Can farms produce enough food to feed us while still leaving space for wildlife? A new proposal says they can.



By setting aside one-fifth of farmland for nature, and tweaking everyday practices on the rest, we can help wildlife recover without sacrificing the food on our tables.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farming-with-wildlife-in-mind">Farming with wildlife in mind</h2>



The plan comes from ecologists at the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/">UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology</a> and the University of Alcalá in Spain. Study co-author Professor James Bullock elaborated on the importance of the research.



“Reversing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-report-calls-for-global-change-to-stop-biodiversity-loss/">biodiversity loss</a> and degradation of ecosystems is essential both for nature as well as long-term global food security. But there is no single silver bullet for nature recovery and so far it has been unclear how to integrate rewilding into agricultural landscapes," said Professor Bullock. 



“Our proposed approach moves beyond land sparing versus land sharing. We believe rewilding can be interwoven into agricultural landscapes and could be key to maintaining <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/increasing-plant-based-food-production-would-have-extremely-positive-impact/">food production</a> in a way that is sustainable in the long term for people and the planet.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dedicating-land-to-nature-recovery">Dedicating land to nature recovery</h2>



According to the study, fostering rewilding approaches alongside farming could create agroecological landscapes that accommodate biodiversity while remaining resilient and functionally connected. Certain incentives would encourage farmers to adopt this approach.



“While setting aside land for nature recovery could potentially be made a legal requirement for farmers and landowners, there is more likely to be acceptance and success of rewilding if there are incentives in the form of payments for ecosystem services and tax deductions,” noted Professor José María Rey Benayas, lead author on the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-farming-needs-wildlife">Why farming needs wildlife</h2>



Modern farming has greatly increased food production since the 1940s. But this has often come at the expense of nature. 



Clearing land, using heavy fertilizers and pesticides, and removing natural features like hedgerows have pushed many plant and animal species to the edge.



This loss doesn’t just affect wildlife - it disrupts vital services that farms depend on, such as healthy soil, natural pest control, and water retention. As these services decline, the long-term productivity and resilience of farming systems are put at risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cost-of-declining-wildlife">The cost of declining wildlife</h2>



Across Europe and beyond, once-common species are disappearing from farmland. For example, the U.K. has lost over 40 million birds since 1970, and wild bee populations have declined in more than half of European countries, according to multiple long-term surveys.



These animals aren’t just part of the scenery - they’re key to food production. Birds eat crop pests. Bees and other insects pollinate the flowers that develop into fruits and vegetables. Their loss means greater reliance on artificial fertilisers, pesticides, and expensive manual labour.



Bringing wildlife back isn’t just a conservation goal - it’s a practical step toward more affordable and reliable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-cover-crops-may-be-the-future-of-sustainable-farming/">farming</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-steps-to-farming-alongside-wildlife">Steps to farming alongside wildlife </h2>



The researchers suggest a four-part plan that links nature conservation with everyday farming. 



First, they recommend reserving at least 20% of farmland for nature. This space would include large patches of woodland, wetlands, and species-rich grassland to form strong core habitats. 



Second, these patches should be connected by green corridors - such as hedgerows, ponds, and strips of scrubland - that allow wildlife to move, feed, and reproduce.



Third, they propose protecting small hotspots within working fields. This would involve setting aside about 10% of cropped land for flower strips, beetle banks, and bird perches, bringing the total to the 30% global restoration goal. 



Finally, they call for small changes in daily farming practices, like reducing chemical use, planting flowers for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-face-extinction-risk-due-to-climate-change/">pollinators</a>, and letting livestock graze more freely to help spread seeds and support healthy soil.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rewilding-has-benefits-for-farmers">Rewilding has benefits for farmers</h2>



Many European regions cannot host bears or bison. However, smaller species such as lynx, wildcat, or European hare can still boost ecosystem health. Choosing the right mix depends on local conditions.



Helping wildlife can pay off in more ways than one. When farms support natural habitats, they often see practical benefits in return. 



Better soil retains more water and nutrients, which supports stronger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmers-can-help-make-crops-more-resilient/">crops</a>. Pollinators and natural predators of pests can help increase yields in nearby fields. 



Farmers may also spend less on fertilizers and pesticides, lowering overall input costs. In some places, governments might provide payments or tax breaks to reward efforts that support biodiversity and ecosystem services.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-room-for-wildlife">Making room for wildlife</h2>



Reaching the 20% target may be challenging for small farms, but collective action can make it achievable. At the same time, each region will need to adapt the plan to fit its local conditions. 



Areas with heavily degraded farmland have the most to gain, while places with traditional, low-impact farming may require fewer changes. 



The researchers emphasize that this is just a starting point - but the message is clear: making room for wildlife alongside farming can help secure both indigenous species and food for the future.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2860">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>.



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Farming for wildlife: How traditional practices can protect nature

Can farms produce enough food to feed us while still leaving space for wildlife? A new proposal says they can. By setting aside one-fifth of farmland for nature, and tweaking everyday practices on the rest, we can help wildlife recover without sacrificing the food on our tables. Farming with wildlife in mind The plan comes from ecologists at the UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology and the University of Alcalá in Spain. Study co-author Professor James Bullock elaborated on the importance of the research. “Reversing biodiversity loss...

Since the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/over-half-of-the-worlds-vertebrates-reside-in-the-tropics/">tropics</a> are becoming hotter due to climate change and deforestation, the ability of outdoor workers to perform their jobs safely is increasingly reduced. This is the conclusion of research led by <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a> and published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.11.016">OneEarth</a>.



The study suggests that in recently deforested locations, almost five million people lost at least half an hour of safe outdoor work time per day.



“There is a huge disproportionate decrease in safe work hours associated with heat exposure for people in deforested locations versus people in forestated locations just over the past 15 or 20 years,”&nbsp;said study lead author Luke Parsons, a climate expert at Duke.



“There is a small amount of climate change that has happened over the same 15-year period, but the increase in humid heat exposure for people living in deforested relative to forested locations was much larger than that from recent climate change.”



Since trees block out the sun’s radiation and cool down the air through evapotranspiration (a process when plants transport water from the soil and evaporate it through the leaves), deforestation is associated with an increase in local temperatures.



“The trees in the tropics seem to limit the maximum temperatures that the air can reach. Once we cut those trees down, we lose that cooling service from the trees, and it can get really, really hot,” explained Parsons.&nbsp;



“In the Brazilian Amazon, for example, where huge swaths of the rainforest have been cleared in the last 15 or 20 years, the afternoons can be up to 10 degrees Celsius warmer than forested regions.”



Using satellite data and meteorological observations, Parson and his colleagues tracked the temperature and humidity levels in 94 countries with tropical forests in America, Africa, and Asia, from 2003 to 2018. They estimated that, in recently deforested areas, approximately five million people lost about half an hour, and 100,000 lost up to two hours of safe outdoor work time per day.



“I think the research has a positive message and a negative message. The negative message is that if we cut down trees, we not only cause problems for the ecosystem and global carbon emissions, but we also lose local cooling services that provide a comfortable and safe place to work.”&nbsp;



“But the positive message is that if we can prevent forest loss, we can maintain cooling services along with all the other benefits forests provide. Importantly, the relationship between the health of the forests and nearby people offers an additional, locally relevant reason to prevent tree loss,” Parsons concluded.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deforestation made outdoor work unsafe for millions

Since the tropics are becoming hotter due to climate change...

Worldwide, the proportion of people over the age of 60 is predicted to double in the next three decades. An aging population brings with it many attendant health issues, not least of which is type 2 diabetes. This disease is characterized by insulin resistance, or an inability of the body cells to respond to insulin, and its treatment places a burden on public <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-d-is-essential-for-heart-health/">health</a> systems globally.&nbsp;



Insulin resistance is often associated with reduced physical activity and so, as we age and become less active, we are more prone to developing type 2 diabetes. However, the precise mechanism whereby physical inactivity leads to the development of insulin resistance has not been demonstrated.



Now, in a study led by Professor Tony Tiganis of <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a>, researchers have discovered the metabolic mechanism whereby physical activity levels and insulin resistance are connected in laboratory mice.&nbsp;



According to Professor Tiganis, skeletal muscle cells constantly produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and this process increases during physical exercise. Moderate exposure to these oxygen-derived free radicals is essential for normal cellular function in our bodies, and also induces the body’s adaptive response to produce antioxidants in defense. Regular exercise benefits health by enhancing antioxidant defenses against high levels of ROS, and this is one of the ways in which doing exercise makes us feel better.



“Exercise-induced ROS drive adaptive responses that are integral to the health-promoting effects of exercise,” said Professor Tiganis.&nbsp;However, a reduction in generation of ROS in skeletal muscle, brought on by decreasing physical activity as we age, is instrumental in the development of insulin resistance.&nbsp;



The research team found that, in mice, an enzyme called NOX-4 is essential for producing exercise-induced ROS and therefore for the adaptive responses that drive metabolic health. They found that levels of NOX-4 increased in skeletal muscle after the mice exercised and that this led to increased ROS, which elicited the adaptive responses that protect mice from the development of insulin resistance.



Importantly, the scientists have shown that the levels of NOX-4 in skeletal muscle are directly related to age-associated decline in insulin sensitivity.&nbsp;“In this study we have shown, in animal models, that skeletal muscle NOX-4 abundance is decreased with aging and that this leads to a reduction in insulin sensitivity,” said Professor Tiganis.



These findings help explain how physical activity actually enhances insulin responses and promotes metabolic health. In addition, the enzyme that is key in this mechanism has the potential to be targeted by drugs in order to promote its activity, thereby protecting against the consequences of aging, such as diabetes.&nbsp;



“Triggering the activation of the adaptive mechanisms orchestrated by NOX-4&nbsp;with drugs, might ameliorate key aspects of aging, including the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes,” said Professor Tiganis.&nbsp;



“One of these compounds is found naturally, for instance, in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli or cauliflower, though the amount needed for anti-aging effects might be more than many would be willing to consume.”&nbsp;



The study is published today in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Enzyme produced during exercise protects against aging

Worldwide, the proportion of people over the age of 60...

Gasadalur,Village,And,Beautiful,Waterfall,,Sunny,Day,,Vagar,,Faroe,Islands,

The Faroe Islands are a small archipelago located midway between Norway and Iceland, about 200 miles off Scotland. Their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-landscapes-found-beneath-the-north-sea/">landscape</a> is rocky, with towering cliffs dominating the sea, and the weather is inclement, strong winds continuously buffeting the shores. There is no evidence that the islands ever sheltered indigenous populations, thus making them one of the planet’s few lands that remained uninhabited until historical times.



While past archeological excavations have indicated that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-vikings-reached-america-long-before-columbus/">Vikings</a> were the first to reach the Faroe Islands around 850 AD, a new study led by Columbia University’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/">Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory</a> has found evidence that domestic sheep suddenly appeared on these islands around 500 AD, well before the Norse occupation, suggesting that an unknown band of humans settled there around that period.&nbsp;



The researchers sailed out to a lake near the village of Eiði, the site of an ancient Viking locale on the island of Eysturoy, and collected and analyzed sediment samples containing traces of over 10,000 years of environmental history. They discovered identifiable fragments of sheep DNA, as well as two distinctive types of lipids produced in the digestive systems of sheep, starting at 20 inches down into the sediment, suggesting that large numbers of sheep may have arrived there between 492 and 512 AD.



“We see this as putting the nail in the coffin that people were there before the Vikings,” said study lead author Lorelei Curtin, who did the research as a graduate student at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.



According to Curtin and her colleagues, these early settlers could have been Celts from present-day Scotland and Ireland, since many Faroese place names derive from Celtic words, and ancient, Celtic grave markings have been found in many places around the islands. Moreover, DNA studies of the modern Faroese show that, while their paternal lineages are Scandinavian, the maternal ones are largely Celtic.&nbsp;



While other North Atlantic regions also show this asymmetry - a possible sign that male Viking settlers had brought Celtic wives with them, the Faroese have the highest level of maternal Celtic ancestry, suggesting that a Celtic population might have preceding the Vikings.



More research is needed to assess whether Celtic populations may have reached other North Atlantic regions too during that period.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00318-0">Nature Communications: Earth and Environment</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humans reached the Faroe Islands much earlier than expected

The Faroe Islands are a small archipelago located midway between...

According to a study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>, the Brazilian wildfires in the Pantanal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-wetlands-are-a-powerful-weapon-against-flooding/">wetland</a> in 2020 potentially killed almost 17 million vertebrates, including lizards, birds, and primates.



Wildfires blazed in the Pantanal Wetland from January to November 2020, wreaking havoc on the world's largest tropical wetland. Walfrido Moraes Tomas, Ronaldo Morato, and fellow researchers estimated the wildfire animal fatalities by counting carcasses in burned areas. In the early aftermath of the fire, the experts sampled corpses at intervals along tracts of the marsh (a total of 114.43 kilometers).



The researchers discovered 302 carcasses and were able to identify the species in the majority of cases, despite their poor state. The experts estimated the total number of animal deaths by multiplying their figures for small vertebrates (those weighing less than 2kg) and medium-to-large vertebrates (those weighing more than 2kg).



From January to November 2020, the authors estimate that between 13,206,700 and 18,811,300 small vertebrates were killed across the 39,030 km2 charred area of the Pantanal wetlands. Small lizards, birds, and rodents were among the small vertebrates that suffered fatalities.&nbsp;



The scientists also calculated that between 691,090 and 1,196,570 medium-to-large creatures, including ungulates and primates,&nbsp; perished instantly during the Brazilian wildfires. Overall, the study estimates that a total of 16,952,000 vertebrates were lost in the fires.



According to the study authors, some species known to have been killed by the fires, including&nbsp; jaguars, pumas, and tapirs, were likely overlooked in their survey. They also point out that their estimate does not take into account the whole impact of the flames, which would have resulted in animal mortality as a result of habitat destruction.



The researchers concluded that their study demonstrates the devastating impact of wildfires in the Pantanal wetlands in 2020, as well as the need of preventing similar calamities.



"Our estimates indicate that at least 16.952 million vertebrates were killed immediately by the fires in the Pantanal, demonstrating the impact of such an event in wet savanna ecosystems," wrote the study authors.



"The Pantanal case also reminds us that the cumulative impact of widespread burning would be catastrophic, as fire recurrence may lead to the impoverishment of ecosystems and the disruption of their functioning."&nbsp;



"To overcome this unsustainable scenario, it is necessary to establish proper biomass fuel management to avoid cumulative impacts caused by fire over biodiversity and ecosystem services."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-02844-5">Scientific Reports</a>.



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By <a href="http://mailto:ashikha92@gmail.com">Ashikha Raoof</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nearly 17 million animals perished in Brazilian wildfires

According to a study published in Scientific Reports, the Brazilian...

New research published in the journal <a href="https://cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/">Canine Medicine and Genetics</a> highlights the health risks associated with French bulldogs caused by poor <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-have-a-high-risk-of-disease-due-to-inbreeding/">breeding</a> practices. According to the study, the well-being of French bulldogs is particularly threatened by breeding them for a shorter muzzle and flat head.



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.rvc.ac.uk/">Royal Veterinary College in Hertfordshire</a> collected 2016 medical records from across the UK stored in the VetCompass database. They analyzed records from 2,781 French bulldogs.



The research team, led by Dan O’Neill, compared 43 disorders that French bulldogs and other breeds were suffering from. The scientists found that the French bulldogs had a 42.14 times greater risk of narrowed nostrils, 30.89 times higher risk of obstructive airways disorder, 14.4 times greater risk of ear discharge, and 11.18 times higher risk of skin dermatitis.&nbsp;



Looking at the French bulldogs in the study, the scientists found interestingly that only 63.4 percent were diagnosed with a disorder compared to 66.1 percent of other breeds. This suggests that French bulldogs as a whole are slightly less likely to be diagnosed with an unspecified disorder, it’s possible that it could also indicate owners are more able to identify disorders in other breeds.&nbsp;



Despite having a higher risk of diagnosis with 20 disorders, French bulldogs had a smaller likelihood of being diagnosed with 11 out of 43 common disorders, including lameness and obesity. This propensity towards health in some categories shows the possibility of the breed being improved health wise.&nbsp;



The researchers suggest that better breeding practices, such as those that are not focused on risky traits such as shorter muzzles and skin folds, could help improve the overall well-being of the breed.&nbsp;



“Achieving meaningful changes to the typical look of French bulldogs over time requires buy in from breeders and kennel clubs who publish breeding standards, but the biggest responsibility lies with owners who ultimately can demand dogs with more moderate features," said O'Neill.



"The Kennel Club have recently updated the breed standard for the French ulldog to move further away from elements of extreme conformation with evidence of health ill-effects. This is a very positive step to prioritise the health of dogs over human desires for how these dogs look and we must now continue this evolution of the breed towards a more moderate conformation.”



The scientists point out that their research relies on a snapshot of data and does not indicate how long a dog may suffer from a particular disorder or how badly the dog may suffer. They also suggest that traits such as snoring may not be seen as an indicator of a disorder and many French bulldogs may not require veterinary services. However, with better breeding practices emphasizing animal health over arbitrary aesthetics, French bulldogs could be a healthier breed.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Breeding practices threaten the health of French bulldogs

New research published in the journal Canine Medicine and Genetics...

After certain U.S. states introduced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lockdowns-disrupted-work-leisure-balance-especially-for-moms/">lockdowns</a> and stay-at-home orders in March, 2020, there were anecdotal reports that people bought and consumed more alcohol than usual. However, data-driven research into whether this was the case produced mixed results.



Scientists at the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo</a> set out to clarify this situation by analyzing data on sales of alcohol in 16 U.S. states during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. They used monthly sales figures reported by the <a href="https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/">NIAAA</a> for the period from March to June 2020, and compared these with sales in the same period in 2018 and 2019. In some states (but not all), separate sales figures were available for wine, beer and spirits.&nbsp;



In addition, the researchers used anonymized mobility data from over 45 million smart mobile devices (mostly smartphones) indicating people’s visits to businesses where alcohol is sold. In this way they could assess any changes in the relationship between alcohol sales and people’s visits to businesses that sell alcohol.&nbsp;



“Anonymized human mobility data and geospatial analysis help us understand how people’s visiting behavior to alcohol outlets changed during the stay-at-home period of COVID-19, and how such behavior change varied across different geographic regions,” says Yingjie Hu, PhD, an assistant professor of geography in the UB College of Arts and Sciences.



“Understanding how alcohol purchase behavior is changed by events such as COVID is important because heavy alcohol use is known to be associated with numerous social problems, especially within the home,” says Bria Quigley, PhD, research assistant professor of medicine in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB and the UB Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions.



The results of the analyses showed that the overall sales of spirits and wine increased in the early months of the pandemic – by as much as 20–40 percent in some states. The sales of beer declined overall, compared to sales during the same period in previous years. Meanwhile, people’s visits to bars and pubs declined, but visits to liquor stores increased.



The trends did vary significantly between states. For example, while beer sales decreased in most states, they increased in Kansas, Arkansas and Texas. Furthermore, Texas, Kentucky and Virginia showed sustained increases in their sales of both spirits and wine, which the authors suggest “can be alarming signals for problematic alcohol use.”



“If data can provide information about geographic areas in which alcohol use increases during certain types of events such as during severe weather, high unemployment, or events such as the COVID pandemic, this information can be useful to help prepare law enforcement, medical professionals and substance use disorder treatment providers to address alcohol-related issues associated with such times,” said Quigley.



Machine-learning assessments in the study point to a significant shift in the relationship between alcohol sales data and visits to various alcohol outlets. The researchers suggest the possibility that people turned increasingly to online alcohol purchases or to panic buying of spirits and wine. More research will be necessary to understand the exact changes in people’s purchasing behavior.&nbsp;



The research team notes that the study has some limitations: For example, many states were not included in the NIAAA dataset, and the human mobility data was not able to capture sales at places such as grocery stores, where sales of alcohol are mixed with sales of other items.&nbsp;



Nevertheless, these results provide insights into the potential effects of lockdown policies on alcohol use and could inform future public health policies to address alcohol-related social issues, the researchers say.



The results of this study were published today in the open-access journal&nbsp;<a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS ONE</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Many turned to alcohol during early pandemic lockdown

After certain U.S. states introduced lockdowns and stay-at-home orders in...

Meditation used to be considered by many people as reserved for religious and spiritual practice, but modern digital apps have brought the act to the mainstream. Not only has it become significantly more popular, but a new study has concluded that people who meditate regularly see a huge range of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-exercise-improves-mental-health/">mental health</a> benefits.



A new study conducted by <a href="https://onepoll.com/">OnePoll</a> on behalf of <a href="https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/">Kaiser Permanente</a> has found that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, over three-quarters of Americans have sought to support their mental health through digital tools. Among the 2,003 survey participants, 57 percent said they meditated regularly as part of their self-care routine, at an average of two hours per week.



In addition to meditation, 42 percent of respondents consumed online videos and streaming services concerning self-care, with a third using generalized mental health apps and a third using hobby-focused online programs such as yoga and art apps.



Survey respondents who meditated regularly reported several benefits. Among these participants, 42 percent reported a better sex life, 51 percent claimed to have better emotional control, 57 percent experienced improved sleep quality, and 60 percent had better clarity and focus.&nbsp;



Around half of the participants also stated that they had sought out ways to manage substance abuse issues, with 52 percent of these individuals reporting that meditation helped them through the struggle.



The increase in uptake of digital self-help tools is a result of various increased life stresses from the pandemic. However, three issues arose as most prevalent - 40 percent of users reported financial stress as their primary concern, 39 percent cited health concerns, and 37 percent noted difficulties with family and friends.



“The events of the past several years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have clearly taken a toll on our emotional well-being,” said Cosette Taillac, vice president for Mental Health and Wellness at Kaiser Permanente. “Digital self-care tools for mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive behavioral therapy can help boost resilience and offer useful and accessible self-help tools for people experiencing emotional distress.”



Despite the benefits of digital meditation apps being clear, almost half of the survey participants still expressed skepticism. A quarter of respondents were put off by the digital tools in fear of practicing meditation and mindfulness incorrectly, and nearly half thought the tools were overly complicated or would not be as effective as real-life solutions.



“Digital self-care tools are not meant to take the place of care from a skilled mental health clinician,” said Taillac. “But evidence-based apps can complement that care and support overall emotional well-being. That’s especially true when the app has been vetted and recommended by a trusted health care provider, making it more likely that patients will feel comfortable using the resource.”



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Meditation may lead to better focus, sleep, and sex life

Meditation used to be considered by many people as reserved...

The biotech company <a href="https://www.modernatx.com/">Moderna</a>, which created a highly efficient mRNA vaccine against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/viruses-related-to-sars-cov-2-could-cause-future-pandemics/">SARS-CoV-2</a> last year, has recently <a href="https://investors.modernatx.com/news/news-details/2021/Moderna-Announces-Positive-Interim-Phase-1-Data-for-mRNA-Flu-Vaccine-and-Provides-Program-Update/default.aspx">announced</a> that their new flu vaccine appeared to be safe and efficient after Phase 1 trials.



"Even before the COVID-19&nbsp;pandemic, approximately three million people died each year due to respiratory infections, and many more are hospitalized or become ill as a result of these&nbsp;viruses,” said Stéphane Bancel, the Chief Executive Officer of Moderna.&nbsp;



Thus, influenza vaccination can be a powerful weapon against a class of dangerous pathogens. The current anti-flu vaccines are based on inactivated viruses cultivated in chicken eggs, and usually have an efficacy ranging from 40 to 60 percent. The manufacturing process is quite long, since virus strains need to be selected six to nine months before the development and intended use of the vaccines.



By contrast, the new mRNA technology, which provokes an immune response by delivering to human cells genetic molecules that contain the code for key parts of a pathogen, can significantly accelerate immunization development and production and heighten vaccine efficacy.&nbsp;



Moreover, several mRNA molecules encoding for different viral strains can be delivered in the same shot. Moderna’s experimental flu shot is “quadrivalent,” targeting four strains of flu (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, B/Yamagata and B/Victoria). In the future, Moderna aims to develop a “pan-respiratory booster,” targeting not only the circulating flu strains, but also SARS-CoV-2 variants, and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).



The current anti-flu vaccine was tested on 180 people of different ages, at various dosage levels, and found to be safe and efficient. “The positive interim results from our Phase 1 quadrivalent flu vaccine candidate, mRNA-1010, are an important milestone,” said Bancel.&nbsp;



“It is encouraging to see that participants in the study who received the 50 µg dose, including older adults, achieved robust increases in geometric mean antibody titers against H1N1 and H3N2, the strains responsible for the vast majority of morbidity and mortality in this age group We believe our mRNA platform is well-positioned to address the significant unmet need in seasonal flu as evidenced by our new beyond quadrivalent candidates, mRNA-1011 and mRNA-1012, which we believe will expand strain coverage and provide more options for public health officials.”&nbsp;



The side effects of the vaccines appeared mild, and occurred more often in younger rather than older adults. The most common ones included pain at the injection site, headaches, muscle and joint aches, and tiredness.&nbsp;



The results of the second stage of the trials, involving 500 participants, are expected in the first part of 2022.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experimental mRNA flu vaccine shows promising results

The biotech company Moderna, which created a highly efficient mRNA...

The Thwaites glacier is one of the fastest changing glaciers in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-were-common-in-ancient-antarctica/">Antarctica</a>, contributing as much as four percent of global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-levels-are-rising-at-an-alarming-rate/">sea level rise</a> today. The huge, Florida-sized glacier - also known as the "Doomsday glacier” due to its recent tendency to disintegrate - faces dramatic changes in the next decade. It is already dumping 50 billion ton of ice into the ocean each year.



Recently, scientists have discovered several large, worrying cracks in the ice shelf holding back this glacier, suggesting that this crucial buttress against sea level rise could completely shatter within the next five years.



"There is going to be dramatic change in the front of the glacier, probably in less than a decade. Both published and unpublished studies point in that direction," reported glaciologist Ted Scambos, the US lead coordinator of the&nbsp;<a href="https://thwaitesglacier.org/">International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration (ITGC)</a>. "This will accelerate the pace (of Thwaites) and widen, effectively, the dangerous part of the glacier,"



According to Erin Pettit, a glaciologist at the <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>, the weak spots that the scientists have recently discovered are like cracks in a windshield: with just one more blow, they could spiderweb across the entire ice shelf surface.&nbsp;



“You’re like, I should get a new windshield. And one day, bang - there are a million other cracks there,” she said. “This eastern ice shelf is likely to shatter into hundreds of icebergs. Suddenly the whole thing would collapse.”&nbsp;



Although the shattering of the Doomsday glacier will not immediately accelerate global sea level rise, it will not take much long until its effects will be strongly felt, and millions of people living in coastal areas will be endangered.&nbsp;



Moreover, since the Thwaites glacier is situated in a deep basin, if it collapses, neighboring glaciers could follow, ultimately leading to the loss of the entire West Antarctic Ice Sheet. “That would be a global change,” said Robert DeConto, a glaciologist at the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts, Amherst</a>. “Our coastlines will look different from space.”&nbsp;



During the following year, scientists will continue investigating the current status of the glacier by sending a tubby yellow submarine known as "Boaty McBoatface" to dive under Thwaites' floating ice in order to gather data on factors that influence melting, such as water temperature, current direction, and turbulence.



The new findings regarding the status of the Thwaites glacier are presented this week at the <a href="https://www.agu.org/Fall-Meeting">American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in New Orleans</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The Doomsday glacier is heading for dramatic change

The Thwaites glacier is one of the fastest changing glaciers...

Global warming is dramatically changing the natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-will-create-large-habitats-for-pacific-salmon/">habitats</a> of species across the entire world, and it is essential that scientists understand how different species adapt in order to help protect them. An example of an affected yet adaptable species is the ocean-dwelling bottlenose dolphin.&nbsp;



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a> (NTNU) Science Museum are investigating exactly how bottlenose dolphins adapt so well to changes in their environment.



Bottlenose dolphins were chosen as subjects of the study as they are spread throughout both the north and the south of the equator across both open oceans and coasts. They can survive on a variety of different fish, squid, and crustaceans. Such a broad range of habitats and diets makes the dolphins excellent candidates for rapid adaptation.&nbsp;



Different locations and diets result in greater genetic variation among the dolphins. The research team theorized that the process of natural selection across advantageous genes has promoted excellent adaptation abilities. Until now, however, it has been puzzling as to why bottlenose dolphins are better than other dolphin species at adapting to survive around coastal habitats.



“We discovered the solution in the ancestral genes that the dolphins have. We found that genes that provide benefits for coastal dolphins also appear as genetic variations in dolphins that live far out to sea,” said Marie Louis at the University of St. Andrews. “These ancient genes are not only found in dolphins along the coast, although they are far more common there. When necessary, open ocean dolphins have the genetic potential to adapt to coastal life.”



Ultimately, this means that the ancestral genes of bottlenose dolphins have been triggered and repeated throughout many occasions and places across the history of different groups of the species. “In other words, a species that lives in groups can benefit from both the ecological possibilities in the environment and the genetic variation to adapt to a new habitat over and over again,” explained Louis.



As a result, dolphin species may hold genes essential for survival that are not currently used, yet will be useful for habitat changes hundreds or thousands of years later.&nbsp;



"Through the generations, these beneficial gene variants came to dominate in the coastal dolphins, so much so that they became clearly genetically different from the ones in the open ocean," said Louis.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dolphins have genetically mastered the art of adapting

Global warming is dramatically changing the natural habitats of species...

Currently, models of alcohol use and misuse are mostly derived from research on men,but it seems that these models may not always be applicable to women. New research has found that exposure to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-makes-lifes-clock-tick-faster/">stress</a> can lead women to consume more alcohol than intended, while stress alone does not have the same effect on the consumption of alcohol by men.



“Some people can intend to have one or two alcoholic beverages and stop drinking, but other people just keep going. This impaired control over drinking is one of the earliest indicators of alcohol use disorders, and we know stress contributes to both impaired control over drinking and dysregulated drinking. The role of stress in impaired control over drinking is understudied, especially in women,” said study lead author Julie Patock-Peckham, assistant research professor at Arizona State University.



The study took place in a laboratory that was set up to resemble a bar. There was a bar tender, bar stools, a choice of alcoholic beverages and lively bar-room conversation. The participants (105 men and 105 women) were randomly divided into two groups, one that experienced a stressful situation and the other that experienced a non-stressful situation.



Next, half of the participants received an alcoholic drink that was equivalent to three cocktails, and the other half received three non-alcoholic drinks. After that, all participants had unrestricted access to alcoholic drinks from the bar for 90 minutes.&nbsp;



The researchers monitored alcohol consumption by counting the number of alcoholic beverages consumed, and also by measuring breath blood alcohol content (BAC). Their aim was to determine whether stress, the initial drink or the combination of the two most accurately predicted how much alcohol participants would consume.&nbsp;



“We know that both genes and the environment play a role in problematic drinking. We can’t do anything about the genes, but we can intervene with the environment. Stress and impaired control over drinking are tightly connected, and because stress is something we can manipulate, we tested whether stressors cause dysregulated drinking,” said Patock-Peckham, who leads the&nbsp;<a href="https://psychology.clas.asu.edu/research/labs/social-addictions-impulse-lab">Social Addictions Impulse Lab</a>&nbsp;at ASU.



The results showed that participants exposed to stress engaged in heavier drinking, irrespective of their gender. However, men who experienced stress and then received an initial alcoholic drink consumed more alcohol than men who experienced stress but received a placebo (non-alcoholic drink) to start with.&nbsp;



In the case of women, whether the first drink was alcoholic or not did not make a difference: experiencing stress led to heavy drinking.



“That women just needed the stress but men needed the push of already having alcohol on board shows how important this type of research is,” said Patock-Peckham. “The outcomes from alcohol use are not the same for men and women, and we cannot keep using models that were developed in men to help women.”



In general, although rates of alcohol misuse are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/women-and-alcohol">higher in men than in women</a>, women are&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26331879/">catching</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27797998/">up</a>. Women are also&nbsp;more <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26371405/">at risk</a>&nbsp;than men of developing alcohol-related problems.



The results of this study are published in the journal <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/adb">Psychology of Addictive Behaviors</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Stress causes women to consume more alcohol than intended

Currently, models of alcohol use and misuse are mostly derived...

A,View,Of,A,Meteor,Shower,And,The,Milky,Way

The Geminid meteor shower, which peaks during mid-December each year, is one of the most spectacular astronomic events, lighting up the night sky with up to 120 meteors per hour. This year, the shower will peak tonight, around 2 a.m., and continue shooting between 30 to 40 meteors per hour until early Tuesday morning. Although the meteors can be seen from most locations around the globe, the Northern Hemisphere will have the best visibility.



While most meteors are debris emerging from comets, the Geminids originate from an asteroid, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/12/13/1063657564/geminid-meteor-shower-when-to-watch">3200 Phaeton</a>, which was discovered on October 11, 1983 by the <a href="https://irsa.ipac.caltech.edu/IRASdocs/iras.html">Infrared Astronomical Satellite</a>, the first space telescope to perform a survey of the entire night sky at infrared wavelengths.&nbsp;



This asteroid is relatively small, measuring only 3.17 miles, and was named after the character from Greek mythology who drove the chariot of the sun-god Helios. Due to its highly elliptical orbit, some scientists consider it to be in fact a “dead comet” or a new kind of astronomical object called a “rock comet.”&nbsp;



The Geminids are denser than meteors belonging to other showers, enabling them to get as low as 29 miles above the Earth’s surface before bursting into flames. They appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Gemini (hence their name) and travel with a speed of 78,000 mph. This is more than 1,000 times faster than a cheetah, 250 times faster than the swiftest car in the world, and over 40 times faster than a speeding bullet.



Unfortunately, since dark skies are optimal for viewing meteor showers and the moon will be approximately 77 percent lit during the peak, the Geminids might be difficult to spot this year. However, from most places in the Northern Hemisphere, they should still offer a breathtaking spectacle, especially if viewed from unpolluted areas, away from city lights. For an optimal viewing experience, the naked eye remains the best instrument, since using a telescope would only limit the view of the sky.&nbsp;



“Rich in green-colored fireballs, the Geminids are the only shower I will brave cold December nights to see,” said Bill Cooke, the lead of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/offices/meo/home/index.html">NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office</a>, located at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.



This year, the shower can also be watched from the comfort of one’s home: NASA will broadcast a live stream of the shower’s peak via a meteor camera placed at the Marshal Space Flight Center. The stream will start at 8 p.m. CST on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/NasaMeteorWatch/">NASA Meteor Watch</a>&nbsp;Facebook page.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The spectacular Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight

The Geminid meteor shower, which peaks during mid-December each year,...

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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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



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.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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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

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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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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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 



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.

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



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.

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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