Dr. Ashley Martin: “Our study reveals high nitrogen isotope values in 2.75-billion-year-old shallow water stromatolites, and lower nitrogen values in deeper marine sediments.”

What can volcanism on the early Earth teach us about the formation of life on our planet? This is what a recent study published in Nature Communications hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated how volcanic activity billions of years ago could have influenced the Earth’s nitrogen cycle, thus influencing the development of marine life. This study has the potential to help researchers better understand the processes responsible for the development of life on early Earth, specifically in Earth’s oceans.

For the study, the researchers analyzed 2.5-billion-year-old samples of stromatolites, which are fossilized rock formations created by microorganisms, in southern Zimbabwe. The goal of the study was to ascertain a connection between nitrogen isotope patterns and an event known as the Great Oxidation Event that occurred approximately 2.5 billion years ago and is often hailed as a major turning point in the development of life on the Earth. During that time, most of the Earth’s land mass was underwater with volcanic activity occurring in the oceans. Therefore, the researchers found an interesting connection between volcanic activity and nitrogen levels that occurred simultaneously.

Dr. Douglas Colquhoun: “Inhaled anesthetics are a natural area to pursue reductions in emissions because, as greenhouse gases, they are so disproportionately bad for the environment.”

How can greener anesthesia help both patients and the environment? This is what a recent study published in The Lancer Planetary Health hopes to address as a team of researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M) Medical School investigated a multitude of benefits regarding the use of anesthesia free of pollutants and greenhouse gases, which they are traditionally known to contain. This study has the potential to help researchers, medical professionals, legislators, and the public better understand the benefits of providing patients with “greener” anesthesia, along with the environmental benefits, as well.

For the study, the researchers started the Green Anesthesia Initiative (GAIA) in March 2022 to monitor the use of pollutant-free—such as nitrous oxide—anesthesia aged 1 year and older between March 1, 2021, and February 28, 2023. The goal of GAIA was to ascertain patient health and environmental impact resulting from this new anesthetic treatment. In the end, the researchers monitored 45,692 patients (50.8 percent women and 49.2 percent men) before GAIA and 47,199 patients (also 50.8 percent women and 49.2 percent men) after GAIA, with results showing a 14.38 kilograms (31.7 pounds) per patient reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

“Tens of thousands of people undergo general anesthesia at Michigan Medicine every year,” said Dr. Douglas Colquhoun, who is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at U-M Medical School and lead author of the study. “Inhaled anesthetics are a natural area to pursue reductions in emissions because, as greenhouse gases, they are so disproportionately bad for the environment. We’ve shown that small changes in our practice lead to big changes for the environment and, importantly, no changes for the patients.”

Astronomers might find life in the unlikeliest of places.

Could white dwarf stars host habitable exoplanets that might support life as we know it? This is what a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated the surface temperatures of exoplanets orbiting white dwarfs and compared them to exoplanets orbiting Sun-like stars. White dwarfs are smaller, denser remnants after a Sun-like star dies, stops nuclear fusion (converting hydrogen to helium), and sheds its outer layers, thus implying they could be inhospitable for life-giving exoplanets.

For the study, the researchers used computer models to compare Earth-like exoplanets each orbiting a white dwarf star and the main-sequence K-dwarf star, Kepler-62, both of which exhibit temperatures of approximately 5,000 Kelvin (8,540 degrees Fahrenheit/4,727 degrees Celsius). For context, our Sun’s temperature is 5,772 Kelvin (9,930 degrees Fahrenheit/5,499 degrees Celsius).

Kepler-62 currently hosts five known exoplanets, with two of them orbiting within its star’s habitable zone. Additionally, while Kepler-62 is still demonstrating nuclear fusion, like our Sun, white dwarfs don’t, as noted above. In the end, the computer models made some remarkable findings regarding the habitable potential for exoplanets orbiting white dwarf stars. The models revealed the white dwarf exoplanet’s surface temperature was approximately 25 Kelvin hotter than the exoplanet orbiting Kepler-62, which the team attributes to the former’s faster rotation and orbital period, resulting in reduced cloud cover and higher surface temperatures.

How can programmed failure protocols help improve sheet-based fluidic devices, the latter of which have become a cornerstone in enhancing soft robotics worldwide? This is what a recent study published in Cell Reports Physical Science hopes to address as an international team of researchers have developed a method for overcoming common failures of sheet-based systems, specifically due to their lightweight and flexible characteristics. This study has the potential to help engineers develop more efficient sheet-based devices, resulting in improved soft robotics designs.

For the study, the researchers examined how pressure changes could damage heat-sealable textiles that are used in sheet-based devices. Once they determined specific failure thresholds, the team incorporated programmed failures into the design, enabling the device to determine specific failure points and prevent further damage.

“Put simply, we are making soft, flexible machines smarter by designing their internal components to fail intentionally in a well-understood manner,” said Dr. Daniel J. Preston, who is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Rice University and a co-author on the study. “In doing so, the resulting systems can recover from pressure surges and even complete multiple tasks using a single control input.” Going forward, the team hopes their research will lead to improved sheet-based fluidic systems, which, as noted, have become a cornerstone of soft robotics.

What exercises can future astronauts on long-term missions to the Moon or Mars conduct to help mitigate the effects of cartilage damage resulting from microgravity? This is what a recent study published in npj Microgravity hopes to address as an international team of researchers investigated the health benefits of future astronauts performing jumping workouts during long-duration space missions. This study holds the potential to help astronauts, mission planners, and the public better understand the risks and strategies for long-duration space missions, especially as human exploration expands to the Moon and Mars.

“Think about sending somebody on a trip to Mars, they get there, and they can’t walk because they developed osteoarthritis of the knees or the hips and their joints don’t function,” said Dr. Marco Chiaberge, who is a research scientist at Johns Hopkins University and lead author of the study. “Astronauts also perform spacewalks often. They serviced the Hubble Space Telescope five times, and in the future, they will need to spend more time in space and the Moon, where we will build larger telescopes to explore the universe and where they will need to stay as healthy as possible.”

For the study, the researchers conducted a nine-week study with mice to ascertain the benefits of jumping exercises three times a week compared to limited movement regarding cartilage growth and sustainability. In the end, the researchers found that not only did the mice who participated in jumping exercises exhibit a 26 percent increase in cartilage compared to 14 percent reduction for the non-movement mice, but the jumping mice also displayed 110 percent thicker cartilage. Additionally, the jumping mice were found to exhibit 15 percent greater bone mineral density due to the jumping exercises.

For the study, the researchers used NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope to observe Sagittarius A* to better understand its activity. After conducting several observations between 2023 and 2024, the researchers found that Sagittarius A* exhibited near-endless flare activity, ranging from faint flashes lasting a few seconds to massive eruptions occurring every day. Since Sagittarius A* interacts with the massive disk of gas and dust that comprises our galaxy, these results could help researchers better understand the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes throughout the universe.

“Flares are expected to happen in essentially all supermassive black holes, but our black hole is unique,” said Dr. Farhad Yusef-Zadeh, who is a professor at northwestern University and lead author of the study. “It is always bubbling with activity and never seems to reach a steady state. We observed the black hole multiple times throughout 2023 and 2024, and we noticed changes in every observation. We saw something different each time, which is really remarkable. Nothing ever stayed the same.”

“What we found was surprising: a jet stream rotates material around the planet’s equator, while a separate flow at lower levels of the atmosphere moves gas from the hot side to the cooler side,” said Dr. Julia Victoria Seidel.

What can a 3D map of an exoplanet’s atmosphere teach scientists about its weather patterns? This is what a recent study published in Nature hopes to address as an international team of researchers successfully produced the first 3D map of an exoplanet’s atmosphere, which is a groundbreaking achievement and will help scientists gain new insights into the formation and evolution of exoplanet atmospheres throughout the cosmos.

For the study, the researchers used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) to observe WASP-121b, nicknamed Tylos, which is designated as an ultra-hot Jupiter that orbits its parent star in only 1.3 days (30 hours) and is located approximately 880 light-years from Earth. Due to its extremely close orbit, Tylos is tidally locked to its parent star, meaning one side is always facing it, resulting in searing temperatures on the sunlit side and incredibly cold temperatures on the far side.

In the end, the researchers successfully produced a 3D map of Tylos’ atmosphere, revealing weather patterns that include high-velocity winds carrying titanium and iron around the exoplanet, which becomes even more turbulent as the winds cross from the far side to the day side of Tylos. Additionally, this also marks the first time astronomers have produced a 3D map of an exoplanet’s atmosphere.

How can machine learning help determine the best times and ways to use solar energy? This is what a recent study published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences hopes to address as a team of researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology investigated how machine learning algorithms can be used to predict and forecast weather patterns to enable more cost-effective approaches for using solar energy. This study has the potential to help enhance renewable energy technologies by fixing errors that are often found in current weather prediction models, leading to more efficient use of solar power by predicting when weather patterns will enable the availability of the Sun for solar energy needs.

For the study, the researchers used a combination of statistical methods and machine learning algorithms to help predict the most efficient times of day that photovoltaic (PV) power generation will achieve maximum production output. Their methods used what’s known as post-processing, which involves correcting weather forecasting errors before that data enters PV models, resulting in changing PV model predictions, resulting in establishing more accurate weather forecasting from machine learning algorithms.

“One of our biggest takeaways was just how important the time of day is,” said Dr. Sebastian Lerch, who is a professor at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and a co-author on the study. “We saw major improvements when we trained separate models for each hour of the day or fed time directly into the algorithms.”

What can a moon’s tidal friction teach us about its formation and evolution? This is what a recent study published in Science Advances hopes to address as a team of researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz investigated a connection between the spin rate and tidal energy on Saturn’s moon, Titan, to determine more about Titan’s interior. This study has the potential to help researchers better understand the internal processes of Titan, leading to better constraints on the existence of a subsurface ocean.

For the study, the researchers used a combination of data obtained by NASA’s now-retired Cassini spacecraft and a series of mathematical calculations to determine Titan’s tidal dissipation, which is the amount of tidal energy lost in an object from friction and other processes, and for which the only moons in the solar system this has been successfully been accomplished being the Earth’s Moon and Jupiter’s volcanic moon, Io. Better understanding a moon’s tidal dissipation helps researchers better understand its formation and evolution, which the researchers successfully estimated for Titan.

“Tidal dissipation in satellites affects their orbital and rotational evolution and their ability to maintain subsurface oceans,” said Dr. Brynna Downey, who is a postdoctoral researcher at the Southwest Research Institute in Colorado and lead author of the study. “Now that we have an estimate for the strength of tides on Titan, what does it tell us about how quickly the orbit is changing? What we discovered is that it’s changing very quickly on a geologic timescale.”

How does a star’s activity influence exoplanet data obtained by scientists? This is what a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series hopes to address as a team of researchers at University College London (UCL) investigated how stellar activity, specifically star spots, could be “contaminating” exoplanet data, specifically exoplanet atmospheric data. This study has the potential to help astronomers develop more efficient methods for studying exoplanets and their atmospheres, specifically with the number of confirmed exoplanets increasing regularly.

For the study, the researchers used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to analyze data from 20 gas giant exoplanets ranging in size between Neptune-like and hot-Jupiter that transited their respective parent stars. To obtain a more complete dataset, the team observed the exoplanets from optical to near-infrared wavelengths. In the end, they discovered a broad range of “stellar contamination”, meaning stellar activity was influencing the exoplanet data, specifically regarding the atmospheric compositions and temperatures. For example, the results indicated that the number of specific molecules had errors as high as 6 orders of magnitude while temperatures had errors as high as 145 percent.

“Hotter, brighter regions (faculae) emit more light and so, for instance, if a planet passes in front of the hottest part of the star, this might lead researchers to over-estimate how large the planet is, as it will seem to block out more of the star’s light, or they might infer the planet is hotter than it is or has a denser atmosphere. The reverse is true if the planet passes in front of a cold starspot, making the planet appear ‘smaller’,” said Alexandra (Alex) Thompson, who is a PhD student in UCL’s Department of Physics & Astronomy and a co-author on the study.