You grab a snack, tear open the package, and munch away. But have you ever wondered what might be slipping into your food? Synthetic chemicals sneak in through packaging, processing, and storage. You can’t see these chemicals, but they are there, and they’re raising serious health concerns.



A study published in the journal Nature Medicine dives into the hidden world of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/many-people-are-willing-to-switch-to-plant-based-food-to-save-the-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food</a> contaminants. 



The research was not just focused on preservatives and additives. The team studied chemicals that come from food packaging and contact materials - the plastics, metals, and papers that wrap, store, and process what we eat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-synthetic-chemicals-in-food">Synthetic chemicals in food</h2>



Synthetic chemicals are gatecrashers in our food <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coal-emissions-threaten-indias-food-security/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">system</a>. They don’t come from ingredients. They come from the packaging, the containers, and the processing equipment. 



Bisphenols, phthalates, PFAS - these chemicals don’t just sit there. They migrate, moving from plastic wrap into your sandwich, from the can lining into your soup.



It turns out, the more ultra-processed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-what-were-really-fighting-for/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foods</a> you eat, the higher your exposure. These foods aren’t just packed with artificial flavors and preservatives. Ultra-processed foods are also packed in materials that leach synthetic chemicals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chemicals-hidden-in-food-packaging">Chemicals hidden in food packaging </h2>



Your meal passes through four critical stages before landing on your plate. The first stage is transportation, where food sits in containers lined with synthetic materials, allowing chemicals to leach into it.



Next comes processing. Here, machines made from plastic and metal come into direct contact with the food, increasing the risk of contamination.



The third stage is packaging. Plastic wraps and aluminum cans may seem harmless, but they can act as chemical conduits, allowing synthetic substances to migrate into the food.



Finally, there is preparation. Heating a plastic-wrapped <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vicious-cycle-food-systems-both-suffer-from-and-cause-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meal</a> in the microwave can exacerbate chemical leaching, effectively delivering those contaminants straight to your table.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-synthetic-chemical-delivery-system">Synthetic chemical delivery system</h2>



Ultra-processed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-has-a-surprising-impact-on-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foods</a> are engineered for taste and convenience, but they’re also perfect carriers for synthetic chemicals.



Foods that come in contact with synthetic materials during every stage of production are more likely to end up with higher chemical loads. And that’s not all. 



The study connects these contaminants to serious health issues - cancers, heart disease, metabolic disorders, and more.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-blind-spot">Public health blind spot</h2>



Jane Muncke, the study’s lead author from <a href="https://foodpackagingforum.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food Packaging Forum</a> Foundation, said that the evidence is becoming more clear that today’s packaged ultra-processed foods contain many synthetic chemicals and microplastics from various sources.



The presence of these chemicals is well-documented, and their harmful effects are clear. Yet, regulatory frameworks remain inadequate, barely addressing the full scope of the problem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-outdated-testing-methods">Outdated testing methods </h2>



Testing for these chemicals isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. Most testing methods are outdated, designed for known contaminants. 



But what about the ones we haven’t identified yet? The study pushes for more advanced testing methods that can catch emerging chemicals and microplastics before they slip through regulatory cracks.



Packaging is supposed to protect food. But what if it’s doing the opposite? Plastic containers, metal cans, and even paper wrappers can all leach chemicals into food. 



Redesigning these materials for safety isn’t just a nice idea - it’s a necessity. The study urges policymakers to push for safer, more sustainable packaging alternatives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-food-safety">Rethinking food safety</h2>



Muncke explained that there's a broader issue - one that extends beyond just individual chemicals. She noted that the health impacts of this type of food contamination are currently under-appreciated and under-studied. 



"The scientific evidence shows a need for adopting a holistic approach to policymaking, that integrates considerations of planetary and human health, including hazardous FCCs and their impacts on health," said Muncke.



"All food packaging, processing equipment, and other food contact materials need to be adequately tested for their safety with regard to migrating food contact chemicals and microplastics using modern testing methods."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-we-go-from-here">Where do we go from here?</h2>



If we keep eating ultra-processed foods, we keep ingesting synthetic chemicals. The study lays it out clearly - we need safer packaging, stricter testing, and stronger regulations. But we also need to rethink what we eat. 



Ultra-processed foods might be convenient, but they come with invisible risks. Maybe it’s time to take a closer look at that snack in your hand and consider what may be hiding inside.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03697-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Medicine</a>.



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Food packaging is leaking harmful chemicals into meals

You grab a snack, tear open the package, and munch away. But have you ever wondered what might be slipping into your food? Synthetic chemicals sneak in through packaging, processing, and storage. You can’t see these chemicals, but they are there, and they’re raising serious health concerns. A study published in the journal Nature Medicine dives into the hidden world of food contaminants. The research was not just focused on preservatives and additives. The team studied chemicals that come from food packaging and contact materials - the...

The positive effects of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-green-spaces-are-urgently-needed-to-improve-health/">green spaces</a> on the general population, especially children, are well-studied and understood in the scientific community. Now, a study from the <a href="https://www.aan.com/">American Academy of Neurology</a> has demonstrated how important blue and green spaces are to the elderly population.&nbsp;



The scientists discovered that living closer to blue and green spaces may reduce psychological stress, which could lead to fewer cases of cognitive impairment and dementia. This type of discovery is essential, considering the treatment limitations for these diseases.



“Since we lack effective prevention methods or treatments for mild cognitive impairment and dementia, we need to get creative in how we look at these issues,” explained Solmaz Amiri of Washington State University.&nbsp;



The study was conducted in Washington state urban areas. The researchers used data from the U.S. Census and the Centers for Disease Control to determine participant proximity to green spaces (public parks, community gardens, and cemeteries) and blue spaces (lakes, reservoirs, large rivers, and coasts).&nbsp;



The experts found that 70 percent of the participants lived within half a mile of green spaces, and 60 percent lived within half a mile of blue spaces.&nbsp;



Psychological distress is classified as a level of distress that interferes with a person’s daily functions and requires treatment. To assess the mental state of 42,980 individuals aged 65 or older, the researchers asked six questions that were designed to measure psychological distress on a five-point scale.



The analysis revealed that participants within half a mile of green and blue spaces had a 17 percent lower risk of experiencing serious psychological distress. The researchers hope that these findings will have an impact on where senior care facilities are located.



“Our hope is that this study may help inform public health policies in the future, from where residential facilities are located to programs to improve mental health outcomes of people living in long-term care centers or nursing homes,” said Amiri.



The results will be presented during the <a href="https://www.aan.com/events/annual-meeting">American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Blue and green spaces are beneficial in all stages of life

The positive effects of green spaces on the general population,...

Although <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/acts-of-kindness-can-help-relieve-depression/">depression</a> and anxiety affect millions of people worldwide, and are the most common forms of mental illness, current treatments show limited success in relieving the symptoms. This has led to increased investigation into alternative approaches, including the use of psychedelic experiences combined with psychotherapy. This approach has yielded significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms.



Published research on this approach mostly reflects the use of a top-down approach in analyzing the relationship between psychedelic effects and mental health outcomes, meaning that researchers have developed their own hypotheses before the study starts. A drawback of this approach is that it does not provide an understanding of the different types of subjective experiences brought on by the use of psychedelic substances. In addition, it does not allow analysis of the relationship between subjective experience and beneficial mental health outcomes.



A new study, published in the&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.042">Journal of Affective Disorders</a>, has now taken an alternative, bottom-up approach using data collected from users of psychedelic substances and a machine learning analytic procedure involving cluster analysis. This has enabled the researchers to elucidate specific subtypes of the psychedelic experience and how these subtypes might be related to different mental health outcomes.



Data were collected from nearly 1,000 respondents who answered questions about their previous, non-clinical experiences with psychedelic drugs. They included users of psilocybin (magic mushrooms), LSD, Ayahuasca, mescaline, peyote cactus and 5-MeO-DMT, the natural psychedelic substance in the venom of the Colorado River toad. The survey was anonymous, and included people who reported having a moderate to strong psychedelic experience in the past, associated with subsequent changes to their symptoms of anxiety and depression.



The participants completed online questionnaires and evaluated the extent to which their psychedelic experience was mystical (evoking a sense of pure awareness, positive mood and/or transcendence of time and space that is difficult to describe in words), psychologically insightful (eliciting acute insight into memories, emotions, relationships, behaviors or beliefs), or challenging.&nbsp;



Outcomes assessed in the survey included depression and anxiety symptom levels and ratings of satisfaction with life and psychological flexibility – one’s capacity to act in ways that are consistent with one’s values regardless of whatever might be experienced, internally or externally – before and after using the psychedelic.



Analysis of the results shows that individuals who rated their experiences as highly mystical and insightful consistently reported improvements in the symptoms of their anxiety and depression. It also suggests that a challenging experience while on these substances, one that feels frightening or destabilizing, can have beneficial results, especially in the context of mystical and insightful experiences. This could be helpful for practitioners to know as they guide patients through clinical trials testing the therapeutic potential of psychedelics.



“Sometimes the challenge arises because it’s an intensely mystical and insightful experience that can, in and of itself, be challenging,” said senior author&nbsp;<a href="https://csw.osu.edu/about/faculty-staff/faculty-directory/davis-alan/">Alan Davis</a>, assistant professor and director of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpdre.org/">Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education</a>&nbsp;in <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://csw.osu.edu/">College of Social Work</a>.&nbsp;



“In the clinical research setting, folks are doing everything they can to create a safe and supportive environment. But when challenges do come up, it’s important to better understand that challenging experiences can actually be related to positive outcomes.”



The data analysis suggested three distinct subtypes of psychedelic experiences:



<ul><li>High scoring, combining high scores on the mystical and insightful assessments with moderate scores on the challenging assessment.</li><li>Low scoring, with low to moderate scores on mystical and insightful experiences and low scores on the challenging scale.</li><li>Positive scoring, with high scores for mystical and insightful experiences and low scores on the challenging assessment.</li></ul>



“The group that had the highest insightful and mystical experiences and low challenging experiences showed the most benefit in terms of remission of anxiety and depression symptoms and other longer lasting benefits to their life,” said first author&nbsp;<a href="https://childmind.org/bio/aki-nikolaidis-phd/">Aki Nikolaidis</a>, an affiliate of Ohio State’s Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE) and a research scientist in the Center for the Developing Brain at the Child Mind Institute.



When the researchers included only data from participants who had used psilocybin and LSD, the same patterns emerged: three distinct subtypes that were associated with the same outcomes, including benefits to mental health even after a challenging experience. That replication speaks to the importance of the subjective experience for psychedelics users, Nikolaidis said.



“Identifying subtypes that exist regardless of which psychedelic you take answers an interesting question,” he said. “But the fact that we found that they’re associated with specific outcomes, and replicated that finding, really shows why it’s important to understand the powerful nature of what is happening subjectively and its potential to yield a beneficial outcome.”



Davis said he will be watching to see if these subtypes of experiences apply in the clinical setting, where psilocybin-assisted therapy is being studied&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cpdre.org/projects">at Ohio State</a>&nbsp;for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder among military veterans.



“Finding the variety of other outcomes that these subtypes might be related to is an interesting next step,” he said. “These could include adaptive or functional outcomes in people’s quality of life or wellbeing, or a better understanding of their life’s purpose or relationships.”



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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



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Insightful psychedelic experiences may improve mental health

Although depression and anxiety affect millions of people worldwide, and...

According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.cheoresearch.ca/">Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute</a>, teens and young adults who reduced their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-you-use-social-media-affects-your-sense-of-happiness/">social media</a> use by 50 percent experienced significant improvements in how they felt about their weight and overall appearance in just a few weeks, compared to peers who maintained the same levels of social media use.



“Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the development of body image issues, eating disorders, and mental illness,” said study lead author Gary Goldfield, a senior scientist at the CHEO Research Institute. 



“Youth are spending, on average, between six to eight hours per day on screens, much of it on social media. Social media can expose users to hundreds or even thousands of images and photos every day, including those of celebrities and fashion or fitness models, which we know leads to an internalization of beauty ideals that are unattainable for almost everyone, resulting in greater dissatisfaction with body weight and shape.”



The experts enrolled a cohort of 220 undergraduate students aged 17 to 25 (76 percent females, 23 percent males, and one percent other), who were regular social media users (at least two hours per day) and exhibited symptoms of anxiety and depression. In the first week of the experiment, all participants were asked to use social media as they normally would, while researchers tracked their screentime. 



Afterwards, half of the them were instructed to reduce their social media use to a maximum of one hour per day. At both the beginning and end of the experiment, participants had to rate how they feel about their overall appearance and weight.



The experiment revealed that, after three weeks, individuals who reduced their social media use had a significant improvement in how they regarded both their overall appearance and weight, regardless of gender.



“Our brief, four-week intervention using screentime trackers showed that reducing social media use yielded significant improvements in appearance and weight esteem in distressed youth with heavy social media use,” Goldfield explained. 



“Reducing social media use is a feasible method of producing a short-term positive effect on body image among a vulnerable population of users and should be evaluated as a potential component in the treatment of body-image-related disturbances.”



In a future larger study, the scientists plan to investigate if reduction in social media use can be maintained for longer periods of time and whether this could lead to even greater psychological benefits.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/ppm-ppm0000460.pdf">Psychology of Popular Media</a>.&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



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Reducing social media use improves body image in teens

According to a new study led by the Children’s Hospital...

When we were children, many of us experienced the illusion that summers or other periods of time were much longer than how we perceive the passage of a similar amount of time in adulthood. Now, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.elte.hu/en/">Eötvös Loránd University</a> in Hungary has investigated empirically whether the perception of time changes with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aging-female-monkeys-focus-more-on-meaningful-relationships/">age</a> and, if so, how and why.



The experts enrolled a cohort of participants from three age groups (4-5, 9-10, and above 18 years old) and asked them to watch two one-minute long videos. The samples were extracted from a popular animated series, and were balanced in visual and acoustic features, expect for one feature – eventfulness. While one clip consisted of a rapid succession of events (a policemen rescuing animals and then arresting a thief), the other was a monotonous, repetitive sequence (six prisoners escaping on a rowing boat). After watching the videos, the participants were asked which was longer.&nbsp;



The answers revealed that, while two-thirds of the pre-kindergartners perceived the eventful video as longer, three-fourths of the adults felt the same thing about the uneventful one. The middle group, in which participants expressed a similar but more moderate bias than the adults, helped researchers estimate a shift in time perception occurring around the age of seven.



To explain these differences in time perception between age groups, the experts relied upon the concept of “heuristics,” which was introduced in Cognitive Science by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman, and refers to our ability to use mental shortcuts or proxies to help us make fast decisions. Since our brain does not have a reliable central clock or a direct sensory mapping of durations (unlike in the case of distances or pitch), we must use a proxy to get a handle on temporal passage.&nbsp;



According to the scientists, children use a “representativeness heuristics” to measure time. For instance, they ask themselves which video they can talk more about. 



Since the eventful video was packed with actions and consisted of several episodes, they could talk more about it and they thus felt that it was longer. However, between six to ten years of age, children learn the concept of “absolute” or “universal” time, which is conceptualized as a physical entity independent of the events that it connects, and can help us make appointments, organize our tasks, and follow timelines by clocking the time. 



With such a development, our representativeness heuristics for measuring time changes into a “sampling heuristics,” which helps us check the flow of time by frequently sampling it, for instance, by looking at a clock or watching the traffic flow.



Thus, as adults, when we watch a captivating movie, our mind becomes highly immersed in the story, while during a boring movie, we are going to repeatedly check our watch or think about something else, and all of these distractions will enable us to sample the flow of absolute time.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, these two types of heuristics can explain the rather bizarre switch at about age seven and give rise to the persistent bias that uneventful meetings, for example, are much longer than they actually are. However, more research is needed to properly understand the mystery of time and how our minds can make sense of it.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27419-4">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.&nbsp;&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



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Children and adults perceive time differently

When we were children, many of us experienced the illusion...

Intermittent fasting has gained popularity of late and has been associated in the press with various health benefits including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cut-your-gym-time-in-half-by-lowering-weights/">weight</a> reduction, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, extended longevity and improved cognitive function. However, the vast majority of fasting research has been conducted with animals, and evidence of health improvements from fasting in humans is preliminary at best.&nbsp;



A new study from scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at <a href="https://www.mountsinai.org/locations/mount-sinai/about/history">Mount Sinai Hospital introduces</a> a note of caution to those wishing to use fasting as a route to improved health. Their study on mice found that skipping meals triggers a response in the brain that negatively affects immune cells and may make the mice less able to fight off infections.&nbsp;



“There is a growing awareness that fasting is healthy, and there is indeed abundant evidence for the benefits of fasting. Our study provides a word of caution as it suggests that there may also be a cost to fasting that carries a health risk,” says lead author Filip Swirski, PhD, Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Icahn Mount Sinai. “This is a mechanistic study delving into some of the fundamental biology relevant to fasting. The study shows that there is a conversation between the nervous and immune systems.”



Not much is understood about the mechanisms by which fasting brings about the beneficial changes observed, but studies of humans fasting between dawn and dusk during Ramadan have indicated that inflammatory cytokines are suppressed in fasting individuals. Cytokines are crucial in the immune system for controlling the growth and activity of other immune cells.&nbsp;



In the current study, researchers aimed to better understand how fasting affects the immune system in mice. They analyzed two groups of mice, one that ate breakfast immediately after waking and the other that had no breakfast. Fasting mice were kept from eating for a few hours, or up to 24 hours, before being given food. Their blood was sampled after waking up and then four hours and eight hours later.



The results, published in the journal Immunity, show distinct differences in blood characteristics between the fed and the fasting mice. Specifically, the researchers saw a difference in the number of monocytes, which are white blood cells that are made in the bone marrow and travel through the body, where they play many critical roles, from fighting infections, to repairing tissues and preventing heart disease and cancer.



After waking, all mice had the same levels of monocytes in their blood. But after four hours, 90 percent of these important immune system cells had disappeared from the bloodstream of the fasting mice. Monocyte levels in mice that didn’t skip breakfast were unchanged from the initial values. The researchers discovered that monocytes in fasting mice had travelled back to the bone marrow, where they remained inactive.&nbsp;



While hibernating in the bone marrow, the monocytes underwent significant changes. They aged differently and survived for longer than they would have in the bloodstream. In addition, the production of new monocytes in the bone marrow declined while the hibernating cells were present.&nbsp;



Once food was again given to the fasting mice, the monocytes hiding in the bone marrow flooded back into the bloodstream within a few hours. This surge of altered monocytes resulted in increased levels of inflammation that would have made their bodies less able to fight infections.



This study is among the first to find a connection between the brain and the behavior of these immune cells during fasting. Researchers found that specific regions in the brain controlled the monocyte response during fasting. This study demonstrated that fasting elicits a stress response in the brain and this instantly triggers a large-scale migration of these white blood cells from the blood to the bone marrow, and then back to the bloodstream, shortly after food is reintroduced.



Dr. Swirski emphasized that while there is also evidence of the metabolic benefits of fasting, this new study is a useful advance in the full understanding of the body’s mechanisms.



“The study shows that, on the one hand, fasting reduces the number of circulating monocytes, which one might think is a good thing, as these cells are important components of inflammation. On the other hand, reintroduction of food creates a surge of monocytes flooding back to the blood, which can be problematic. Fasting, therefore regulates this pool in ways that are not always beneficial to the body’s capacity to respond to a challenge such as an infection,” explains Dr. Swirski. “Because these cells are so important to other diseases like heart disease or cancer, understanding how their function is controlled is critical.”



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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



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Skipping breakfast may have unwanted immune effects

Intermittent fasting has gained popularity of late and has been...

According to a new study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s <a href="https://accscientificsession.acc.org/">Annual Scientific Session Together with the World Congress of Cardiology</a>, getting good sleep might play a key role in protecting against cardiovascular and other types of diseases, and possibly even influence life expectancy. The experts found that about eight percent of deaths from any cause could be attributed to poor sleep patterns, and that young people who have better sleep habits are incrementally less likely to die prematurely.&nbsp;



“We saw a clear dose-response relationship, so the more beneficial factors someone has in terms of having higher <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-reduces-sleep-quality-elevates-disease-risk/">quality of sleep</a>, they also have a stepwise lowering of all cause and cardiovascular mortality,” said study co-author Frank Qian, an internal medicine resident physician at <a href="https://www.bidmc.org/">Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center</a> and clinical fellow in Medicine at <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a>. “I think these findings emphasize that just getting enough hours of sleep isn’t sufficient. You really have to have restful sleep and not have much trouble falling and staying asleep.”



The scientists analyzed data from 172,321 participants in the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/index.htm">National Health Interview Survey</a> between 2013 and 2018 (average age 50, 54 percent women, two-thirds White, 14.5 percent Hispanic, 12.6 percent Black, and 5.5 percent Asian). By linking the participants to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ndi/index.htm">National Death Index</a> records, the researchers were able to investigate the association between individual and combined sleep factors and all-cause and cause-specific mortality. During the period that participants were followed (4.3 years), 8,681 individuals died (30 percent from cardiovascular disease, 24 percent from cancer and 46 percent due to other causes).



In order to determine the relationship between sleep quality and health/life expectancy, the researchers assessed five different factors of quality sleep: ideal sleep duration (seven to eight hours per night); difficulty falling asleep less than two times per week; trouble staying asleep less than two times per week; not using any sleep medication; and feeling rested after waking up at least five days per week.



The analysis revealed that, compared to participants who had zero to one favorable sleep factors, those who had all five were 30 percent less likely to die for any reason, 21 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular issues, 19 percent less likely to die from cancer, and 40 percent less likely to die from other causes (such as accidents, infections, or neurodegenerative conditions). Surprisingly, among men and women who reported having all five quality sleep measures, life expectancy was 4.7 years greater for men and only 2.4 years greater for women compared to those with none or only one of the factors. Further research is needed to explore these sex differences.



“Even from a young age, if people can develop these good sleep habits of getting enough sleep, making sure they are sleeping without too many distractions and have good sleep hygiene overall, it can greatly benefit their overall long-term health. It’s important for younger people to understand that a lot of health behaviors are cumulative over time. Just like we like to say, ‘it’s never too late to exercise or stop smoking,’ it’s also never too early. And we should be talking about and assessing sleep more often,” Qian concluded.



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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



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High quality sleep increases life expectancy

According to a new study presented at the American College...

Walnuts help counteract the impacts of academic stress on the body and mind, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/">University of South Australia</a>. The research suggests that university students could benefit from adding walnuts to their daily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-diet-improves-sperm-quality-and-fertility/">diet</a>, particularly while preparing for exams.&nbsp;



The researchers conducted a clinical trial focused on undergraduate students during their university studies. The results showed that walnut consumption was associated with improved measures of mental health and overall well-being.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The research adds to a growing body of evidence that walnut consumption improves brain and gut health, noted Professor Larisa Bobrovskaya and PhD student Mauritz Herselman. Previous studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, melatonin, polyphenols, folate and vitamin E found in walnuts all contribute to brain and gut benefits.&nbsp;



“Students experience academic stress throughout their studies, which has a negative effect on their mental health, and they are particularly vulnerable during exam periods,” said Herselman.



For the investigation, 80 students were divided into treatment and control groups. They were clinically assessed in three intervals - at the beginning of a 13-week semester, during exams, and two weeks after exams. Study participants in the treatment group consumed walnuts on a daily basis for 16 weeks over these three intervals.



“We found that those who consumed about half a cup of walnuts every day showed improvements in self-reported mental health indicators," said the researchers. "Walnut consumers also showed improved metabolic biomarkers and overall sleep quality in the longer term.”



While students in the control group reported increased depression and stress leading up to exams, those who consumed walnuts did not experience these issues.&nbsp;



“The World Health Organization has recently stated that at least 75 percent of mental health disorders affect people under the age of 24 years, making undergraduate students particularly vulnerable to mental health problems,” said Herselman.



According to Professor Bobrovskaya, mental health disorders are common in university students and can adversely affect students’ academic performance and long-term physical health.



“We have shown that consuming walnuts during stressful periods can improve mental health and general well-being in university students, as well as being a healthy and delicious snack and a versatile ingredient in many recipes, to fight some negative effects of academic stress,” said Professor Bobrovskaya.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu14224776">Nutrients</a>.



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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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Walnuts improve brain health, reduce stress

Walnuts help counteract the impacts of academic stress on the...

A study published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/2/1280">Survey</a> has found that sheep grazing in urban environments may have a positive impact on human mental health.&nbsp;



The study began as an experiment to determine whether sheep grazing could benefit the physical environment. However, the focus of the research pivoted once the researchers realized the psychological benefits.&nbsp;



​​“This started out as an experiment to test their mowing abilities, and we have now published research on how they make people feel peaceful,” said study lead author Haven Kiers.



Using in-person and social media surveys, the researchers collected data from approximately 200 students and other individuals on the campus of the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a>.



“We found that there was a significantly lower likelihood of current feelings of being ‘very stressed’ or ‘stressed’ among the sheep mower group when compared to the group that did not experience sheep mowers. The group with the sheep was just so much happier,” said Kiers.



The experts emphasized the potential for alleviating loneliness by having sheep in these environments.



“Loneliness is a struggle for many of our students,” said study co-author Carolyn S. Dewa. “One robust research finding is that social support is a protective factor for mental health. One of the ways the sheep mower events help to promote mental health is by providing an opportunity for a shared experience."



“The events help people to see that they are a part of a larger group and give people a sense of community.”



Kiers mentioned that while there are plenty of stress studies that are focused on dogs and horses, scientists should expand the types of animals studied. Researchers should also extend the breadth of landscape management goals.



“We really need to look at how we can get the most out of landscape management, in all forms - in the physical environment as well as mental health.”



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Grazing sheep can reduce stress on college campuses

A study published in the journal Survey has found that...

Although in recent years, educators have explored the use of social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robots-influence-children-education/">robots</a> to help students learn, they focused mostly on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Now, a team of scientists led by the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> in Canada has designed a socially assistive robot to help keep students with learning disabilities focused on their work. According to the experts, using this robot was highly successful, with both pupils and their instructors valuing the positive classroom contributions made by the robot.



“There is definitely a great potential for using robots in the public education system,” said study senior author Kerstin Dautenhahn, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Waterloo. “Overall, the findings imply that the robot has a positive effect on students.”



The researchers conducted a series of experiments with a small humanoid robot called QT, which has the ability to perform gestures using its head and hands, accompanied by speech and a variety of facial expressions. To test whether this robot was suitable for use with children with learning disabilities, they divided 16 students into two groups. While in the first group, students worked one-on-one with a human instructor only, in the second one they worked both with the instructor and a QT robot.&nbsp;



Although the instructor controlled the sessions, the robot took over occasionally, triggered by the instructor, to lead the student. If necessary, the robot set goals and provided self-regulating strategies and, if the learning process was getting off-track, it also used strategies such as games, jokes, riddles, breathing exercises, and physical movements to redirect the students back to their tasks.



“Our qualitative analysis suggests that instructors and students showed positive attitudes towards the social robot in their one-to-one sessions. In addition, the students were more engaged with their task in the presence of the robot, and displayed fewer off-task behaviors in the intervention condition, compared to the control condition. These results suggest that a social robot can be used as an effective educational tool for instructors in boosting engagement and mitigating off-task behaviors for students with learning disabilities,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the proceedings of the <a href="https://www.icsr2022.it/">International Conference of Social Robotics</a> from Florence, Italy and can be found <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-24670-8_14">here</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



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Social robots can help students stay focused

Although in recent years, educators have explored the use of...

In March 1946, less than a year after the end of World War II, the Medical Research Council of the UK commenced a longitudinal study to follow the health and development of 5,362 babies, all born in the same week in England, Wales and Scotland. Today, this is the longest running major birth cohort study in the world, and the surviving participants are soon to turn 77 years old. There have been at least 24 follow-up contacts with all surviving members of the cohort, with the latest full testing conducted when they were aged 69.



Previous research using data from this 1946 British birth cohort has demonstrated the beneficial effects of being physically during the midlife period on verbal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/edible-mushrooms-boost-nerve-growth-and-enhance-memory/">memory</a>. Following on from this, researchers from the MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London have now investigated whether the timing of physical activity has an influence on improved cognitive function in later life.&nbsp;



The participants reported their levels of physical activity at follow-up surveys conducted at the ages of 36, 43, 53, 60–64 and 69, by which time only 1,417 of the original participants were available. At each age they completed a questionnaire to assess how often they had taken part in any sports, vigorous leisure activities or exercise in the previous month.&nbsp;



Their responses were categorized into: not active (no participation in physical activity/month); moderately active (participated 1–4 times/month); most active (participated 5 or more times/month), and then summed across all 5 assessments to create a total score ranging from 0 (inactive at all ages) to 5 (active at all ages).&nbsp;



The researchers assessed cognitive function at age 69 using the validated ACE-111, which tests attention and orientation, verbal fluency, memory, language, and visuospatial function. They also used tests of verbal memory (word learning test) and processing speed (visual search speed), and analyzed the associations between cognitive function and levels of physical activity.&nbsp;



The researchers were particularly keen to know if physical activity is most beneficial to later-life cognitive function when undertaken in specific ‘sensitive’ periods across the life course, or when undertaken across multiple time periods.&nbsp;



Their results, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2022-329955">Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery &amp; Psychiatry</a>, show compelling evidence of the positive effects of being, and remaining, physically active across 30 years of adulthood on later-life cognition. Essentially, they find that any regular leisure time physical activity, carried out at any age during adulthood, is significantly associated with better brain function in later life. However, maintaining an exercise routine throughout adulthood seems to be best for preserving mental acuity and memory.



The researchers found that 11 percent of participants were physically inactive at all five survey times. Around 17 percent of participants were active at only one of the survey times, whereas 20 percent were active at two and three of them; 17 percent were active at four of the survey times, and 15 percent were active at all five. Those people who reported being physically active at all five of the survey times were more likely to have higher cognitive performance, better verbal memory and faster processing speed at the age of 69.



The effect sizes were similar across all adult ages, and for those who were moderately and most physically active, “suggesting that being physically active at any time in adulthood, even if participating as little as once per month, is linked to higher cognition,” wrote the researchers.&nbsp;



The positive association between cumulative physical activity and later life cognitive performance was partly explained by childhood cognition, socioeconomic position, and education. However, the effect remained significant even when these variables were accounted for in the statistical analysis.&nbsp;



“Together, these results suggest that the initiation and maintenance of physical activity across adulthood may be more important than the timing … or the frequency of physical activity at a specific period,” explained the researchers.



The study has some limitations, including the fact that it is an observational investigation and so cannot attribute cause to the differences identified in cognitive function. In addition, all the participants were White and there was a disproportionately high attrition rate among socially disadvantaged participants. No data were collected from participants about the intensity or duration of physical exercise that they undertook, nor about whether they actually adhered to the regimen they selected during the surveys.&nbsp;



But the researchers nevertheless conclude: “Our findings support guidelines to recommend participation in any physical activity across adulthood and provide evidence that encouraging inactive adults to be more active at any time, and encouraging already active adults to maintain activity, could confer benefits on later life cognition.”



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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



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Any type of physical activity can help protect the brain

In March 1946, less than a year after the end...

Digital,Interface,With,Digital,Icons,Over,Mid,Section,Of,Man

A large part of modern life is spent immersed in a variety of digital media, ranging from websites and Zoom meetings to videogames and social media. According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/">Binghamton University</a>, since online content of various types often differs in terms of visual orientation from real images that we perceive in natural, urban, and suburban environments, it could significantly alter our visual perception.&nbsp;



“With the continued growth of digital device use, a greater portion of the visual world experienced daily by many people has shifted towards digital environments. The “oblique effect” denotes a bias for horizontal and vertical (canonical) contours over oblique contours, which is derived from a disproportionate exposure to canonical content,” the authors explained.



In the natural world, although we are mostly exposed to horizontal phenomena such as the horizon and vertical ones like trees, we also see objects oriented at a variety of angles, such as tree branches or sloping hillsides. By contrast, in a “carpentered” environment largely manufactured by humans, many of these oblique lines are eliminated and the landscape becomes dominated by horizontal and vertical objects such as buildings, powerlines, road signs, or street lamps. Suburban environments, since they often contain small pockets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-increased-well-being-during-the-pandemic/">nature</a>, are somewhere in between.



By comparing the visual orientation of various kinds of digital media with real-life scenes from natural, suburban, and urban environments, the researchers found that many types of media also exhibit the oblique effect. Although videogames aiming to imitate the natural world often (partially) succeed, pixilated videogames and social media sites - which are essentially composed of boxes of various sizes – exhibit the oblique effect to an extreme not seen in real-world environments.



“The question is: Is this shifting our overall profile of orientation sensitivity? People are spending so much time looking at these digital environments that it may become influential,”&nbsp;said study lead author Nicholas Duggan, a professor of Psychology at Binghamton.&nbsp;



Previous research has found that over-exposure to digital content – such as playing Minecraft for several hours – can shift what our brain pays attention to visually, increasing our sensitivity to horizontal and vertical lines. While this oblique effect tends to fade once viewers stop playing the game and re-engage with the natural world, it is not yet clear how people with digital media overuse disorder are affected.&nbsp;



“We’re talking about kids who were dropping out of school because they play video games every waking moment. The conjecture is that these people may be subjecting themselves to a digital environment that is substantively different from what other people typically experience on a daily basis,” explained study co-author Peter Gerhardstein, an expert in Developmental Psychology at Binghamton.&nbsp;



However, further research is needed to clarify how overexposure to digital media affects visual perception. “There is a lot of benefit to online content in general. Unless you are overusing it, we strongly suspect there is no real impact here. But if you are heavily overusing digital content, you could be altering some aspects of your basic visual perception,” Gerhardstein concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/03010066221148673">Perception</a>.&nbsp;&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



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Digital media can alter our visual perception

A large part of modern life is spent immersed in...

Sitting for long periods of time has been linked to an alarming number of adverse health conditions such as poor heart health, diabetes, weight gain, dementia, and multiple cancers. Even if you exercise regularly, prolonged sitting and other sedentary behaviors can wreak havoc on your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/feeling-loved-as-a-teen-linked-to-healthier-adulthood/">health</a>.



Despite an urgent need for answers, particularly for those who have sedentary jobs, it has remained unclear how much more moving and how much less sitting is needed to prevent serious health hazards.&nbsp;



Now, exercise physiologists at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Irving Medical Center</a> have identified one potential solution. The experts report that just five minutes of walking during every half hour of sitting can offset some of the most harmful effects.



The study, led by Dr. Keith Diaz, is the first to look at more than just two or three potential activities to mitigate prolonged sitting. The researchers tested five different scenarios, including one minute of walking after every 30 minutes of sitting, one minute after 60 minutes, five minutes after 30, five minutes after 60, and no walking.&nbsp;



“If we hadn’t compared multiple options and varied the frequency and duration of the exercise, we would have only been able to provide people with our best guesses of the optimal routine,” said Dr. Diaz.



Ultimately, the study revealed that the most effective solution was five minutes of walking for every 30 minutes of sitting. This was the only amount of movement that significantly lowered both blood sugar and blood pressure, noted the researchers.&nbsp;



For example, five minutes of walking for every 30 minutes of sitting was found to help regulate how the participants responded to large meals - reducing blood sugar spikes by 58 percent compared with prolonged sitting.&nbsp;



Any amount of walking was associated with lower blood pressure compared to sitting all day without movement. “This is a sizeable decrease, comparable to the reduction you would expect from exercising daily for six months,” said Dr. Diaz.&nbsp;



Furthermore, walking for any length of time (except one minute every hour) was associated with significant improvements in mood and less fatigue.&nbsp;



“The effects on mood and fatigue are important,” explained Dr. Diaz. “People tend to repeat behaviors that make them feel good and that are enjoyable.”&nbsp;



The research continues, as the team is now testing 25 different doses of walking among a wider variety of participants.



“What we know now is that for optimal health, you need to move regularly at work, in addition to a daily exercise routine,” said Dr. Diaz. “While that may sound impractical, our findings show that even small amounts of walking spread through the work day can significantly lower your risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.acsm.org/education-resources/journals/medicine-science-in-sports-exercise">Medicine &amp; Science in Sports &amp; Exercise</a>.



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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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Experts find a healthy solution for prolonged sitting

Sitting for long periods of time has been linked to...

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



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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



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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



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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

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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



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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 



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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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