Your skin protects you from things like dirt, germs, and other harmful things in the environment. But because it’s always exposed, it also gets hit with things like sunlight and UV rays, which can lead to sunburn, long-term skin damage, or even cancer.



We've long believed that stepping out into the sun requires ample sunscreen slathering, shade-seeking, and hat-wearing, especially between the peak hours of 12 noon and 3 p.m.



However, researchers at the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Copenhagen</a> and <a href="https://www.ntu.edu.sg/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nanyang Technological University</a> (NTU Singapore) have made surprising new strides in our understanding of sunburn.



As it turns out, the DNA damage we've always associated with sunburn might not be the complete story.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-rna-and-sunburn-damage">DNA, RNA, and sunburn damage</h2>



When it comes to sunburn, the prevailing wisdom suggests that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-can-now-collect-human-dna-from-water-air-and-basically-everywhere/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DNA</a> damage triggers inflammation and subsequent cell death.



However, this recent research suggests that the real offender might be <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rna-world-unraveling-mysteries-life-origin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RNA</a>, not DNA. 



"Sunburn damages the DNA, leading to cell death and inflammation. So the textbooks say," stated assistant professor Anna Constance Vind from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the <a href="https://researchprofiles.ku.dk/en/organisations/institut-for-cellul%C3%A6r-og-molekyl%C3%A6r-medicin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Copenhagen</a>. 



"But in this study we were surprised to learn that this is a result of damage to the RNA, not the DNA that causes the acute effects of sunburn." 



But what's the difference between DNA and RNA? While they share similarities, the two aren't interchangeable. 



DNA is a more consistent molecule, whereas RNA is more transitory. 



A particular type of RNA, messenger RNA (mRNA), carries information from DNA to create proteins - the fundamental building blocks of cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-rna-the-basics">Understanding RNA -- the basics</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rna-world-unraveling-mysteries-life-origin/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RNA, or ribonucleic acid</a>, is like the cell’s versatile messenger, playing several key roles in keeping our bodies running smoothly. 



Unlike DNA, which holds the long-term genetic blueprint, RNA is more dynamic and can move around the cell to help build proteins.



RNA essentially acts as the bridge between our genetic code and the actual production of the proteins that do all the work in our cells.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-we-fix-faulty-genes-before-birth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mRNA</a>, or messenger RNA, is a special type of RNA that has gained a lot of attention, especially with the development of mRNA vaccines. 



mRNA carries the instructions from DNA out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm, where proteins are made. 



Think of mRNA as a temporary copy of a specific gene that tells the cell exactly which protein to produce and when. This makes mRNA incredibly important for everything from growth and repair to responding to infections.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mrna-and-ultraviolet-rays">mRNA and ultraviolet rays</h2>



The importance of mRNA in our body's response to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-does-skin-become-leathery-after-too-much-uv-light-from-sun-exposure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UV radiation</a> can't be understated. 



"DNA damage is serious as the mutations will get passed down to progenies of the cells, RNA damage happens all the time and does not cause permanent mutations," Vind explained. 



"Therefore, we used to believe that the RNA is less important, as long as the DNA is intact. But in fact, damages to the RNA are the first to trigger a response to UV radiation."



Investigating more deeply into the matter was no small task.



The researchers embarked on a study involving both mice and human skin cells to better understand the consequences of UV radiation on the skin. They discovered a consistent response in both species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zak-alpha-and-sunburn-damage">ZAK-alpha and sunburn damage</h2>



RNA damage activates a response in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-the-cellular-mortality-timer-that-dictates-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ribosomes</a> (protein complexes that interpret the mRNA to assemble proteins).



This process is managed by a protein known as ZAK-alpha, which triggers what is referred to as the "ribotoxic stress response."



Think of it like a vigilant watchman, always on the lookout for RNA damage. When it detects any, it won't hesitate to call for backup.



"We found that the first thing the cells respond to after being exposed to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-sunbathing-help-you-lose-weight-uv-radiation-triggers-fat-burning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UV radiation</a> is damage to the RNA, and that this is what triggers cell death and inflammation of the skin," explained Professor Simon Bekker-Jensen, who was also from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine.



In mice exposed to UV radiation we found responses such as inflammation and cell death, but when we removed the ZAK gene, these responses disappeared, which means that ZAK plays a key role in the skin's response to UV-induced damage.



"So you could say that everything depends on this one response, which monitors all protein translations occurring,” Bekker-Jensen elaborated.



“The cells respond to the RNA damage, realizing that something is wrong, and this is what leads to&nbsp;cell death.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-paradigm-shift">Paradigm shift</h2>



The study's findings question our long-held beliefs about sunburn and how our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/skins-secret-strength-shields-against-puncture-damage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">skin</a> safeguards itself. 



It suggests that RNA damage sparks a quicker, more efficient response, which safeguards the skin from additional harm.



"The fact that the DNA does not control the skin's initial response to UV radiation, but that something else does and that it does so more effectively and more quickly, is quite the paradigm shift," reflected Vind.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/sunburn-study_graphical-illustration_credit-Molecular-Cell-Journal_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/sunburn-study_graphical-illustration_credit-Molecular-Cell-Journal_1s.webp" alt="Using ZAK knockout mice, we here show that it is the RSR that is responsible for the early manifestation of UVB-induced skin inflammation and keratinocyte death and subsequent proliferation in vivo. We also show that the RSR controls both p38-mediated pyroptotic and JNK-mediated apoptotic programmed cell death of human keratinocytes in vitro. In sum, our work highlights that skin cells rely on a cytoplasmic and ribosomal stress signal rather than a nuclear and DNA-templated signal for rapid inflammatory responses to UV exposure. Credit: Molecular Cell Journal" class="wp-image-1971003"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Using ZAK knockout mice, we here show that it is the RSR that is responsible for the early manifestation of UVB-induced skin inflammation and keratinocyte death and subsequent proliferation in vivo. We also show that the RSR controls both p38-mediated pyroptotic and JNK-mediated apoptotic programmed cell death of human keratinocytes in vitro. In sum, our work highlights that skin cells rely on a cytoplasmic and ribosomal stress signal rather than a nuclear and DNA-templated signal for rapid inflammatory responses to UV exposure. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Molecular Cell Journal</figcaption></figure>



Knowing how our skin reacts to UV damage at a cellular level could potentially transform prevention and treatment approaches to sunburn and other inflammatory skin conditions.



"Many inflammatory skin diseases are worsened by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/many-parents-are-not-using-sunscreen-properly/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sun exposure</a>. Thus, understanding how our skin responds at the cellular level to UV damage opens the door to innovative treatments for certain chronic skin conditions," explained Dr. Franklin Zhong, Nanyang assistant professor at NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and a co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rewriting-the-textbooks">Rewriting the textbooks</h2>



In closing, it seems now is the time to revise our textbooks and rethink how we perceive the effects of UV radiation on our skin. 



"This new knowledge turns things upside down. I think most people associate sunburn with DNA damage; it is established knowledge," Professor Simon Bekker-Jensen concluded. 



"But now we need to rewrite the textbooks, and it will affect future research on the effects of UV radiation on the skin."



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1097276524008840" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Molecular Cell</a>.



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Main cause of sunburn is finally identified, and it's not what we've been told

Your skin protects you from things like dirt, germs, and other harmful things in the environment. But because it’s always exposed, it also gets hit with things like sunlight and UV rays, which can lead to sunburn, long-term skin damage, or even cancer. We've long believed that stepping out into the sun requires ample sunscreen slathering, shade-seeking, and hat-wearing, especially between the peak hours of 12 noon and 3 p.m. However, researchers at the University of Copenhagen and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) have made surprising new...

As <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nature-boosts-health-well-being/">interacting with nature</a> becomes more professionally recognized way to improve several mental health disorders, an international team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> and <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> have created a framework for how city planners worldwide can begin incorporating nature into their policies and plans to improve the mental wellbeing of their residents.

"Thinking about the direct mental health benefits that nature contact provides is important to take into account when planning how to conserve nature and integrate it into our cities," said lead author Greg Bratman, an assistant professor at the <a href="https://sefs.uw.edu/">UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences</a>. "The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual model of one way we can start to think about doing this."

Two dozen leading experts in natural, social, and health sciences came together on this study, published in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>. They first had to agree on the fact that nature can positively impact cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and other aspects of mental health.

"In hundreds of studies, nature experience is associated with increased happiness, social engagement, and manageability of life tasks, and decreased mental distress," said senior author Gretchen Daily, faculty director at the <a href="https://naturalcapitalproject.stanford.edu/">Stanford Natural Capital Project.</a> "In addition, nature experience is linked to improved cognitive functioning, memory and attention, imagination and creativity, and children's school performance. These links span many dimensions of human experience, and include a greater sense of meaning and purpose in life."

The experts also agreed that, because of urban growth, opportunity for nature experiences are on the decline.

"For millennia, many different cultures, traditions, and religious and spiritual practices have spoken directly to our deep relationship with nature,” Bratman said. “And more recently, using other sets of tools from psychology, public health, landscape architecture and medicine, evidence has been steadily gathering in this emerging, interdisciplinary field.”

As of right now, many city plans work greenspace into their framework in order to improve air quality and reduce urban heat island effects, as well as give people the opportunity to stay active with parks and walking trails. However, mental health has yet to be taken into consideration in many city planning situations.

"We have entered the urban century, with two-thirds of humanity projected to be living in cities by 2050. At the same time, there is an awakening underway today, to the many values of nature and the risks and costs of its loss," Daily said. "This new work can help inform investments in livability and sustainability of the world's cities."

The framework the experts came up with includes four steps for planners to consider: nature elements included in a project, no matter how small or large; the amount of contact people will have with nature; how people interact with nature; and how people could benefit from those interactions, based on modern scientific evidence.

"If the evidence shows that nature contact helps to buffer against negative impacts from other environmental predictors of health, then access to these landscapes can be considered a matter of environmental justice,” Bratman said. “We hope this framework will contribute to this discussion.”

"Eventually,” he added, “it could be developed and potentially used to help address health disparities in underserved communities."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Spectral-Design

How city planners can maximize the mental health benefits of nature

As interacting with nature becomes more professionally recognized way to...

Wheat is among the world’s most important crops, as the flour generated from grinding wheat is a major ingredient in foods that are consumed all over the world – such as pasta, bread, and pastries. Because it’s such a key part of keeping people around the world properly fed, scientists have been trying to figure out how wheat crops will be affected by the consequences of climate change. 

With atmospheric <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/co2-levels-highest-ever/">carbon dioxide</a> (CO2) levels rising, experts predict increased droughts and hotter temperatures. And while these factors could negatively impact plants’ growth, increased CO2 availability may actually be helpful to plant growth, as it’s used by plants to make food through photosynthesis. 

A recent report in <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">ACS' </a><a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/jafcau">Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry </a>indicates that significantly higher CO2 levels could increase wheat yield but may decrease nutritional quality. While previous research had shown that elevated CO2 could increase wheat yield but decreased nitrogen and protein content, scientists did not know the full range of grain quality changes that occur at different stages of wheat development, or the biochemical mechanisms behind them.

In this new research, Iker Aranjuelo and colleagues analyzed the effects of CO2 on wheat yield, quality, and metabolism during grain formation and at maturity. Their study involved growing wheat in greenhouses at normal (400 parts per million (ppm)) or elevated (700 ppm) CO2 concentrations.

Results showed that wheat grown under elevated CO2 concentrations had a 104% higher yield of mature grain. However, the nitrogen content of the grain was 0.5% lower, and there were small declines in both protein content and free amino acids. Further analysis showed that increased CO2 levels affected the amount of nitrogen-containing amino acids during grain formation and at maturity. 

The researchers believe that – while the metabolic changes they found had modest impacts on final grain quality – these effects may be amplified as a result of other changes in a plant’s environment. While further research is needed, this research shows that with climate change, changes that may initially seem beneficial can also have consequences.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rising CO2 levels may mean a higher wheat yield with lower nutritional quality

Wheat is among the world’s most important crops, as the...

In a new study published by <a href="https://www.obesity.org/">The Obesity Society</a>, researchers are describing how strategies such as eating earlier in the day can help people lose weight by curbing their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/disadvantaged-stimulate-appetite/">appetite</a>. The experts also found evidence that intermittent fasting may boost fat-burning levels during a 24-hour period.

Study lead author Dr. Courtney M. Peterson is an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the <a href="https://www.uab.edu/home/">University of Alabama at Birmingham</a>. "We suspect that a majority of people may find meal timing strategies helpful for losing weight or to maintain their weight since these strategies naturally appear to curb appetite, which may help people eat less," said Dr. Peterson. 

The investigation was focused on healthy adults between the ages of 20 and 45 who had excess weight. The individuals selected for the study fell within a specific range for body weight and body mass index, and also had a regular bedtime between 9:30 p.m. and midnight. 

The participants were introduced to Early Time-Restricted Feeding (eTRF), which is a form of daily intermittent fasting where dinner is eaten in the afternoon. As a control, there was another phase of the trial during which the individuals ate three meals across a 12-hour period with breakfast at 8:00 a.m. and dinner at 8:00 p.m. 

On both schedules, the same types of foods were consumed for four consecutive days. The participants experienced 12 hours of fasting per day during the control schedule, while the eTRF schedule involved fasting for 18 hours per day.

The appetite levels of participants were measured every three hours while they were awake, and hunger hormones were evaluated in the morning and evening. In addition, on the final day of each routine, the participants were placed in a respiratory chamber where researchers measured their metabolism rates and how many calories, carbohydrates, fat, and protein were burned. 

While eTRF did not substantially influence how many calories were burned, this strategy was found to lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, improve some aspects of appetite, and increase fat burning over the course of a 24-hour day.

Professor Hollie Raynor of UT Knoxville, who was not involved in the research, pointed out that the study "helps provide more information about how patterns of eating, and not just what you eat, may be important for achieving a healthy weight."

Study co-author Dr. Eric Ravussin is the director of the Nutritional Obesity Research Center at Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

"Coordinating meals with circadian rhythms, or your body's internal clock, may be a powerful strategy for reducing appetite and improving metabolic health," said Dr. Ravussin.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1930739x">Obesity</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: RossHelen/Shutterstock

Structured meal timing can boost fat burning and decrease appetite

In a new study published by The Obesity Society, researchers...

According to a new study published by the <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>, mental health issues have significantly increased among young adults in the United States over the past decade. However, no corresponding trend was found among older adults.

Study lead author Dr. Jean Twenge is a professor of Psychology at <a href="https://www.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State University</a>.

“More U.S. adolescents and young adults in the late 2010s, versus the mid-2000s, experienced serious psychological distress, major depression or suicidal thoughts, and more attempted suicide,” said Dr. Twenge. “These trends are weak or non-existent among adults 26 years and over, suggesting a generational shift in mood disorders instead of an overall increase across all ages.”

The investigation was focused on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a survey that has tracked mental health issues in individuals over age 12 since 1971. The researchers analyzed survey responses from more than 200,000 adolescents and almost 400,000 adults.

The rate of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/teens-self-harm-violent-crimes/">adolescents</a> reporting symptoms of major depression increased by 52 percent from 2005 to 2017. Among young adults between 18 and 25, major depressive symptoms increased by 63 percent and reports of psychological distress increased by 71 percent.

In addition, the rate of young adults with suicidal thoughts or other suicide-related outcomes increased by 47 percent. On the other hand, depression and psychological distress did not increase among older adults. 

“Cultural trends in the last 10 years may have had a larger effect on mood disorders and suicide-related outcomes among younger generations compared with older generations,” said Dr. Twenge. She believes this trend may be partially due to increased use of digital media and electronic communication, which could have changed modes of social interaction enough to affect mood disorders.

Dr. Twenge explained that the increase in digital media use may have had a bigger impact on teens and young adults because older adults' social lives are more stable and have changed less than teens' social lives have in the last ten years. 

“These results suggest a need for more research to understand how digital communication versus face-to-face social interaction influences mood disorders and suicide-related outcomes and to develop specialized interventions for younger age groups,” she said.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/abn/">Journal of Abnormal Psychology</a>.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mental health issues have increased substantially among young adults

According to a new study published by the American Psychological...

The majority of people admit to lying to their doctor. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah Health and Middlesex Community College</a> have found that the majority of patients hold back information from their doctors that could be important to their health. According to a national online survey, 60 to 80 percent of respondents lied to their doctors at some point about various aspects of their daily routine, such as diet and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-help-drug-addicts/">exercise</a>. 

When asked why they were not honest with their doctors, most of the participants reported that they were afraid of being judged and did not want to be lectured about how bad certain behaviors were. More than half of the respondents said they were simply too embarrassed to tell the truth.

“Most people want their doctor to think highly of them,” said study senior author Dr. Angela Fagerlin. “They're worried about being pigeonholed as someone who doesn't make good decisions.”

In addition to stretching the truth about diet and exercise, more than a third of the participants said that they did not speak up when they disagreed with their doctor's recommendation. Many of the respondents also reported that they failed to admit when they did not understand the instructions given by their doctor. 

Young females who self-reported as being in poor health were found to be the most likely group to omit medically relevant information in their doctor's office. 

“I'm surprised that such a substantial number of people chose to withhold relatively benign information, and that they would admit to it,” said study first author Dr. Andrea Gurmankin Levy. “We also have to consider the interesting limitation that survey participants might have withheld information about what they withheld, which would mean that our study has underestimated how prevalent this phenomenon is.”


It is impossible for doctors to give the most accurate medical advice when patients are holding back all the facts. 

“If patients are withholding information about what they're eating, or whether they are taking their medication, it can have significant implications for their health. Especially if they have a chronic illness,” said Dr. Levy.

According to Dr. Fagerlin, it is possible that patients are not the only ones to blame.

“How providers are communicating in certain situations may cause patients to be hesitant to open up. This raises the question, is there a way to train clinicians to help their patients feel more comfortable?”

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

The majority of people admit to lying to their doctor

The majority of people admit to lying to their doctor....

An intriguing new study has revealed that some of the oldest cave paintings in existence are not simply pictures of wild animals, as they appear to be. Experts have determined that the animals are actually symbols that represent star constellations, which demonstrates that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/stone-tools-ancient-humans/">ancient people</a> had a much more advanced concept of astrology than previously realized.

The analysis of cave paintings located at sites across Europe has revealed that they were used to represent dates and mark events such as comet strikes. As far back as 40,000 years ago, humans were already keeping track of time using knowledge about how the positions of the stars shifted over thousands of years. 

The study findings suggest that ancient people understood an effect caused by the gradual shift of Earth's rotational axis known as precession of the equinoxes. This discovery has long been attributed to the ancient Greeks.


According to the research, people could define dates to within 250 years around the time that Neanderthals became extinct, and possibly even before people settled in Western Europe.

When the team examined artwork featuring animal symbols at cave sites in Turkey, Spain, France, and Germany, they discovered that all of the sites used the same method of date-keeping based on sophisticated astronomy, even though the paintings were separated in time by tens of thousands of years.

Even the world's oldest sculpture from 38,000 BC, the Lion-Man of Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave, was found to conform to this ancient time-keeping system.

Dr. Martin Sweatman of the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a>'s School of Engineering is the lead author of the study. 

“Early cave art shows that people had advanced knowledge of the night sky within the last ice age. Intellectually, they were hardly any different to us today,” said Dr. Sweatnam. “These findings support a theory of multiple comet impacts over the course of human development, and will probably revolutionise how prehistoric populations are seen.”

This study is published in the <a href="https://www.athensjournals.gr/ajhis">Athens Journal of History</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: PA

Oldest known cave paintings show ancient people kept track of time

An intriguing new study has revealed that some of the...

Increases in global temperatures due to climate change are putting more and more people at risk of heat stress and disease, according to a new report. 

Older adults, people living in cities, and people with non-communicable diseases are the most vulnerable to heat-related deaths. 

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate is an annual report published by the Lancet journal. Researchers from 27 academic institutions contributed to the report which examines major indicators of climate change like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heatwaves-severe-frequent/">extreme heat waves</a>, food security, and air pollution. 

The report also takes into account mitigation efforts and how governments and health agencies are responding to climate change related issues. 

Even though global temperatures only increased by 0.3 degrees Celsius between 1986 and 2017, overall people were exposed to rising temperatures nearly double the global average. 

The report identified a rising trend in heat-related labor capacity and an increase in populations vulnerable to heat exposure. 

“Present day changes in heat waves and labour capacity provide early warning of the compounded and overwhelming impact on public health that is expected if temperatures continue to rise,” said Hilary Graham, an author of the report. “Trends in the impacts of climate change, exposures and vulnerabilities show unacceptably high risk for health now and in the future. The lack of progress in reducing emissions and building adaptive capacity threatens lives and health systems and must be addressed to avoid disruption to core public health infrastructure and overwhelming health services.”

According to the report, vulnerable populations include adults over the age of 65, city residents, and people cardiovascular and respiratory disease. 

Vulnerable populations are more at risk of heat-related death during extreme weather events, and in 2017, over 157 million vulnerable people were exposed to heatwaves compared to 18 million in the year prior. 

Vulnerable populations are only increasing worldwide as the report found 42 percent of Europeans and 43 percents of people from the eastern Mediterranean are susceptible to heat exposure. 

The report also found that increases in temperature are negatively impacting the workforce as extreme temperatures make fore hostile working conditions. In 2017, 153 billion labor hours were lost due to climate change-related increases in temperatures and heat waves. 

The agricultural industry has witnessed the biggest loss in work hours. 

“Vulnerability to extreme heat has steadily increased around the world since 1990,” said Joacim Rocklöv, a researcher for the report. “This has led to vast losses for national economies and household budgets. At a time when national health budgets and health services face a growing epidemic of lifestyle diseases, continued delay in unlocking the potential health benefits of climate change mitigation is short-sighted and damaging for human health.” 

The report also revealed that rising temperatures and changes in precipitation are increasing the spread of water and mosquito-borne diseases around the world. 

Despite these risks and the growing number of people vulnerable to heat-stress and death, climate change is currently moving faster than any plan or action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

The number of people vulnerable to heat stress is growing worldwide

Increases in global temperatures due to climate change are putting...

Why our skin loses fat and immunity during aging. A team of researchers from the <a href="https://medschool.ucsd.edu/Pages/default.aspx">University of California San Diego School of Medicine</a> have identified how dermal fibroblasts develop into fat cells and why they stop doing so as people <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/endurance-training-anti-aging/">age</a>. Dermal fibroblasts are cells within our skin that generate connective tissue necessary for injury recovery, and produce fats that give us a youthful appearance while fighting off infections.

"We have discovered how the skin loses the ability to form fat during aging," said the study’s senior author, Richard Gallo, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "Loss of the ability of fibroblasts to convert into fat affects how the skin fights infections and will influence how the skin looks during aging." Why our skin loses fat and immunity during aging

The team’s study, published December 26th in <a href="https://www.cell.com/immunity/home">Immunity,</a> reveals that a protein called transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) thwarts the process of fibroblasts converting into fat cells. Furthermore, it prevents the cells from producing the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin, which is an infection-fighting peptide. Researchers were able to use chemical blockers to inhibit the TGF-β pathway in mice, thus causing the mice’s skin to revert back to a younger appearance and function. The same occured when the team inhibited the pathway via genetic alterations. 

"Babies have a lot of this type of fat under the skin, making their skin inherently good at fighting some types of infections,” Gallo said. “Aged dermal fibroblasts lose this ability and the capacity to form fat under the skin. Skin with a layer of fat under it looks more youthful. When we age, the appearance of the skin has a lot to do with the loss of fat."

A better understanding of fibroblasts and their relationship with aging could lead to the ability to fight skin infections like Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a pathogenic bacteria that is the largest cause of major skin and heart infections and is a huge player in the worsening of diseases like eczema, and MRSA, which commonly causes infection-related death.

The team hopes to begin studying infant immune systems to gain a firmer grasp of fibroblast development.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why our skin loses fat and immunity during aging

Why our skin loses fat and immunity during aging. A...

Consumers have proven that they are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmentally-responsible-foods-class/">willing to pay more for better goods</a>, whether it’s fair trade coffee, non-GMO canned items, or organic produce. Whole Foods created a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkirsch/2017/06/16/heres-how-much-john-mackey-whole-foods-cofounder-and-ceo-is-worth/#104bde2b432f">13 billion dollar empire </a>on the promise of providing natural food items not available at regular grocery stores. 

Now, a new study has found that increasing the cost of cocoa could help eliminate child labor from cocoa farms in Ghana, but it would fall on the consumer to pay the premiums. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.uark.edu/">University of Arkansas</a> and <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/">Kansas State University</a>, and published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217230">PLOS ONE.</a>

Even though child labor is illegal in Ghana, these laws are rarely enforced. For many small-plot farms, families need their children to work in order to make enough money to get by. 

In 2015, a little less than 40 percent of children employed in the cocoa-sector were involved in hazardous work, and children often forgo schooling in order to work. 

The researchers used data from a review of agricultural policy in Ghana to develop a new economic model that calculates the cost increases that would reduce or eliminate child labor from cocoa farms. 

The model works under the assumption that an increase in cocoa would provide enough compensation for families without added child labor. 

An increase of 2.8 percent in cocoa would eliminate the very worst forms of child labor the model showed, but eliminating child labor altogether would require a 46.96 percent increase. 

An 11.81 percent increase would reduce child labor and eliminate the very worst of it, and the researchers say that the <a href="https://www.cocobod.gh/">Cocoa Marketing Board in Ghana</a> should promote a similar kind of compensation for cocao farms. 

The researchers did not look into if the price increases would be received favorably by consumers.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: BOULENGER Xavier/Shutterstock

Consumers could reduce cocoa farm child labor if they’re willing to pay more

Consumers have proven that they are willing to pay more...

The US is lagging behind China, Brazil, and the European Union in banning harmful pesticides, according to new research. 

There have been many studies and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jury-orders-bayer-to-pay-80-million-in-roundup-cancer-lawsuit/">lawsuits</a> showing that pesticides negatively impact the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticide-exposure-impairs-flight-bees/">environment </a>and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticides-farmers-lose-smell/">human health</a>. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/">Center for Biological Diversity</a> reviewed pesticide cancellations and approved pesticides in the US, Brazil, China, and the EU to see how the United States compared to other countries in harmful pesticide approval and use. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal<a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-019-0488-0"> Environmental Health</a>. 

“The USA is generally regarded as being highly regulated and having protective pesticide safeguards in place,” said Nathan Donley, the lead author of the study. “This study contradicts that narrative and finds that in fact, in the last couple of decades, nearly all pesticide cancellations in the USA have been done voluntarily by the pesticide industry.”

Donley discovered that 72 pesticides banned or in the process of being phased out in the EU are approved for use in the US. 

In Brazil, 17 banned or phased out pesticides are still approved in the US, and in China, Donley found that 11 banned pesticides are still used in the United States. 

Out of 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides sprayed on crops and other landscapes in the US, 322 million pounds came from pesticides banned in the EU, 40 million pounds belonged to pesticides prohibited in China, and 26 million pounds were from pesticides banned in Brazil. 

Overall, Donley calculated that more than ten percent of the total pesticides used in the US come from pesticides that are banned or being phased out in all three of the regions studied. 

When it came to cancellations and environmental protection regulations, the study showed that the majority of banned pesticides in the US were done so voluntarily. 

Of the 134 pesticides that were canceled since 1970, 97 were canceled by the company or group that had first registered the pesticide. 

The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) canceled 37 pesticides since 1970.

Voluntary cancellations have increased over the years, but EPA cancellations have dropped significantly. 

“These findings suggest that the USA utilizes voluntary, industry-initiated cancellation as the primary method of prohibiting pesticides, which is different from the non-voluntary, regulator-initiated cancellations/bans that are predominant in the EU, Brazil and China,” said Donley. 

Unless more is done by the EPA to ban harmful pesticides, not only can we expect to see an increase in lawsuits related to dangerous pesticide use but also habitat and biodiversity declines. 

“Without a change in the US Environmental Protection Agency's current reliance on voluntary mechanisms for cancellations, the USA will likely continue to lag behind its peers in banning harmful pesticides,” said Donley.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Fotokostic

The US continues to use harmful pesticides that are banned in other countries

The US is lagging behind China, Brazil, and the European...

Yoga reduces pain and depression for those battling arthritis. A new study has revealed that eight weeks of practicing yoga can significantly decrease symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Intensive yoga practice not only reduced pain among study participants, but also reduced the symptoms of depression that are associated with the condition. The findings demonstrate that yoga has preventive, curative, and rehabilitative potential for RA patients.

Millions of people suffer from RA, a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that causes debilitating pain in the joints. The research, which was conducted by the <a href="https://www.aiims.edu/">All India Institute of Medical Sciences</a> in New Delhi, showed that RA patients lowered levels of inflammatory biomarkers in their blood by practicing yoga. 

“Our findings show measurable improvements for the patients in the test group, suggesting an immune-regulatory role of yoga practice in the treatment of RA,” said study lead author Dr. Rima Dada. “An intensive yoga regimen concurrent with routine drug therapy induced molecular remission and re-established immunological tolerance. In addition, it reduced the severity of depression by promoting neuroplasticity.”

Dr. Dada noted that high disease activity and underlying depression are associated with increased disability, reduced quality of life, and minimized rates of treatment response. 

While previous studies have found a link between <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/yoga-music-bedtime-anxiety-heart/">yoga</a> and improved RA symptoms, this study is the first to examine the potential for yoga to reduce inflammation. The research was focused on 72 RA sufferers who were split into two groups: those who practiced yoga while taking conventional medication or those who took the medication without any yoga training. 

To test for inflammatory markers, the researchers collected blood samples from the participants before and after the trial. The team also measured disease severity by assessing pain and swelling in the joints. 


The results showed that the group of participants who engaged in yoga practice had significantly lower levels of inflammatory markers and less pain compared to the group who did not practice yoga. 

Intense yoga practice was also associated with reduced depression, which often makes patients noncompliant with treatment. When their mental health was improved, patients were more willing to take their RA medication as prescribed and performed everyday tasks with less discomfort. 

“Our results provide evidence that yoga positively modifies the pathobiology of autoimmunity at cellular and molecular levels by targeting mind-body communications,” said Dr. Dada.

“Further research is needed for the exploration of possible mechanisms underlying the cumulative effect of yoga on multiple pathways at a cellular level.”

“Yoga facilitates the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms mediated through a variety of downstream pathways and bring about natural immunological tolerance.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.iospress.nl/journal/restorative-neurology-and-neuroscience/">Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience</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

Yoga reduces pain and depression for those battling arthritis

Yoga reduces pain and depression for those battling arthritis. A...

There is a growing collection of evidence that Neanderthals were the first to embrace the concept of “home,” according to a report in <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. The new picture that is emerging of our closest extinct relatives suggests that they were much more civilized than what was previously thought. 

Matt Pope, an archaeologist at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>, told New Scientist: “We take for granted that early humans had a home, an address, but it wasn’t always with us. It’s something we evolved.” Pope suggests that the invention of home was a critical step for humans because it changed the way we thought and interacted with each other. 

In Europe, the transition into homes took place long before modern humans arrived from Africa 45,000 years ago. The move into homes may have been a necessity not only to get out of the cold but also for safety. 

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/neanderthal-tools-hunt-distance/">Neanderthals</a> learned how to control fire about 500,000 years ago, which gave them the opportunity to move inside. At the site of Tor Faraj in southern Jordan, which dates back 70,000 years, stones and wood had been piled up for windbreaks inside of the shelter. By 10,000 years later, there is evidence that windbreaks were being built out in the open using wood and animal bones. 

A research team including María Gema Chacón from the Catalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution explored a rock shelter near Barcelona called Abric Romaní to understand how Neanderthals organized their homes. The shelter was occupied on and off for at least 70,000 years, until about 40,000 years ago, by families of 10 to 20 people.

The well-preserved site has one particular level, which dates back 58,000 years, that contains more than 40 hearths. “My students go down there and they’re amazed,” Chacón told New Scientist. “You can still smell the roasted deer.”

According to New Scientist, Neanderthals were quite sophisticated when it came to cooking. There is evidence to suggest they boiled bones to extract nutrients, used wild herbs to season their meat, and were sometimes even vegetarians. Our ancient relatives also socialized and kept medicine to treat wounds and care for each other.

It is not yet clear whether Neanderthals were the first to invent homes, and there is evidence that Homo sapiens were building shelters and inhabiting similar rock dwellings during this same time. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Neanderthals may have been the first to embrace the concept of home

There is a growing collection of evidence that Neanderthals were...

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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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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

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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

[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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