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Scientific American
3 days ago
- Science
- Scientific American
Heat Domes Are Hotter and Lingering Longer—Because of the Arctic
CLIMATEWIRE | Temperatures are finally falling in the eastern U.S. as a vicious heat dome begins to subside. But such sweltering early-summer heat will only get more frequent in the years to come. That's because this week's heat wave — which tumbled century-old temperature records in some areas — was clearly influenced by climate change, scientists say. The heat dome is just one consequence of the "stuck" weather patterns that are on the rise as the planet warms. A recent study, published June 16 in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, warns of the rising dangers of such long-lasting weather patterns, which can prompt not just heat waves but also heavy rainfall and floods. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. This week, the heat index — or what the temperature actually feels like to human skin — rose well above 100 degrees in many areas. Minneapolis also broke a daily high last set in 1910 when the city hit 96 degrees Saturday, and New York City tied its 1888 record of 96 degrees in Central Park on Monday. The new study suggests that the phenomenon behind such extreme weather may have a surprising origin: rapid warming, hundreds of miles away, in the icy Arctic. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory investigated natural atmospheric patterns known as planetary waves. These wobbly air currents meander up and down as they circle the globe — and when they intensify, they sometimes lead to storms or heat domes stagnating in place for days at a time. The study looked at the frequency of planet wave "resonance events," or temporary intensifications. They found that these kinds of stalled atmospheric patterns have tripled over the last 70 years. At the same time, extreme summer weather — like heat waves and floods — have also grown more common. Climate models have long predicted that these patterns would occur more frequently with climate change. But the new study is the first to demonstrate that it's already happening, the authors say. Still, the exact causes of these planetary wave events are an active research topic. Some research suggests that rapid warming in the Arctic — which is heating up as much as four times faster than the rest of the globe — is altering the atmosphere in ways that shift the jet stream south and affect the planetary waves. Other studies suggest that tropical warming may actually yank the jet stream poleward. And some researchers say planetary waves may be impacted by a tug-of-war between these two influences. Computer models aren't always able to fully simulate these physical responses, making it a difficult subject to study. Scientists have been investigating — and debating — the exact physical effects of global warming on atmospheric circulation patterns for years. But the new study adds to the evidence that Arctic warming plays a role. It shows that periods of warmer temperatures in the high latitudes are associated with increases in planetary wave resonance events. It also demonstrates that the growing global contrast between land temperatures and ocean temperatures — since land is warming faster than water worldwide — has also played a part. Other events have an influence as well, the research suggests. Strong El Niño events, which cause temperatures to warm in the Pacific Ocean, also seem to drive temporary spikes in weather-stalling planetary wave events. In short, multiple factors — both natural and human-caused — play a role. But climate change is a definite influence, the study notes, warning that extreme summer weather will keep intensifying as global temperatures rise. Other research also points to the fingerprint of climate change on the recent heat. Climate Central, a nonprofit climate science and communication organization, has developed a scientific metric known as the Climate Shift Index that evaluates the influence of global warming on temperatures around the world. The tool estimates that high temperatures in large swaths of the eastern U.S. over the last few days were at least five times more likely to occur because of human-caused climate change. 'The extent of this early summer heat dome over the United States is remarkable,' said Climate Central scientist Zachary Labe in a statement. 'It is a stark reminder that climate change is making these dangerous and oppressive heat waves far more likely, affecting millions of people.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
3,000 Feet Beneath the Ocean, Scientists Found Spiders With a Hidden Superpower
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: In 2023, scientists from the Occidental College of Los Angeles collected 36 specimens of sea spider living near methane seeps along the Pacific Coast from California to Alaska. Upon examining the arachnid-like creatures, they discovered that these deep sea species form a symbiotic relationship with methylotrophic bacteria, which provide a food source in the pitch dark aphotic zone. This new study paints a more complete picture of how the deep sea helps keep methane (a potent greenhouse gas) from escaping into the atmosphere. When you live in the ocean's aphotic zone, where absolute darkness reigns, you need some creative solutions to some pretty existential questions. Chief among them: what are you going to eat? For a variety of ocean floor-dwelling species, including mussels, worms, and sponges, that answer lies with chemosynthetic bacteria—organisms that flourish around methane seeps where the gas escapes the Earth's crust. A new study shows that three species of the sea spider genus Sericosura also demonstrate a similar ability, which helps explain why these spindly-legged organisms are found in such abundance near methane seeps. The results of the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Despite the name, sea spiders aren't actually spiders (though, that'll likely be of little comfort to an arachnophobe). Although they look remarkably similar, sea spiders have a thinner cephalothorax than their eight-legged land-based lookalikes, and their legs tend to have more joints. Oh, and they also live in the deep ocean—one of biology's true final frontiers of scientific inquiry. This hard-to-reach ecosystem is why many aspects of their lives remain a mystery. 'Our study aimed to examine the ways in which often overlooked animals might take advantage of novel energy sources, such as methane,' Shana Goffredi, the senior author of the study from the Occidental College of Los Angeles, said in a press statement. 'While the deep sea feels far away, all organisms are interconnected, and the processes in one ecosystem affect another.' In 2023, Goffredi—along with two students, including Bianca Dal Bó—embarked on a two-week research expedition on the R/V Atlantis to study these creatures in their deep-sea habitats. With the help of a piloted submersible named Alvin, they examined and collected sea spider specimens located 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) below the ocean surface from the Del Mar and Palos Verdes seeps in California and the Sanak seep in Alaska. Of the 36 specimens recovered, three of the spiders represented entirely new species. 'I had seen animal samples in preservatives in the lab for so long, so it was beautiful to finally see them moving around in their natural habitat,' Dal Bó said in a press statement. 'It made me feel all the more connected to my project and these fascinating ecosystems.' While performing experiments on board, Goffredi and Dal Bó incubated the sea spiders in seawater with methanol and a heavy isotope of methane. Because this isotope is rare in nature, the researchers could track its impact on the sea spiders, including if it was ingested. They found that methylotrophic bacteria located on the sea spiders' exoskeletons served as a source of a food. 'Evidence from tissue isotopic analysis, microbiome sequencing, and live-animal incubations followed by 13C-methane isotope probing confirms active incorporation of methane-derived carbon into spider tissues,' the authors wrote. 'This research highlights a previously unknown interaction between an animal lineage and chemically fueled microbes, introducing another symbiotic pathway for direct microbial transfer of methane carbon into animal biomass in the deep sea.' This transfer of methane carbon into animal biomass is particularly important for scientists to understand, as methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases. Sea spiders—with the help of other deep ocean-dwelling animals—are doing their part to keep these gases locked away in the ocean, so they don't reach the atmosphere and exacerbate the ongoing climate crisis. 'While the deep sea feels really far away, all organisms are interconnected,' Goffredi told CNN. 'Even though they're small, these animals have a big impact in that environment. We can't ever hope to sustainably (use) the oceans if we don't really understand the oceans.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Time of India
7 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Walk your way to a sharper mind: How 40 minutes of walking boosts brain size
An exercise as simple as walking increases the size of your brain. Shocking! Isn't it? Walking, specifically, can significantly increase the volume of the hippocampus, a key part of the brain that is responsible for memory, and improve cognitive ability in older people, says a pioneering study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The research opens the door to a simple, cheap method to stop age-related cognitive decline. During the course of a year, the research followed a cohort of seniors aged between 55 and 80. Participants were split into two groups: the control group undertook stretching and toning exercises, while the other group did regular cardiovascular activity (in this instance, 40 minutes of walking three times per week). MRI scans at the end of the trial showed that the size of the hippocampus in the walking group, which is typically expected to shrink with age, grew by an average of 2%. Why is this finding so significant? An important part of memory creation and recall is the hippocampus. It is also one of the first regions to be affected by Alzheimer's disease. This research discredits the popular opinion that memory loss is a part of the natural ageing process. It proves that throughout elderly life, the brain remains capable of changing and being improved with mild exercise. In addition, walking improves intellectual function as well as brain expansion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Control participants who walked regularly demonstrated superior memory function and increased processing rates. Walking, as the researchers say, increases blood flow to the brain, stimulates growth hormone production, and promotes the growth of new synapses—all supporting a healthier, stronger brain. Brisk walking (and not a leisure walk) is one of the easiest and most effective ways to improve your immune health. Walking is low-impact, accessible, and cost-free, compared to more intense exercise. Neither gym membership nor specialised equipment is required. Walking provides a pathway to enhanced brain health for everyone, including older individuals who may have diminished stamina or mobility. Walking is good for the mind and the body, and more study is needed to establish the optimal intensity and duration of walking for cognitive gain. The next time you slip on your shoes and take a walk, remember that you're investing in your brain as well as getting some fresh air. It may only require 40 minutes a couple of times a week to maintain a young brain, enhance cognitive function, and preserve your memory. It's never too early, or too late, to begin the journey towards mental acuity. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Japan Today
19-06-2025
- Science
- Japan Today
Study finds planetary waves linked to wild summer weather have tripled since 1950
By SETH BORENSTEIN Climate change has tripled the frequency of atmospheric wave events linked to extreme summer weather in the last 75 years and that may explain why long-range computer forecasts keep underestimating the surge in killer heat waves, droughts and floods, a new study says. In the 1950s, Earth averaged about one extreme weather-inducing planetary wave event a summer, but now it is getting about three per summer, according to a study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Planetary waves are connected to 2021's deadly and unprecedented Pacific Northwest heat wave, the 2010 Russian heatwave and Pakistan flooding and the 2003 killer European heatwave, the study said. 'If you're trying to visualize the planetary waves in the northern hemisphere, the easiest way to visualize them is on the weather map to look at the waviness in the jet stream as depicted on the weather map,' said study co-author Michael Mann, a University of Pennsylvania climate scientist. Planetary waves flow across Earth all the time, but sometimes they get amplified, becoming stronger, and the jet stream gets wavier with bigger hills and valleys, Mann said. It's called quasi-resonant amplification or QRA. This essentially means the wave gets stuck for weeks on end, locked in place. As a result, some places get seemingly endless rain while others endure oppressive heat with no relief. 'A classic pattern would be like a high pressure out west (in the United States) and a low pressure back East and in summer 2018, that's exactly what we had,' Mann said. 'We had that configuration locked in place for like a month. So they (in the West) got the heat, the drought and the wildfires. We (in the East) got the excessive rainfall.' 'It's deep and it's persistent,' Mann said. 'You accumulate the rain for days on end or the ground is getting baked for days on end.' The study finds this is happening more often because of human-caused climate change, mostly from the burning of fossil fuels, specifically because the Arctic warms three to four times faster than the rest of the world. That means the temperature difference between the tropics and the Arctic is now much smaller than it used to be and that weakens the jet streams and the waves, making them more likely to get locked in place, Mann said. 'This study shines a light on yet another way human activities are disrupting the climate system that will come back to bite us all with more unprecedented and destructive summer weather events,' said Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center who wasn't involved in the research. 'Wave resonance does appear to be one reason for worsening summer extremes. On top of general warming and increased evaporation, it piles on an intermittent fluctuation in the jet stream that keeps weather systems from moving eastward as they normally would, making persistent heat, drought, and heavy rains more likely,' Francis said. This is different than Francis' research on the jet stream and the polar vortex that induces winter extremes, said Mann. There's also a natural connection. After an El Nino, a natural warming of the central Pacific that alters weather patterns worldwide, the next summer tends to be prone to more of these amplified QRA waves that become locked in place, Mann said. And since the summer of 2024 featured an El Nino, this summer will likely be more prone to this type of stuck jet stream, according to Mann. While scientists have long predicted that as the world warms there will be more extremes, the increase has been much higher than what was expected, especially by computer model simulations, Mann and Francis said. That's because the models 'are not capturing this one vital mechanism,' Mann said. Unless society stops pumping more greenhouse gases in the air, 'we can expect multiple factors to worsen summer extremes,' Francis said. 'Heat waves will last longer, grow larger and get hotter. Worsening droughts will destroy more agriculture.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Shocking! We share DNA with our closest friends, reveals study-- More details here
Your best friend might share your DNA, new study finds The next time you tell your besties, 'I feel like we're related,' or "You're family" science might back you up! A groundbreaking study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2018 finds that our friends are genetically more similar to us than strangers— even if they're unrelated-- and this could play a surprising role in how we choose our friends. While it's long been known that people tend to marry or befriend others with similar interests, values, or lifestyles, researchers are now digging deeper into how much of that connection might be because of similar genetics. The study, conducted by researchers from Stanford University, Duke University, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, looked at over 5,000 pairs of adolescent friends using data from Add Health— this is a long-term U.S. study that has tracked students from grades 7 to 12 since the 1994–1995 school year. What researchers found Interestingly, researchers found that friends were more genetically similar to each other than to random individuals in the same population. In fact, the genetic similarity between friends was about two-thirds as strong as that between the average married couple. According to study author Benjamin Domingue, an assistant professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education, this genetic similarity is not as strong as that seen in siblings, but it is still statistically significant as compared to strangers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cardiologists: Losing a Hanging Tummy Comes Down To This 1 Thing Health Wellness Journal Watch More Undo Why do we befriend people who have DNAs similar to ours? One possible reason is a concept called social homophily. This theory suggests that people naturally form connections with others who are like them— including traits that may be influenced by genetics. For example, personality traits, energy levels, and even tendencies toward certain habits could be inherited, and that could subtly draw similar people together making them friends. But there's another angle too— social structuring. This is the idea that people form relationships within the environments they inhabit, which themselves may be influenced by genetics. For instance, traits like educational achievement or body mass index (BMI) have both social and genetic reasons. The study found that friends often shared these traits. On the other hand, characteristics like height— which is also genetic— didn't show strong similarities among friends, likely because height doesn't influence our social choices in the same way as education or lifestyle might do. When studying schoolmates, the researchers also discovered something interesting: Even among students who weren't friends, genetic similarities were present— but it was to a lesser degree. Schoolmates were about half as genetically similar as friends, but still more similar than strangers. This indicates that just being part of the same school environment creates genetic clustering. According to Domingue, this finding reinforces how deeply intertwined our genes and our social environments really are, reported the TIME. 'Are individuals actively selecting to be around people who are like them, or is it due to impersonal forces, such as social structures, that we all are affected by?,' Domingue asked. His team believes the answer lies more in the structure— the schools we attend, the neighbourhoods we live in, and the families we grow up in. Kathleen Mullan Harris, co-author and professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, adds that the genetic similarity among schoolmates could be driven by a lot of factors-- from geographic location to parental choices about education. 'It's a complicated equation, and one that researchers need to pay more attention to,' she said. In fact, the researchers believe this study should serve as a wake-up call for geneticists. When studying the influence of genes on traits like educational attainment, it's crucial to consider the social environment. What may appear as a purely genetic effect might actually reflect the shared environment of a school or community. In a nutshell, your friendships may be about more than shared interests— they could be written in your genes, shaped by your surroundings, and driven by the invisible forces of both biology and social structure. Intriguing, right? Tell us your views on this in the comments section below. Prince Harry's 'Peace' Talk Masks Royal War | SHOCKING Move Sparks Secret Clash With King Charles One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
