, followed the etymology of OK to its earliest known print appearance on March 23, 1839, in the Boston Morning Post.



The newspaper used OK as a clipped nod to “oll korrect,” a deliberate misspelling of “all correct” that fit a humor fad in which writers played with spelling and abbreviations. That fad shows up clearly in contemporary accounts of the period.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boston-joke-to-national-catchphrase">Boston joke to national catchphrase</h2>



By late 1839 and into 1840, those two letters were getting fresh momentum in politics. 



Supporters of President Martin Van Buren, nicknamed Old Kinderhook after his New York hometown, organized “O.K. Clubs” and splashed the slogan in campaign materials.



Newspapers and rivals tossed OK around for their own jabs and jokes. The publicity helped carry the term beyond Boston and into daily American talk. 



Its novelty and versatility made it a favorite in both formal and informal exchanges, ensuring it stuck in the public ear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-these-letters-traveled-so-far">Why these letters traveled so far</h2>



OK does several jobs at once, and that flexibility is rare. It can be a quick yes, a marker of understanding, or mild approval without ceremony. 



It also works as different parts of speech. People use it as a noun, a verb, an adjective, and a simple interjection without breaking a sweat.



Telegraphs and early radio gave it more reach because short, clear signals traveled well. Phones, email, and texting did the rest. 



Writers and editors like it because OK is fast to read and saves space. Short <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-brain-uses-a-secret-thesaurus-to-find-the-right-words/">words</a> survive because they cost little effort and fit almost anywhere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-the-scholarly-trail-leads">Where the scholarly trail leads</h2>



Read did more than point to one funny paragraph in a long-gone paper. He mapped how OK spread, stage by stage, across newspapers and public life in a series of <a href="https://files.shsmo.org/manuscripts/columbia/C4033.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Speech articles</a> in 1963 and 1964.



He also documented the way false origin stories kept popping up and why they faded when tested against dated evidence from the period. That careful documentation moved most scholars to accept the 1839 origin in Boston.



Other researchers and writers have described the social context that let a small newsroom joke escape its niche. 



They point to the culture of exchange among papers and the appetite for chatty fillers that made space for playful language. 



That blend of humor, print culture, and politics explains why this small <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-babies-learn-words-for-objects-theyve-never-seen/">word</a> caught a lift when many other joking abbreviations did not. It was short, useful, and visible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spelling-fights-that-never-quite-ended">Spelling fights that never quite ended</h2>



You see three common forms: OK, O.K., and okay. Style preferences differ, and personal taste fills the gap. 



Editors often prefer OK because the capitals stand out cleanly and do not add periods. Others like okay because it reads like a normal word.



Linguists sometimes highlight that OK began as an <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/whats-an-acronym" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">initialism</a>, the letters pronounced separately, not as a word. That origin helps explain the tidy two-letter style. 



In casual notes and texts, people clip it even further to K. That one-letter shrug shows how elastic the idea has become.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-voice-from-the-moon-and-a-word-on-earth">A voice from the moon and a word on earth</h2>



“Okay, Neil, we can see you coming down the ladder now.” That line came from <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/USGS-Reports/Astro-0020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CAPCOM</a>, the capsule communicator at Mission Control, as millions watched Neil Armstrong start the first lunar walk on July 20, 1969. 



OK landed in one of the most famous live broadcasts in history. Two letters carried calm assurance across a quarter million miles.



NASA crews also used A-OK in the 1960s, which fit the agency’s checklists and crisp exchanges. Short words smooth tense moments and keep teams aligned. The point is not romance. It is that OK proves useful when precision matters and the clock is ticking.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-word-says-about-us">What the word says about us</h2>



OK is roomy enough to carry polite agreement or quiet skepticism. People use intonation to shade meaning without adding extra syllables. 



It helps conversations move because it asks little of the speaker or listener. You can accept a plan, pause a disagreement, or show you heard without signaling enthusiasm.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-who-are-good-with-words-have-better-health-and-live-longer/">word</a> is also easy to borrow. A loanword spreads when it is handy, and OK fits almost any language’s sound system. 



That practicality fuels adoption in global settings, from trade to travel to customer service. It solves a problem, which is why it keeps showing up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clearing-up-a-few-myths-without-the-drama">Clearing up a few myths without the drama</h2>



No, it did not start as a telegraph code. No, it did not come from a Haitian port, a German typesetters’ mark, or any one of a dozen clever just-so stories. 



The better rule of thumb is simple. If a tale about OK’s origin first appeared long after 1839 and cannot be tied to documents from the time, it does not hold up.



Scholars do leave room for layered history because <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-can-associate-human-words-with-images/">words</a> gather uses as they spread. Yet the Boston quip carries the clearest documentary trail, and it keeps standing when tested. 



That is why many reliable summaries boil the story down to the 1839 joke and the 1840 campaign that made it famous. The popular alternatives make good bar talk, not good evidence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-it-still-matters-in-2025">Why it still matters in 2025</h2>



We live in a world of fast decisions, swamped inboxes, and constant coordination. OK is the perfect light switch for all of that. It slows no one down and offends almost no one when used in neutral ways. It is pragmatic, brisk, and adaptable.



“‘OK’ is perhaps the most recognizable word in the world.” That line captures both the reach and the staying power, said the editors at <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the-hilarious-history-of-ok-okay" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Merriam-Webster</a>. When a word does that much work with so little fuss, it is hard to retire. OK keeps earning its spot.



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Did you know that the word 'OK' started out as a spelling joke?

OK shows up in texts and headlines worldwide. The trail...

Seeing is not only about reflected light that reaches the eye. It's also about timing - how quickly and when those signals arrive and are processed by the eye's retina. 



When viewing a landscape, for instance, the light from different parts of that scene reach your eye at slightly different times, yet your brain is able to process the entire view in a single instant rather than filling in the blanks over microseconds.



Inside the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/retinal-scans-provide-a-window-into-human-aging/">eye</a>, messages travel along paths of different lengths before they exit toward the brain. That uneven wiring sets up a timing problem the system has to solve.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vision-processing-in-the-eye-s-retina">Vision processing in the eye's retina</h2>



New research shows that the human eye's retina uses its own tools to keep signals in sync, trimming timing differences to just a few thousandths of a second at the point where fibers leave the eye. 



The work was led by <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9LKw0-sAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Annalisa Bucci</a> at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (<a href="https://iob.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IOB</a>). Her team also included collaborators from the University of Basel and <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a>.



Longer axons are built thicker inside the eye, and those thicker fibers conduct faster, so arrivals line up.



In the center of gaze, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554706/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fovea</a> funnels information from neighboring receptors through ganglion cells whose fibers can take very different routes to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-retinal-cells-explain-complex-color-perception/">optic</a> nerve. 



Despite that, the team reports that temporal fibers on the far side of the fovea conduct more than 40 percent faster than nasal fibers that have a shorter trip, shrinking the spread at the exit to under 2.5 milliseconds.&nbsp;



“We conclude that the human brain orchestrates axonal conduction speeds of unmyelinated axons in the retina to synchronize the arrival times of sensory signals,” wrote Bucci.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-retina-timing-in-the-eye">Retina timing in the eye</h2>



Neural <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23820043/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circuits</a> care a lot about time, often at the scale of milliseconds. Small shifts can change how signals add up, whether in hearing, touch, or vision.



If parts of a scene were always late or early, edges would smear and quick changes would blur. The eye and brain work together to prevent that from happening, and this study shows the eye starts the job.



Conduction speed depends on a few physical features. One key factor is axon caliber, which increases speed in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00798/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unmyelinated fibers</a> with a square root relationship to diameter.



The authors combined high-density electrical recordings with careful anatomy to connect those principles to human tissue. 



They measured propagation speed along many individual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/apple-snails-regrow-their-eyes-and-may-help-humans-do-the-same/">retinal</a> ganglion cell fibers and found that the longer the route, the bigger the cable and the faster the impulse.



That speedup did not fully erase every difference. It cut a large potential mismatch down to a few milliseconds at the eye’s output, leaving the rest to be handled downstream.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-single-photoreceptors-to-reaction-times">Single photoreceptors to reaction times</h2>



To check whether people actually respond as if signals were in step, the team used adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29359094/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AOSLO</a>) to flash tiny spots onto single foveal cones. This tool can stimulate individual photoreceptors with pinpoint precision in awake observers.



Participants pressed a button when they saw the flash. Reaction times were statistically uniform around the fovea, with no reliable benefit for regions that should have had shorter wiring. That behavioral result lines up with the timing equalization seen in the tissue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cell-types-and-the-map-of-the-eye">Cell types and the map of the eye</h2>



The retina’s output is not one-size-fits-all. Two major cell families dominate: <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8175861/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">retinal ganglion cells</a> of the midget type, tuned for fine detail and color, and parasol cells, tuned for larger, quicker changes. 



Tiny pathways dominate the central retina, while parasol cells contribute more as you move outward.



Those identities show up in timing. In the human fovea, median propagation speeds cluster around about 0.6 meters per second for midget axons and about 0.7 meters per second for parasol axons.



In the periphery both classes speed up and widen the gap further, roughly 0.9 and 1.1 meters per second, respectively. The shift mirrors the change in axon caliber and the functional demands of those pathways.



Even with these differences, the eye’s geometry still creates unequal travel distances. 



The study’s modeling shows how faster long routes compensate for much of that extra path, trimming the final spread to a narrow window at the nerve head.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-retina-thickness-matches-speed">Retina thickness matches speed</h2>



There is another angle that ties retinal timing to everyday eye care. The retinal nerve fiber <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17210181/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">layer</a> at the back of the eye is a sheet of unmyelinated ganglion cell axons, and its thickness can be measured in living people with optical coherence tomography, a routine clinical scan.



The authors built a model of axon trajectories and densities, then showed it lines up with known patterns of nerve fiber thickness across the retina. That agreement adds a structural cross-check to the physiological measurements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-retina-begins-signal-synchronization">Retina begins signal synchronization</h2>



The results suggest that synchronization begins before the brain even gets the message. 



Some compensation also happens earlier in the retinal circuit, because response delays of upstream cells vary with location and stimulus size, and later stages in the brain likely polish the timing further.



Across the nervous system, axons tune conduction time so that signals converge when and where they should. 



The eye now joins that story with direct human data, linking tissue structure, measured speeds, and behavior in one coherent picture.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-02011-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Neuroscience</a>.



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Human eyes are able to 'sync' everything they see before sending signals to the brain

Seeing is not only about reflected light that reaches the...

Activation,Of,The,Immune,Response:,Antigen,Presenting,Cell,Activates,T-lymphocytes

Aging bodies usually slow down. Immune defenses are no exception, as infections hit harder and vaccines work less well. Yet a subset of older adults carry unusually youthful immune features, and that wrinkle changes the story in surprising ways.



A new perspective argues that keeping parts of the immune system young late in life can come with a cost. The tradeoff shows up most clearly in a blood vessel disease that strikes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-identify-a-turning-point-when-your-body-starts-aging-faster-proteins-key/">older adults</a> and can threaten sight and the heart.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-youthful-immune-traits-in-elders">Youthful immune traits in elders</h2>



The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-025-00919-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">perspective</a> is led by <a href="https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/weyand-cornelia-m-m-d-ph-d/bio-20527870" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornelia M. Weyand</a>, M.D., Ph.D., and <a href="https://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/goronzy-jorg-m-d-ph-d/bio-20527076" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jörg J. Goronzy</a>, M.D., Ph.D., at Mayo Clinic. Their work explores how retained youthful traits in T cells line up with disease patterns seen in late life.



“We propose that sustained immune youthfulness can be detrimental to the aging host, while immune <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-slow-aging-right-down-to-your-dna/">aging</a> may be a beneficial adaptation,” wrote Weyand and Goronzy. 



The core message is not a rebuke of aging, but a call to understand which immune features help and which harm as years add up.



The authors focus on a form of autoimmunity in which the body’s defenses misidentify self as threat. 



They point to patterns showing that some older patients retain a T cell pool that behaves more like that of much younger people, with strong renewal and rapid responses.



Those traits sound helpful during an infection. In the wrong context, they can feed persistent inflammation in tissues that never needed defending in the first place.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giant-cell-arteritis-is-a-late-life-risk">Giant cell arteritis is a late life risk</h2>



<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36656970/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Giant cell arteritis</a> is an autoimmune vasculitis that targets medium and large arteries and can narrow vessels, reduce blood flow, and damage the vessel wall. It is the most common <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41584-021-00718-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vasculitis</a> in older adults, especially among people of Northern European ancestry.



Across populations, the pooled incidence is about 10 cases per 100,000 people older than 50, with higher <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7948334/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rates</a> in some regions and lower in others. 



That number helps explain why clinicians are trained to keep an eye out for new headaches, jaw pain, and sudden visual changes in older patients.



Prevalence climbs with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breakthrough-method-reverses-aging-in-human-cells-without-modifying-dna/">age</a>, peaking in the 70s and 80s, and it affects women more often than men. Those facts line up with the perspective’s central point about late-life immune patterns.



Untreated or smoldering disease can lead to permanent vision loss or aortic complications, including aneurysm, which underscores why accurate diagnosis and monitoring matter. Fast steroid treatment saves sight, but long-term disease control remains a challenge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-persistent-vessel-inflammation">Persistent vessel inflammation</h2>



A line of studies has mapped a small set of T cells with self-renewing traits in inflamed arteries of older patients. 



These cells look and act younger than expected for age, and they appear to supply the fuel for chronic inflammation.



The cells in question are stem-like memory <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3277283/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CD4+ T cells</a>. They carry a transcription factor profile consistent with renewal capacity and sit near the lesions that clinicians see on imaging or biopsy.



Within the vessel wall, they cluster in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41568-019-0144-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tertiary lymphoid structures</a>, small immune neighborhoods that help them persist. Their presence explains how inflammation can recur even when symptoms seem quiet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-failed-checkpoints-in-immune-aging">Failed checkpoints in immune aging</h2>



The immune system relies on immune checkpoints to keep T cells from overreacting, especially in tissues that need peace. Those checkpoints include receptor-ligand pairs that send inhibitory signals and help maintain tolerance to self.



Several lines of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7136921/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> show that the axis of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmed_cell_death_protein_1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PD-1</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PD-L1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PD-L1</a> is off balance in this disease, with low PD-L1 on vascular dendritic cells and macrophages that should be braking T cells. 



That imbalance removes a layer of control and helps explain why inflammation is hard to shut down in affected arteries. 



Other checkpoint pathways may falter as well. A 2023 <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37075705/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> reported a defective immune checkpoint impaired, in giant cell arteritis leading to a pathogenic immune response. 



This checkpoint normally regulates T cell activation and prevents excessive inflammation. This research points to a broader failure to impose restraint on activated T cells.



Clinical experience also shows that turning off checkpoints in cancer can, in rare cases, trigger vasculitis. 



Case <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11986302/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a> and reviews link checkpoint inhibitor treatment to giant cell arteritis in older patients, which fits the idea that removing brakes can unmask self-reactivity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-some-aging-may-help">Why some aging may help</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-experimenting-with-new-approach-to-fight-and-stop-human-aging-necrosis/">Aging</a> changes the adaptive immune system in predictable ways. Vaccine responses dip, naive T cells become rarer, and recall responses dominate, a set of shifts often grouped under <a href="https://immunityageing.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12979-019-0164-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">immunosenescence</a>.



Those changes are not uniformly bad. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31186548/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reviews</a> of T cell aging highlight adaptations in self-renewal, quiescence, and cellular senescence that appear to limit runaway activation in older adults, which may protect against autoimmunity in some contexts.



The perspective adds a useful twist by suggesting that delayed immune aging can be maladaptive in late life. In other words, a youthful T cell program, sustained for decades, may become a liability when new tissue changes accumulate.



Age adds new neoantigens, altered self molecules that T cells can misread as foreign. A renewing T cell pool plus a higher antigenic load makes a potent mix, especially in tissues exposed to wear and tear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clinical-impact-of-immune-aging">Clinical impact of immune aging</h2>



A practical question follows: how do we identify older adults whose immune systems remain unusually youthful, and who might be at higher risk for late-life autoimmunity. 



The answer will likely combine immune profiling with imaging and careful clinical phenotyping.



Mayo Clinic has framed a strategy around prediction and early interception, a push that leaders describe under the Precure initiative, which aims to predict and prevent disease before it becomes serious.&nbsp;



For vascular inflammation, that could mean spotting the signatures of self-renewing T cells, then tailoring treatment to shut off the supply rather than only chasing the flames.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-025-00919-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Aging</a>.



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Human immune systems have a 'fountain of youth' and scientists are trying to activate it

Aging bodies usually slow down. Immune defenses are no exception,...

A new study pulls a 5,000-year thread from mud off East Java and shows that people began causing soil erosion by reshaping ancient tropical soils much earlier than believed.



The <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL114695" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> comes from a marine sediment core that captured what rivers carried seaward: eroded soil, microscopic plant waxes, and faint chemical fingerprints of fire.



Lead author <a href="https://www.marum.de/en/Yanming-Ruan.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Yanming Ruan</a>, of <a href="https://www.uni-bremen.de/en/university/profile/history-1/50years/events/50-reasons-why/marum" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MARUM</a>, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, and colleagues in Germany, the Netherlands, and China, traced how those fingerprints rose and fell through time.



Their goal was simple, and bold: separate natural climate swings from the mark of human land use across the late Holocene.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-sediments-reveal-farming">Ocean sediments reveal farming</h2>



Sediments raining into the Indian Ocean off East Java build thin layers year after year. Over centuries, those layers store signals of what happened on land, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organic-matter-helps-soil-hold-water-even-in-conditions-like-mars/">soil</a> loss during storms and ash and soot after fires.



One class of molecules, <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004E&amp;PSL.224..107H/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brGDGTs</a> (branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers), comes mainly from soils and serves as a tracer of terrigenous input to the sea. 



Another, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10533-019-00622-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">levoglucosan</a>, forms when vegetation burns and is widely used to infer past fire activity, including low intensity, managed burns. 



In humid tropical forests, natural fires are uncommon, so most fire signals point to people, not lightning or volcanism.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-farming-fires-and-erosion">Early farming fires and erosion</h2>



“Such early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-may-trigger-rapid-release-of-soil-carbon/">farming</a> practices likely made soils more susceptible to erosion,” said Ruan. 



The team reports a sharp rise in fire markers about 3,500 years ago without matching shifts in regional vegetation or rainfall, pointing to early swidden cultivation in East Java.



Around 2,000 to 1,500 years ago, the isotopes point to a punchier wet season paired with a longer dry season. 



That pattern raises rainfall erosivity, which can turn disturbed hillslopes into sediment sources and drive heavier river loads.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farming-shift-drove-soil-erosion">Farming shift drove soil erosion</h2>



The most intense soil erosion in the last five centuries coincides with a transition from swidden to more permanent agriculture across many tropical frontiers, a shift that numerous case <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959378011001622" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> link to faster, more persistent soil loss.



Independent pollen <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/202254882_Pollen-stratigraphic_evidence_of_human_activity_at_Dieng_Central_Java" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> from northern Java’s offshore sediments documents stronger land use signals during this late interval, including crop indicators and plantation pollen. 



Finding an early human fingerprint changes the baseline we use to judge modern impact.



<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13327" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Models</a> project more frequent and intense positive Indian Ocean Dipole events as greenhouse warming proceeds, a setup that can supercharge regional rainfall extremes.



<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30542166/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Projections</a> also point to greater hydroclimate variability tied to the El Niño Southern Oscillation, which can toggle between punishing droughts and deluges across Indonesia.



Human activities have already reorganized Earth’s sediment <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358273769_Earth's_sediment_cycle_during_the_Anthropocene" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cycle</a> by accelerating hillslope erosion and altering river sediment delivery, so heavier rain on more exposed soils stacks the deck for even faster losses.



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



Long dry seasons raise the risk that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/controlled-fires-can-help-us-save-grasslands-from-disappearing/">managed burns</a> escape and escalate. During 1997, Indonesian peatland fires released vast amounts of carbon, a stark reminder that fire use can flip from tool to hazard under the wrong conditions.



Levoglucosan is a powerful tracer of burning, yet it is not a perfect, passive clock. Its production, transport, and preservation vary with fire temperature, fuel, and environment, so multiproxy approaches, as used here, are key to robust reconstructions.



Soils thin slowly and can vanish quickly. The <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2019/11/SRCCL-Full-Report-Compiled-191128.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IPCC</a> reports that land degradation and erosion undermine food security, especially where extreme rainfall and intensive land use collide, which places parts of the Maritime Continent high on the watch list.



The record from Java says the Anthropocene’s deep root in this region is not a recent sprout, and the combination of intensive agriculture with sharper rainfall extremes is exactly the mix that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agricultural-soil-is-now-the-worlds-biggest-plastic-dumping-ground/">accelerates erosion</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-impact-of-soil-erosion">Global impact of soil erosion</h2>



Soil erosion in the tropics not only strips away fertile land but also damages river systems and coastal zones that depend on steady <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-footprint-a-new-frontier-in-sustainable-farming/">sediment supplies</a>. 



As sediments decline or arrive in pulses, estuaries and reefs can suffer, weakening ecosystems that provide food and coastal protection.



Historical studies suggest that accelerated soil loss has played a role in local declines of farming communities by lowering yields and increasing vulnerability to floods and droughts. 



The evidence from Java shows that these pressures were present centuries ago, long before modern agricultural intensification.



The study is published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL114695" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Humans began causing global soil erosion much earlier than previously thought

A new study pulls a 5,000-year thread from mud off...

Woman,Holding,Gold,Nugget,On,Blurred,Background,,Closeup.,Space,For

Odisha, a state of India, is back in the spotlight, and this time the buzz is about gold. Recent exploration has pointed to pockets of the metal across the state, stirring talk of a new mining chapter and a fresh round of auctions.



Is this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-high-grade-gold-mine-found-in-an-unexplored-area-of-south-america/">gold discovery</a> the start of something big for the region and country? It’s meaningful, and it’s moving fast, but the shape of it is still coming into focus. 



Early signs point to new jobs, better roads and rail links, and a welcome boost for local services if the deposits prove viable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-locations-of-the-odisha-gold">Locations of the Odisha gold</h2>



After confirmed discoveries across multiple <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_districts_of_Odisha" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">districts of Odisha</a>, fresh targets now include Deogarh (Adasa-Rampalli), Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Nabarangpur, Angul, and Koraput, with further work underway in Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur, Malkangiri, and Boudh. 



The findings were identified during recent mineral exploration projects that sparked immediate interest in mining and auction strategy.



The confirmation of these sites was shared in the state legislative assembly in March 2025, according to a report by Times Now.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-s-moving-the-work-forward">Who’s moving the work forward</h2>



The Geological Survey of India (<a href="https://mines.gov.in/webportal/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GIS</a>) has advanced the reconnaissance from G3 to G2 in areas such as Adasa-Rampalli and Gopur-Gajipur, stepping up to detailed sampling and drilling to validate resources. 



Alongside the <a href="https://omcltd.in/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Odisha Mining Corporation</a>, the state government is fast-tracking plans to commercialize the finds.



An auction of the first gold mining block in Deogarh is on the table, billed as a watershed moment for Odisha’s mineral sector.



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



No official resource figures have been released yet. Based on geological indicators, analysts have estimated the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supergiant-gold-deposit-find-claims-to-be-the-worlds-largest-discovery-ever/">gold reserves</a> in the range of 10 to 20 metric tons, which is sizeable but modest next to India’s gold import volumes.



India imported around 700-800 metric tons of gold in the last year. 



Domestic production remains low at 1.6 tons annually as of 2020, so these Odisha finds won’t flip the national gold balance, but they could open the door for more domestic extraction and economic diversification.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-plan-unfolds-next">How the plan unfolds next</h2>



Once resources are confirmed and made viable, the deposits could help drive regional development, including infrastructure investment, mining activity, transport facilities, and local services. 



Reduced reliance on imports would follow, though not enough to dramatically alter the trade balance.



The immediate milestones are clear: complete the G2 work, finalize the first auction in Deogarh, and set the terms that secure both investment and local benefits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-odisha-already-knows-mining">Why Odisha already knows mining</h2>



Odisha already accounts for 96% of India’s chromite, 52% of bauxite, and 33% of iron ore reserves. That track record matters. 



The state has people, logistics, and policy experience built around minerals, which can shorten the learning curve for gold.



A diversified <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-white-gold-a-lithium-deposit-valued-at-1-5-trillion-has-been-discovered-in-the-u-s/">basket of minerals</a> also spreads risk and helps keep revenues steadier across market cycles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wider-push-for-critical-minerals">Wider push for critical minerals</h2>



The Geological Survey of India has shaped major mining stories for decades. 



One landmark example is Malanjkhand in Madhya Pradesh, first explored in 1969 and inaugurated in the early 1980s as the <a href="https://www.mindat.org/loc-15187.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Malanjkhand Copper Project</a>, which became the largest open-cast copper mine in Asia.



In recent years, attention has shifted to minerals that power clean energy and digital tech. In West Bengal’s Purulia district, the Kalapathar-Raghudih block holds over half a million tonnes of rare earth resources. 



In Arunachal Pradesh, work has identified nearly 14 million tons of vanadium and almost 18 million tons of graphite, along with signs of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth anomalies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-northeast">Mapping the northeast</h2>



Across the Northeast, more than 36,000 square kilometers have been mapped, with nearly 3,000 sites showing mineral potential. That effort has placed the region firmly on the national mineral development roadmap.



For Odisha, this broader push underscores a simple truth: careful exploration, step-by-step validation, and clear auction rules can convert promising geology into real projects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bottom-line-for-odisha-gold-discovery">Bottom line for Odisha gold discovery</h2>



Odisha’s gold story is moving from early hints to structured work. The targets are known, the process is defined, and the first auction is within reach. 



The numbers show the opportunity is real but measured. If execution matches the early momentum, the payoff could be steady jobs, stronger infrastructure, and a more balanced mineral economy for the state.



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Mineral exploration project discovers 20 metric tons of gold deposits

Odisha, a state of India, is back in the spotlight,...

You read words with your eyes, but you also hear them with a voice in your head. That inner speech isn’t just a feeling. It leaves a clear footprint in the brain that can be mapped to text on a screen. 



For people who can’t speak because of paralysis or other conditions, that shift could open the door to faster, more natural conversation.



Scientists have now identified brain activity patterns linked to inner speech and decoded them into text with a 74% accuracy rate.



Published in the journal Cell, the work could enable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-computer-interface-device-lets-users-play-games-with-only-their-minds/">brain-computer interface</a> (BCI) systems to help people who cannot speak out loud communicate by silently thinking a password to activate the system.



“This is the first time we’ve managed to understand what brain activity looks like when you just think about speaking,” explains lead author Erin Kunz of <a href="https://www.stanford.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a>. 



“For people with severe speech and motor impairments, BCIs capable of decoding inner speech could help them communicate much more easily and more naturally.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-movement-decoding-to-inner-speech">Movement decoding to inner speech</h2>



BCIs already help people with disabilities by interpreting brain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-the-speed-at-which-the-brain-processes-information/">signals</a> that control movement. 



These systems operate prosthetic devices or type text by decoding attempted speech - when users engage speech muscles but produce unintelligible sounds. 



This is faster than eye-tracking but still demands effort, which can be tiring.



The Stanford team explored decoding purely imagined speech. “If you just have to think about speech instead of actually trying to speak, it’s potentially easier and faster for people,” says co-first author Benyamin Meschede-Krasa.



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



Four participants with severe paralysis from ALS or brainstem stroke took part. Researchers implanted microelectrodes into the motor cortex, a speech-related <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/multitasking-messes-with-your-brains-natural-rhythm/">brain</a> area. 



Participants either attempted speaking or imagined saying words. The two tasks activated overlapping regions, though inner speech produced weaker signals.



The researchers also observed that imagined speech involved reduced activity in non-primary motor areas compared to attempted speech, suggesting more streamlined neural pathways. 



Their models could reliably distinguish between the two types of speech despite these similarities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decoding-and-unexpected-findings">Decoding and unexpected findings</h2>



Artificial intelligence models, trained specifically on data from participants’ imagined speech, demonstrated the ability to decode complete sentences from a remarkably large vocabulary of up to 125,000 words, achieving an accuracy rate of 74%. 



In addition to decoding prompted sentences, the system was sensitive enough to pick up on unplanned, spontaneous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-brain-stops-paying-attention-to-repeated-distractions/">mental activity</a>.



For example, when participants were asked to count the number of pink circles on a screen, the BCI detected the numbers they silently tallied, even though they were never instructed to think them. 



This finding indicates that imagined speech generates distinct and identifiable neural patterns, even without direct prompting or deliberate effort from the user.



Furthermore, the research revealed that inner speech signals tend to follow a consistent temporal pattern across multiple trials. 



In other words, the timing of brain activity during silent speech remained stable each time the participants imagined speaking.



This reliable internal rhythm could be an important factor in refining future decoding algorithms, as it provides a predictable framework for translating thought into text with greater accuracy and speed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distinguishing-speech-types">Distinguishing speech types</h2>



While the brain activity patterns for attempted speech and inner speech showed many similarities, the researchers discovered that there were still consistent and measurable differences between them. 



These differences were significant enough for the system to accurately tell the two apart, even when the signals came from overlapping brain regions.



According to Frank Willett, this distinction opens the door for developing BCIs that can selectively respond to one type of speech over the other. 



In practical terms, this means a device could be programmed to completely ignore inner speech unless the user chooses to activate it.



To give users full control, the team designed a password-based activation method. In this setup, decoding of inner speech would remain locked until the person silently thought of a specific phrase - in this case, “chitty chitty bang bang.” 



When tested, the system successfully recognized the password with more than 98% accuracy, ensuring both security and intentional use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-inner-speech-decoding">Future of inner speech decoding</h2>



Summing it all up, your inner voice leaves a measurable trace in the brain’s speech-planning system. With thin sensors and well-trained models, that trace can be turned into text in real time, without any physical movement. 



Free-form inner speech decoding remains a challenge due to variability in brain activity and limited vocabulary coverage. 



However, the authors highlight that higher-density electrode arrays, advanced machine learning models, and integration of semantic context could improve accuracy.



“The future of BCIs is bright,” Willett says. “This work gives real hope that speech BCIs can one day restore communication that is as fluent, natural, and comfortable as conversational speech.”



It’s not telepathy, and it’s not flawless, but it points toward a faster, more humane way for people who can’t speak to be heard - using the voice they already have, the one inside.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00681-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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New brain-computer interface 'reads' your innermost thoughts and translates them into text

You read words with your eyes, but you also hear...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



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



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...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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

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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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