Monarch butterflies are icons of long-distance migration, drifting each autumn from inland western states to sheltered groves on California’s coast. 



Yet some in the growing butterfly population now skip the journey, living and breeding year-round among neighborhood gardens.



New research from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Davis</a> has found that these "stay-at-home" <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monarch-butterflies-are-delaying-their-migration-in-a-warmer-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monarch butterflies</a> represent a largely self-contained group - neither helping nor harming their declining migratory cousins.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-some-monarchs-stay-at-home">Why some monarchs stay at home</h2>



Historically, western monarchs spent spring and summer in places such as Arizona, Nevada, and Idaho, then flew to coastal California for the winter. 



Over the past decade, winter counts of those migrants have collapsed, sparking alarm among conservationists. At the same time, sightings of monarchs flitting through San Francisco Bay Area streets in January and February have multiplied.



One suspected driver is the popularity of tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milkweed-gardens-are-needed-to-save-monarch-butterflies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">milkweed</a> in urban yards. Unlike California’s native milkweed species, which die back in winter, the evergreen tropical variety offers continuous foliage and flowers.



The tropical milkweed is a tempting resource that can encourage butterflies to breed instead of migrate. Critics worry the practice fosters parasite outbreaks and disrupts the century-old monarch butterfly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/creating-new-forests-to-assist-monarch-butterfly-migration/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migration</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-success-story-or-a-disaster">Success story or a disaster?</h2>



Elizabeth Crone is the study's author and a professor in UC Davis’ Department of Evolution and Ecology.



“Although in many ways monarchs seem to be doing just fine in cities, there are a lot of concerns that these non-migratory populations build up high levels of parasites, even to the point that some counties have outlawed planting the non-native evergreen milkweeds that monarch butterflies use in winter,” said Professor Crone.



“We were curious about whether the establishment of these resident populations was a conservation success story or a conservation disaster.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monarch-surveys-in-cities">Monarch surveys in cities</h2>



To test the connection, Crone’s team walked fifteen three-mile routes across East Bay suburbs every month in 2022 and 2023. 



They recorded milkweed plants - native and non-native - in yards and roadsides, counted monarch eggs, caterpillars, and adults, and briefly netted butterflies to check for a debilitating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-monarch-butterflies-are-killed-by-parasites-yearly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">protozoan parasite</a>.



Surveys showed milkweed abundant year-round, peaking in summer. Monarch butterfly activity matched an urban breeding cycle rather than seasonal migration.



Adults were most numerous in summer and scarcer in winter; heavily infected butterflies mirrored that pattern, with high parasite burdens in late summer and autumn but far fewer during the colder months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-little-overlap-with-migratory-monarchs"><a></a>Little overlap with migratory monarchs</h2>



"These resident monarchs in urban areas are almost unconnected from the migratory population, so helping resident monarchs likely doesn't help or hurt the migratory population,” said lead author Emily Erickson. She completed the work while a postdoctoral fellow in Crone’s lab.



Because the two groups show minimal exchange, local bans on tropical milkweed may be misplaced, the researchers argue.



“I think it's reasonable to focus on planting native milkweeds, but ripping out all of the milkweeds in urban gardens in the Bay Area or in Los Angeles does not need to be the immediate focus for monarch conservation," Erickson added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-gardens-help-all">Urban gardens help all</h2>



The study suggests resident monarchs bring other advantages. “Having people see monarch butterflies every day makes them want to invest in the conservation of butterflies, and in conservation in general,” Erickson said.



“And no matter what milkweed you're planting, native or non-native, it supports a lot of things beyond monarchs.”



Crone likewise noted that urban habitat can complement broader recovery strategies. “Some people believe that these resident populations are a major cause of monarch butterfly populations declining, but our research suggests it's a bit of a red herring,” she said.



“Our results highlight the potential for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-biodiversity-is-not-a-luxury-it-is-attainable-for-everyone/">urban ecosyst</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-biodiversity-is-not-a-luxury-it-is-attainable-for-everyone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">e</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-biodiversity-is-not-a-luxury-it-is-attainable-for-everyone/">ms</a> to contribute to the conservation of some species. In the West, resident monarchs can persist in urban gardens without impacting fluctuations in migratory monarchs.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tech-joins-butterfly-research">Tech joins butterfly research</h2>



Funding for the project came from Google, which has supported monarch habitat initiatives since 2021. “We are really grateful to Google,” Crone said.



“It was a unique opportunity - it's the first time in my 28 years of being a professor that a corporation has reached out to us and said that they're interested in butterfly conservation and asked how they can help.”



While the Bay Area’s resident butterflies won’t by themselves rescue the declin­ing migratory population, they illustrate how adaptable some wildlife can be in city landscapes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-gardens-and-migration">Urban gardens and migration</h2>



The authors emphasize that large-scale monarch recovery will still depend on restoring native milkweed and nectar sources across inland <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monarch-butterflies-shift-to-winter-breeding-for-survival/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">breeding</a> grounds and coastal overwintering sites. Yet urban gardens can play a complementary role, sustaining local biodiversity and fostering public engagement.



Thus, while some people see tropical milkweed and resident monarchs as villains, data shows they’re not the cause of migratory decline.



Instead, they offer an unexpected bright spot: proof that cities, when planted thoughtfully, can support thriving butterfly populations. This happens without undermining the grand monarch migration scientists are working so hard to save.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.70259" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ecosphere</a>. -----



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Why some monarch butterflies are skipping migration

Monarch butterflies are icons of long-distance migration, drifting each autumn from inland western states to sheltered groves on California’s coast. Yet some in the growing butterfly population now skip the journey, living and breeding year-round among neighborhood gardens. New research from the University of California, Davis has found that these "stay-at-home" monarch butterflies represent a largely self-contained group - neither helping nor harming their declining migratory cousins. Why some monarchs stay at home Historically, western monarchs spent spring and summer in places such as Arizona, Nevada, and...

Industry,Pollution,Environment,Concept,As,A,Human,Head,Shaped,As

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-evidence-that-climate-change-is-caused-by-human-activities/">Human activities</a> are inching dangerously close to triggering dramatic changes in Earth’s environmental conditions.&nbsp;According to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh2458?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D19497807440487755780687919033919271016%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1694629855" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>, humans have now surpassed six of the nine planetary boundaries that make Earth habitable.



<h2 id="h-planetary-boundaries">Planetary boundaries&nbsp;</h2>



The planetary boundaries were introduced in 2009 to define the global environmental limits within which humans can safely live.&nbsp;



Johan Rockström, former director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre, led a group of 28 renowned scientists to identify the nine processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth system



<h2 id="h-framework-update">Framework update</h2>



In a study led by Professor Katherine Richardson of the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Copenhagen</a>, experts analyzed the degree of breaching of the safe boundary levels caused by human-driven activities.&nbsp;



The research, which represents the third update of the framework, was carried out by twenty-nine scientists from eight different countries.



"This planetary boundaries framework update finds that six of the nine boundaries are transgressed, suggesting that Earth is now well outside of the safe operating space for humanity," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



Furthermore, the experts report that transgression is increasing for all boundaries except the degradation of the Earth’s ozone layer.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-clear-warning-signal">Clear warning signal&nbsp;</h2>



The trend of increasing transgression of the boundaries is worrying, said Professor Richardson. "Crossing six boundaries in itself does not necessarily imply a disaster will ensue but it is a clear warning signal."&nbsp;



"We can regard it as we do our own blood pressure. A BP over 120/80 is not a guarantee of a heart attack but it increases the risk of one. Therefore, we try to bring it down. For our own – and our children’s – sakes we need to reduce the pressure on these six planetary boundaries."



<h2 id="h-integrity-of-the-biosphere">Integrity of the biosphere&nbsp;</h2>



Rockström, who is now the director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), said that focus on human-caused climate change is not enough if we want to protect the Earth system from irreversible harm.



"Next to climate change, integrity of the biosphere is the second pillar of stability of our planet. Our research shows that mitigating global warming and saving a functional biosphere for the future have to go hand in hand," added co-author Wolfgang Lucht.



<h2 id="h-biodiversity-loss">Biodiversity loss</h2>



According to Professor Richardson, the study shows that humans are appropriating the equivalent of ~30% of the energy that was available to support biodiversity before the Industrial Revolution.



"Surely, the removal of so much of the energy that otherwise would have been available to nature must be a driver of biodiversity loss. Therefore, we propose the adoption of Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP), i.e., biomass use, as one of two metrics when assessing human impacts on biodiversity," said Professor Richardson.



<h2 id="h-a-guide-for-action">A guide for action</h2>



"A world that develops within science-defined boundaries is the only way to navigate our current situation with rising, potentially catastrophic risks, at the planetary scale. We already recognize this on climate, where the Paris agreement has adopted the climate planetary boundary of holding the 1.5°C limit," said Rockström.



"Similarly, the world has accepted the planetary boundary on biodiversity, when decided at the 2022 Montreal-Kunming COP15, to halt and reverse biodiversity loss on land and in the ocean."



"Our study shows, however, that this is by far not enough. The planetary boundaries science provides a ‘guide for action’ if we truly want to secure prosperity and equity for all on Earth, and this goes well beyond climate only, requiring novel Earth system modelling and analysis, and systematic efforts to protect, recover and rebuild planetary resilience.”



Katherine Richardson hopes the study will serve as a wake-up call and increase focus on the necessity of limiting our impacts on the planet in order to preserve and protect the Earth conditions that allow advanced human societies to flourish.



<h2>More about planetary boundaries</h2>



As our planet faces unprecedented environmental challenges, understanding and respecting planetary boundaries becomes critical. These boundaries highlight the limits within which humanity can operate sustainably, without causing irreversible damage to Earth's systems.



<h3>Defining planetary boundaries</h3>



Planetary boundaries are thresholds of environmental indicators that, when crossed, risk destabilizing the planet's equilibrium. As mentioned above, they were developed by a group of international scientists in 2009, outlining nine crucial systems that maintain Earth's stability.



<h3>The nine boundaries</h3>



Climate Change: Greenhouse gas concentrations, primarily CO2, are the primary metric here. Exceeding the recommended levels risks amplifying global warming.



Ocean Acidification: Oceans absorb CO2, leading to decreased pH levels. This boundary measures the carbonate ion concentration, vital for marine life like corals.



Stratospheric Ozone Depletion: The ozone layer protects life from harmful ultraviolet radiation. This boundary emphasizes the ozone concentration in the stratosphere.



Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles: Excess nitrogen and phosphorus, often from fertilizers, can disrupt ecosystems. Here, the focus is on their flow into the environment.



Freshwater Use: Freshwater is vital for life. This boundary pinpoints the annual consumption of freshwater resources.



Land-System Change: As we modify landscapes, particularly through deforestation, we alter habitats and carbon storage capabilities. This threshold concerns the amount of forested land remaining.



Biodiversity Loss: Biodiversity underpins ecosystem resilience. This metric observes the extinction rate of species.



Atmospheric Aerosol Loading: Aerosols influence climate and human health. This boundary examines their density in the atmosphere.



Chemical Pollution: Synthetic chemicals can harm ecosystems and human health. This boundary reviews their concentration and spread.



<h3>Why they matter</h3>



Planetary boundaries serve as a warning system. Respecting them ensures Earth remains a safe operating space for humanity. Ignoring them can trigger feedback loops, leading to rapid environmental change and decreased resilience against disturbances.



They also offer a science-based approach to understanding Earth's limits. By recognizing and respecting them, we pave the way for a sustainable future, ensuring that the planet remains habitable for generations to come.



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Six of nine planetary boundaries that make Earth habitable have been exceeded

Human activities are inching dangerously close to triggering dramatic changes...

Bottles,With,Detergent,And,Cleaning,Tools,On,Wooden,Table

A disturbing study published today in the scientific journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139570" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chemosphere</a> has shed light on the potential health hazards posed by common household cleaning products.



Conducted by scientists from the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG), the study analyzed 30 different cleaning products and found them to emit hundreds of hazardous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-household-products-expose-people-to-dangerous-chemicals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">volatile organic compounds</a> (VOCs).



<h2 id="h-key-findings-on-vocs">Key findings on VOCs</h2>



<ul>
<li>The study examined a range of cleaning products, including multipurpose cleaners, glass cleaners, air fresheners, and more. </li>



<li>A staggering 530 unique VOCs were detected across the 30 products. Alarmingly, 193 of these VOCs were identified as hazardous, with potential health risks including respiratory damage, increased cancer risk, and developmental and reproductive impacts. </li>



<li>VOC emissions from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/windshield-wiper-fluid-accounts-for-large-percentage-of-toxic-vehicle-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cleaning products</a> are particularly concerning for indoor air quality. They were found to contaminate indoor air two to five times more than outdoor air. Some estimates even suggest the difference could be as much as tenfold. Moreover, certain products continue to emit VOCs for extended periods, ranging from days to months.</li>
</ul>



<a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/our-experts/alexis-temkin-phd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alexis Temkin</a>, Ph.D., a senior toxicologist at EWG, warned, “This study is a wake-up call for consumers, researchers, and regulators to be more aware of the potential risks associated with the numerous chemicals entering our indoor air.”



<h2>Green products vs. conventional products</h2>



Encouragingly, the research showed that products labeled “green” emitted significantly fewer VOCs compared to their conventional counterparts -- approximately half as many, on average. 



Furthermore, when categorized as “fragrance free,” green products produced the least <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-develop-an-eco-friendly-material-to-purify-water/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">VOC emissions</a>, about eight times fewer than conventional products and four times less than green products containing fragrance.



On average, green products emitted only four <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/special-coating-transforms-a-lampshade-into-an-air-purifier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hazardous chemicals</a>, while green products with fragrance emitted about 15, and conventional products as many as 22.



Dr. Temkin also highlighted a potential solution for consumers, “Our findings emphasize a way to reduce exposure to hazardous VOCs -- by selecting products that are ‘green,’ especially those that are ‘green’ and ‘fragrance free.’”



<h2>Implications for health and environment</h2>



The adverse health effects of VOCs are deeply concerning given the exposure rates. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33234692/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Research</a> indicates that individuals employed in the cleaning industry face a 50% higher risk of developing asthma and a 43% increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Women in this sector also experience a heightened risk of lung cancer.



Additionally, children’s health is jeopardized. Some research links higher use of certain indoor cleaners during pregnancy and infancy to an increased risk of asthma and wheezing in childhood.



The environmental impact of VOCs is equally worrying. <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/our-experts/samara-geller" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Samara Geller</a>, EWG senior director of cleaning science, highlighted that VOCs from consumer products can exacerbate outdoor air pollution. A <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/chemicals-everyday-products-rival-cars-source-air-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2018 study</a> estimated that consumer products were the source of half of the VOCs contributing to air pollution.



Geller concluded, “Going green with your cleaning products is an easy way to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. This may be especially important for women’s and children's health.”



This important research emphasizes the importance of making informed choices about household cleaning products, not just for individual health, but also for the well-being of the planet.



<h2>More about VOCs</h2>



Volatile Organic Compounds, commonly known as VOCs and discussed above, permeate our environment. They are essential to understand due to their significant impact on human health and the planet. Let's now dive deep into what VOCs are, where you find them, and the effects they can have.



<h3>What are VOCs?</h3>



VOCs stand for Volatile Organic Compounds. They are a group of carbon-based chemicals that easily evaporate at room temperature. Due to their volatile nature, they can become a primary component of indoor and outdoor air pollution.



<h3>Common sources</h3>



Every day, you encounter products and materials that release VOCs. Some of these sources include:



<ul>
<li>Household Products: Paints, varnishes, and cleaning agents often contain VOCs. When you open a can of paint or use a cleaning agent, you release these compounds into the air. </li>



<li>Automobiles: Car exhaust emits a significant number of VOCs. </li>



<li>Industrial Processes: Factories that produce goods, ranging from plastics to clothing, often release VOCs as a byproduct. </li>



<li>Building Materials: Many construction materials, such as adhesives, wood preservatives, and even some carpets, give off VOCs.</li>
</ul>



<h3>Health impacts of VOCs</h3>



Exposure to VOCs can lead to a range of health issues, including:



<ul>
<li>Short-term effects: These can range from eye, nose, and throat irritation to headaches, dizziness, and fatigue. </li>



<li>Long-term effects: Chronic exposure can lead to liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage. Some VOCs, like benzene and formaldehyde, are even potential carcinogens.</li>
</ul>



<h3>Environmental effects</h3>



Apart from human health, VOCs also affect the environment:



<ul>
<li>Ozone Formation: When VOCs mix with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight, they form ground-level ozone. This is a primary component of smog, and it can be harmful to both human health and vegetation. </li>



<li>Contribution to Climate Change: Some VOCs are greenhouse gases, which means they trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, leading to global warming.</li>
</ul>



<h3>Reducing exposure to VOCs</h3>



To minimize the risks associated with VOCs, consider the following steps:



<ul>
<li>Ventilation: Ensure good ventilation when using products that emit VOCs. This can help dilute the concentration of VOCs in the air. </li>



<li>Read Labels: Check products for VOC content and opt for low-VOC or VOC-free options when available. </li>



<li>Limit Use: Use VOC-emitting products sparingly and follow the manufacturer's instructions to the letter. </li>



<li>Safe Storage: Store products that contain VOCs in well-sealed containers to prevent unnecessary evaporation.</li>
</ul>



<h3>VOC regulations</h3>



Many governments recognize the threats posed by VOCs and have introduced regulations to limit their emissions. These often include setting limits for VOC content in products, establishing air quality standards, and requiring industries to adopt best practices to minimize VOC emissions.



In summary, VOCs, while ubiquitous in our modern environment, can pose significant health and environmental challenges. By understanding what they are and where they come from, and by taking proactive steps to reduce exposure, we can protect both our health and the environment. It's up to both individuals and industries to play their part in ensuring a safer, VOC-reduced world.



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Common household cleaning products release hundreds of toxic chemicals

A disturbing study published today in the scientific journal Chemosphere...

Why was the Sahara Desert once lush and green? A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> provides new insights into periodic wet phases and greening in the Sahara over the last 800,000 years.



<h2 id="h-earth-s-orbital-precession">Earth’s orbital precession&nbsp;</h2>



The primary driver behind intermittent green periods in the Sahara was identified as changes in Earth’s orbit around the Sun, notably Earth’s orbital precession. This refers to Earth's wobbly motion on its axis, influencing the seasonal contrasts.&nbsp;



The wobbles, which occur approximately every 21,000 years, determine the energy Earth receives during different seasons. This ultimately controls the strength of the African monsoon and, by extension, the spread of vegetation across the Sahara.



<h2 id="h-ice-ages">Ice ages</h2>



However, the researchers also found that these humid greening intervals in the Sahara did not occur during ice ages.&nbsp;



Massive glacial ice sheets, blanketing much of the high latitudes, cooled the atmosphere, suppressing the growth of the African monsoon system.&nbsp;



The experts report that the interconnection between these distant areas might have limited species’ movement, including early humans, out of Africa during the glacial periods spanning the past 800,000 years.



<h2 id="h-remarkable-environmental-changes">Remarkable environmental changes&nbsp;</h2>



Study lead author Dr. Edward Armstrong is a climate scientist at the University of Helsinki and <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>.



“The cyclic transformation of the Sahara Desert into savannah and woodland ecosystems is one of the most remarkable environmental changes on the planet," said Dr. Armstrong.



“Our study is one of the first climate modeling studies to simulate the African Humid Periods with comparable magnitude to what the palaeoclimate observations indicate, revealing why and when these events occurred.”



<h2 id="h-advanced-climate-modeling">Advanced climate modeling&nbsp;</h2>



Many existing climate models have fallen short in simulating the amplitude of these humid periods in the Sahara.



However, the recent study utilized an advanced climate model that not only offers insights into the past shifts but could potentially improve predictions of future changes.



The results confirmed that the African Humid Periods occurred every 21,000 years and were determined by changes in Earth’s orbital precession.&nbsp;



Warmer summers and increased precipitation from the intensified monsoon system drove greening across the desert.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-significance-of-the-study">Significance of the study</h2>



“We are really excited about the results. Traditionally, climate models have struggled to represent the extent of the ‘greening’ of the Sahara," said study co-author Professor Paul Valdes.



"Our revised model successfully represents past changes and also gives us confidence in their ability to understand future change."



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications</h2>



There is undeniable evidence that the Sahara was home to sprawling rivers, lakes, and water-dependent animals, such as hippos, in past epochs.&nbsp;



Such periods of vegetation might have played a pivotal role in creating green corridors for various species, including early humans, to disperse across the globe.



“The Sahara region is kind of a gate controlling the dispersal of species between both North and Sub-Saharan Africa, and in and out of the continent," said study co-author Professor Miikka Tallavaara.



“The gate was open when Sahara was green and closed when deserts prevailed. This alternation of humid and arid phases had major consequences for the dispersal and evolution of species in Africa."&nbsp;



"Our ability to model North African Humid periods is a major achievement and means we are now also better able to model human distributions and understand the evolution of our genus in Africa.”



The study has the potential to reshape our understanding of early human migrations and the broader implications of global climate shifts.



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Study reveals the driving forces behind greening in the Sahara Desert

Why was the Sahara Desert once lush and green? A...

In an era long past, when the Earth was hot and humid, marine life thrived. The sea teemed with early squids, eel-like fish, and sea worms, all hunting smaller marine animals -- like the springtails.



Yet, above ground, life had not yet ventured. Such was the state of our planet about 450 million years ago, at the tail end of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Ordovician-period_illustration_Credit-Fritz-Geller-Grimm_1big.jpeg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ordovician period</a>.



The warm oceans provided an idyllic haven for marine creatures, but change was imminent. Earth’s once balmy land masses began to freeze, as a vast ice cap steadily expanded across its surface.



The previously hospitable waters transformed into cold, unforgiving habitats. Within a brief span, our world witnessed its second-worst mass extinction event. Half of all known species were obliterated.



<h2 id="h-springtails-are-everywhere">Springtails are everywhere</h2>



However, against the odds, the springtail emerged as a survivor. These insect-like creatures are minute, with the largest among them only stretching to six millimeters. At a casual glance, you might mistake them for a garden-variety insect, but they command a unique evolutionary branch.



Over 9,000 species of springtails have been identified, and their habitats range from the soils of backyards to the foliage of dense forests. Interestingly, they get their name from a forked tail, also known as furcula, which allows them to jump up to 10 centimeters high when threatened, a notable feat for such a tiny creature.



Amidst the ever-expanding list of their fascinating traits, springtails have another impressive adaptation: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snailfish-have-a-secret-weapon-to-survive-in-frozen-arctic-waters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antifreeze proteins</a>.



<h2>Tiny animals and antifreeze proteins</h2>



A fascinating <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-35983-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new study</a> by researchers from <a href="https://international.au.dk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aarhus University</a> and <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen’s University</a> in Canada suggests that the springtail may have been the first animal to ever produce antifreeze proteins. Prior to this discovery, the scientific consensus was that animals did not develop this ability until much later.



“We knew that antifreeze proteins had developed independently of each other several times during evolutionary history. Fish have them. Insects have them. Some spiders have them. But until we saw these results, we didn't know that they’d developed so early in the animal world," says Professor Martin Holmstrup of the Department of Ecoscience at Aarhus University.



<h2>How to find springtails</h2>



Martin Holmstrup and his colleagues collected the springtails from Denmark, Iceland, and Greenland for their lab. Finding them isn't difficult. You might even discover them in your garden. Here's how:



<ol type="1">
<li>Take a handful of soil or foliage from your garden and put it in a sieve. </li>



<li>Position an adjustable lamp above the sieve and set a tray underneath. </li>



<li>The lamp's heat drives the springtails to seek cooler surroundings, causing them to fall through the sieve. You can then observe them scurrying about in the tray.</li>
</ol>



<h2>What the researchers learned</h2>



Holmstrup, who oversees nearly 20 species of springtails in his laboratory, sent samples to his Canadian colleagues to ascertain when these creatures first developed the antifreeze protein. With DNA sequencing technology, the team searched for sequences associated with antifreeze protein production across a wide range of species.



Their findings? The gene mutation leading to antifreeze protein genesis happened during the Ordovician period.



"The calculations show that springtails developed the antifreeze protein long before other animals. It didn’t happen for fish and insects until a million years later. Although plants and microorganisms, such as bacteria and single-celled algae, might have developed a similar mechanism even earlier,” Holmstrup adds.



<h2>Springtails dry out like raisins</h2>



While these proteins are vital, springtails have another survival mechanism. To protect their cells from freezing, they undergo a form of hibernation, drying out completely. In this state, their metabolism drops to near-undetectable levels.



“You can compare them to a grape that dries into a raisin in a process reminiscent of freeze-drying. The springtails shrink and become small, wrinkly critters in winter. And then, when spring arrives, they absorb water and swell back to normal size,” Holmstrup explains.



<h2>Antifreeze proteins and the food industry</h2>



The concept of antifreeze proteins first emerged in the mid-20th century. For years, scientists were puzzled at how Arctic fish could thrive in icy waters that, based on temperature alone, should have frozen them. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that the American researcher Arthur DeVries identified these proteins in Arctic fish, noting their ability to prevent ice from forming within their cells.



Today, the implications of these proteins reach beyond our understanding of evolutionary survival. The food industry, particularly in the frozen sector, has taken a keen interest.



Holmstrup shares, "The genes that encode the antifreeze proteins in fish have been copied into industrial yeast cell cultures. This makes the yeast produce the very useful proteins, which can then be added to different foods."



For instance, companies like Unilever have integrated these proteins into ice creams, resulting in enhanced textures and an improved freezing-thawing process. But the potential applications don't end there.



As Holmstrup concludes, "In the longer term, this effect could be used in connection with the cryopreservation of transplant organs. Other industries like the aerospace and wind turbine industries have also experimented with the proteins. They hope the proteins can protect wings from freezing and needing to be de-iced.”



In understanding the springtail's evolutionary triumph, we not only gain insight into our planet's rich past but also draw inspiration for technological advancements in our future.



<h2>More about the Ordovician period</h2>



Dive deep into Earth's geologic timeline, and you'll find the Ordovician Period. Spanning from approximately 485 to 443 million years ago, this epoch, following the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-did-the-first-animals-appear-on-earth-we-are-now-one-step-closer-to-knowing-the-answer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cambrian Period</a>, paints a vivid picture of an ever-evolving world.



<h3>A flourishing marine life</h3>



The Ordovician Period primarily showcased an explosion in marine life. Oceans covered a vast majority of the Earth's surface, and within these primordial waters, diverse marine species thrived. Trilobites, brachiopods, graptolites, and nautiloids dominated the oceans. Notably, corals began constructing the first significant reef systems, laying the foundation for an ecosystem we recognize and value today.



However, it wasn't just about the animals. The first evidence of green algae appeared during this period, indicating the beginnings of plant life that would later colonize the land. The marine plankton diversified, which led to a significant increase in the overall amount of life. This diverse marine food web set the stage for the rapid evolution and proliferation of predatory organisms.



<h3>Advancements in ocean dynamics</h3>



The world's continents underwent significant transformation during the Ordovician. The supercontinent known as Gondwana was on a slow journey toward the South Pole. This migration played a key role in shaping oceanic patterns and sea levels. As Gondwana approached the pole, global cooling ensued, setting the stage for the period's eventual ice age.



<h3>The rise of fish</h3>



Fish, albeit very early fish, first emerged during the Ordovician Period. Although these early fish lacked jaws, they still represented a significant evolutionary advancement, marking the onset of vertebrates' dominance in the following periods. These early fish primarily relied on filter feeding, with their soft bodies navigating the depths of the ancient oceans.



<h3>Life takes its first steps on land</h3>



While the Ordovician seas teemed with life, land remained mostly barren. However, by the end of the period, the first evidence of life on land began to emerge. Early, non-vascular plants called bryophytes likely took root on terrestrial landscapes. These first steps onto land would pave the way for the more advanced plants and animals that would later dominate the Silurian and Devonian periods.



<h3>A freezing conclusion</h3>



The Ordovician Period did not end quietly. The movement of Gondwana over the South Pole led to widespread glaciation. This global cooling caused a drop in sea levels, which, combined with other yet-to-be-confirmed factors, triggered the Ordovician mass extinction. This catastrophic event wiped out nearly 60% of marine invertebrate genera and 85% of marine invertebrate species.



However, despite its chilling conclusion, the Ordovician Period remains significant for its contributions to Earth's evolutionary history. It showcased the diversification and dominance of marine life, saw the emergence of the first fish and land plants, and underwent significant geological changes that shaped the Earth as we know it. 



The legacy of the Ordovician Period offers us a profound understanding of our planet's dynamic history and the intricate web of life it nurtures.



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What are springtails and why would humans not exist without them?

In an era long past, when the Earth was hot...

By the end of this century, many coastal communities will face "100-year floods" on a yearly basis, according to a study published by the <a href="https://www.agu.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Geophysical Union</a>.&nbsp;



The experts suggest that this forecast may be inevitable, reporting that even if carbon dioxide <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-rivers-in-the-andes-are-hotspots-for-emissions/">emissions</a> peak by 2040, extreme floods will likely become an annual event.



<h2 id="h-100-year-flood">100-year flood&nbsp;</h2>



The term "100-year flood" refers to a severe flooding event that historically had a one percent likelihood of occurring each year. The terminology may be misleading because these floods can happen in consecutive years or might not occur at all within a century.&nbsp;



Regardless, the new study indicates that these historical patterns may no longer be useful for predicting future flood events. The research was led by Hamed Moftakhari, a civil engineer and professor at the <a href="https://www.ua.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alabama</a>.



“The threshold that we expect to be exceeded once every hundred years on average is going to be exceeded much more frequently in a warmer climate until they are no longer considered 100-year events," said Moftakhari.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



Storms and waves cause severe flooding in coastal communities, but the researchers focused their study on the longer term impacts of sea-level rise.



"The gradual increase of global mean sea level (MSL), known as sea-level rise (SLR), is one of the biggest climate change-related concerns of the 21st century. SLR poses a threat to seaside communities and can lead to an increase in the frequency and severity of coastal flooding. Thus, evaluating the future expected number of extreme sea-level events and their magnitudes is critical for sustainable coastal flood risk management," wrote the study authors.



The experts set out to estimate future extreme sea levels under two carbon emission scenarios: if carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise through the end of the century, or if carbon dioxide emissions reach their peak by 2040 and then decline.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-proactive-planning-is-needed">Proactive planning is needed</h2>



The researchers analyzed trends based on data from 375 tide gauges located all over the globe. The results showed that in both carbon emission scenarios, sea level rise will lead to an increase in 100-year flood events in most of the locations that were examined.



Moftakhari said that a proactive approach to land planning, urban development and coastal protective measures could help communities reduce flooding and avoid disaster, and that starts with realistic forecasts of future coastal conditions.



“What makes it so challenging is that the majority of tools, design guidelines, manuals of practice and more are all based on the assumption of stationarity,” said Moftakhari. “They need to be updated to enable us to keep pace with the rate of change.”



<h2 id="h-unique-solutions">Unique solutions&nbsp;</h2>



According to a study published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0118571">PLOS ONE</a>, more than 600 million people live in low-lying coastal regions, and that number is expected to rise. In order for coastal communities to withstand extreme flooding, well-designed coastal defense structures are critically important.&nbsp;



According to Moftakhari, coastal communities will require unique solutions based on local information to match their needs. Some areas are experiencing much faster rates of sea level rise. This is the case in parts of Texas and Louisiana on the Gulf coast where the land is gradually sinking.



<h2 id="h-enhancing-the-resilience-of-coastal-communities">Enhancing the resilience of coastal communities&nbsp;</h2>



“We know that mean sea level is rising, the question is: how are we going to deal with it?” said Moftakhari. “We’ve already seen that many portions of the coast are permanently inundated and losing land, and many coastal cities and islands are experiencing flooding much more frequently than in the past - it’s time to learn how to deal with non-stationarity.”



Moftakhari is determined to remain optimistic, noting that disasters are the outcome of human decision-making, not hazards alone.&nbsp;



“Don’t forget that this is all about the level of water that we expect to experience without mitigation measures. There will be technological advancements that could enhance the resilience of communities.”



The research is published in the AGU journal Earth's Future. 



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100-year floods will be annual events by the end of the century

By the end of this century, many coastal communities will...

Astronomers have revealed the discovery of two potential polar ring galaxies, NGC 4632 and NGC 6156. 



In a study published yesterday in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-abstract/525/3/4663/7264229" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</a>, the research team, led by Canada's <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queens University</a>-based astrophysicist Nathan Deg, explained that the discovery was made while analyzing data from the <a href="https://wallaby-survey.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Widefield ASKAP L-band Legacy All-sky Blind surveY</a> (WALLABY).



<h2 id="h-the-wallaby-leads-the-search">The WALLABY leads the search</h2>



The WALLABY is a next-generation survey running on the <a href="https://www.atnf.csiro.au/projects/askap/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder </a>(ASKAP), a radio telescope in Western Australia.



According to Deg, “finding two potential polar ring galaxies in the Wallaby pilot survey is incredibly exciting, as it suggests that these objects may be more common than previously thought”.



"The findings suggest that one to three per cent of nearby galaxies may have gaseous polar rings, which is much higher than suggested by optical telescopes,’’ he added.



<h2>Where are these polar ring galaxies?</h2>



The NGC 4632 galaxy lies 56 million light-years away and is surrounded by a hydrogen gas ring only detectable by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-telescope-array-is-joining-the-hunt-for-alien-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">radio telescopes</a>. It was initially noticed in a 2022 WALLABY survey when the team explored the movement of the mass of gas around the galaxy.



The NGC 6156 galaxy has a less prominent ring and is located about 150 million light-years away. The researchers examined the speed of the gas encircling the galaxy and are less certain that it could be a polar ring.



<h2>ASKAP holds great potential</h2>



Professor Bärbel Koribalski, an astronomer at the <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation</a> (CSIRO), was a co-author of the report. She underscored the great potential and powers of the ASKAP.&nbsp;



‘’NGC 4632 is one of two polar ring galaxies we've identified from 600 galaxies that were mapped in our first small WALLABY survey.’’



‘’The two polar ring galaxies are just the beginning of a huge project. Using ASKAP over coming years we expect to reveal more than 200,000 hydrogen-rich galaxies, among them many more unusual galaxies like these ones with polar rings.’’



<h2>Next up in the hunt for polar ring galaxies</h2>



While the these galaxies are waiting to be confirmed, the researchers predict that further studies of the NGC 4632 and NGC 6156 may open the floodgates for finding many similar galaxies in the future.&nbsp;



‘’As better observations and more sophisticated models are obtained for both galaxies, it will be possible to constrain the parameters of the ring progenitor (if they are indeed formed via mergers or flybys).’’



Scientists categorize galaxies into 4 main types— <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/a-perfect-example-of-a-barred-spiral-galaxy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spiral</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jwst-spots-a-mysterious-question-mark-in-deep-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">elliptical</a>, lenticular, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/open-star-cluster-in-the-small-magellanic-cloud/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">irregular</a>. Lenticular galaxies (denoted S0) are the most well-known polar ring galaxies.&nbsp;NGC 2685, NGC 4650A, A 0136 -0801, and ESO 415 -G26 were the first four S0 galaxies recognized as polar ring galaxies.



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Rare and beautiful polar ring galaxies discovered by ASKAP

Astronomers have revealed the discovery of two potential polar ring...

Spring break often signals an ideal period for skiing, with extended daylight and milder <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-linked-to-vision-impairment/">temperatures</a>. However, if one is planning their skiing adventures during the preceding fall, anticipating the best snow conditions for spring becomes challenging. 



Water resource scientists, too, are keen on determining seasonal snow volumes. Insights into total snowpack levels enables them to assess the subsequent water availability for hydropower, agricultural irrigation, and consumption later in the year.



<h2 id="h-predicting-snow-accumulation">Predicting snow accumulation&nbsp;</h2>



Now, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Washington</a> (UW) has found that, for certain western states, the snow accumulated by the end of December can be an accurate indicator of the entire season’s snowpack. 



This predictive model is quite precise for northern states such as Alaska, Oregon, Washington, as well as some areas of Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. However, states such as California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Arizona were found to offer less predictability, either due to their erratic weather fluctuations or the fact that significant precipitation occurs post-December.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



“The main thing water managers are asking for - aside from making it snow more, which is usually everyone’s first request - is longer lead-time forecasts,” said Jessica Lundquist, a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UW.&nbsp;



“These are hard predictions to make. We’re fairly good at long-term average forecasts: what will happen 50 years from now. And we can do short-term forecasts: what will happen less than a week from now. But as for what’s going to happen in the next three to four months, that’s been kind of a no-go zone. It was really interesting to find that the amount of snow on the ground by the end of December ended up being a good predictor of peak spring snow.”



<h2 id="h-how-the-research-was-conducted">How the research was conducted&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers collected data from an extensive snow sensor grid spanning the western U.S., including Alaska.&nbsp;



After examining air temperature and precipitation metrics from 2001-2022 for 873 sites, they compared snow accumulation by the end of December (fall snow) with the entire winter-spring snow accumulation (peak season snow).



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-learned">What the researchers learned</h2>



Several factors drove the correlation between early and peak snow. For instance, in regions like Alaska, a majority of the snow falls before January, making the early snow almost identical with peak season snow.&nbsp;



In other places, such as Interior Alaska, northeast Utah, and southwestern Wyoming, meteorological trends indicate that an above-average early snowfall reliably predicts an above-average late-season snowfall.



<h2 id="h-air-temperatures">Air temperatures&nbsp;</h2>



Moreover, cooler air temperatures can also be a reliable predictor of snow levels. For instance, in northern states such as Alaska, Washington, and Oregon, or in places at higher elevation, snow on the ground in the fall was less likely to melt between storms due to the fact that the air remained cool, meaning that this snow usually sticks around, adding to the total snowpack.



“Another really interesting pattern happens in Oregon and Washington. We get mixed rain and snow all along the west slope of the Cascades. This ‘wintry mix’ is so close to freezing that it could freeze or melt when it hits the ground. If you have above-average snowpack early in the year, then the wintry mix will stick to that snowpack and add to it. But if you have a below-average snowpack, that wintry mix is more likely to melt that snowpack and actually decrease it,” Lundquist explained.



<h2 id="h-climate-change">Climate change&nbsp;</h2>



Discussing the potential impact of climate change on snow predictability, Lundquist argued that it may have mixed results.&nbsp;



While northern or higher-altitude regions might remain relatively unchanged, shifting weather patterns could render areas like northern Oregon as unpredictable as California.



<h2 id="h-evolving-patterns">Evolving patterns&nbsp;</h2>



Lundquist concluded by emphasizing the importance of monitoring these evolving patterns. “These snow sensors are in long-term stations, so it’s easy to get the most recent data every year,” she said.&nbsp;



“And then it’s just a simple analysis to predict which areas will likely have the largest snowpack. Though, as my family reminds me, it unfortunately does not let me predict powder days.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL103802" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Fall snow levels can help predict a year’s total snowpack

Spring break often signals an ideal period for skiing, with...

Research from the <a href="https://school.wakehealth.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wake Forest University of Medicine</a> has revealed a compelling connection between heavy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/no-more-alcohol-hangovers-thanks-to-new-medicine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alcohol</a> consumption and the accumulation of ectopic fat - the type that builds up around essential organs like the heart, liver, and intestines.



“Research shows that an excessive amount of alcohol is not good for heart health," said lead author Dr. Richard Kazibwe. “Pericardial fat, or fat around the heart, is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We embarked on this study with an aim to decipher how alcohol might be influencing this risk.”



<h2 id="h-multi-ethnic-study-of-atherosclerosis">Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis</h2>



The research was focused on data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), which has been running since 1999. The primary focus of MESA has been understanding the subtle features of subclinical cardiovascular ailments. These are heart and blood vessel disorders that have not yet manifested in noticeable symptoms.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study&nbsp;</h2>



MESA has been monitoring a diverse group of over 6,500 individuals, spanning from European to Asian descent, between the ages of 45 and 84. The participants were all in good health upon joining the study.



Based on a personal-history questionnaire, the individuals were categorized as one of the following: lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, light drinkers, moderate drinkers, heavy drinkers, or binge drinkers.



<h2 id="h-ct-scans">CT scans&nbsp;</h2>



The team used Computerized Tomography (CT) scans on a subset of participants. Dr. Kazibwe explained that the scans granted his team the ability to examine internal body fat distribution.&nbsp;



"The distribution can sometimes give us insights into cardiovascular risk that go beyond traditional obesity measures like body mass index," said Dr. Kazibwe.



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-discovered">What the researchers discovered&nbsp;</h2>



The study revealed that heavy alcohol and binge drinkers exhibited significantly higher pericardial fat when juxtaposed with non-drinkers. Similar trends were observed with other ectopic depots, most pronounced around the heart and liver.



“Interestingly, the lowest levels of ectopic fat were seen in people who reported light to moderate intake of alcohol," noted Dr. Kazibwe.



<h2 id="h-wine-is-the-least-harmful">Wine is the least harmful</h2>



When they looked at specific alcoholic beverages, the experts found that wine seemed to be the least harmful when compared with hard spirits and beer. The secret? Possibly the polyphenols, beneficial compounds present in wine.&nbsp;



However, as Dr. Kazibwe pointed out, other factors such as diet, exercise, and even access to healthcare might differentiate wine drinkers from others. “Wine drinkers might have better access to health care and have healthier lifestyles than non-wine drinkers," he said.&nbsp;



The pattern between alcohol intake and ectopic fat appeared J-shaped. Dr. Kazibwe said that multiple previous studies have reported a J-shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular risk, where low-moderate alcohol consumption is tied to the lowest cardiovascular risks and excessive alcohol intake is linked to a higher risk.



<h2 id="h-study-significance">Study significance</h2>



“These findings are significant because both excessive alcohol intake and excess ectopic fat accumulation are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Kazibwe.&nbsp;



“It is also important to emphasize that given the well-documented health concerns caused by excessive alcohol consumption, it is important that people are aware of these potential risks.”



<h2 id="h-further-research-is-needed">Further research is needed&nbsp;</h2>



Dr. Cashell Jaquish is a genetic epidemiologist and program officer at the NHLBI who also works with the MESA study.



“These findings further solidify the relationship between drinking and cardiovascular risk and shed light on specific sub-clinical disease associated with excessive alcohol intake,” said Dr. Jaquish.



“Additional studies are needed to further clarify the role of ectopic fat distribution in the relationship between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular disease."



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.123.030470" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of the American Heart Association</a>



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Heavy drinking increases the buildup of ectopic fat around the heart and liver

Research from the Wake Forest University of Medicine has revealed...

A recent study led by the <a href="https://www.usc.edu/">University of Southern California</a> suggests that the everyday act of sitting increases the risk of dementia, especially for older adults.&nbsp;



In a collaboration with the University of Arizona, the USC researchers discovered a link between prolonged sedentary behavior and a greater risk of developing dementia for adults aged 60 and above.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-cumulative-sedentary-time">Cumulative sedentary time&nbsp;</h2>



Alarmingly, the experts found that the risk is amplified among older people who remain sedentary for over 10 hours a day. This figure hovers close to the average sedentary time of an American, which stands at approximately 9.5 hours daily.



A surprising finding of the study is that the frequency of breaks does not really matter. Instead, it's the cumulative sedentary time that counts.&nbsp;



“Many of us are familiar with the common advice to break up long periods of sitting by getting up every 30 minutes or so to stand or walk around. We wanted to see if those types of patterns are associated with dementia risk," explained study co-author Professor David Raichlen.&nbsp;



"We found that once you take into account the total time spent sedentary, the length of individual sedentary periods didn’t really matter."



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



The research was focused on data from the U.K. Biobank. As part of a Biobank sub-study, over 100,000 adults wore accelerometers - devices tasked with recording movement - continually for a week.&nbsp;



The participants included about 50,000 adults aged 60 and over, all of whom were dementia-free at the study's inception.



<h2 id="h-how-the-research-was-conducted">How the research was conducted&nbsp;</h2>



To analyze this massive dataset, the researchers used machine learning to distinguish between varying intensities of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/no-pain-no-gain-physical-activity-enhances-pain-tolerance/">physical activity</a>. This produced an objective view of the time individuals allocated to different types of sedentary behaviors.



Over the next six years, 414 of the initial participants were diagnosed with dementia. Factoring in variables like age, sex, education level, race, and several lifestyle attributes, the research team narrowed down their results.



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-discovered">What the researchers discovered&nbsp;</h2>



“We were surprised to find that the risk of dementia begins to rapidly increase after 10 hours spent sedentary each day, regardless of how the sedentary time was accumulated. This suggests that it is the total time spent sedentary that drove the relationship between sedentary behavior and dementia risk, but importantly lower levels of sedentary behavior, up to around 10 hours, were not associated with increased risk,” said study co-author Gene Alexander, an expert at the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.



“This should provide some reassurance to those of us with office jobs that involve prolonged periods of sitting, as long we limit our total daily time spent sedentary."



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



The current study expands upon prior research that explored how specific sedentary actions, such as watching TV, might influence dementia risk more than others.&nbsp;



“Our latest study is part of our larger effort to understand how sedentary behavior affects brain health from multiple perspectives. In this case, wearable accelerometers provide an objective view of how much time people dedicate to sedentary behavior that complements our past analyses,” said Raichlen.



Further research is needed to establish causality and whether physical activity can mitigate the risk of developing dementia, the authors said.



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.15231">JAMA</a>.



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Ten hours of sitting amplifies the risk of dementia

A recent study led by the University of Southern California...

Experts have identified a link between prenatal exposure to air <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-costs-electric-vehicle-tires-emit-20-more-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollution</a> and detrimental effects on the cell processes of newborn babies.&nbsp;



The findings were presented at the <a href="https://www.ersnet.org/congress-and-events/congress/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Respiratory Society International Congress</a> by Dr. Olga Gorlanova, a research physician at the University Children’s Hospital, University of Basel, Switzerland.



According to Dr. Gorlanova, there are visible alterations in proteins of babies born to mothers exposed to air pollution during pregnancy. This could shed light on the mysterious autophagy process, where cells “self-eat” in response to stress.



<h2 id="h-varying-responses">Varying responses</h2>



Dr. Gorlanova highlighted that even among healthy newborns, the responses to maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy varied.&nbsp;



This suggests that the susceptibility levels among babies differ, making some more vulnerable than others, even in areas characterized by relatively low pollution levels.



<h2 id="h-prenatal-air-pollution">Prenatal air pollution</h2>



Previously, Dr. Gorlanova and her team had explored the adverse effects of prenatal air pollution exposure on newborns' lung functions and immune systems. Their latest research investigated the impact on proteins crucial for autophagy, aging, and cell remodeling.



The experts analyzed data from the Bern Basel Infant Lung Development (BILD) cohort study, which began in 1999 and aims to recruit 1,000 babies by 2025.&nbsp;



The study aims to analyze the role of genetics and the environment, particularly air pollution, in the lung development of babies.



<h2 id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



The research focused on pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10) - tiny particles less than 10 microns in diameter. PM10 usually originates from sources like vehicle emissions, tire and brake wear, and smoke. 



The team measured 11 different proteins in the cord blood of 449 healthy newborns.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-what-the-researchers-discovered">What the researchers discovered</h2>



The researchers discovered a profound association between NO2 and PM10 exposure and changes in proteins crucial for autophagy.



“Our results indicate that NO2, a pollutant formed mainly from traffic emissions, is associated with increased levels of Beclin-1 protein, which is central to initiating autophagy," explained Dr Gorlanova.



"Exposure to higher NO2 was also linked to decreased levels of SIRT1, which is a protein that plays a protective role in stress resistance, inflammation and aging. IL-8 is a protein active in certain inflammatory cells."



<h2 id="h-varying-effects">Varying effects</h2>



“We grouped the babies into four distinct clusters according to the levels of air pollution they were exposed to while in the womb. The four clusters all had similar concentrations of the proteins being studied but had differences their exposure to NO2 and PM10 air pollution."



"One cluster had low concentrations of nine proteins, while another cluster, consisting of seven percent of all the babies, had higher levels of proteins that are involved in inflammatory and remodeling processes: IL-8 and IL-1B."&nbsp;



"Both these groups of newborns had been exposed to lower, although differing, levels of prenatal air pollution than the other two groups."&nbsp;



Dr. Gorlanova said the findings suggest that healthy newborns have an individual response pattern to air pollution. "We think that this may be an indication that some babies are more vulnerable to it than others."



<h2 id="h-impacts-on-human-cells">Impacts on human cells</h2>



“Additionally, our work adds to the growing body of evidence that autophagy-related mechanisms may be involved in how human cells react to air pollution. The findings are consistent with evidence from tissue and animal research. Further exploration of these mechanisms may help to better understand the deleterious effects of pollution on infants.”



Next, the researchers plan to examine whether babies with distinct protein response patterns to air pollution will suffer from more breathing problems during infancy and childhood compared to those that do not show the same protein responses.



<h2 id="h-study-implications">Study implications</h2>



Professor Marielle Pijnenburg, who was not involved with this research, is an associate professor of Pediatric Pulmonology and head of the Department of Pediatric Respiratory Medicine and Allergology at Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.



“This study adds to the growing body of evidence that air pollution can affect the health of children before and after they are born. It contributes to other research showing that autophagy-related mechanisms may be involved in how human cells react to air pollution," said Professor Pijnenburg.



"We need to know more about how these mechanisms can affect the health of lungs, and we need to understand why some new-borns seem to be more susceptible to air pollution than others."



<h2 id="h-clear-message-for-policymakers">Clear message for policymakers</h2>



“However, we already have enough evidence from this and other studies, to be sending a message loud and clear to governments and policymakers: air pollution damages people’s health, and the effects can be seen from before birth."&nbsp;



"We should all be re-doubling our efforts to reduce air pollution as quickly and as far as possible. This will not only improve the health of populations and reduce costs associated with treating diseases caused by air pollution, but will also help the environment at a time when the climate emergency is becoming more and more apparent as every day passes.”



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Air pollution exposure during pregnancy is a silent threat to newborns

Experts have identified a link between prenatal exposure to air...

Climate change and extreme weather events are damaging water quality in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hypoxia-is-a-serious-problem-in-rivers-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rivers</a> worldwide, according to a comprehensive review of almost 1,000 studies. The scale of the problem, and the urgent need for better water management strategies, are matters that can no longer be ignored.



An international team of researchers, including experts from the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Adelaide</a>, analyzed 965 studies that were conducted over a span of 22 years from 2000 to 2022. 



<h2 id="h-ecological-impacts">Ecological impacts&nbsp;</h2>



One of the most alarming findings was that climate change had increased water temperatures and algae levels in 56 percent of studies.&nbsp;



This phenomenon is contributing to a decline in dissolved oxygen concentrations in river water. Algae, particularly at excessive levels, can consume vast amounts of oxygen. This deprives other aquatic life and affecting the ecosystem's balance.



<h2 id="h-climate-change">Climate change</h2>



The analysis also revealed that droughts and heatwaves led to increased salinity and higher concentrations of pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals.



“The severe effects climate change is already having on water quality globally are very concerning. Previous climate change predictions flagged this, but unfortunately, we are now seeing these extreme events play out across the world,” said study co-author Professor Luke Mosley.



“Rivers are intrinsically important ecosystems but also provide key water sources for drinking water and agriculture. Poor quality water can result in the river water being unsuitable for these uses.”



<h2 id="h-poor-water-quality">Poor water quality</h2>



Some of the studies in Australia, led by Professor Mosley during the Millennium Drought spanning 2007 to 2020, revealed that water bodies like the River Murray and Lower Lakes experienced shockingly low water levels. These rivers also had poor water quality, notably extreme salinisation and acidification.&nbsp;



The extreme ecological impacts, such as the tragic Lower Darling River fish kills in 2019, were direct outcomes of deteriorated water quality.



<h2 id="h-gaps-in-our-knowledge">Gaps in our knowledge&nbsp;</h2>



But while the study offers extensive insights, it also highlights gaps in our knowledge. Dr. Michelle van Vliet of <a href="https://www.uu.nl/en/home-en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Utrecht University</a>, who led the research, wants to see more data on water quality collected in non-Western countries to improve our understanding of the implications of climate change on water quality.



“Most water quality studies now focus on rivers and streams in North America and Europe. We need a better monitoring of water quality in Africa and Asia,” said Dr. van Vliet.



<h2 id="h-complex-factors">Complex factors</h2>



Furthermore, it is not just climate change that's impacting our rivers. Land use, human activities like wastewater treatment, and other anthropogenic factors are contributing to the damage in our waterways.&nbsp;



“Understanding the complex interplay between climate, land use and human drivers, which together influence the sources and transport of pollutants is crucial,” said Dr. van Vliet.



<h2 id="h-water-management-systems">Water management systems&nbsp;</h2>



The study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natrevearthenviron/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Reviews Earth and Environment</a>, paints a bleak portrait of climate change's effects on global waterways, but there is hope. 



Professor Mosley believes that the research will act as a catalyst for the development of innovative water management systems.&nbsp;



“Our findings stress the need to improve understanding of the complex hydroclimatic–geographic–human driver feedbacks and to develop technologies and water quality frameworks that support the design of robust water quality management strategies under increasing hydroclimatic extremes,” Professor Mosley said.



“It is hoped this research will spur increasing additional effort and collaboration globally to understand extreme water quality effects."



“Governments and other policy makers should take note of the findings and consider contingency plans and strategies to try to minimize water quality risks.”



<h2 id="h-weather-extremes">Weather extremes</h2>



The results of the study highlight an urgent need for a better understanding of water quality changes during extreme weather events, and the mechanisms underlying this.&nbsp;



“Only then will we be able to develop effective water management strategies that can safeguard our access to clean water and ensure ecosystem health under climate change and increasing weather extremes," said Dr. van Vliet.



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Rivers at risk: Climate change is diminishing global water quality

Climate change and extreme weather events are damaging water quality...

With the surging global concerns over climate change and rapid deforestation, an important new study suggests a potential remedy that lies in our diets. According to recent research published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40899-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>, swapping half of our meat and milk consumption with plant-based alternatives by 2050 could drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 31% and stall the degradation of forests and natural terrains.



Going a step further, the research suggests that additional environmental advantages could come from the reforestation of areas previously dedicated to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-industry-is-not-threatened-by-plant-based-alternatives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">livestock production</a>. This action could amplify the climate benefits, cutting down the prospective degradation of ecosystems by 50% by mid-century. 



Impressively, such efforts in reforestation could address up to a quarter of the global land restoration targets set for 2030 under <a href="https://www.cbd.int/gbf/targets/2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Target 2</a> of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.



<h2 id="h-global-study-of-plant-based-foods">Global study of plant-based foods</h2>



This monumental study is the inaugural exploration into the environmental and food security ramifications of large-scale adoption of plant-based meat and milk alternatives. A truly global undertaking, the study was conducted independently by the <a href="https://iiasa.ac.at/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis</a> (IIASA) in collaboration with the <a href="https://alliancebioversityciat.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT</a>, <a href="https://www.usaid.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USAID</a>. The group also sought insights from <a href="https://impossiblefoods.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Impossible Foods</a>, a pioneering entity in the plant-based meat substitute industry.



It’s pertinent to mention that the research remained autonomous, even with inputs from Impossible Foods. "The data are, however, not specific to Impossible Foods and the science team had complete control over decision making," the release stated.



Marta Kozicka is the study's lead author from IIASA's Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program. She emphasized the significance of the research, stating that “Understanding the impacts of dietary shifts expands our options for reducing GHG emissions. Shifting diets could also yield huge improvements for biodiversity.”



Furthermore, Eva Wollenberg, a study co-author, and researcher from Alliance of Bioversity International, CIAT, and the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/gund" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gund Institute at the University of Vermont</a>, added, “Plant-based meats are not just a novel food product, but a critical opportunity for achieving food security and climate goals while also achieving health and biodiversity objectives worldwide.”



<h2>What the research team learned</h2>



The research paints an optimistic picture. In scenarios where 50% of meat and milk products are replaced with plant-based alternatives, significant environmental benefits could be observed by 2050.



<ul>
<li>A 12% reduction in global agricultural area. </li>



<li>A near-total halt in the decline of forest and natural lands. </li>



<li>Nitrogen inputs to farmlands could be halved. </li>



<li>A 10% drop in water usage. </li>



<li>A 31% reduction in GHG emissions (2.1 Gt CO2eq year-1) by 2050. </li>



<li>A decline in global undernourishment to 3.6%.</li>
</ul>



Moreover, if lands saved from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cowspiracy-film-review/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">livestock production</a> were to undergo "biodiversity-minded afforestation", the benefits in terms of reduced emissions could double. In a more ambitious 90% <a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/plant-based-food-substitution_infographic_Credit-Kozicka.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">substitution scenario</a>, GHG emission reductions could reach a staggering 11.1 Gt CO2eq year-1 by 2050.



Petr Havlík, who directed the study at IIASA, pointed out the essential balance between dietary changes and production side policies. He cautioned, “Otherwise, these benefits will be partly lost due to production extensification and resulting GHG and land-use efficiency losses.”



<h2>Plant-based dietary shifts would vary</h2>



Yet, the study also emphasized that shifts in diets would not uniformly affect all regions. They cited disparities in population, diets, agricultural productivity, and trade.



The most noticeable effects on agricultural input are likely in China, while environmental outcomes would be more pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. Kozicka added, “A global introduction of all novel alternatives has additional benefits compared to the scenarios with limited product or geographical scope.”



It's essential, however, to recognize the multifaceted role of livestock in diverse cultures and economies, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Livestock play a vital role in the livelihoods, nutrition, and culture of many communities.



In conclusion, while plant-based <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-based-diets-are-proven-better-for-human-and-environmental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meat alternatives</a> are promising, ensuring a just and sustainable transition for all stakeholders, particularly smallholder farmers facing the brunt of climate change, is of paramount importance. The world's food security hangs in the balance, and the time for decisive action is now.



<h2>More about the impact of livestock production</h2>



Livestock production, one of the fastest-growing sectors in agriculture, leaves an indelible mark on our environment. Here, we delve into the main environmental consequences linked to raising animals for food.



<h3>Greenhouse gas emissions</h3>



Livestock production emits a significant amount of greenhouse gases. Cattle, for instance, produce methane—a greenhouse gas over 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide—during digestion. In total, livestock account for around 14.5% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.



<h3>Deforestation</h3>



Farmers often clear forests to create pasture or grow feed crops for livestock. In places like the Amazon, livestock farming has been a major driver of deforestation, threatening biodiversity and further contributing to climate change.



<h3>Less water usage with plant-based diets</h3>



Producing meat requires vast amounts of water. For example, producing one kilogram of beef consumes approximately 15,000 liters of water. This usage strains already limited freshwater resources, especially in water-scarce regions.



<h3>Land degradation</h3>



Overgrazing by livestock can strip lands of their vegetation, leading to soil erosion and desertification. This not only reduces the productivity of the land but also impacts local ecosystems and reduces biodiversity.



<h3>Water pollution</h3>



Runoff from farms, laden with manure and livestock-produced waste, contaminates rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. This pollution can lead to algal blooms that produce toxins harmful to aquatic life and humans.



<h3>Loss of biodiversity</h3>



The expansion of livestock farming disrupts local ecosystems, often pushing out native species. Moreover, the increased use of antibiotics in farming has cascading effects on microorganisms in soils and waters, further disturbing the natural balance.



<h3>Resource inefficiency</h3>



Livestock, especially cattle, consume more protein from plants than they provide in the form of edible meat. This makes livestock an inefficient method of converting plant protein into food for human consumption, especially when considering the environmental costs.



<h3>Less air pollution with plant-based foods</h3>



Livestock farms release ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, and other harmful gases into the atmosphere. These gases not only contribute to global warming but can also harm human health, leading to respiratory problems and other ailments.



In summary, while livestock farming plays a crucial role in the global food system, its environmental consequences are profound. Addressing these impacts requires a multi-pronged approach, including sustainable farming practices, dietary shifts, and policy interventions.



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Increasing plant-based food production would have extremely positive impact

With the surging global concerns over climate change and rapid...

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



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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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.



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;



"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."



"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."



"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."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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