A new study suggests that early humans may have used fire not primarily for cooking, but to protect their hard-earned meat from predators and preserve it through smoking and drying.



This theory offers a fresh explanation for why fire was first adopted long before it became a common part of daily life.



Researchers from <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tel Aviv University</a> argue that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-shows-early-humans-climbed-trees-and-worked-with-stone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early humans</a>, especially Homo erectus, likely used fire as a practical tool to guard and store large quantities of meat. Instead of cooking, fire may have served to smoke and dry meat from massive animals like elephants or hippos.



This, they propose, was a key survival strategy that let humans make the most of rare and valuable kills.



The research was conducted by Dr. Miki Ben-Dor and Professor Ran Barkai from the university’s Alkow Department of Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures. The study is part of a broader theory that connects prehistoric developments to the decline of large game over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-uses-of-fire">Early uses of fire</h2>



Evidence of fire use becomes common in human habitats only after about 400,000 years ago. Before that, signs of fire are much rarer.



“The origins of fire use is a ‘burning’ topic among prehistory researchers around the world," Barkai said. "It is generally agreed that by 400,000 years ago, fire use was common in domestic contexts - most likely for roasting meat, and perhaps also for lighting and heating.” 



“But there is controversy regarding the preceding million years, and various hypotheses have been put forward to explain why early humans began using fire. In this study, we sought to explore a new perspective on the issue.”



Ben-Dor emphasized that early humans didn’t use fire on a regular basis. “At a number of early sites there are clear signs that fire was used, but without burnt bones or evidence of meat roasting," he said. 



The researchers suggest that ancient people needed a compelling, energy-efficient reason to invest time and effort in maintaining a fire.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-patterns-across-ancient-sites"><a></a>Patterns across ancient sites</h2>



To support their theory, the researchers analyzed nine early sites - 1.8 million to 800,000 years old - with fire evidence. These sites span Africa, Israel, and Spain. The team also drew on ethnographic data from present-day <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-hunter-gatherer-ancestors-did-much-more-gathering-than-hunting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hunter-gatherers</a> to help interpret ancient behavior.



“We examined what the nine ancient sites had in common, and found that all contained large quantities of bones from large animals - mostly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-ancient-humans-hunted-elephants-with-stone-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">elephants</a>, but also hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, and others,” Ben-Dor said.



Previous studies show these animals were crucial for early human diets, supplying most of the necessary calories. "The meat and fat of a single elephant contain millions of calories, enough to feed a group of 20–30 people for a month or more,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fire-and-smoke-protects-food">Fire and smoke protects food</h2>



From this, the researchers concluded that early humans used fire to guard valuable meat from other animals and to prevent spoilage by smoking it.



“A hunted elephant or hippopotamus was thus a real treasure - a kind of meat and fat ‘bank’ that needed to be protected and preserved for many days, since it was coveted not only by predators but also by bacteria,” Ben-Dor said.



This dual use made fire-building worthwhile, even before it became a standard domestic tool, they argue. It also explains why some early sites have evidence of fire without signs of cooked meat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-wider-prehistoric-picture">A wider prehistoric picture</h2>



Barkai sees this idea as part of a larger shift in how we understand early human behavior. “In this study, we propose a new understanding of the factors that motivated early humans to begin using fire," he explained. "The need to safeguard large hunted animals from other predators, and to preserve the vast quantity of meat over time.”



“It is likely that once fire was produced for these purposes, it was also occasionally used for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-bedrock-can-tell-us-about-ancient-cooking-and-culture/">coo</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-bedrock-can-tell-us-about-ancient-cooking-and-culture/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">k</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-bedrock-can-tell-us-about-ancient-cooking-and-culture/">ing</a> - at zero marginal energetic cost. Such use may explain evidence of fish roasting from around 800,000 years ago at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov.”



The researchers' approach aligns with their broader theory that prehistoric hunting and consumption of large animals drove human evolution. When those large animals disappeared, humans adapted by exploiting smaller prey.



In this view, fire wasn’t simply a tool for comfort or cuisine. It was a strategic response to ecological and survival pressures - a way for early humans to make the most of their greatest food sources before those sources became scarce.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1585182/full">Fron</a><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1585182/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">t</a><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1585182/full">iers in Nutrition</a>.



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Early humans first used fire to preserve meat instead of cooking

A new study suggests that early humans may have used fire not primarily for cooking, but to protect their hard-earned meat from predators and preserve it through smoking and drying. This theory offers a fresh explanation for why fire was first adopted long before it became a common part of daily life. Researchers from Tel Aviv University argue that early humans, especially Homo erectus, likely used fire as a practical tool to guard and store large quantities of meat. Instead of cooking, fire may have served to...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> has revealed a link between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frequent-social-media-use-causes-depression-not-the-other-way-around/">social media</a> use and binge eating among preteens in the United States. The researchers found that children who engage in excessive screen time around age 10 have a higher risk of developing a binge-eating disorder one year later.

Binge-eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States. It is characterized by quickly consuming large quantities of food, a feeling of loss of control during the binge, and feeling shameful or guilty afterward. Binge-eating disorder can turn life-threatening when it causes heart disease or diabetes. 

According to the study, each additional hour of social media engagement was associated with a 62 percent increase in the odds that the child would be suffering from a binge-eating disorder a year later. Furthermore, each additional hour of television was linked to a 39 percent increase in the risk of a binge-eating disorder.

"Children may be more prone to overeating while distracted in front of screens. They may also be exposed to more food advertisements on television. Binge-watching television may lead to binge-eating behaviors because of overconsumption and a loss of control," said study lead author Dr. Jason Nagata.

The analysis was focused on data from 11,025 children between the ages of nine and 11 who are part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. 

The children reported on the time they spent in front of a screen watching television, using social media, or text messaging. In addition, parents answered questions about the children's binge-eating behaviors.

"Exposure to social media and unattainable body ideals may lead to a negative body image and subsequent binge eating," said study senior author Dr. Kyle T. Ganson."This study emphasizes the need for more research on how screen time impacts the well-being of young people now and in the future."

The study findings are especially relevant during the pandemic. "With remote learning, the cancellation of youth sports, and social isolation, children are currently exposed to unprecedented levels of screen time," said Dr. Nagata.

"Although screen time can have important benefits such as education and socialization during the pandemic, parents should try to mitigate risks from excessive screen time such as binge eating. Parents should regularly talk to their children about screen-time usage and develop a family media use plan."

The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1098108x">International Journal of Eating Disorders</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Social media use linked to binge eating among preteens

A new study from the University of Toronto has revealed...

Older women who eat more plant protein lower their risk of premature <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-in-five-premature-deaths-tied-to-fossil-fuel-pollution/">death</a> from all causes, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a>. The researchers found that substituting nuts for red meat, eggs, or dairy products was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes by up to 47 percent, depending on the type of protein that is replaced.

In particular, plant-based proteins substantially lowered the odds of developing fatal cardiovascular disease and dementia.

"Our findings support the need to consider dietary protein sources in future dietary guidelines," said study lead author Dr. Wei Bao. "Current dietary guidelines mainly focus on the total amount of protein, and our findings show that there may be different health influences associated with different types of protein foods."

Previous studies have indicated that there is a link between diets high in red meat and cardiovascular disease, but the data is sparse and inconclusive about specific types of proteins, explained the researchers.

The current investigation was focused on data from more than 100,000 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79 who participated in the national Women's Health Initiative study, which ran from 1993 to 1998. The women were then followed up with over the next two decades. 

The participants had initially completed questionnaires about their diets, including how often they ate eggs, dairy, poultry, red meat, and fish. They also documented the amount of plant proteins they consumed, such as tofu, nuts, beans, and peas. 

The researchers analyzed the amount and type of protein that the women consumed, and then divided them into groups based on who ate the most or least of each protein. 

The study revealed that women with the highest amount of plant protein intake had a nine percent lower risk of death from all causes, a 12 percent lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease, and a 21 percent lower risk of dementia-related death.

In addition, high consumption of processed red meat was associated with a 20 percent greater risk of dying from dementia.

Women who ate more eggs had a 24 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and those who consumed the most dairy products had an 11 percent higher risk. The participants who reported consuming high levels of eggs also had a 10 percent higher risk of death due to cancer, but a 14 percent lower risk of death from dementia. In addition, higher poultry consumption was associated with a 15 percent lower risk of dementia.

"It is unclear in our study why eggs were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular and cancer death," said Dr. Bao. "It might be related to the way people cook and eat eggs. Eggs can be boiled, scrambled, poached, baked, basted, fried, shirred, coddled or pickled or in combinations with other foods."

"In the United States, people usually eat eggs in the form of fried eggs and often with other foods such as bacon. Although we have carefully accounted for many potential confounding factors in the analysis, it is still difficult to completely tease out whether eggs, other foods usually consumed with eggs, or even non-dietary factors related to egg consumption, may lead to the increased risk of cardiovascular and cancer death."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha">Journal of the American Heart Association</a>.

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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

Plant protein lowers risk of premature death by up to 47 percent

Older women who eat more plant protein lower their risk...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a> have narrowed down the "perfect bedtime routine" for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-help-children-improve-their-confidence-and-social-skills/">children</a> between the ages of two and eight. The psychologists defined the ideal bedtime by scoring different routines and activities over the course of a week. 

The study showed that a combination of activities like brushing teeth or reading a bedtime story are the most essential, but talking to children is also helpful.

The researchers assigned scores to various bedtime activities, such as 35 points for brushing teeth and 20 points for going to bed at a consistent time each night. The most effective routines were found to be those that scored more than 50 points.

Some of the other high-scoring nighttime activities include avoiding food, drinks, and screen time before bed.

According to the researchers, different combinations of methods work. They noted that once you have made a task part of your regular routine, but then fail to do it one night, the points associated with that task will be lost.

"Bedtime routines are important family activities and have important implications on children’s well-being, development and health," said study lead author Dr. George Kitsaras.

"Organizations as diverse as the Book Trust to the BBC and the NHS are all engaged in this debate - but up to now, there has been no real scientific consensus to inform them; we need untie the conflicting signals and messages parents receive."

"This lack of a clear consensus-based definition of limits health professionals' ability to communicate best practice effectively with families."

“This lack of a clear consensus-based definition of limits health professionals’ ability to communicate best practice effectively with families."

Dr. Kitsaras said that the new definition considers the parental stresses and difficulties that can arise at bedtime while incorporating best practice and available scientific advice. “This study for the first time provides that expert and scientific guidance.”

The list of core bedtime activities was compiled by 59 experts, including psychologists, dentists, and public health specialists.

“All activities around bedtime matter for children’s development and well-being. From the wide range of activities around bedtime, our experts considered toothbrushing to be the most important to remember each night," said Dr. Kitsaras.

“There are strong links between inadequate oral hygiene practices and dental decay in children and adults. For children, early childhood caries can lead to higher occurrence of dental disease in later life and, in some cases, untreated childhood caries can lead to extractions under general anaesthetic causing additional problems for children and parents."

“Washing or having a shower each night before bed, on the other hand might be a common practice for families but our experts considered it to be part of a wider umbrella of child-parent interactions rather than a standalone practice we need to specifically target."

“I have no doubt the debate will continue and our definition might even be refined as more people engage with it.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">Plos One</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The best bedtime routine for children has now been defined

Experts at the University of Manchester have narrowed down the...

Why are so many people addicted to social media? A new study from <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">NYU</a> is helping to explain why social media tends to dominate people's lives. The researchers discovered that our efforts to maximize "likes" and other forms of online approval follows a pattern of reward <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/writing-by-hand-boosts-learning-and-memory/">learning</a> - a type of learning that is motivated and reinforced by payoffs.

According to the study authors, social media use parallels the behavior of animals seeking food rewards.

"These results establish that social media engagement follows basic, cross-species principles of reward learning," explained study co-author Professor David Amodio.

"These findings may help us understand why social media comes to dominate daily life for many people and provide clues, borrowed from research on reward learning and addiction, to how troubling online engagement may be addressed."

Many people refer to social media use as being addictive. People are so driven to pursue positive feedback online that they are often neglecting direct social interaction and even basic needs like eating and drinking.

In 2020, more than four billion people spent an average of several hours per day on internet platforms including Facebook,  Instagram, and Twitter. 

The researchers said that while social media use has been studied extensively, what actually drives people to engage, sometimes obsessively,  is less clear. To investigate, the experts analyzed whether social media use can be explained by the way our minds process and learn from rewards.

The study was focused on more than one million social media posts from over 4,000 users. The researchers found that people post more frequently in response to a high rate of likes and less frequently when they receive fewer likes.

By analyzing this pattern with computational models, the team confirmed that it closely follows the known mechanisms of reward learning. In particular, social media engagement appears to be driven by similar principles that lead animals to maximize their food rewards

"Our findings can help lead to a better understanding of why social media dominates so many people's daily lives and can also provide leads for ways of tackling excessive online behavior," said study lead author Dr. Björn Lindström.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why are so many people addicted to social media?

Why are so many people addicted to social media? A...

Light activity such as gardening or walking can protect mobility among <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-control-in-childhood-linked-to-slower-aging/">aging</a> adults without the need for intense exercise, according to a new study from <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">UC San Diego</a>. 

One out of every four women over the age of 65 will develop what is known as mobility disability. This condition is characterized by the inability to walk two blocks or climb a flight of stairs. 

Mobility disability is the leading type of physical impairment in the United States and a key contributor to a person's loss of independence. 

In the current study, the experts found evidence that light-intensity physical activity, including shopping or a leisurely stroll, may protect mobility in older women. 

The researchers determined that women who did not have a mobility disability at the start of the research, and who spent the most amount of time doing light-intensity activities, were 40 percent less likely to lose their mobility over the next six years.

"Older adults who want to maintain their mobility should know that all movement, not just moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, counts," said study senior author Dr. Andrea LaCroix. "We found that, among older women, light-intensity physical activity preserves mobility later in life."

The analysis was focused on 5,735 women over the age of 63 who participated in the Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health study. 

The women had worn a research-grade activity tracker for seven days, which revealed that the average time spent in light physical activity was 4.8 hours per day.

The experts determined that women who spent the most time performing light-intensity physical activity had a 46 percent lower risk of mobility disability compared to women who participated in lower levels of physical activity. The effects were found regardless of whether the individuals were obese, but the benefit was strongest among women with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 30.

"Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is increasingly more difficult to perform as people age," said study co-author Dr. John Bellettiere. "Considering the aging population in the United States, these findings could have major impacts on public health recommendations, putting more focus on the importance of light physical activity to improve the health and well-being of older women. Doing so may help women maintain mobility and independence as they age."

According to the study authors, the data suggests that light activity is likely important for maintaining mobility, which is essential for healthy aging. Older adults with mobility disability experience more hospitalizations and spend more on health care, and women are disproportionately affected. 

"The highest levels of light-intensity physical activity are unnecessary. After five hours of activity, we observed no further increase in benefit," said study first author Nicole Glass.

"In addition, our results showed that light-intensity physical activity was associated with preserved mobility regardless of the amount of higher-intensity physical activities, such as brisk walking, jogging or running, the women engaged in. So whether you exercise or not, higher light-intensity physical activity is healthy."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gardening and walking help prevent mobility disability

Light activity such as gardening or walking can protect mobility...

Nature has a powerful influence on our psychological health and coping skills, even during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/second-wave-of-covid-19-pandemic-was-driven-by-the-weather/">pandemic</a>, according to a new study from the <a href="https://uconn.edu/">University of Connecticut</a>. 

Previous studies have confirmed a link between nature and a greater sense of well-being. The results of the current study also suggest that feeling connected with nature can protect against the detrimental mental health effects of traumatic events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Thinking about the natural world in an interconnected and harmonious way corresponds to improved psychological health, no matter where you are," said study lead author Professor Brian W. Haas.

The researchers conducted surveys in America and Japan to measure how much the pandemic impacted the participants' lives. The surveys were also designed to gauge the current psychological health and coping skills of the respondents, as well as how they viewed nature. 

More specifically, the experts set out to analyze whether the individuals were in tune or connected with the natural world or if they had a worldview of "mastery over nature" - the belief that people have the ability to control the natural world. 

The participants also reported on their stress levels and if the pandemic had affected them personally, including their employment or finances.

The analysis revealed that individuals who felt harmonious and connected with nature were coping better with the pandemic in both Japan and the United States.

"Clearly there's great need for study as relates to the pandemic, not just now during COVID, but also of previous pandemics and for possible future pandemics," said study co-author Professor Fumiko Hoeft.

"I feel like this is a really great lesson, and a moment for us to really appreciate that things like our relationship with nature do matter and make an impact on more tangible things, like our mental health, which we often forget."

When looking at individuals with a mastery-over-nature worldview, the researchers noticed cultural differences in coping skills.

"We found that the Americans who believed that humans are, and should be, the masters of the natural world did not tend to cope well during the pandemic, while this was not the case in Japan," said Professor Haas.

The experts propose the difference may be rooted in the concept of naïve dialecticism - the acceptance or tolerance of contradiction.

"In other cultures outside of the United States, people tend to be more comfortable with contradiction; in other cultures, it is generally more accepted to possess conflicting ideas within your mind at the same time. But in the United States, it's not. We can apply this concept to nature and the current global pandemic," said Professor Haas.

"For instance, if I hold a view that I am the master of the natural world, and then a global pandemic happens, this is a clear natural disaster. If I believe that I am the master of the natural world, then surely I would never allow a natural disaster to happen. These concepts are inconsistent with one another, and a consequence of inconsistency is often negative mood."

The study authors said that, in an increasingly virtual and technology driven world, taking a moment to appreciate nature has clear benefits regardless of where you live.

"In Japanese, there's this word called 'forest-bathing,'" said Professor Hoeft. "It's basically when you go out into nature, and enjoy being surrounded by trees. It's usually for forests, but you go walking and it's supposed to refresh you."

"People often talk about how they went out 'forest bathing.' I love thinking about these kinds of old phrases - do they have some real impact or real scientific background in the end? And I think this is one of them where this really does have a connection. There is some scientific truth behind this."

"Think about taking a step away from Zoom for a moment and taking a walk and listening to the birds chirp," said Professor Haas. "I mean, just the benefit of that, and understanding that we have a role in this natural world, and we're part of it. I think that's really intuitive and it's obvious, but I think it's also really, really important. 

We're showing very convincingly with empirical data that, during a very difficult time like we are in now, that it's important to do these things to maintain your psychological health."

While the research was focused on just two cultures, Professor Haas believes other cultures would also demonstrate a similar association between nature and good mental health. He predicts that it's likely a universal phenomenon.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/personality-and-individual-differences">Personality and Individual Differences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People who are connected with nature have better coping skills

Nature has a powerful influence on our psychological health and...

In a new study from <a href="https://ok.ubc.ca/">UBC Okanagan</a>, experts have found that dogs can improve social skills and confidence in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-how-children-are-protected-from-severe-covid-19/">children</a> while helping them enjoy learning. The researchers observed children as they engaged in a social skill-training program with therapy dogs.

 "Dog lovers often have an assumption that canine-assisted interventions are going to be effective because other people are going to love dogs," said study lead author Nicole Harris. "While we do frequently see children improve in therapy dog programs, we didn't have data to support that they enjoyed the time as well."

Over six weeks, the children were accompanied by therapy dogs as they completed a series of sessions to help them build their social skills. The training sessions were focused on a new skill each week, such as how to give directions to others.

The children would first practice the skills with their therapy dog before running through the exercise with the rest of the group. 

"Therapy dogs are often able to reach children and facilitate their growth in surprising ways. We saw evidence of this in the social skills of children when they were paired with a therapy dog," said study co-author Dr. John-Tyler Binfet. 

"The dogs helped create a non-threatening climate while the children were learning these new skills. We saw the children practice and hone their social skills with and alongside the dogs."

As the children practiced and learned their new social skills, the research team documented their behavior and responses.

"Findings from our observations suggested that canine-assisted social and emotional learning initiatives can provide unique advantages," said Harris. "Our team saw that by interacting with the therapy dogs, the children's moods improved and their engagement in their lessons increased."

Overall, 87 percent of the team rated the children as being very engaged or extremely engaged during the sessions.

At the end of the training, Harris interviewed some of the children who regularly attended the sessions. Each child reported that the program was enjoyable and positive, and said the dogs were a meaningful part of the experience.

According to the researchers, the children behaved better at the sessions than at their regular after-school care program. They attributed this improvement in behavior to the fact that the children liked being around the dogs. Half of the children even mentioned ways the dogs had helped with their emotional well-being.

Harris, who is an elementary school teacher, noted that schools have become increasingly important in helping students develop social and emotional skills, and this research could contribute to the development of future school-based or after-school programs.

"Dogs have the ability to provide many stress-reducing and confidence-boosting benefits to children. It was really heartwarming to see the impact the program had on the kids."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujrc20">Journal of Research in Childhood Education</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dogs help children improve their confidence and social skills

In a new study from UBC Okanagan, experts have found...

Irregular sleep patterns are linked to a higher chance of mood swings and depression, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.uofmhealth.org/">Michigan Medicine</a>. 

The researchers found that over the long term, variation in sleep and wake cycles increase the risk of depression just as much as sleep deprivation or staying up late most nights.

The experts report that even in short term, people who have an irregular sleep schedule from day to day can experience just as bad of a mood as those who stayed up extra late the night before.

The study was focused on data from direct measurements of the sleep and mood of more than 2,100 first-year medical residents over the course of one year.

The interns all experienced long, intense work days with work schedules that changed from day to day. These irregular schedules altered their ability to have regular sleep patterns.

The study participants wore activity trackers, self-reported on their daily mood on a smartphone app, and were assessed using quarterly tests for depressive symptoms.

The study revealed that individuals with variable sleep schedules were more likely to score higher on standardized depression symptom questionnaires and to have lower daily mood ratings. 

"The advanced wearable technology allows us to study the behavioral and physiological factors of mental health, including sleep, at a much larger scale and more accurately than before, opening up an exciting field for us to explore," said study lead author Dr. Yu Fang, a research specialist at the Michigan Neuroscience Institute. 

"Our findings aim not only to guide self-management on sleep habits but also to inform institutional scheduling structures."

Dr. Cathy Goldstein pointed out that wearable devices that estimate sleep are now being used by millions of people, including the Fitbit devices used in the study.

"These devices, for the first time, allow us to record sleep over extensive time periods without effort on behalf of the user," said Dr. Goldstein. "We still have questions surrounding the accuracy of the sleep predictions consumer trackers make, though initial work suggests similar performance to clinical and research grade actigraphy devices which are cleared by the FDA."

According to Dr. Srijan Sen, the new findings build on what his team's work has already shown about high risk of depression among new physicians, and other underlying factors that as associated with a heightened risk.

"These findings highlight sleep consistency as an underappreciated factor to target in depression and wellness. The work also underscores the potential of wearable devices in understanding important constructs relevant to health that we previously could not study at scale."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/npjdigitalmed/">npj Digital Medicine</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Irregular sleep linked to depression and mood issues

Irregular sleep patterns are linked to a higher chance of...

For people living in urban areas, ditching the car on the daily commute just once per week can significantly lower their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warming-of-2c-would-unleash-230-billions-tons-of-soil-carbon/">carbon</a> footprint. Experts at <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> report that "active travel," such as walking and cycling, can help tackle the climate crisis.

The researchers found that shifting to active travel could save as much as a quarter of personal carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from transport.

The study is the first of its kind to investigate the carbon-reducing impact of city-based lifestyle changes. The results suggest that increases in active mobility can even lower carbon footprints in European cities that already have a substantial number of people that walk and cycle.

"Our findings suggest that, even if not all car trips could be substituted by bicycle trips, the potential for decreasing emissions is huge," said study co-author Dr. Audrey de Nazelle.

"This is one more piece of evidence on the multiple benefits of active travel, alongside our previous studies showing cycling is the best way to get around cities for both physical and mental health, and that promoting cycling helps tackle obesity. This should encourage different sectors to work together to create desirable futures from multiple health, environmental and social perspectives."

The study was focused on nearly 2,000 people in seven European cities. The team collected data on the participants' daily travel behavior, as well as information on the location of their homes and work spaces.

The experts used statistical modeling to analyze how changes in the mode of daily travel may influence traffic-related CO2 emissions.

"We found that those who switch just one trip per day from car driving to cycling reduce their carbon footprint by about 0.5 tons over a year, representing a substantial share of average per capita CO2 emissions," explained study lead author Dr. Christian Brand from the University of Oxford.

"If just 10% of the population were to change travel behaviour, the emissions savings would be around 4% of lifecycle CO2 emissions from all car travel."

The study revealed that individuals who already cycled had 84 percent lower CO2 emissions from all daily travel compared to non-cyclists. The greatest benefits of switching to active modes of transport were for business travel, followed by leisure trips and commuting to work or place of study. 

"A typical response to the climate crisis is to 'do something', such as planting more trees, or switching to electric vehicles. While these are important and effective, they are neither sufficient nor fast enough to meet our ambitious climate targets," said Dr. Brand.

"Doing more of a good thing combined with doing less of a bad thing - and doing it now - is much more compliant with a 'net zero' pathway and preserving our planet's and our own futures. Switching from car to active mobility is one thing to do, which would make a real difference, and we show here how good this can be in cities."

According to the researchers, this will not only be good for the climate, but also for reducing social inequalities and improving public health and quality of life in urban areas. 

"To improve active travel take-up, cities across the world will need to increase investment in high-quality infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists and incorporate policy and planning concepts that require a fairly radical rethink of our cities," said Dr. de Nazelle.

"This is in turn likely to reduce inequalities, because the concepts involve mixing different population groups rather than maintaining the model of residential zoning by socioeconomic status currently used."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/global-environmental-change">Global Environmental Change</a>.

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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

Active travel can greatly reduce CO2 emissions in the city

For people living in urban areas, ditching the car on...

The COVID-19 pandemic presented scientists with a unique opportunity to study traffic-related air pollution. Experts at the <a href="https://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a> have found that dramaticdeclines in traffic during <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urgent-wake-up-call-climate-change-linked-to-covid-19/">COVID-19</a> lockdowns improved air quality in some states, but was not enough to offset industrial sources of atmospheric pollution in others. 

The findings suggest that while decreasing the number of vehicles on the road is a good first step toward cleaner air, additional measures aimed at coal plants and factories must also be considered.

Study lead author Yasin Elshorbany is an assistant professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Change at USF's St. Petersburg campus. Professor Elshorbany is working with a multidisciplinary team of experts to examine the key environmental impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns. 

The goal of the research is to gain a better understanding of the health and socioeconomic consequences of changes in air quality.

For the current investigation, Professor Elshorbany analyzed the impact of the pandemic on air quality by using remote sensors that measured different elements in the air, such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and aerosol particles. The study was study on states with high traffic volume, including New York, Illinois, Florida, California, and Texas.

According to the study, vehicle volumes dropped by 40 to 60 percent across the United States shortly after the pandemic was declared.

&nbsp;

The results showed a in air quality in regions

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There were significant air quality improvements in regions where traffic is the main pollution source, such as in New York City and the state of Florida. However, industrial emissions and other sources of pollution dominated other areas, including Chicago and Charleston, West Virginia, where air quality actually worsened during lockdowns. 

"This shows that in certain states, in addition to traffic regulations we need to focus on other big pollution problems, such as industrial emissions in Illinois, wildfires in California or oil refineries in Texas," said Professor Elshorbany.

The researchers were interested in evaluating the extent of air quality improvements during the lockdown, considering that recent environmental regulations related to tailpipe pollution were already leading to cleaner air in the United States.

"With the advancements in technology and the use of catalysts in cars over the past few decades, air quality has improved in the U.S.," said Professor Elshorbany. "This has resulted in traffic not serving as the main pollutant in most of the country."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing">Remote Sensing</a>.

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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

Lockdowns improved air quality in some states, but not others

The COVID-19 pandemic presented scientists with a unique opportunity to...

Energy drinks may contribute to potentially serious <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-and-caffeine-linked-to-lower-risk-of-heart-failure/">heart</a> conditions, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a>. The researchers have discovered that energy drinks can cause negative impacts to the muscle cells of the heart.

The researchers observed the responses of human heart cells grown in a laboratory, or cardiomyocytes, after they were exposed to 17 widely available over-the-counter brands of energy drinks. The cells showed an increased beat rate, as well as other factors that affect cardiac function.

When it comes to the human body, energy drinks have been linked to a disease of the heart muscle which makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood known as cardiomyopathy. These drinks are also associated with increased blood pressure, improper beating of the heart, and other potentially dangerous conditions.

With the global sales of energy drinks estimated at $53 billion in 2018 and rapidly growing, it is important to understand the unintended health consequences associated with these beverages, explained study lead author Dr. Ivan Rusyn.

"Because the consumption of these beverages is not regulated and they are widely accessible over the counter to all age groups, the potential for adverse health effects of these products is a subject of concern and needed research," said Dr. Rusyn. 

"Indeed, the consumption of energy drinks has been associated with a wide range of adverse health effects in humans, many of them are concerning the effects on the heart."

By using mathematical models, the experts were able to identify which specific ingredients contributed to the adverse effects observed on the treated cardiomyocytes. They noted the presence of theophylline, adenine, and azelate, which are substances that can have negative effects on the heart.

"Little is known about the ingredients that may contribute to the adverse effects of energy drinks on the heart," said Dr. Rusyn. "Specifically, the evidence for cardiovascular effects from studies in humans remains inconclusive, as the controlled clinical trials were largely limited in the number of participants. They were tested only a limited number of energy drink types, and are difficult to compare directly, because they employed different methods to evaluate the function of the cardiovascular system."

Further research is needed to analyze the ingredients identified to ensure the safety of their consumption, particularly among people with pre-existing health conditions.

"This study shows that some of the tested energy drinks may have effects on human cardiomyocytes, and these data corroborate other studies in humans," said Dr. Rusyn. "Therefore, we hope that the consumers will carefully weigh the performance-enhancing benefits of these beverages versus the emerging data that suggests that they may have real adverse effects.

"We also hope that the Food and Drug Administration takes a closer look at whether these beverages may need to be carefully reviewed with respect to possible labeling of their adverse health effects, and whether certain age groups and susceptible sub-populations should be advised against consumption of these beverages."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/food-and-chemical-toxicology">Food and Chemical Toxicology</a>.

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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

Energy drinks can cause serious heart conditions

Energy drinks may contribute to potentially serious heart conditions, according...

Three large studies published by the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> have produced evidence that drinking coffee on a daily basis reduces the risk of heart failure. In the United States, the top causes of death from heart disease are heart failure, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mosquito-borne-viruses-can-trigger-a-stroke/">stroke</a>, and coronary artery disease.

"While smoking, age and high blood pressure are among the most well-known heart disease risk factors, unidentified risk factors for heart disease remain," explained study senior author Dr. David P. Kao.

"The risks and benefits of drinking coffee have been topics of ongoing scientific interest due to the popularity and frequency of consumption worldwide," said Dr. Linda Van Horn. "Studies reporting associations with outcomes remain relatively limited due to inconsistencies in diet assessment and analytical methodologies, as well as inherent problems with self-reported dietary intake."

To analyze the health outcomes of drinking caffeinated coffee, the researchers categorized consumption as 0 cups per day, 1 cup per day, 2 cups per day and 3 cups per day. They used machine learning to analyze data from the Framingham Heart Study, and then compared those findings to data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study and the Cardiovascular Health Study for confirmation.

The studies collectively involved more than 21,000 participants who were followed for at least 10 years. The analysis revealed that drinking one or more cups of caffeinated coffee was associated with a decreased long-term heart failure risk.

In the Framingham Heart and the Cardiovascular Health studies, the risk of heart failure decreased by up to 12 percent per cup per day of coffee, over the course of decades.

While the risk of heart failure was not reduced with just one cup of coffee in the third study, people who drank at least two cups of coffee per day had a 30 percent lower risk of heart failure.

Drinking decaffeinated coffee was found to have no association with heart failure risk in one of the investigations, yet was found to increase this risk in another dataset. Upon further investigation, the researchers found that caffeine consumption from any source was linked with decreased heart failure risk. They determined that caffeine was at least partially responsible for the apparent benefit from drinking more coffee.

"The association between caffeine and heart failure risk reduction was surprising. Coffee and caffeine are often considered by the general population to be 'bad' for the heart because people associate them with palpitations, high blood pressure, etc. The consistent relationship between increasing caffeine consumption and decreasing heart failure risk turns that assumption on its head," said Dr. Kao. 

"However, there is not yet enough clear evidence to recommend increasing coffee consumption to decrease risk of heart disease with the same strength and certainty as stopping smoking, losing weight or exercising."

The American Heart Association warns that popular coffee-based drinks such as lattes are often high in calories, added sugar and fat. Furthermore, despite its benefits, caffeine can be dangerous when consumed in excess. 

"While unable to prove causality, it is intriguing that these three studies suggest that drinking coffee is associated with a decreased risk of heart failure and that coffee can be part of a healthy dietary pattern if consumed plain, without added sugar and high fat dairy products such as cream," said Dr. Penny M. Kris-Etherton.

"The bottom line: enjoy coffee in moderation as part of an overall heart-healthy dietary pattern that meets recommendations for fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat/non-fat dairy products, and that also is low in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars. Also, it is important to be mindful that caffeine is a stimulant and consuming too much may be problematic - causing jitteriness and sleep problems."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/circheartfailure">Circulation: Heart Failure</a>.

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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

&nbsp;

Coffee and caffeine linked to lower risk of heart failure

Three large studies published by the American Heart Association have...

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?

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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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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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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

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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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