On this week’s news update…

Artificial Reefs

Scientists build artificial reefs…

Walking in Nature

Calming walks in nature…

Drone Photo Awards

And drone photography takes us to amazing places!

First up…

Reefs provide important habitats for lots of different animals and plants.

But many reefs are disappearing because of climate change, meaning a number of species may not survive—or will have to find new homes.

In Denmark, a decline in reefs has caused cod fish numbers to become very low, so scientists have created artificial reefs. These reefs are made from sand and volcanic ash, and are formed using a 3-D printer.

3-D printing is a process that can create complex shapes, using materials which are built up in layers to build a three-dimensional model.

Each reef weighs up to 500 kg—and is full of hiding places, hard surfaces, and crevices.

The scientists hope these artificial reefs will help to make the area an inviting place for cod once again, which will in turn help to increase the number of different species that live there.

Next up…

We can all feel a little worried sometimes. School, sports, friendships, family—things can get on top of us and make us feel stressed.

Stressful events are processed by a part of our brain called the amygdala.

amygdala

When we are stressed, the amygdala releases signals to parts of the body, which cause us to become tense.

But scientists in Germany have found something to help us reduce stress: the natural world around us!

The scientists measured the amount of activity in the amygdala for people who walked in a forest for an hour, and compared the data with those who walked on a busy street.

Their findings revealed that walking in a forest reduces the amount of amygdala activity, while walking on a busy street does not.

For a long time, people have thought that spending time in nature reduces stress, but the scientists’ research is some of the first to measure this.

So, if you’re feeling worried, anxious, or stressed, spending some time in nature could be helpful.

And finally…

Do you like taking selfies, or photos of your favorite things?

Since the invention of the camera, scientists have taken photos to help with their research.

Today, we can put cameras on drones and fly them into remote and dangerous places—for both research and art!

The entries from this year’s Drone Photo Awards show us just how impressive drone photography can be—and give us a close-up of some epic places!

Some of the entries include an area of land after it has been covered in lava, a polar bear walking on floating ice, and a huge dust storm in Sudan.

The winning photo was taken from above an erupting volcano in Iceland! Now that is a hot shot!

That’s all for this week—we’ll see you next time!