<p>A familiar idea in happiness research says people feel worse through their thirties and early forties, then things lift. That classic U-shape, with a midlife low and a late-life rebound, has been taught in classrooms and splashed across headlines for years.</p>



<p>New evidence released challenges that view. The new study reports that the midlife “unhappiness hump” has faded, and that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strong-immune-resilience-in-midlife-reduces-risk-of-early-death/">mental</a> ill-being now tends to decline with age.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-midlife-distress-has-declined">Midlife distress has declined</h2>



<p>A team led by David G. Blanchflower from <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/dartmouth" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dartmouth College</a> analyzed large samples from the United States, the United Kingdom, and a multinational dataset. </p>



<p>“We show this empirical regularity has been replaced by a monotonic decrease in ill-being by age,” wrote Blanchflower. </p>



<p>The drop in the midlife peak is not because older adults suddenly got much happier. The shape changed because younger people’s mental health worsened relative to everyone else.</p>



<p>In U.S. data, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-better-in-midlife-helps-you-age-with-strength/">middle-aged</a> and older adults look roughly stable over time. Younger groups, especially under 25, report higher distress than cohorts the same age did a decade or two ago. The same broad pattern appears in the U.K. and across dozens of other countries.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surveys-show-midlife-change">Surveys show midlife change</h2>



<p>The team used the U.S. BRFSS telephone survey, which asks adults how many days in the past 30 days their mental health was not good. </p>



<p>Since the 1990s, BRFSS has run hundreds of thousands of interviews per year, providing a robust base for trend work, and the mental health days item sits in the official questionnaire.</p>



<p>For the U.K., they turned to UKHLS, also known as Understanding Society, which follows about 40,000 households. Mental health there is captured with the GHQ-12, a 12-item scale that sums to 36 points, where higher scores reflect more distress.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-patterns-of-well-being-and-ill-being">Patterns of well-being and ill-being</h2>



<p>To check whether the new pattern shows up globally, the researchers used the <a href="https://sapienlabs.org/global-mind-project/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Minds Project</a>, which assesses mental function using the MHQ. That metric summarizes capabilities across emotional, cognitive, and social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-quality-carbs-in-midlife-linked-to-healthier-aging/">domains</a> on a scale that increases with better mental health.</p>



<p>These surveys measure subjective well-being and its counterpart, ill-being. The focus is not a one-time diagnosis by a clinician, but how people say they are doing and functioning.</p>



<p>That matters because policymaking often moves on perceptions and daily experience. As the authors show, the age profile in self-reported mental health has tilted in ways that match other social indicators.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distress-falls-with-age">Distress falls with age</h2>



<p>Earlier datasets commonly showed a hump in reported worry, stress, and depression, rising into midlife before easing. Today the line looks more like a steady slope downward with age.</p>



<p>Younger adults now report the highest levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercising-in-midlife-can-reverse-years-of-inactivity/">mental</a> ill-being. Older groups look comparatively more stable, which changes the picture for researchers and planners who assumed midlife was the peak period of distress.</p>



<p>The causes of distress in young people are still being debated. One active line of <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/aer.20211218" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> has found that the rollout of Facebook on U.S. campuses worsened student mental health.</p>



<p>Pandemic disruptions, weak access to timely care, and economic pressures may also play roles. The study authors point to those broad forces as plausible contributors for the last decade’s trend.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-youth-mental-health-crisis">Youth mental health crisis</h2>



<p>Mortality data capture the stakes in stark terms. In 2020, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db433.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">suicide</a> ranked as the second leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 34 in the United States.</p>



<p>Education data tell a related story about strain and lost learning time. Rising absenteeism and reports of anxiety in schools fit the broader shift toward higher distress among teens and young adults.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-patterns-of-distress">Shifting patterns of distress</h2>



<p>The new evidence does not say older adults live in perfect happiness. It highlights a relative shift in levels by age that raises concern for youth.</p>



<p>The researchers also do not claim that one single cause explains the change. Social media effects, pandemic exposure, health care access, and labor market scarring could all contribute, and impacts likely differ across communities.</p>



<p>If the highest distress now clusters in youth and early adulthood, then mental health resources should follow the data. Faster access to counseling, school-based supports, and training for primary care would go a long way.</p>



<p>Measurement should keep pace too. Annual reporting that breaks out age bands with consistent cross-sectional methods can catch reversals like this sooner, which helps leaders avoid steering by an outdated map.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0327858" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>PLOS ONE</em></a>.</p>



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No more midlife crisis? Young people now report the most distress

A familiar idea in happiness research says people feel worse through their thirties and early forties, then things lift. That classic U-shape, with a midlife low and a late-life rebound, has been taught in classrooms and splashed across headlines for years. New evidence released challenges that view. The new study reports that the midlife “unhappiness hump” has faded, and that mental ill-being now tends to decline with age. Midlife distress has declined A team led by David G. Blanchflower from Dartmouth College analyzed large samples from the...

<p>Rice feeds billions. It thrives in warm, wet fields and stores energy in a way that fits busy lives and tight budgets. Those same flooded fields can also make arsenic more available to rice plants, and some of that arsenic can end up in the grain.</p>



<p>A growing body of field evidence points to a new twist: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/">as the planet warms</a> and CO₂ rises, flooded soils lose oxygen more often and for longer stretches. That chemical shift frees arsenic from soil particles, and rice roots take up more of it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-rice-and-arsenic">Climate, rice, and arsenic</h2>



<p>After years of outdoor trials, researchers report that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/">climate conditions</a> expected by mid-century would increase the flow of inorganic arsenic - the harmful form - from soil to plant to grain.</p>



<p>The work appears in a leading medical journal and was conducted by teams at Columbia University’s <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mailman School of Public Health</a>, with collaborators in China and the United States. </p>



<p>“Our results suggest that this increase in arsenic levels could significantly elevate the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, and other non-cancer health effects,” explained <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/profile/lewis-ziska" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Lewis Ziska</a>, associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Columbia Mailman School.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-arsenic-is-in-rice">Why arsenic is in rice</h2>



<p>Arsenic occurs naturally in many soils and waters. In paddies that stay flooded, oxygen dwindles. Iron minerals that normally bind arsenic dissolve, and arsenic becomes more mobile. </p>



<p>Warmer conditions paired with higher CO₂ push that chemistry along, especially in fields that remain waterlogged. </p>



<p>Under future settings - temperatures <a href="https://climate.mit.edu/ask-mit/why-did-ipcc-choose-2deg-c-goal-limiting-global-warming" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more than 2°C</a> (about 3.6°F) above pre-industrial levels plus elevated CO₂ - the balance tilts toward more inorganic arsenic entering the plant.</p>



<p>That does not make every bowl risky. Local geology, irrigation sources, soil type, and farming practices all shape grain levels. It does mean that the odds can shift in places where paddies stay saturated for long periods.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-rice-and-arsenic">Studying rice and arsenic</h2>



<p>The scientists did not rely on short greenhouse trials. They grew 28 rice varieties outdoors for roughly a decade using a Free-Air CO₂ Enrichment (<a href="https://ess.science.energy.gov/face/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FACE</a>) system.</p>



<p>This process releases extra CO₂ around crops in the open air so that sunlight, wind, microbes, and soil behave as they do in real life.</p>



<p>Those long-running field data then fed into models linking plant arsenic levels to typical rice intake and body size across major <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/feeding-the-world-without-harming-nature-the-complex-balance-of-farming/">rice-eating countries</a> in Asia.</p>



<p>The projections indicate a sizable shift in risk. Lifetime cancer risks, particularly for lung and bladder cancer, increased by 44% relative to ambient conditions. China alone may face 19.3 million excess cancer cases related to arsenic exposure through rice. </p>



<p>“From a health perspective, the toxicological effects of chronic iAs exposure are well established; and include cancers of the lung, bladder, and skin, as well as ischemic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-kills-differently-now-than-five-decades-ago/">heart disease</a>,” said Dr. Ziska.</p>



<p>Non-cancer outcomes also matter. The modeling points to increased risks for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases tied to long-term inorganic arsenic exposure in populations with high rice intake.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-risks-are-the-highest">Where risks are the highest</h2>



<p>Diet and water sources shape exposure. Regions where rice is a daily staple and paddies are often kept flooded will see the largest impacts under warmer, CO₂-richer conditions. </p>



<p>“Ingesting rice in regions like southern China and Southeast and South Asia is already a significant source of dietary arsenic and cancer risk,” said Dr. Ziska.</p>



<p>Within countries, irrigation that draws from arsenic-rich groundwater can raise grain levels. Varieties also differ in how strongly they transport arsenic from roots to grain, which creates room for practical solutions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-is-bad-what-can-be-done">This is bad, what can be done?</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-fixes-may-save-crops-from-climate-stress/">Plant breeding</a> can help: select and develop varieties that limit arsenic uptake even when soils push it toward the roots. Breeders already see large differences among rice lines in how much arsenic reaches the grain. </p>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trillions-of-cubic-meters-of-water-is-used-to-grow-crops-each-year/">Water management</a> is another lever. Continuous flooding increases arsenic mobility, while giving soils time to drain lets oxygen return, which can hold arsenic in less available forms.</p>



<p>Post-harvest steps matter too. Milling and cooking methods can reduce how much arsenic ends up on the plate. </p>



<p>No single fix works everywhere. Shifting water regimes, for example, can raise cadmium in some settings, so local testing and tailored management are essential to avoid trading one problem for another.</p>



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



<p>Any mid-century projection carries uncertainty. Policies can bend emissions paths, and farmers adapt as technology and economics shift. </p>



<p>Diets change with income, urbanization, and migration. The underlying processes are well established. The decade of fieldwork done for this study adds weight because it includes real weather, pests, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/">microbial communities</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rice-arsenic-and-human-health">Rice, arsenic, and human health</h2>



<p>Rice remains a staple food, and the findings from this research don't claim that every bowl on every table becomes unsafe. Instead, the scientists point to smarter ways of managing risk and a need to act upstream.</p>



<p>Farmers can adjust irrigation where feasible. Breeders can favor varieties that move less arsenic to the grain. Public health agencies can track arsenic in grains and irrigation sources to guide choices in hotspots. </p>



<p>“Our study underscores the urgent need for action to reduce arsenic exposure in rice, especially as climate change continues to affect <a href="https://www.nifa.usda.gov/topics/global-food-security" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global food security</a>,” said Dr. Ziska.</p>



<p>Keeping rice safe in a warming world is within reach: breed smarter, water smarter, process smarter—and cut emissions, because the air over our fields follows us to the table.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(25)00055-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet Planetary Health</a></em>.</p>



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Scientists warn a very deadly poison is accumulating in global rice fields

Rice feeds billions. It thrives in warm, wet fields and...

<p>A new analysis argues that the Milky Way’s central black hole, Sagittarius A*, spins at maximum velocity with its axis aimed almost directly at Earth. </p>



<p>The result emerges from a machine learning read of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/highest-resolution-eht-black-hole-images-ever-taken-usher-in-new-era/">Event Horizon Telescope</a> data that pulls out subtle signals from ordinary methods left on the table.</p>



<p>Those signals sit on top of a now famous foundation. In 2017, the Event Horizon Telescope released the first image of a black hole, the ring around <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-gamma-ray-flare-unleashed-from-a-supermassive-black-hole/">M87</a>*.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-a-neural-network-read-the-data">How a neural network read the data</h2>



<p>The study was led by Michael Janssen of <a href="https://www.ru.nl/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Radboud University</a> (RU) with collaborators across Europe and the United States, and it used computing tools and expertise from the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute (<a href="https://www.isi.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USC ISI</a>). </p>



<p>At the heart of the analysis is a <a href="https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~duvenaud/distill_bayes_net/public/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bayesian neural network</a>, a type of model that returns both a best estimate and an uncertainty. </p>



<p>The team trained it on an enormous library of synthetic observations that mimic the telescope’s raw measurements, not just pictures on a grid.</p>



<p>Instead of feeding heavily averaged images to the algorithm, the researchers taught it the full polarization visibilities in time and frequency, the native language of very long baseline interferometry (<a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Observations_Very_Long_Baseline_Interferometry_VLBI" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VLBI</a>). </p>



<p>That choice preserves information and lets the model find stable patterns even when some measurements are noisy.</p>



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



<p>Black hole spin is a number between 0 and 1 that captures how fast the object rotates. A higher value means more rotational energy available to shape the flow of plasma and, in some systems, to help power a jet.</p>



<p>Orientation matters, too. When the spin axis aligns with our line of sight, the telescope records a distinct signal profile compared to an edge on orientation, with the strongest differences appearing in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/powerful-magnetic-fields-may-be-key-features-of-black-holes/">polarized light</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-data-say-about-the-milky-way">What the data say about the Milky Way</h2>



<p>The network’s posterior for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-ways-black-hole-unleashes-mysterious-flares/">Sagittarius A*</a> favors a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-ways-black-hole-formed-through-a-merger/">high spin</a>, about 0.8 to 0.9, and a small tilt with the axis close to our line of sight.</p>



<p>This is consistent with an axis angle near 162 degrees in one family of models and about 29 degrees in another. </p>



<p>That combination is the technical way of saying the black hole’s axis points almost directly toward Earth.</p>



<p>The same fit suggests the light near the hole is dominated by extremely hot electrons in the surrounding <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/universe/black-holes/anatomy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accretion disk</a>, not by a jet. </p>



<p>In the team’s parameters, the preferred electron temperature ratio is around 14 for Sagittarius A*, a disk leaning value that matches the polarized signatures they measure.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heavy-lifting-behind-the-scenes">Heavy lifting behind the scenes</h2>



<p>Training required on the order of a million realistic, calibrated synthetic datasets, each passed through a forward model of the instrument and atmosphere. </p>



<p>The framework itself, called <a href="https://zingularity.io/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zingularity</a>, leans on <a href="https://www.tensorflow.org/probability" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TensorFlow Probability</a> and <a href="https://horovod.readthedocs.io/en/stable/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Horovod</a> to scale across modern accelerators.</p>



<p>The pipeline that produced those datasets mirrored the real reduction path, including calibration steps and error bootstrapping, and ran across an ecosystem that kept the neural network honest about the ways real measurements can be corrupted.</p>



<p>“The ability to scale up to the millions of synthetic data files required to train the model is an impressive achievement,” said <a href="https://astro.arizona.edu/person/chi-kwan-ck-chan" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chi kwan Chan</a> of the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Arizona</a>, who works on both the simulations and the data systems.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-about-m87">What about M87</h2>



<p>The same approach revisited <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/speed-or-illusion-the-mystery-of-accelerating-black-hole-jets/">M87*</a>, the first black hole ever imaged, and found a different character. </p>



<p>The preferred solutions point to a fast, retrograde spin, roughly between -0.5 and -0.94 with respect to the flow of gas spiraling inward, and to strong <a href="https://www.cv.nrao.edu/~sransom/web/Ch5.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">synchrotron emission</a> from the jet.</p>



<p>That retrograde result means the black hole rotates opposite to the direction of the infalling plasma. The team suggests a past merger could have flipped the alignment and left behind the counter rotation they now infer.</p>



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



<p>The network was trained on comprehensive simulations, but the authors are clear about model limits and the value of <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.11188" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">better data</a>. </p>



<p>New stations, more bandwidth, and higher observing frequencies will tighten the constraints and reduce degeneracies in the fits.</p>



<p>A key addition on the horizon is the <a href="https://www.ru.nl/en/research/research-projects/africa-millimetre-telescope" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Africa Millimetre Telescope</a> planned for Namibia, which will lengthen baselines into the Southern Hemisphere and sharpen the array’s view of Sagittarius A*.</p>



<p>As the array grows, rapid cadence and multi frequency observations will let models test whether the Milky Way’s black hole really is a high spin, face on system and map how magnetic fields feed energy into the flow. That is the path to distinguishing between look alike fits and turning hints into hard numbers.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.13875" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics</em></a>.</p>



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Milky Way galaxy's central black hole is spinning at maximum speed and pointing at Earth

A new analysis argues that the Milky Way’s central black...

<p>Most of us think about oil and gas as the stuff that keeps our lights on, our cars running, and our homes warm. But what rarely gets talked about is what this fuel-heavy system takes from us - especially our health.</p>



<p>A major new study just laid it all out: every year, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-weakens-brain-function-and-focus-in-daily-tasks/">air pollution</a> from oil and gas leads to tens of thousands of early deaths and widespread health problems across the U.S. Add to that asthma, preterm births, and even cancer diagnoses, and the picture becomes a lot harder to ignore.</p>



<p>And here's the kicker - it’s not hitting everyone equally. People of color are paying a much steeper price.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-oil-and-gas-damage">Tracing oil and gas damage</h2>



<p>This research is the first to track the health damage from oil and gas pollution across every stage - from the first drill into the ground to the final puff of exhaust from your car or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gas-stove-pollution-why-dont-we-have-the-full-story/">gas stove</a>.</p>



<p>Scientists behind the study ran detailed computer models that mapped out where the pollution comes from and how it moves. Then they used health risk data to figure out who it’s affecting - and how badly.</p>



<p>What they found was disturbing. The final “end-use” stage - when we actually burn the stuff - is by far the most harmful. It’s responsible for 96 percent of all the deaths and illnesses linked to oil and gas air pollution.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-counting-the-health-costs">Counting the health costs</h2>



<p>Each year, oil and gas pollution is tied to 91,000 early deaths, 10,350 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-premature-births-linked-to-air-pollution/">preterm births</a>, 216,000 new cases of childhood asthma, and 1,610 lifetime cancer cases.</p>



<p>“We used a state-of-the-science air quality model to separate air pollution caused by each major stage of the oil and gas lifecycle from other sources of air pollution," said lead author Dr. Karn Vohra from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/mssl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College London</a> (UCL). "This enabled us to work out and compare health outcomes."</p>



<p>The researchers found that oil and gas pollution accounts for one in five preterm births and adult deaths linked to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fine-particle-pollution-may-cause-children-to-develop-asthma/">fine particulate matter</a>, and nearly 90 percent of new childhood asthma cases tied to nitrogen dioxide.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unequal-impacts-from-oil-and-gas">Unequal impacts from oil and gas</h2>



<p>It’s not just a health problem - it’s an equity problem. Native American and Hispanic populations are most affected by the early stages like drilling and transport. </p>



<p>Black and Asian communities are hardest hit by the end-use pollution - especially in places like eastern Texas and southern Louisiana, also known as “Cancer Alley.”</p>



<p>These aren’t random patterns. Old zoning laws and systemic decisions - like redlining - forced marginalized communities to live near factories, refineries, and major highways.</p>



<p>This is a big reason why Black children are more likely to develop <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nearly-one-third-of-asthma-cases-linked-to-air-pollution/">asthma</a>. Or why Black mothers are more likely to give birth prematurely.</p>



<p>“These communities are already aware of this unjust exposure and the disproportionately large health burdens they experience," said senior author Professor Eloise Marais from UCL. "Our study puts science-backed numbers on just how large these unfair exposures and health outcomes are." </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-toll-by-state">Health toll by state</h2>



<p>Five states bear the heaviest overall burden: California, Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. These states aren’t necessarily where the pollution starts, but they’re where the health damage adds up the most - simply because more people live there.</p>



<p>But if you look at the numbers adjusted for population, another set of regions jumps out: New Jersey, the District of Columbia, New York, California, and Maryland. People living there face the highest per-person health impacts from oil and gas pollution.</p>



<p>This is also not just a U.S. problem. Oil and gas pollution from the U.S. has been linked to 1,170 early deaths in southern Canada and 440 in northern Mexico. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oil-and-gas-beyond-the-numbers">Oil and gas beyond the numbers</h2>



<p>Researchers say their numbers are actually conservative. The data they used was from 2017, and since then, U.S. oil and gas production has jumped by 40 percent. </p>



<p>On top of that, the study only looked at outdoor air pollution - it didn’t even touch indoor pollution or water contamination.</p>



<p>Researchers say the study offers another compelling case for accelerating the phase-out of oil and gas production and combustion. Hundreds of thousands of children, adults, and older people in the U.S. could avoid illnesses and premature deaths each year.</p>



<p>"We have an imperative to not only urgently transition away from fossil fuels to achieve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/residual-emissions-must-be-addressed-to-reach-net-zero/">net-zero emissions</a> to save lives in the long term from climate devastation, but also to save lives and minimize environmental injustices in the near term," said co-author Dr. Ploy Achakulwisut.</p>



<p>This research doesn’t just tell us what’s happening - it shows us where and who it’s happening to. The numbers are there. The technology is there. The question now is whether we’ll act on it.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu2241" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a></em>.</p>



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Oil and gas pollution is fueling a public health crisis

Most of us think about oil and gas as the...

<p>A nearby star has a new heavyweight companion, and it swings around on a path that is anything but neat. <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/gj-2126-b/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The world</a>, labeled GJ 2126 b, traces a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exoplanet-discovered-with-bizarre-cucumber-shaped-orbit/">stretched orbit</a> that pushes close to its star, then races far away again.</p>



<p>In new observations, researchers identified a giant world 124 light years away that circles its star every 272.7 days on a highly stretched path, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-jupiter-exoplanet-eps-ind-ab-directly-imaged-webb-near-earth/">eccentricity equals 0.85</a>.</p>



<p>In addition, it has a minimum mass of about 1.3 Jupiter masses at roughly 0.71 astronomical units, about 66 million miles, from its star. These values come from 112 radial velocity measurements with the HARPS spectrograph.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-led-the-work">Who led the work</h2>



<p>“This planet orbits a low-mass star and ranks among the most eccentric exoplanets discovered,” wrote <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/tau/index?page=17&amp;letter=A" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arbel Schorr</a> from the School of Physics and Astronomy at Tel Aviv University (<a href="https://physics.tau.ac.il/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TAU</a>) who led the study.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Most planets in our own neighborhood move on nearly round routes, so an orbit this stretched stands out. High eccentricity often points to a chaotic past shaped by strong gravitational run-ins.</p>



<p>A path like this can reshape a planet’s temperature and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/morning-evening-atmosphere-detected-exoplanet-wasp-39b-for-first-time/">atmospheric behavior</a> across a single year. The extremes also make modelers revisit how giant planets form and later get knocked around.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-gj-2126-b-was-detected">How GJ 2126 b was detected</h2>



<p>The team used <a href="https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/36/harps/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HARPS</a>, a precision instrument at ESO’s 3.6 meter telescope, that maintains about 1 meter per second velocity stability. That level of steadiness lets astronomers watch a star’s tiny wobble over many years.</p>



<p>They mined the publicly curated <a href="https://www2.mpia-hd.mpg.de/homes/trifonov/HARPS_RVBank.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HARPS-RVBank</a>, which compiles 252,615 velocities for 5,239 stars observed before January 2022. </p>



<p>Public datasets like this let independent teams test ideas and spot signals that earlier searches may have missed.</p>



<p>Numbers help. With a semi-major axis of 0.71 AU and eccentricity of 0.85, periastron, the closest approach, sits near 0.11 AU, about 9.9 million miles. The farthest point stretches to roughly 1.31 AU, about 122 million miles.</p>



<p>Those swings mean large changes in stellar heating across a single 272.7 day year. Timing, chemistry, and cloud formation likely shift dramatically between close pass and far turn.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-know-about-gj-2126">What we know about GJ 2126</h2>



<p>The host star, often listed as an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rocky-planets-a-new-target-in-the-search-for-extraterrestrial-life/">M-dwarf</a> of type M0V, is a cool, low-mass object with about 0.65 times the Sun’s mass and 0.73 times its radius. Its temperature sits near 4,159 kelvin and its metal content is high for a dwarf star.</p>



<p>GJ 2126 is a high proper-motion star about 124 light years from Earth. Its brightness and proximity make follow-up work practical with existing instruments.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-could-be-a-brown-dwarf">Could be a brown dwarf</h2>



<p>Because the orbital tilt is unknown, the mass estimate is a lower limit. The team considered whether the companion might cross into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unusual-planet-discovered-in-an-orbit-that-has-never-been-seen-before/">brown dwarf territory</a> if the orbit is nearly face-on.</p>



<p>They argue that <a href="https://sci.esa.int/web/gaia/-/31365-astrometry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gaia</a> astrometry and the absence of long-term trends disfavor a very massive companion around this star. The paper reports a renormalized astrometric error near unity, a value not expected for a heavy hidden object.</p>



<p>The researchers compared different ways to search for periodicity in uneven time series. They leaned on the Phase Distance Correlation periodogram, designed to handle non-sinusoidal signals like those from eccentric orbits.</p>



<p>They also considered a known trap in velocity work, where two planets in a 2:1 resonance can masquerade as one eccentric planet. Their modeling rejected such alternatives for this dataset.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-m-dwarfs-complicate-things">Why M dwarfs complicate things</h2>



<p>Cool stars frequently show magnetic activity that adds noise to velocity data. Teams monitor spectral activity indicators to avoid mistaking star spots for planets and to validate true orbits.</p>



<p>In this case, the auxiliary indicators did not line up with the 272.7 day signal. That mismatch supports a planetary cause rather than rotating surface features.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exciting-discovery-for-astronomers">Exciting discovery for astronomers</h2>



<p>“We report the discovery of GJ 2126 b, a highly eccentric (e = 0.85) Jupiter-like planet orbiting its host star every 272.7 days,” wrote Schorr. </p>



<p>Their dataset spans about fifteen years around the critical phases of the orbit. That coverage anchored the fit and strengthened the case for a single object on an extreme path.</p>



<p>Giant planets can acquire extreme eccentricities through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-hidden-pattern-in-planet-orbits/">planet-planet scattering</a> after their birth in a gas disk. Numerical experiments show this process can drive e above 0.9 without invoking a distant stellar companion.</p>



<p>If that picture holds here, the system once hosted additional massive bodies that jostled each other until only one remained on a wild orbit. That would line up with the lack of a long-term drift in the present data.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-for-gj-2126-b">Next steps for GJ 2126 b </h2>



<p>The planet’s radius is unknown because no transit has been seen in the available survey photometry. Without the tilt, the true mass remains uncertain, so further work aims to refine those values.</p>



<p>Future velocity campaigns could detect subtle variations tied to mutual interactions, if any undiscovered companions exist. Continued astrometric monitoring may also tighten the mass constraints.</p>



<p>Thermal measurements and reflected-light studies would be challenging, yet not out of the question for future facilities. The close approach near periastron may offer the best shot at characterization time.</p>



<p>Long-baseline velocities will also test for secular changes that hint at additional bodies or tidal effects. A refined inclination would settle the mass question and finally close the door on the brown-dwarf scenario.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.11139" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics</em></a>.</p>



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Giant planet discovered just 124 light-years from Earth

A nearby star has a new heavyweight companion, and it...

3d,Illustration,Of,Salmonella,Bacteria,For,Medicine,Concept.

<p>If Salmonella poisoning conjures thoughts of being deathly ill with an upset stomach from undercooked chicken or eggs, you’re not alone. Another type - Salmonella Dublin - is primarily associated with cattle and can cause more severe illness in people. </p>



<p>Doctors see more bloodstream infections, longer hospital stays, and a higher risk of severe outcomes when this <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10803612/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dangerous bacteria</a> infects people, which it has started doing recently.</p>



<p>How does it get there? <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-raw-milk-health-hazard-pasteurization-important/">Unpasteurized milk</a> and undercooked beef are common routes, and contact with sick animals can spread it too. </p>



<p>This is not only a farm issue; it is a public health issue because what happens around cattle does not always stay around cattle.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-humans-cattle-and-salmonella-dublin">Humans, cattle, and Salmonella Dublin</h2>



<p>Scientists have wrestled with a practical question: Are the Salmonella Dublin strains in cattle, people, and farm-linked environments in the United States different or basically the same? </p>



<p>The answer shapes how we prevent infections and how we handle antibiotics. If the strains match closely across settings, the effective approach should connect animal health, human health, and environmental monitoring - an idea many researchers call “<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/one-health/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">One Health</a>.”</p>



<p>This catchy phrase isn't just a slogan. If the same bug moves between species and spaces without changing much, targeting only one part of the supply chain system will not be enough. We need solutions that address the pathogen wherever it travels.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-salmonella-dublin">Studying Salmonella Dublin</h2>



<p>Researchers gathered Salmonella Dublin from three places: sick cattle, sick people, and environmental sites tied to farms or processing facilities. </p>



<p>Then they sequenced the bacteria’s DNA to compare how closely the strains were related. </p>



<p>In genetics, scientists track tiny letter-level changes called single nucleotide polymorphisms (<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/genomicresearch/snp/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SNPs</a>), pronounced “snips.” Fewer SNP differences mean the strains likely share a recent common ancestor.</p>



<p>The goal was to see whether strains from cows, people, and the environment clustered into separate groups or stayed together. </p>



<p>If they stayed together, that would point to active movement between hosts and places, not isolated pockets of disease.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-we-know-so-far">What we know so far</h2>



<p>The team learned that strains from cattle, humans, and the environment in the U.S. were extremely similar - often differing by only a small number of SNPs. </p>



<p>In a study published in <em>Applied and Environmental Microbiology</em>, the researchers reported that despite some genetic differences across 2,150 Salmonella Dublin strains, the bacteria remained highly similar.</p>



<p>"This similarity shows potential for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reverse-zoonoses-humans-are-getting-their-pets-sick/">cross-transmission</a> between cattle, humans, and the environment," explained team leader and senior author Erika Ganda, an associate professor of food animal microbiomes in the Penn State <a href="https://agsci.psu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">College of Agricultural Sciences</a>. </p>



<p>“That’s important, because it shows that Salmonella Dublin is highly connected across humans, animals and the environment - so efforts to control it need to consider all three,” Ganda continued. </p>



<p>“This study’s findings provide detailed genetic evidence that can help guide surveillance - tracking the bacteria, intervention strategies such as limiting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-increasing-enterococci-looming-global-crisis/">antibiotic use</a> in livestock and public health policies.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmonella-dublin-has-a-tight-family-tree">Salmonella Dublin has a tight family tree</h2>



<p>The genetic picture does not split into distant branches based on where or when strains were found. It looks like a “tight family tree.” That suggests ongoing movement between animals, people, and farm environments or equipment.</p>



<p>That kind of connected pattern matters for hospital readiness, farm policies, and everyday choices at the dinner table.</p>



<p>The team also examined <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-increases-threat-antimicrobial-resistance/">antimicrobial resistance</a>. They did not stop at asking whether resistance existed. </p>



<p>They checked which resistance genes appeared and how those patterns differed among strains from cows, people, and the environment. They found meaningful differences across those sources.</p>



<p>That means control strategies should match the resistance patterns in each place. A one-size-fits-all antibiotic plan is unlikely to work. </p>



<p>Responsible antibiotic use requires laboratory testing and clear guidelines, not guesswork, to protect drugs that still work.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farms-families-and-food-chains">Farms, families, and food chains</h2>



<p>Prevention starts before anyone gets sick. On farms, that includes biosecurity to keep new or sick animals from spreading infection, plus cleaning and disinfection that reach tough spots. In the food chain, the basics work: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-americans-dont-know-the-dangers-of-raw-milk-and-bird-flu/">pasteurize milk</a> and cook beef thoroughly. </p>



<p>For home kitchens, avoid raw milk and use a thermometer. Ground beef should reach 160°F, and whole cuts like steaks should reach 145°F with a rest.</p>



<p>For clinics and hospitals, rapid laboratory testing helps clinicians avoid antibiotics that will not work. When lab teams can see the resistance profile early, patients get better treatment sooner, and we save the stronger drugs for when they are truly needed.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-resolution-genome-map">High-resolution genome map</h2>



<p>Genome sequencing turns thousands of bacterial samples into a high-resolution “map.” </p>



<p>By comparing SNP differences across many strains, scientists can connect dots that older methods might miss, including hidden links between farm sources and human cases.</p>



<p>That means public health teams can focus on the pathways doing most of the harm. Targeted steps beat broad, blunt strategies, especially when resources and time are limited.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salmonella-dublin-and-human-health">Salmonella Dublin and human health</h2>



<p>This is not a fear story or some type of political stunt. It's a highly-coordinated scientific study driven by peer-reviewed evidence. </p>



<p>The U.S. Salmonella Dublin population looks tightly knit and changes only a little as it spreads. </p>



<p>That clarity helps, because it points to a shared job and a big "to-do" list.</p>



<p>Officials must strengthen surveillance that connects animal, human, and environmental samples; tailor antibiotic guidelines to the resistance patterns seen in each source; and block obvious transmission routes with pasteurization, thorough cooking, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-confirm-first-case-of-rare-parasite-in-pigs-posing-health-risks/">farm hygiene</a>, and smart infection control in clinics.</p>



<p>Put simply, the same pathogen keeps appearing in cows, people, and nearby environments, showing a nearly identical genetic profile. </p>



<p>With a shared target and coordinated defenses, we stand a better chance of stopping it before it reaches pandemic levels by starting on someone’s dinner plate, ending up in the bloodstream, and spreading from there like wildfire.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.00689-25" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Applied and Environmental Microbiology.</em></a></p>



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Bacteria strains that infect cattle are now also infecting humans, sounding alarm bells

If Salmonella poisoning conjures thoughts of being deathly ill with...

<p>The ocean covers most of our planet, yet much of it remains out of reach. Scientists have long struggled to study life in the deep sea. Robotic equipment is expensive, and people cannot dive to extreme depths. </p>



<p>These issues leave entire marine ecosystems unexplored. Nicole Xu, an engineer at <a href="https://www.colorado.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CU Boulder</a>, is confident that her lab's "cyborg" moon jellyfish can help.</p>



<p>These sea creatures, also known as <em><a href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Aurelia_aurita" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aurelia aurita</a></em>, are simple but remarkable. They move with little effort, pulsing gently as their translucent bells expand and contract. Their tentacles drift behind them like threads, yet every motion is purposeful.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creating-cyborg-moon-jellyfish">Creating "cyborg" moon jellyfish</h2>



<p>Xu has watched jellyfish for years, first as a fascinated student and now as a researcher. She studies their movements not just to admire them, but to put them to work.</p>



<p>Her team attaches small electronic devices to the animals. These devices stimulate their <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cell-and-developmental-biology/articles/10.3389/fcell.2016.00157/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">muscles</a> and allow researchers to steer them. Soon, the system may carry sensors to track temperature, acidity, and other ocean data.</p>



<p>That could send jellyfish into places humans rarely reach, and return information that is otherwise too costly to gather.</p>



<p>“Think of our device like a pacemaker on the heart,” Xu said. “We're stimulating the swim muscle by causing contractions and turning the animals toward a certain direction.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-through-500-million-years">Survival through 500 million years</h2>



<p>Climate change is hitting the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-ecosystem-sea-creatures-never-before-seen-revealed-antarctica-iceberg-breakup/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">ocean</a> hard. The water is getting warmer and more acidic as carbon dioxide levels rise. </p>



<p>Marine life struggles to adapt, and many species are in danger. Scientists need to measure how these changes unfold. </p>



<p>The challenge is scale. The ocean is vast, deep, and unpredictable. Sending ships or robots everywhere is simply not possible.</p>



<p>That is where jellyfish stand out. They are some of the most energy-efficient creatures alive. They have survived in their current form for more than 500 million years. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moon-jellyfish-are-ideal-explorers">Moon jellyfish are ideal explorers</h2>



<p>Jellyfish don’t have a brain or spine, but their basic organs and nerve nets keep them moving. </p>



<p>They also lack nociceptors, so they don’t experience pain the way humans do. Their stings cannot break human skin, which makes them easier to work with.</p>



<p>Moon jellyfish live in many environments. They often float near shorelines where food is abundant. But they also dive to extreme depths, even as far as the <a href="https://ocean.si.edu/planet-ocean/seafloor/mariana-trench" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mariana Trench</a>, 36,000 feet (10,900 meters) down.</p>



<p>That range makes them ideal for exploration. Xu first tested her biohybrid jellyfish in 2020, guiding them through shallow waters near Woods Hole, Massachusetts.</p>



<p>“There’s really something special about the way <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/this-blue-button-jellyfish-isnt-actually-a-jellyfish-so-what-is-a-porpita/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">moon jellies</a> swim. We want to unlock that to create more energy-efficient, next-generation underwater vehicles,” she said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learning-how-moon-jellyfish-work">Learning how moon jellyfish work</h2>



<p>Xu’s lab doesn't only focus on movement. She and her team study how jellyfish push water as they swim. To see this, they fill tanks with biodegradable particles like corn starch. They then shine lasers through the water.</p>



<p>The particles light up the flow patterns created by the jellyfish. This approach replaces older methods that used synthetic tracers such as glass beads. Those tracers were more toxic and less sustainable. Corn starch is safer, cheaper, and better for the animals.</p>



<p>Her group also works on improving steering in natural ocean conditions. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seamounts-are-gathering-hubs-for-ocean-predators/">open sea</a> is far less predictable than a lab tank, so making the technology reliable outside is a big step. </p>



<p>Xu believes these advances can lead to new tools that draw ideas from nature rather than replacing it. But the research is not only about technology - it also raises ethical questions.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cyborg-moon-jellyfish_lab-tank_nicole-xu-scientist_CUBoulder_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/cyborg-moon-jellyfish_lab-tank_nicole-xu-scientist_CUBoulder_1s.webp" alt="Nicole Xu stands behind the main jellyfish tank in her lab. (Credit: Glenn Asakawa)" class="wp-image-1983357"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Nicole Xu stands behind the main jellyfish tank in her lab. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Glenn Asakawa</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caring-for-moon-jellyfish-in-labs">Caring for moon jellyfish in labs</h2>



<p>For many years, scientists believed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-noise-can-be-fatal-to-marine-invertebrates/">invertebrates</a> could not feel pain. New evidence now suggests that some may react to harmful experiences. </p>



<p>That means researchers must think carefully about how their experiments affect the animals they study. Xu takes this seriously.</p>



<p>She watches for signs of stress in her jellyfish. Stress usually causes them to produce extra mucus and stop reproducing. </p>



<p>Her jellyfish show none of those patterns. Instead, they seem to be thriving. Inside her tanks, baby polyps the size of pinheads are growing, with tiny tentacles starting to appear. That growth suggests the jellyfish are healthy and reproducing naturally.</p>



<p>“It's our responsibility as researchers to think about these ethical considerations up front,” Xu said. “But as far as we can tell, the jellyfish are doing well. They're thriving.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jellyfish-as-ocean-allies">Jellyfish as ocean allies</h2>



<p>Jellyfish may look simple, but they represent a major shift in how humans can explore the ocean. By combining engineering with biology, Xu’s work shows that living creatures can serve as allies in research.</p>



<p>They move efficiently, survive in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-in-the-extreme-microbial-activity-discovered-in-old-faithful/">extreme environments</a>, and carry little risk to humans. Outfitted with sensors, they could one day map parts of the ocean we know almost nothing about.</p>



<p>This is not science fiction. Xu has already proven the concept in the field. Her next steps include refining the technology and expanding its capabilities. </p>



<p>She sees jellyfish not only as data gatherers but also as inspiration. Their effortless swimming could shape how we design future underwater vehicles.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-research-tools">Rethinking research tools</h2>



<p>The idea challenges how people think about research tools. Instead of building larger machines, we might adapt what already exists in nature. It is efficient, elegant, and potentially transformative. </p>



<p>At the same time, Xu insists that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-and-possibly-even-insects-have-emotions/">ethical care</a> for the animals must remain at the center of this work.</p>



<p>Her project stands as a reminder that progress and responsibility can go together. The moon jellyfish, a creature that has floated through Earth’s waters for half a billion years, may now help us understand how those waters are changing today.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <em><a href="https://journals.aps.org/prfluids/abstract/10.1103/bg66-976x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physical Review Fluids</a>.</em></p>



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Scientists create and control 'cyborg' moon jellyfish to study changes in Earth's oceans

The ocean covers most of our planet, yet much of...

<p>Sex is everywhere - on TV, in music, and online - but for many teens in the U.S., the classroom isn’t where they’re learning about it.</p>



<p>Most parents assume schools teach kids what they need to know about relationships, consent, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. However, that’s not always the case.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geography-decides-sex-education">Geography decides sex education</h2>



<p>There’s no federal law requiring schools to teach sex education, so states and school districts decide for themselves. Some teach it well, others offer little or nothing, and some teach things that aren’t even medically accurate.</p>



<p>A new national study found that 42 states require public school students to receive some kind of sex education between kindergarten and high school. </p>



<p>That sounds good at first, but there’s a catch: only 19 states require the material to be medically accurate. Of those, five apply that rule only to specific topics. So in many places, kids could be taught opinions instead of facts.</p>



<p>Even more troubling, 34 states require schools to teach abstinence. That might sound safe, but research shows abstinence-only education doesn’t work. </p>



<p>It doesn’t stop teens from having sex, reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-disasters-are-fueling-a-child-exploitation-crisis/">sexually transmitted infections</a>, or prevent unplanned pregnancies. Despite all that, abstinence-only education is still funded and promoted by the federal government.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sex-education-missing-key-parts">Sex education missing key parts</h2>



<p>The study was led by Dr. Kimberly Nelson from the <a href="https://www.bu.edu/sph/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston University School of Public Health</a>, along with experts from Cornell Law School and Florida International University. </p>



<p>The researchers looked at laws, court decisions, and school regulations across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.</p>



<p>They found that 34 states allow parents to opt their children out of sex education altogether. In five states, parents have to opt in, meaning students don’t get any instruction unless their parents actively agree to it.</p>



<p>“While many students in the U.S. are required to get some form of sexual education, our study shows that substantially fewer students are likely to be getting the comprehensive sexual education that public health and medical associations recommend,” said Dr. Johnson. </p>



<p>“Only 58 percent of students reside in a jurisdiction that requires sexual education to be medically accurate, and many jurisdictions have content mandates that extend only to a few topics."</p>



<p>This means that many U.S. students are living in jurisdictions where they are unlikely to receive the accurate and comprehensive information that we know will help them make informed, healthy choices about their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/does-your-finger-length-predict-sexual-behavior-a-rat-study-says-yes/">sexual behaviors</a> and relationships.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-anatomy-lessons">Beyond anatomy lessons</h2>



<p>Sex education isn’t just about anatomy or how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-links-teen-pregnancy-to-smaller-newborns/">pregnancy</a> happens. It’s also about relationships, safety, and respect. But the study found that many states skip these key lessons. </p>



<p>Only 27 states require schools to teach about healthy relationships. Just 21 mandate lessons on dating or intimate partner violence. And only 9 states require instruction on consent.</p>



<p>When it comes to topics like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-birth-control-scientists-develop-a-non-hormonal-pill-for-men/">birth control</a>, condoms, and sexual orientation, the numbers drop even lower. Just 20 states require teaching about contraception. </p>



<p>Only 12 states mandate information about sexual orientation - and in two of those states, Oklahoma and Texas, schools are required to present it negatively. They teach that same-sex activity is “primarily responsible” for AIDS exposure.</p>



<p>Furthermore, only 11 states require schools to include instruction on condoms.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-different-states-different-rules">Different states, different rules</h2>



<p>Not all regions approach sex education the same way. All states in the Northeast require sex education on at least one topic, but only 62 percent of states in the West do the same.</p>



<p>The South and Midwest fall somewhere in between. These differences often reflect local politics and cultural beliefs.</p>



<p>“Because policy decisions about sexual education curricula happen at the state-level, state-level sociopolitical forces exert substantial influence on sexual education,” said Dr. Nelson.</p>



<p>“In states where sociopolitical forces and vocal advocacy groups push an abstinence-focused approach, that approach is likely to be seen as politically advantageous and be adopted.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-poor-sex-education-harms-teens">Poor sex education harms teens</h2>



<p>Teens face higher risks than adults for sexually transmitted infections, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-variant-linked-to-both-covid-risk-and-hiv-protection/">HIV</a>, unplanned pregnancies, and unhealthy relationships. Incomplete or misleading information leaves them confused and vulnerable.</p>



<p>Good sex education doesn’t encourage kids to have sex. It helps them make better choices when they do. It gives them tools to stay healthy, protect themselves, and treat others with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-rejection-teaches-us-valuable-lessons-about-relationships/">respect</a>.</p>



<p>More states have changed their sex education laws in the last five years. The hope is that this new research will push lawmakers to keep going - to make instruction more accurate, more comprehensive, and more inclusive.</p>



<p>But that won’t happen unless people start paying attention to what’s actually being taught. Right now, millions of kids in America aren’t getting the facts - and that’s a real problem.</p>



<p>The full study was published in the journal <em><a href="https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308199">American Journal of Public Health</a></em>.</p>



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



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Millions of U.S. teens lack reliable sex education in the classroom

Sex is everywhere - on TV, in music, and online...

<p>Industrial tomato plants, grown for their juicy fruits used in sauce and paste, face a hard new normal in northern Italy. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deadly-heat-waves-in-europe-can-be-predicted-by-melting-sea-ice/">Summers run hotter</a>, rain arrives at the wrong time, and water is under pressure almost everywhere.</p>



<p>“Currently, agriculture accounts for 70 percent of global freshwater withdrawals, and more than 90 percent of its consumptive use,” stated the Food and Agriculture Organization (<a href="https://www.fao.org/4/i3015e/i3015e.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAO</a>) of the United Nations.</p>



<p>A new field study from the Po Valley tested a simple irrigation tweak that saved water while keeping yields steady and improving fruit quality. </p>



<p>The work compared full-season irrigation with regulated deficit irrigation in 2019 near Parma and in 2022 near Piacenza, and the authors reported less water use, stable tonnage, and better processing traits.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-regulated-deficit-irrigation">Regulated deficit irrigation</h2>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thirstwaves-the-hidden-climate-threat-drying-out-american-farms/">Evapotranspiration</a> is the combined water loss from plant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tomato-plants-talk-to-one-another-to-signal-danger/">leaves and soil</a>, and conventional irrigation tries to replace it exactly through the season. </p>



<p>Regulated deficit irrigation intentionally withholds part of that water during growth stages known to be less sensitive, which can rein in usage without hurting yield. </p>



<p>According to a recent <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jxb/article/58/2/147/534071" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>, deficit irrigation, defined as the application of water below full crop-water requirements, is an important tool to achieve the goal of reducing irrigation water use.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tomato-plant-growth-traits">Tomato plant growth traits</h2>



<p>The Italian trials gave plants normal water until the tomatoes hit the color break stage, then cut irrigation to 50 percent. </p>



<p>That single turn of the dial reduced seasonal irrigation volume by about one quarter while holding total and marketable yield steady, and it increased water productivity on a per gallon basis.</p>



<p>The same schedule also lifted two traits that matter to processors, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/brix" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brix</a> and dry matter, which both rise when fruit concentrates sugars and solids as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ripening-tomatoes-may-hold-clues-to-delay-human-aging/">ripening advances</a>. </p>



<p>The method, while modest, lines up with a practical aim: produce the same crop with less water and send a denser load to the factory.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-sweetness-and-solids-improved">Why sweetness and solids improved</h2>



<p>Processors care about soluble solids because more solids mean more paste per truck. </p>



<p>Extension <a href="https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2016-03/236983.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">researchers</a> note that soluble solids, measured as degrees Brix, are directly tied to paste and sauce yield, and inspection stations grade loads on Brix alongside pH and color.</p>



<p>A mild late season water pullback often shifts plant metabolism toward fruit, which can nudge Brix upward and lower pH a touch, both friendly to canning. </p>



<p>The study’s quality index that blends price with solids rose accordingly, signaling a cleaner economic payoff at delivery.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-tomato-plant-health">Studying tomato plant health</h2>



<p>The team did not guess about stress, they watched it from above. <a href="https://earth.esa.int/eogateway/missions/planetscope" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PlanetScope satellites</a>, upgraded to eight spectral bands and near daily coverage by 2021, offer 3 meter imagery that can track crop vigor through the season.</p>



<p>They calculated several vegetation indices and looked two weeks before and after the irrigation cut. </p>



<p><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/living-green-spaces-boosts-bone-density-reduces-osteoporosis/">NDVI</a>, a common index that flags water stress in tomatoes across soil types, did not show a divergence between treatments, a sign that the reduced watering did not push plants into visible distress.</p>



<p>The takeaway is straightforward. Irrigate normally through fruit set and early sizing, then, at color break, shift to half of the usual replacement and keep that level through harvest.</p>



<p>That timing matters because early water stress can abort flowers or stunt small fruit, while late, controlled stress can concentrate solids without undercutting total tonnage. The Italian data back that timing choice across two soils and two contrasting seasons.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-economic-and-environmental-angles">Economic and environmental angles</h2>



<p>On the environmental side, using roughly one quarter less irrigation water immediately eases demand on canals and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/40-percent-of-earths-land-has-became-permanently-drier/">aquifers</a> in dry months. </p>



<p>On the farm side, higher solids per load mean fewer gallons boiled off and more paste per hour through the evaporators.</p>



<p>Those gains show up twice, in the water ledger and the balance sheet, without extra equipment or software. </p>



<p>The approach fits <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/californias-farms-have-a-good-chance-of-navigating-the-water-crisis/">drip systems</a> already in place across processing tomato acres and asks only for a date on the calendar and a new setpoint on the controller.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caveats-worth-noting">Caveats worth noting</h2>



<p>The trials did report a small uptick in certain defects, including more overripe and some blossom end rot, even though sunscald did not rise. </p>



<p>That pattern suggests managers should watch ripeness closely and plan harvest windows to match the faster finish.</p>



<p>Local soils, seasonal rain timing, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tomatoes-have-a-molecular-trick-to-survive-in-extreme-heat/">heat will shape responses</a>, so the color break trigger is the anchor, not a rigid date. </p>



<p>Fields with lighter textures or hotter pockets might hit the threshold earlier, and blocks with heavier soils may stretch it a few days.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tomato-plants-matter-worldwide">Tomato plants matter worldwide</h2>



<p>Processing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-find-a-surprising-case-of-reverse-evolution-in-wild-tomatoes/">tomatoes</a> are a pillar of food supply chains, from ketchup to pizza sauce, and the Po Valley ranks with California among the world’s top producing regions. </p>



<p>A method that saves water, keeps yields steady, and delivers denser fruit can help processors and growers share gains along the chain.</p>



<p>Add the larger water picture and the case strengthens. Every gallon not pumped leaves a little more slack for rivers, neighbors, and dry years ahead.</p>



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



<p>The research team included Andrea Burato, Pasquale Campi, Alfonso Pentangelo, and Mario Parisi of the CREA Research Centre for <a href="https://www.crea.gov.it/en/web/orticoltura-e-florovivaismo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vegetable and Ornamental Crops</a> and the CREA Research Centre for <a href="https://www.crea.gov.it/en/web/agricoltura-e-ambiente/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Agriculture and Environment</a>, with collaboration from the <a href="https://portale.unibas.it/site/en/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Basilicata</a>.</p>



<p>The study is published in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/8/1805" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Agronomy</em></a>.</p>



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



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

The Italian secret to sweeter tomatoes and higher-yield plants that produce more fruits

Industrial tomato plants, grown for their juicy fruits used in...

<p>The United States digs up enough rock each year to cover its need for most critical minerals. Yet elements like cobalt, lithium, gallium, and rare earths still slip through the cracks - ending up in tailings ponds or waste piles instead of being recovered. </p>



<p>The real bottleneck isn’t the supply, but the ability to capture and reuse what’s already mined.</p>



<p>A new study led by the <a href="https://www.mines.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado School of Mines</a> quantifies the opportunity. The team paired mineral production data from federally permitted metal mines with geochemical surveys from national agencies.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-minerals-lost-in-plain-sight">Minerals lost in plain sight</h2>



<p>The result is a first-of-its-kind estimate of how much critical material already flows through U.S. concentrators and smelters every year, then leaves the process unrecovered.</p>



<p>“The challenge lies in recovery,” said lead author Elizabeth Holley, an associate professor of mining engineering. “It’s like getting salt out of bread dough - we need to do a lot more research, development, and policy to make the recovery of these critical minerals economically feasible.”</p>



<p>The database spans 70 elements used in everything from phones and medical devices to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellites-capture-dramatic-shifts-in-earths-forests/">satellites</a>, wind turbines, and fighter jets. </p>



<p>It shows that, for all but two - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetar-flares-create-gold-platinum-uranium-in-seconds/">platinum</a> and palladium - unrecovered byproducts from ongoing U.S. mining could meet domestic demand if even small fractions were captured.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-minerals-mines-leave-behind">The minerals mines leave behind</h2>



<p>America’s mines for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supergiant-gold-deposit-discovery-wangu-field-might-be-largest-ever-found-on-earth/">gold</a>, copper, zinc, nickel, and molybdenum handle enormous volumes of rock, with trace elements tagging along in the ore.</p>



<p>Because U.S. plants are optimized for the primary metals, the trace values typically leave in tailings. The new analysis estimates that capturing slivers - often less than one percent - could transform supply.</p>



<p>“This is a brand-new view of ‘low-hanging fruit’ - we show where each critical mineral exists and the sites at which even one percent recovery of a particular critical mineral could make a huge difference, in many cases dramatically reducing or even eliminating the need to import that mineral,” Holley said.</p>



<p>Consider cobalt. It hitchhikes through nickel and copper circuits. Recovering under 10 percent of the cobalt currently mined and processed but not saved would cover the entire U.S. battery market.</p>



<p>Germanium - vital for infrared optics and defense sensors - occurs in some zinc and molybdenum deposits. Recapturing under one percent of the germanium now lost from those mines could erase the nation’s import dependence.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-minerals-in-mine-waste">Tracking minerals in mine waste</h2>



<p>The researchers assembled annual output from U.S. metal mines and matched it to ore chemistry using a statistical resampling method. They drew on recent geochemical compilations from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, <a href="https://www.ga.gov.au/">Geoscience Australia</a>, and the <a href="https://natural-resources.canada.ca/minerals-mining/geological-survey-canada" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geological Survey of Canada</a>.</p>



<p>By fusing production volumes with typical concentrations for co-occurring elements, they approximated the quantities of critical minerals already entering U.S. processing streams at mines- and then heading to waste.</p>



<p>Those tailings are not benign. They must be stored, monitored, and sometimes remediated to prevent contamination of air and water. </p>



<p>Recovering value from them, or better yet before they reach the waste pile, would shrink the waste footprint and lower long-term environmental liabilities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-recovery-is-hard-nbsp-and-worth-it">Why recovery is hard&nbsp;- and worth it</h2>



<p>Existing mills are designed to extract one or two main <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-mantle-may-contain-a-wealth-of-green-metals/">metals</a> efficiently. Capturing gram-to-kilogram-per-ton traces requires new flowsheets, reagents, and hardware. It can also mean slowing a plant or adding stages that raise costs. That’s why economics, not geology, is the constraint.</p>



<p>“Now that we know which sites are low-hanging fruit, we need to conduct detailed analyses of the minerals in which these chemical elements reside and then test the technologies suitable for recovery of those elements from those specific minerals,” Holley said.</p>



<p>Technology is only half the equation. Without the right incentives, mine operators have little reason to retool for tiny revenue streams that can be volatile.</p>



<p>“We also need policies that incentivize mine operators to incorporate additional processing infrastructure," noted Holley. </p>



<p>"Although these elements are needed, their market value may not be sufficient to motivate operators to invest in new equipment and processes without the right policies in place.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-beyond-the-mine">Benefits beyond the mine</h2>



<p>Recovering critical minerals onshore strengthens supply security for energy, defense, and technology. It reduces exposure to geopolitical chokepoints and volatile import markets. </p>



<p>Mineral recovery also creates new revenue lines from rock already mined, delinked from permitting new pits.</p>



<p>The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-mining-impacts-marine-life-for-decades/">environmental</a> dividend is real. Every extra ton recovered from existing ore reduces the need to dig and crush new rock somewhere else. It also cuts the mass and toxicity of tailings piles by removing elements that can complicate long-term storage.</p>



<p>In some cases, recovered byproducts can feed low-carbon technologies - neodymium for high-strength magnets, lithium for batteries - creating a virtuous loop.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-trash-to-treasure">From trash to treasure </h2>



<p>The study reframes U.S. critical mineral strategy. Instead of treating supply as a greenfield problem, it points to hundreds of “brownfield” opportunities hidden in plain sight. </p>



<p>Holley’s conclusion is straightforward: the United States already extracts the very atoms it classifies as critical. The problem is that they exit the process through the wrong stream. </p>



<p>With focused science and well-designed incentives, that stream can be redirected - transforming “waste” into the strategic materials needed for an electrified, digitized economy.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw8997" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Science</em></a>.</p>



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



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

Buried treasure: The U.S. is throwing away its critical minerals

The United States digs up enough rock each year to...

<p>The seatbelt sign pings on - trays rattle and drinks slosh. For many flyers, turbulence is unnerving on the best of days. </p>



<p>A warming climate is adding fuel to the bumps, and a growing body of research shows that choppy skies are likely to become more frequent and intense.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turbulence-injuries-make-headlines">Turbulence injuries make headlines</h2>



<p>Beyond frayed nerves, turbulence is the leading cause of in-flight weather accidents. The absolute numbers are small, but serious incidents make headlines and underscore the risk.</p>



<p>There were 207 reported injuries on U.S. commercial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/airline-flights-may-be-slowed-down-intentionally-to-fight-climate-change/">flights</a> between 2009 and 2024. Recent examples include an Air Europa flight in which 40 passengers were hurt, and a Singapore Airlines flight where one passenger died and dozens were injured.</p>



<p>“Typically, injuries (are) to unbelted passengers or cabin crew rather than structural damage,” said John Abraham, a mechanical engineering professor at the <a href="https://www.stthom.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of St. Thomas</a>. “Modern aircraft withstand turbulence, so the main risk is occupant injury, not loss of the plane.”</p>



<p>Even without damage, severe encounters trigger inspections. “Severe” is about 1.5 times the normal force of Earth’s gravity, and those events occur some 5,000 times a year over the United States, said Robert Sharman, senior scientist emeritus at the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a>. </p>



<p>Turbulence also drives up fuel burn when pilots must leave optimal altitudes, alter routes, or change speeds, Abraham added.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-all-bumps-are-equal">Not all bumps are equal</h2>



<p>Not all turbulence is the same. Lead author Mohamed Foudad, an atmospheric scientist at the <a href="https://www.reading.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Reading</a>, identified three main types.</p>



<p>Convective turbulence is linked to rising or sinking air from clouds or thunderstorms and can be seen on radar or visually. Mountain wave turbulence forms as winds spill over ranges. The most dangerous is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clear-air-turbulence-expected-to-intensify-in-a-warmer-climate/">clear-air turbulence</a> (CAT), which is invisible.</p>



<p>CAT tends to form near jet streams - fast west-to-east rivers of air around six to seven miles up, at the same cruising levels as commercial jets. That’s where wind shear, the change in wind speed and direction with height, can set off sharp, unseen jolts.</p>



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



<p>The physics that drive CAT are changing. With <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-affects-how-we-feel-not-just-how-we-live/">climate change</a>, the tropics are warming faster at cruising altitude than higher latitudes. That increases the temperature difference between low and high latitudes. </p>



<p>The gradient strengthens jet streams and sharpens wind shear - the volatile vertical shifts that trigger CAT. Foudad and colleagues analyzed data from 1980 to 2021. </p>



<p>“We find a clear, positive trend - an increase in turbulence frequency over many regions, including the North Atlantic, North America, East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa,” Foudad said, with increases ranging from 60 to 155 percent.</p>



<p>Further analysis linked rising turbulence in certain regions to increased greenhouse gas emissions.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-shifts-turbulence-seasons">Warming shifts turbulence seasons</h2>



<p>A 2023 paper led by Isabel Smith at the University of Reading found that for every degree Celsius of near-surface warming, North Atlantic winters would see about a nine percent increase in moderate CAT, and summers a 14 percent rise.</p>



<p>While winter has historically been the roughest season for turbulence, warming is now amplifying CAT in summer and autumn, closing the gap. Jet stream disruption is not the only concern. </p>



<p>“Climate change may also increase the frequency and severity of thunderstorms under future scenarios, and turbulence encounters near thunderstorms are a major component of turbulence accidents,” Sharman said.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-airlines-brace-for-rough-skies">Airlines brace for rough skies</h2>



<p>Some fixes are operational. Foudad is working on optimizing flight routes to avoid turbulence hotspots and improving forecasting accuracy so dispatchers and crews can plan better climbs, descents, and deviations.</p>



<p>Airlines are adjusting procedures too, encouraging passengers to keep seatbelts fastened more often and ending cabin service earlier when rough air is likely.</p>



<p>Technology may help crews see the invisible. Sharman said promising onboard LIDAR systems are being tested. These beam lasers search the atmosphere to sense subtle shifts in air density and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-method-developed-to-measure-the-wind/">wind speed</a> ahead, giving pilots a preview of clear-air disturbances before the bumps arrive.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-action-less-turbulence">Climate action, less turbulence</h2>



<p>Ultimately, the root cause is the same force remaking weather everywhere. Cutting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-reach-another-all-time-high/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> is essential if we want to ease long-term turbulence trends driven by climate change.</p>



<p>Aviation accounts for about 3.5 percent of human-caused warming. Airlines are exploring cleaner fuels to reduce the industry’s footprint, though progress has been “disappointingly slow,” according to the International Air Transport Association.</p>



<p>In the meantime, the advice for passengers is simple and time-tested. Keep your seatbelt buckled when seated. </p>



<p>Heed crew instructions and expect that summertime and shoulder-season flights may feel rougher than they used to. Moreover, remember that modern airliners are built to handle turbulence.</p>



<p>“Modern aircraft withstand turbulence, so the main risk is occupant injury, not loss of the plane,” Abraham said.</p>



<p>The skies aren’t falling, but they are getting choppier. In a warming world, that’s one more reason to respect the forecast, secure the cabin early, and curb the emissions that are adding extra shake to the jet stream’s natural sway.</p>



<p>The study is published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2023JD040261" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres</em></a>.</p>



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



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

Bumpy skies ahead: Why air turbulence is getting worse

The seatbelt sign pings on - trays rattle and drinks...

<p>A new study argues that the first urban civilization of Sumer in southern Mesopotamia emerged from a landscape shaped by tides, rivers, and shifting sediments at the head of the Persian Gulf.</p>



<p>Early farmers tapped a dependable, twice-daily pulse of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vanishing-freshwater-earth-continents-are-rapidly-drying-out/">fresh water</a> to grow crops and date groves with simple canals. When the tides withdrew, the system unraveled, forcing societies to reinvent how they managed land and water - setting the stage for city-states and large public works.</p>



<p>The study was led by Liviu Giosan, a senior scientist emeritus in geology and geophysics at the <a href="https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/baruch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sumer-s-world-shaped-by-water">Sumer’s world shaped by water</h2>



<p>“Our results show that Sumer was literally and culturally built on the rhythms of water,” Giosan said.</p>



<p>“The cyclical patterns of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-warming-is-subtly-changing-the-tides/">tides</a>, together with delta morphodynamics - how the form or shape of a landscape changes over time due to dynamic processes - were deeply woven into the myths, innovations, and daily lives of the Sumerians.”</p>



<p>For millennia, Sumer’s reputation has rested on its inventions: writing, the wheel, planned fields, and temple economies across city-states like Ur, Uruk, and Lagash. The new work reframes those achievements as responses to a coastal world that would not sit still.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-reached-deep-into-mesopotamia">Water reached deep into Mesopotamia</h2>



<p>From roughly 7,000 to 5,000 years ago, the Persian Gulf extended far inland. Twice a day, tides pushed tongues of freshened water up the lower Tigris and Euphrates. In that setting, short lateral canals could lift and spread water without monumental infrastructure.</p>



<p>The hydrology was predictable. Fields and groves thrived. Villages clustered along channels, harvesting fish, reeds, and fertile silt while tending irrigated plots.</p>



<p>That coastal geometry did not last. As the great rivers constructed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-does-saturns-moon-titan-have-rivers-but-not-deltas-scientists-have-an-idea/">deltas</a> at the head of the Gulf, tidal reach shrank, channels silted up, and access to the interior by tide was severed. The dependable pulse that once watered fields began to fail.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-water-crisis-to-power">From water crisis to power</h2>



<p>The loss of tides likely set off an ecological and economic crisis. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flood-fatalities-experts-reveal-the-hidden-health-impacts/">Floods</a> became wilder, droughts harsher, and salt more intrusive. </p>



<p>To cope, communities scaled up. They cut long canals, raised levees, and coordinated labor across wider territories. Those efforts - irrigation, flood protection, and engineered landscapes - came to define Sumer’s golden age.</p>



<p>Study co-author Reed Goodman is an assistant professor of environmental social science in the <a href="https://www.clemson.edu/cafls/baruch/">Baruch Institute of Social Ecology and Forest Science</a> at Clemson University.</p>



<p>“We often picture ancient landscapes as static,” Goodman said. “But the Mesopotamian delta was anything but. Its restless, shifting land demanded ingenuity and cooperation, sparking some of history's first intensive farming and pioneering bold social experiments.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gods-floods-and-power"><a></a>Gods, floods, and power</h2>



<p>Water shaped belief as well as practice across Mesopotamia. Flood narratives and a water-centered pantheon fit a world where seas advanced and retreated, and rivers remade the land. </p>



<p>Political order followed the flow, too, as leaders who organized water earned authority.</p>



<p>“The radical conclusions of this study are clear in what we're finding at Lagash,” said Holly Pittman,  director of the Penn Museum's <a href="https://www.penn.museum/research/project.php?pid=219">Lagash Archaeological Project</a>. “Rapid environmental change fostered inequality, political consolidation, and the ideologies of the world's first urban society.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rebuilding-the-ancient-coast"><a></a>Rebuilding the ancient coast</h2>



<p>To test their ideas, the team blended paleoenvironmental evidence with archaeology and remote sensing. They assembled ancient environmental and landscape data, analyzed new samples from Lagash, and mapped preserved channels, levees, and shorelines with satellite imagery.</p>



<p>The result is a coastal reconstruction that shows where tides once ran, where deltas prograded, and how settlements tracked those changes.</p>



<p>The picture is of a coast in motion: a tide-fed mosaic that promoted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ideas-traveled-farther-than-people-in-the-early-days-of-farming/">early agriculture</a> with minimal engineering, followed by a deltaic cutoff that compelled canal states and complex governance. In that sequence, myth and innovation sit alongside mud and tide as co-authors of civilization.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sumer-s-changing-stage">Sumer’s changing stage</h2>



<p>Sumer has often been treated as a fixed stage on which cities appeared. This study argues the stage itself kept changing. The earliest farmers exploited a fortunate hydrological rhythm. When that rhythm stopped, societies did not collapse - they transformed. </p>



<p>They built the first large-scale waterworks in Mesopotamia, formalized hierarchies, and encoded water’s power into ritual and law.</p>



<p>“Our work highlights both the opportunities and perils of social reinvention in the face of severe environmental crisis,” Giosan explained.</p>



<p>“Beyond this modern lesson, it is always surprising to find real history hidden in myth - and truly interdisciplinary research like ours can help uncover it.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-water-modern-warning">Ancient water, modern warning</h2>



<p>The through-line is sobering and timely. Coastal systems are never still. As seas rise and deltas shift today, communities face versions of challenges the Sumerians knew well: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salinity-is-rising-in-coastal-areas-and-hurting-farmlands/">salinity</a>, erratic floods, silt-clogged channels, and the need for collective action. </p>



<p>The Sumerian experience shows both the gains of cooperation and the costs of delay. Sumer may be the cradle of urban life, but it was also a proving ground for living with change. </p>



<p>The first cities in Mesopotamia did not just master water. They learned, repeatedly, to live by its rhythms - and to rebuild when those rhythms changed.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0329084" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>PLOS One</em></a>.</p>



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



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Water shaped the world’s first urban society in ancient Mesopotamia

A new study argues that the first urban civilization of...

<p>Americans are carving out far less time to read for pleasure than they did two decades ago. The drop is large, sustained, and uneven across communities.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In a new study, experts warn the slide could carry cultural, educational, and health costs if it continues.</p>



<p>Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) <a href="https://www.artsinmedicine.arts.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Arts in Medicine</a> analyzed 20 years of time-use data from more than 236,000 U.S. residents. The study revealed a decline of more than 40% in daily leisure reading since 2003.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-steep-steady-decline">A steep, steady decline </h2>



<p>Study co-author Jill Sonke is co-director of the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts research lab at UF in partnership with <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College London</a> (UCL).&nbsp;</p>



<p>“This is not just a small dip - it's a sustained, steady decline of about 3% per year,” said Sonke. “It's significant, and it's deeply concerning.”</p>



<p>The trend does not mean everyone has stopped reading. It does mean that, as a nation, fewer people now choose a book, magazine, or long article when they have time to spare.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-is-reading-less-in-america">Who is reading less in America?</h2>



<p>The downturn is not evenly distributed. Steeper declines were found among Black Americans than white Americans, among people with lower incomes or less formal education, and in rural areas compared with metropolitan ones. Even among groups that tend to read more, the pattern is shifting.</p>



<p>“While people with higher education levels and women are still more likely to read, even among these groups, we're seeing shifts,” said lead author Jessica Bone, a senior research fellow in statistics and epidemiology at UCL.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“And among those who do read, the time spent reading has increased slightly, which may suggest a polarization, where some people are reading more while many have stopped reading altogether.”</p>



<p>Reading with children held steady over the period, which is encouraging. But it happens far less often than adults reading for themselves, despite its outsized importance for early literacy and family bonds.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-leisure-reading-and-daily-life-nbsp">Leisure reading and daily life&nbsp;</h2>



<p>The <a href="https://www.bls.gov/tus/">American Time Use Survey</a> offers a granular window into daily life. It captures how people actually spend their hours, not how they wish they did.</p>



<p>“We're working with incredibly detailed data about how people spend their days,” Bone said. “And because it's a representative sample of U.S. residents in private households, we can look not just at the national trend, but at how it plays out across different communities.”</p>



<p>Over two decades, the pattern is consistent: the share of people reporting any leisure reading on a given day keeps shrinking.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-leisure-reading-nbsp">Significance of leisure reading&nbsp;</h2>



<p>“Reading has historically been a low-barrier, high-impact way to engage creatively and improve quality of life,” Sonke said. “When we lose one of the simplest tools in our public health toolkit, it's a serious loss.”</p>



<p>Leisure reading supports language growth, empathy, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprising-limits-of-human-imagination-revealed-by-science/">imagination</a>, and lifelong learning. Prior work from the EpiArts Lab links creative engagement to better mental health and well-being.&nbsp;</p>



<p>A national retreat from reading could ripple through classrooms, workplaces, and communities.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-americans-may-be-reading-less">Why Americans may be reading less</h2>



<p>The study did not test causes, but the authors point to likely drivers. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/screen-time-and-mental-health-a-vicious-cycle-for-kids/">Screens</a> now compete for nearly every spare minute. Economic pressures have squeezed leisure time. Access to books and libraries remains uneven.</p>



<p>“Our digital culture is certainly part of the story,” Sonke said. “But there are also structural issues - limited access to reading materials, economic insecurity, and a national decline in leisure time.”</p>



<p>“If you're working multiple jobs or dealing with transportation barriers in a rural area, a trip to the library may just not be feasible.”</p>



<p>Thus, the decline is not only about preference. For many households, it is about time, money, and proximity.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-might-help">What might help</h2>



<p>Interventions can work, the authors argue, but they must be targeted and practical. One of the strongest levers is at home.</p>



<p>“Reading with children is one of the most promising avenues,” said Daisy Fancourt, a UCL professor and co-director of the EpiArts Lab. “It supports not only language and literacy, but empathy, social bonding, emotional development, and school readiness.”</p>



<p>According to the researchers, communities can also make reading easier and more social.</p>



<p>“Ideally, we'd make local libraries more accessible and attractive, encourage book groups, and make reading a more social and supported activity - not just something done in isolation,” Bone added.</p>



<p>Those steps can lower barriers, especially where transportation or cost limits access to books.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-stakes-for-public-health">The stakes for public health</h2>



<p>“Reading has always been one of the more accessible ways to support well-being,” Fancourt said. “To see this kind of decline is concerning because the research is clear: reading is a vital health-enhancing behavior for every group within society, with benefits across the life-course.”</p>



<p>Reversing the slide will take more than nostalgia. It will require policies that protect library budgets, widen digital and physical access to books, and give families back a bit of free time. It will also take creative programs that make reading feel communal and joyful again.</p>



<p>The data show a country drifting away from a simple, proven habit. The choice now is whether to let that drift continue - or to rebuild the everyday moments that keep reading alive.</p>



<p>The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(25)01549-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>iScience</em></a>.</p>



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America’s cultural crisis: Reading less, scrolling more

Americans are carving out far less time to read for...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVywlgRJXsc
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Some children read facial expressions when making food choices.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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<p></p>

Social modeling affects our food choices

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JynHpMaNO8A
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Chaotic cancer protein finally controlled after decades of mystery</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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>



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



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



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



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



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



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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>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veg4HmmRVZY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Our bodies hits two 'aging cliffs' at these ages.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Scientists discover we age in bursts

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqlF0XKzHY4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The hidden science behind tickling.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Scientists solve the mystery of tickling

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elr4948_uOU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dr. Ronald Mallett from the University of Connecticut reveals secret mission to create working time travel device.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



<p></p>



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



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

Retired professor claims he solved time travel

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

<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>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



<p><em>Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;</em></p>



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



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



<p><em>Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;</em></p>



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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