A walk in the forest often brings peace, calm, and a deep sense of renewal. From ancient times to modern therapy practices, forests have stood as symbols of balance and healing. But not all forests heal equally. 



As cities grow and public health concerns rise, scientists are uncovering how the design and structure of forests matter. The health benefits we get from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cities-in-the-global-south-have-far-less-green-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">green spaces</a>, especially forests, depend not just on their presence, but on what they are made of.



A new study from the University of Surrey and the <a href="https://www.ugent.be/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Ghent</a> sheds light on this. Working with partners across Europe, the research team explored how specific features of forests influence human health. 



The findings mark a major step in understanding the complex links between ecological structure and wellbeing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forest-traits-and-human-health-benefits">Forest traits and human health benefits </h2>



The study, which is part of the larger Dr. Forest research project, included 164 forests across five European countries. The researchers focused on seven ecological characteristics and their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-green-spaces-are-urgently-needed-across-the-global-south/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">influence</a> on various health outcomes.



The forests were not selected at random. They varied in structure, species mix, and density, allowing researchers to draw comparisons. This wide range of forest types provided a rare opportunity to explore how real-world differences affect human experiences and health.



The goal was not to judge forests as good or bad, but to understand how their differences shaped people’s health responses. What emerged was a nuanced view. Forests benefit health, but their structure can amplify or limit those effects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-tree-diversity">The power of tree diversity</h2>



One of the key traits studied was tree species diversity. The findings showed that more diverse forests offered modest but positive health <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-tree-layout-influences-human-health-and-mortality-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outcomes</a>. These effects were not dramatic, but they were consistent enough to support the idea that diversity is beneficial.



Tree diversity does not just matter for human health. It also supports broader biodiversity, helping insects, birds, and mammals thrive. This makes it a safe, low-risk strategy for forest managers aiming to enhance public health while improving ecosystem resilience.



More tree species create different textures, shapes, and colors, making forests more visually stimulating and ecologically stable. These aspects can subtly influence how people feel and behave when they visit such areas. 



While the direct health impacts may be limited, the indirect ones, through enhanced engagement and ecosystem strength, are valuable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-canopy-structure-a-major-influence">Canopy structure: A major influence</h2>



Among the ecological features studied, canopy structure had the strongest impact. Dense canopies reduce heat by offering shade and help regulate the forest's internal climate. They also provide larger leaf surfaces, which trap fine particulate matter and improve air quality.



These benefits are especially important in urban settings, where heatwaves and pollution are on the rise. In such contexts, a well-structured canopy becomes more than a luxury. It is a necessity. The cooling effect alone can reduce heat stress and the risk of heat-related illnesses.



Yet, there are trade-offs. Denser canopies create more humid conditions. While that is good for moisture-loving plants, it also creates ideal habitats for ticks, which carry Lyme disease. 



In addition, less sunlight reaches the forest floor. This limits the growth of medicinal plants, reducing some of the forest's potential healing properties.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-health-gains-beyond-structure">Mental health gains beyond structure</h2>



Perhaps the most consistent finding across the study was the benefit of simply being in a forest. Regardless of structure or biodiversity, spending time in a forest improved mental wellbeing. People reported lower anxiety and stress, along with more positive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprising-mental-health-benefits-of-living-near-green-spaces/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotions</a>.



What enhanced these effects was how natural and biodiverse the forest felt to the visitor. Forests that looked wild, vibrant, and untamed tended to offer more psychological relief. This suggests that human perception plays a key role in shaping forest-based experiences.



“Our study shows that forests generally provide a mental health benefit, reducing anxiety and stress, regardless of their biodiversity or structure. As one in six people in England experience anxiety and depression each week, this research suggests that simply being in a forest can improve mental health,” noted Dr. Melissa Marselle, a lecturer in environmental psychology at the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Surrey</a>.



“For the UK, this means preserving urban forests so people can easily access forests where they live, work and play for their mental wellbeing. Contact with forests could be prescribed by the NHS, as research shows that NHS nature prescriptions are effective at improving mental health.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-healthier-cities-with-forests">Designing healthier cities with forests </h2>



The study points to a pressing need in urban planning. It is not enough to plant trees and call it a forest. The structure, layout, and biodiversity of these spaces must be considered. Urban forests should reduce heat, absorb pollution, and offer mental rest.



This involves difficult trade-offs. Canopy density must balance between cooling the environment and letting in enough light. Species choices should consider both ecological function and visual appeal. Forests must feel natural to the human eye while also being safe and accessible.



Planners and health professionals can now use this evidence to shape better public spaces. Health services could integrate forest access into mental health treatments. Parks could be designed not just for recreation but also for healing. In a time when stress-related disorders are rising, these changes could make a meaningful difference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-are-essential-tools-for-public-health">Forests are essential tools for public health</h2>



This research redefines the role of forests. No longer just natural assets or scenic spots, they emerge as powerful contributors to public health. But their power lies in their details. Forests must be built, preserved, and managed with intention.



Tree diversity adds depth and life. Canopy structure shapes the microclimate and air. Visitor perceptions tie it all together. Forests that feel alive and balanced bring calm and strength to those who enter them.



Nature has always played a quiet role in healing. Now, with evidence in hand, we have the chance to shape that role more deliberately. Managed well, forests can support both ecosystems and the people who rely on them for peace and mental clarity.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01547-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Sustainability</a>.



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Forests provide different health benefits based on their structure

A walk in the forest often brings peace, calm, and a deep sense of renewal. From ancient times to modern therapy practices, forests have stood as symbols of balance and healing. But not all forests heal equally. As cities grow and public health concerns rise, scientists are uncovering how the design and structure of forests matter. The health benefits we get from green spaces, especially forests, depend not just on their presence, but on what they are made of. A new study from the University of Surrey...

Even if you’re good at math, you won’t get very far without <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/math-anxiety-students/">confidence in your numerical skills, </a>new research has found. 

Financial success and ability to deal with complicated health problems are both linked to being good at math, but only if those skills are paired with assuredness and confidence. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University </a>conducted two studies that found that lack of confidence is detrimental and essentially nullifies the advantages that come with being good at math. 

In one example, the researchers found that people who scored 100 percent on a math test and had high confidence in their abilities earned $94,000 more in annual income. 

“If you have low numeric confidence, all the math skills in the world appear not to help much,” said Ellen Peters, an author of the research. “We think that those who lack confidence don’t persist with the numbers when the going gets tough or tedious. As a result, their skills aren’t used.” 

Both studies used an objective test to assess math skills, and participants were given a questionnaire meant to measure confidence and self-assuredness in numerical ability. 

For the first study, which focused on financial success and math ability, self-reported financial outcomes from 4,572 Americans were reviewed and analyzed by the researchers. 

Financial outcomes included credit card debt, payday loans, and investments. The researchers found that numeric confidence and math ability were reliable predictors of financial success. 

In the second study, 91 patients who were in the middle of treatment for lupus, a chronic disease, were recruited for the research. 

The different medications given to lupus patients require a math-mindset as many have to be taken at specific times, and math skills can also help with finding insurance providers and sticking to healthy habits. 

The researchers found that for the 91 participants, there was a link between math skills, confidence, and disease activity like rashes. 

The patients that were both confident and objectively good at math were less likely to develop new disease activity compared to people who were not confident in their skills. 

Surprisingly, it was the participants that were highly confident in their math skills yet lacked the objective numerical ability that fared the worst in the studies. 

High confidence, low ability patients had a 44 percent chance of developing a rash or having seizures.  

“If you have low ability and high confidence, you may end up making mistakes that you don’t recognize. You’re not asking for help because you think you don’t need it, so you end up in worse shape,” said Peters. 

The study emphasizes a mismatch in math skills and confidence, and this gap can be harmful, both to health and financial security. 

In both studies combined, 18 to 20 of the participants showed high numerical ability, but low confidence and 12 to 13 percent were terrible at math but had high confidence.

The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/baranq

Why good math skills can be hindered by lack of confidence

Even if you’re good at math, you won’t get very...

Kids of anxious mothers are more likely to be hyperactive teens. A new study from researchers in the United Kingdom shows that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/environmental-exposures-blood-pressure/">children</a> of mothers who are anxious during pregnancy and during the first five years of their child’s life are twice a likely to express hyperactive symptoms at the age of 16.

The researchers studied more than 3,000 children involved in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), which is a long-term project allowing scientists to track how children’s health changes as they grow up. 

Although maternal anxiety, which can present itself as sweating, trembling, dizziness, and insomnia, can cause hyperactivity in adolescent children, it is only slightly linked to ADHD symptoms, such as inattention.

"This is the first time that a study has shown that anxiety is linked to a child's hyperactivity in later life but that inattention is not linked,” said study leader Dr. Blanca Bolea from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>, who is now Assistant Professor at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a>. “One interpretation is that some symptoms of ADHD are associated with the mother's anxiety, but not all of them. More broadly, it shows that the stresses a mother experiences can show up in her child nearly a generation later; it is worth noting that all the mothers reported an increase in anxiety during pregnancy.”

Over 8,700 mothers displayed anxiety symptoms throughout early pregnancy and their child’s first five years of life during the study period. Researchers were able to classify their anxiety levels into “high,” “medium,” and “low,” depending on how often mothers reported signs of physical anxiety.

When children of anxious mothers reached 8 years old, researchers analyzed how children performed attention tests and found that there was no difference between children in attention, no matter how anxious their mothers had been. But when a larger group of 3,199 children were tested at age 16, the researchers found a significant difference in hyperactivity symptoms depending on how anxious a mother had been during pregnancy and beyond.

Mothers who experienced medium to high levels of anxiety had children who were twice as likely to show symptoms of hyperactivity at age 16 than children from mothers with low anxiety.

“Around 28% of the women we tested showed medium or high anxiety,” Dr. Bolea said. “We controlled for hyperactivity in 3199 children in total, and found that 224 children showed signs of hyperactivity, with the rate of hyperactivity being more than doubled if the mother had suffered from medium or high anxiety.”

“This is an association, so we can't 100% say that anxiety symptoms in pregnancy and early life causes later hyperactivity, other genetic, biological or environmental effects may be at play,” she continued. “However, this idea is supported by studies in animals. We're not sure why this might happen. It could be that the children are responding to perceived anxiety in the mother, or it could be that there is some biological effect which causes this, for example stress hormones in the placenta having an effect on a developing brain.”

This work will be presented at the <a href="https://www.ecnp.eu/">European College of Neuropsychopharmacology</a> Congress in Copenhagen.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Antonio Guillem

Kids of anxious mothers are more likely to be hyperactive teens

Kids of anxious mothers are more likely to be hyperactive...

In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.srcd.org/">Society for Research in Child Development</a>, experts have found that children are taking notice of how adults face challenges and the amount of effort they are willing to put into reaching their goals. 

The research suggests that these actions, along with the words of encouragement adults may use, have a significant effect on persistence among <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/academic-skills-preschool-children/">children</a>. 

"Our work shows that young children pay attention to the successes and failures of the adults around them and, reasonably, don't persist long at tasks that adults themselves fail to achieve," said study lead author Julia A. Leonard of the University of Pennsylvania. "However, we found that when adults could complete a task successfully, speaking about the value of the effort and letting children see the hard work that went into achieving the goal, it encouraged persistence in children who were watching."

The investigation was focused on 520 children between the ages of four and five years old from a range of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. The researchers wanted to examine how their level of persistence may be affected by their observations of adults' actions, such as how much effort they put into a task and whether they succeeded or failed. 

The study authors also analyzed how persistence was affected by the words of adults. For example, before a child attempted a task, an adult may have said "This will be hard," or "You can do this." Adults may have also offered value statements, such as "Trying hard is important."

Persistence was measured based on how hard a child chose to work at the same task attempted by the adults, which was a task that was difficult and new to the children. The different scenarios presented to the children included: they heard adults' comments without seeing the tasks being executed, they observed an adult demonstrating either high or low effort at the task, or they watched as an adult succeeded or failed.

The study revealed that children worked harder at a task after they saw adults succeed compared to when they saw adults fail. In fact, an adult's efforts only affected a child's persistence when the task was successfully completed. Overall, the persistence of the children was found to be highest when adults exerted effort at their task, succeeded, and talked about the value of making that effort.

According to the study authors, the findings show that young children are attentively watching the adults around them and actively learning from their words, efforts, and outcomes to determine how hard they themselves should try at tasks. In order to encourage persistence in a child, adults should demonstrate how hard work leads to success through both actions and value statements. 

"Our study suggests that children are rational learners - they pay attention first and foremost to whether adults succeed at their goals," said study co-author Professor Laura Schulz. "But when adults succeed, children are also watching how hard adults try and what adults say about the value of effort."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/index.html">Child Development</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: Shutterstock/antoniodiaz

Children put more effort into reaching goals when adults set a good example

In a new study published by the Society for Research...

Staring down at your smartphone all day could cause neck and jaw pain, and women are especially at risk, according to a new study. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uark.edu/">University of Arkansas</a> found that because of the way women point their chin down to look at their devices, they may be likely to suffer neck pain. 

Men, who are taller than women on average, bend their neck in a different way which is better for the neck and joints. 

We spend around <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americans-half-day-screen/">half our day looking at screens</a>, including laptops, phones, and tablets. Research has found that our addiction to screens can negatively impact <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/technoference-smartphones-sleep-productivity/">health and wellbeing,</a> and personal electronic devices are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smartphone-manufacturing-brutal-environment/">draining natural resources</a>. 

One recent study even found that looking down at smartphones could be causing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/looking-down-phone-skull/">spikey bony growths </a>to grow from the back of our skulls. 

For this research, ten men and twelve women took part in the study and were X-rayed while holding a tablet in five positions. On average, the women in the study were around six inches shorter than the men and had to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/long-necked-reptiles-tanystropheus-were-easily-decapitated-by-dinosaur-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bend their necks</a> in more awkward positions. 

[caption id="attachment_1877585" align="aligncenter" width="631"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Ashley-N-Romero.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1877585" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Ashley-N-Romero.jpg" alt="" width="631" height="640" /></a> Image Credit: Ashley N Romero[/caption]

When looking straight ahead at the tablet or phone, there were no differences in posture between men and women, but the X-rays told a different story. 

The researchers identified differences between men and women in six vertebrae in the neck and 46 stress points in the jaw and face. These differences were apparent when the participants were sitting up straight, bent forward, or reclined back at 15 or 30 degrees. 

The women looked straight down at their devices, a position that could increase the risk of neck problems and jaw pain. 

Whether this position is just a natural reflex or dictated by height remains to be understood, and the researchers say that taller female participants may have led to different results. 

“Our advice to people in general would probably be to try to avoid spending hours looking down at a tablet or a mobile phone,” said Dr. Claire Terhune, a senior author of the study, “But the advice to women would be to be aware of their posture and try to put themselves in a better position if they are using a device.”

The researchers published their findings in the journal Clinical Anatomy.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/JKstock

Looking down at your phone can cause neck and jaw pain

Staring down at your smartphone all day could cause neck...

Antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs can alter gut contents. In a new study on rats, scientists found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antidepressants-waterways-marine-life/">antidepressants</a> and other psychiatric drugs can change the composition and quantity of gut bacteria. 

Now, the research team is carrying out a large-scale human observational study which will hopefully help them understand the specificity of psychoactive drug action and whether or not psychiatrists need to consider the effects of these drugs on the body before prescribing.

Within the first rat-based study, the researchers gave seven groups of eight rats normal or slightly raised levels of psychopharmaceuticals, including Lithium, valproate, Prozac (fluoxetine), and escitalopram. Then, after four weeks, the scientists studied the gut bacteria — the microbiome — to see if and how the drugs affected it.

"We found that certain drugs, including the mood stabiliser lithium and the antidepressant fluoxetine, influenced the composition and richness of the gut microbiota. Although some psychotropic drugs have been previously investigated in in vitro settings, this is the first evidence in an animal model,” said lead researcher Sofia Cussotto of the <a href="https://www.ucc.ie/en/">University College, Cork</a>.

The team saw that some drugs, like lithium and valproate, increased the number of certain bacteria in the gut, whereas other drugs, like escitalopram and fluoxetine, inhibited growth of bacterial isolated strains such as E.coli.

“Some studies have shown that depressed or schizophrenic patients can have altered microbiota composition, therefore psychotropic drugs might work on intestinal microbes as part of their mechanisms of action,” Cussotto said. “Of course, this has to be proved. Given that antidepressants, for example work on some people but not others, making an allowance for microbiome may change an individual's response to antidepressants.”

“On the other hand,” she continued, “microbiome-targeting effects might be responsible for the side effects associated with these medications. All these hypotheses have to be tested in preclinical models and in humans, and this is our next step.”

"These early data are intriguing, and worthy of further investigation,” added Professor Serguei Fetissov from <a href="https://rouenuniversity.univ-rouen.fr/">Rouen University, France</a>, who did not take part in the study. “At the moment it would be premature to ascribe a direct role of gut bacteria in the action of antidepressant drugs until this work can be reproduced in humans, which is what the authors now hope to do.” 

“The composition of gut microbiota is very sensitive to the metabolic processes of the body and can change naturally, through drug-induced metabolic shifts in the brain and other organs,” he continued. “Some of the changes reported here, for example increased Christensenella, can be indeed beneficial, but overall significance of drug-induced changes of bacterial composition on the metabolic and mental health needs further research.”

This work will be presented at the <a href="https://www.ecnp.eu/">European College of Neuropsychopharmacology</a> Conference in Copenhagen.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/fizkes

Antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs can alter gut contents

Antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs can alter gut contents. In...

If a driver is suspected of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, a quick breathalyzer test can measure blood alcohol concentration. But when it comes to driving under the influence of marijuana, testing for THC, a psychoactive compound in cannabis, is much more complicated.  

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.chem.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Chemistry</a> and the <a href="https://www.engineering.pitt.edu/">Swanson School of Engineering</a> have developed a breathalyzer device that can accurately measure marijuana influence.  

If further testing and research prove successful, the device could aid law enforcement officials and help states come up with better laws for driving while under the influence of marijuana. 

Currently, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-use-increased/">recreational marijuana is legal</a> in eleven states and Washington DC, while medical marijuana is legal in 33 states. 

It is possible to test for marijuana with current drug testing methods using blood, urine, or hair, but these tests can’t be used by police officers in the field. 

The researchers used machine learning and carbon nanotubes which are 100,000 times smaller than a strand of human hair to create a breathalyzer device that measures THC levels in the breath. 

 When a person under the influence of marijuana breathes into the device, THC molecules bind to the surface of the nanotubes and sensors then detect and measure the levels of THC. 

“The semiconductor carbon nanotubes that we are using weren’t available even a few years ago,” said Sean Hwang, lead author on a paper about the research. “We used machine learning to ‘teach’ the breathalyzer to recognize the presence of THC based on the electrical currents recovery time, even when there are other substances, like alcohol, present in the breath.”

The device looks like a typical breathalyzer that measures alcohol with a mouthpiece for and a digital display. 

The researchers tested the device in a lab setting, and the breathalyzer successfully measured THC levels when mixed with other breath components like CO2, water, and methanol. 

“Creating a prototype that would work in the field was a crucial step in making this technology applicable,” said Dr. Ervin Sejdic, a collaborator on the project. “It took a cross-disciplinary team to turn this idea into a usable device that’s vital for keeping the roads safe.” 

The researchers published their findings in the journal ACS Sensors and patented the device.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Craig F Scott

Developing a breathalyzer that can detect marijuana influence

If a driver is suspected of operating a vehicle while...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.med.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine</a> have found that wearable devices may not be enough to motivate people to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/daily-exercise-alzheimers-disease/">exercise</a>. In collaboration with a team at Deloitte Consulting LLP, the experts discovered that competition may be key in driving higher levels of physical activity.

"Gamification and wearable devices are used commonly in workplace wellness programs and by digital health applications, but there is an opportunity to improve their impact on health behaviors by better incorporating behavioral insights and social incentives," said Dr. Mitesh Patel. 

"We found that a behaviorally designed gamification program led to significant increases in physical activity compared to a control group that used wearable devices alone. During the nine-month trial, the average person in the competition arm walked about 100 miles more than the average person in control."

The research was focused on roughly 600 Deloitte employees from 40 states as they participated in a physical activity program. The individuals, who were all classified as obese or overweight, pursued daily step goals that were tracked by wearable devices. The participants were divided into four groups, including three groups that engaged in games and one control group that used only the activity tracker. 

The individuals who were assigned to gaming groups could achieve points and higher levels. The participants also signed a commitment contract, pledging to strive for their daily goals. The games were comprised of five levels, and each participant started in the middle to allow for progression or regression based on goal achievement. 

The gamer groups had different social dynamics: one was a support group that designated "sponsors" to provide weekly encouragement or motivation, the second was a collaboration group with members selected to earn points for the whole team, and the third was a competition group that  received weekly updates on their individual rankings compared to each other.

Over the course of six months, the competition group increased their physical activity by 920 steps per day more than the control group. The support and collaboration groups also had significant increases of 689 and 637 more steps per day, respectively. 

However, the competitive players were the only participants who seemed to experience lasting motivation. In the three months after the games ended, the competition group continued to walk an average of 569 more daily steps than the control group, while the other former gamers no longer showed significant gains in their activity levels. 

"Many wellness solutions and patient engagement applications are implemented without proper testing of whether or not they actually work," said Greg Szwartz with Deloitte Consulting LLP. "We partnered with the Penn Medicine Nudge Unit to conduct a rigorous clinical trial that would provide evidence on the most effective approach overall and how to tailor future interventions for each individual."

"Most interventions are designed as one-size-fits-all, in which a single intervention is deployed to a large population," said Dr. Patel. "Even if the program works on average, many participants may not benefit. Our next step will be to use data from this trial to develop behavioral profiles that could be used in the future to match the right intervention to the right person."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine">JAMA Internal Medicine</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: Shutterstock/nd3000

When it comes to tracking exercise, a little competition can go a long way

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have...

New research suggests that the positive aspects of childhood have a lasting effect on mental health and relationships, and may even outweigh the influence of difficulties in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/childhood-exposure-incarceration-depression/">childhood</a>. 

In a study led by <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/">Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</a>, researchers found that positive childhood experiences are linked to a lower risk of depression and poor mental health in adulthood. 

Positive dynamics such as supportive family interactions and community involvement were also associated with a better chance for healthy relationships later in life. Notably, these benefits were observed among individuals who also had a history of adverse childhood experiences.

Study lead author Dr. Christina Bethell is a professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health and the director of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative. 

Dr. Bethell explained that researchers have long known that adverse childhood experiences, such as physical or emotional abuse or neglect, substance abuse and mental health problems in the household, exposure to violence, parental incarceration or divorce, can have lifelong negative effects on physical and mental health.

However, some individuals with multiple adverse childhood experiences still manage to thrive as adults, while many people without negative childhood encounters have health issues associated with adverse experiences. This may be due to a lack of positive childhood dynamics, which have a major influence on health and well-being.

The current study was focused on data from the Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, which collects information from adults about health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and the use of preventive services. 

In 2015, the Wisconsin survey added seven questions related to positive childhood experiences, including whether the respondents: were able to talk with their families about their feelings, felt that their families stood by them during difficult times, enjoyed participating in community traditions, felt a sense of belonging in high school, felt supported by friends, had at least two non-parent adults who took genuine interest in them, and felt safe and protected by an adult in their home.

The survey participants also reported on adverse childhood experiences and answered questions about mental health, including depressive symptoms or the frequency of poor mental health days.

Dr. Bethell's team found a clear connection between positive childhood experiences and emotional health among the adult respondents. For example, individuals who reported six to seven positive childhood experiences were 72 percent less likely to suffer from depression or poor mental health compared to individuals who reported zero to two positive childhood experiences. In addition, those who reported three to five positive childhood experiences were 50 percent less prone to depression or poor mental health.

Positive aspects of childhood produced protective mental health benefits even when the participants reported multiple adverse encounters as children. Furthermore, adults with six to seven positive childhood experiences were almost four times more likely to report that they "always" get the emotional support they need as adults. 

"This study offers the hopeful possibility that children and adults can thrive despite their accumulation of negative childhood experiences," said Dr. Bethell. "People assume eliminating adversity automatically results in good health outcomes, but many people reporting lower adversity in childhood still had poorer mental and relational health outcomes if they did not also report having had positive childhood experiences."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics">JAMA Pediatrics</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: Shutterstock/Ruslan Huzau

Positive childhood experiences create lasting mental health benefits

New research suggests that the positive aspects of childhood have...

An international team of researchers has analyzed a vast collection of existing research on nutrients that are proven to assist in the management of mental health issues. Led by the <a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/nicm">NICM Health Research Institute</a> at Western Sydney University, the scientists used the "best of the best"evidence available to provide a clear overview of specific nutritional supplements and their benefits for various <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/living-alone-mental-disorders/">mental disorders</a>.

The researchers examined 33 meta-analyses of randomized control trials (RCTs) including data from nearly 11,000 people with conditions such as depression, stress and anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

While most of the nutritional supplements that were studied did not significantly improve mental health on their own, the team found clear evidence that certain nutrients can provide an effective supplemental treatment for mental disorders.

The strongest evidence was found for omega-3 supplements as an additional treatment for major depression. These supplements reduced the symptoms of depression more than the use of antidepressants alone. Furthermore, the research suggests that omega-3 supplements may have some benefits for ADHD.

The study revealed that special types of folate supplements may be effective as additional treatments for major depression and schizophrenia, yet these benefits were not observed with folic acid. The experts also found some indication that the amino acid N-acetylcysteine could be useful to help treat mood disorders and schizophrenia.

According to the researchers, there was a lack of evidence to support the use of vitamins E, C, or D, or minerals such as zinc and magnesium, for any mental disorder.

Study lead author Dr. Joseph Firth said the findings should be used to produce more evidence-based guidance on the use of nutrient-based treatments for various mental health conditions.

"While there has been a longstanding interest in the use of nutrient supplements in the treatment of mental illness, the topic is often quite polarizing, and surrounded by either over-hyped claims or undue cynicism," said Dr. Firth.

"In this most recent research, we have brought together the data from dozens and dozens of clinical trials conducted all over the world, in over 10,000 individuals treated for mental illness."

"This mass of data has allowed us to investigate the benefits and safety of various different nutrients for mental health conditions - on a larger scale than what has ever been possible before."

Senior study author Professor Jerome Sarris explained that as the role of nutrition in mental health is becoming increasingly acknowledged, it was vital that an evidence-based approach be adopted.

"Future research should aim to determine which individuals might benefit most from evidence-based supplements and to better understand the underlying mechanisms so we can adopt a targeted approach to supplement use in mental health treatment," said Professor Sarris.

"The role of the gut microbiome in mental health is a rapidly emerging field of research, however more research is needed into the role of 'psychobiotics' in mental health treatment."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/20515545">World Psychiatry</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: Shutterstock/Syda Productions

Which nutrients can help treat mental disorders effectively?

An international team of researchers has analyzed a vast collection...

The Philippines may be the next nation to grant rights to nature In the West, non-human animals, plants and inanimate things such as mountains and rivers have long been seen as intrinsically different from humans. This is partially due to religious tradition. The Bible seems pretty clear that humans are superior to animals and everything else on Earth in Genesis 1:26:

“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.””

Again in verse 28, God tells the new humans he created to “fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Many Christians interpret these passages and others in the Bible as blanket permission to treat animals in whatever way they feel like. The idea of humanity’s superiority was also influenced by Aristotle who felt humans but not animals had immortal souls. 

Later thinkers like French philosopher René Descartes believed that animals were unfeeling machines merely responding to their environment with the illusion of feeling pain or other cognitive features. Descartes even dissected a live, conscious dog and interpreted his yelps of pain as nothing more than an automated response. 

Other Christians have interpreted the Bible as instructing humans to take good care of non-human animals and other life, each deserving respect as fellow creations. In most of mainstream America, it seems that the prevalent thinking is to assume non-humans as lesser beings with fewer rights to a life of dignity. Although we have some <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/canada-protect-whales-dolphins-captivity/">anti-cruelty laws</a>, they don’t apply in many cases such as animals raised for food. 

In general, animals have relatively few rights. Other countries have started to forge a different way ahead, influenced by different thinking, to grant animals and nature rights not afforded in the US as we slowly move forward as well. 

The first anti-cruelty animal laws date back to Ashoka, a Buddhist emperor of India who ruled from circa 268 to 232 BCE, but that was more of a historical anomaly than a trend. Slowly, concerns for nature and non-human life have been revived in recent centuries and gained some support. During the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress held in Hawaii, members from over <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/10/natures-right-to-exist-gets-a-boost-from-key-organizations/">170 countries supported</a> the idea that nature has an inherent right to exist.

Individual countries have taken more substantial steps forward. In 2018, an <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/05/animals-accorded-rights-humans-indian-national-park/">Indian court ruled</a> that animals have rights like humans in the Indian state of Haryana. Previously, courts in India have declared rivers to have rights as well, a decision that was overturned. Rulings in 2014 and 2015 also gave animals in India constitutional rights as well as affirmed the right of birds to fly.

South American countries have also pioneered the idea of granting non-human animals rights. <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/sandra-the-orangutan-inside-argentina-zoo-granted-human-rights-in-landmark-ruling-9940202.html#r3z-addoor">In Argentina</a>, animal rights activists filed a habeas corpus petition, a document used to free people held in prison without good reason. The petition in this case was filed for a captive orangutan named Sandra who was held at the Buenos Aires zoo. In a 2014 court ruling, the judge found Sandra to be not a thing but instead a “non-human person” thus granting her basic rights. The decision allowed Sandra to be transferred from the zoo where she is said to have been treated poorly to an animal sanctuary. 

This was followed by a <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/argentina-judge-says-chimpanzee-poor-conditions-has-rights-and-should-be-freed-from-zoo-a7402606.html">similar court ruling</a> in Argentina that forced the release of a chimpanzee from a zoo where she was held alone to a wildlife sanctuary. A similar trial in the US ended with a captive chimpanzee being <a href="https://gizmodo.com/new-york-court-says-chimps-aren-t-people-but-it-s-not-h-1825886329">denied person status</a> under the law but the judge acknowledged the inadequacy of the law as well. Germany and New Zealand have meanwhile advanced their own legal recognition of non-human rights. 

Germany was the first country in the EU to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/jun/22/germany.animalwelfare">change its constitution</a> in 2002 to give non-human animals the right to have their dignity protected under law. 

New Zealand went even further. The Māori tribe of Whanganui traditionally consider the Whanganui River an ancestor and thus worthy of consideration as a person. In 2017, the status of the river as a person was legally recognized in New Zealand. The new law allows humans to act as legal guardians of the river and opens the door for legal redress previously not available to the body of water. The trend of allowing non-human animals and even physical features or ecosystems legal standing seems to have caught hold worldwide.

The Philippines may be the next country to grant some sort of legal standing to the non-human world. A coalition in the Philippines including a local arm of the Catholic Church is pushing for a new <a href="http://www.pmpi.org.ph/news-statements/environment/417-press-statement-pmpi-and-nassa-caritas-philippines-spearhead-filing-a-rights-of-nature-bill">“right of nature” bill</a>. 

If passed, the bill would be similar to other bills in that humans could act as guardians of non-humans and seek legal redress in courts based on rights given to non-humans. Catholic Church leaders have spoken up in support of the new bill, calling for people to live in communion with nature. The bill is still being drafted and hasn’t been submitted to Congress yet but it’s already creating a discussion about the place of nature in law. 

The Philippines bill drew inspiration from <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/10/natures-right-to-exist-gets-a-boost-from-key-organizations/">Ecuador and Bolivia</a>. In 2008, Ecuador became the first country to allow nature the constitutional right to thrive. In 2010 Bolivia passed the Law of the Rights of Mother Earth which granted Earth itself a legal personhood. 

Despite these laws, non-human nature is still not always treated with deep amounts of respect in Latin America or other parts of the world where it has legal standing. Pollution still occurs as does animal abuse and poaching. It could be that changing the law is a first step towards changing daily reality.                         

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Parmna

The Philippines may be the next nation to grant rights to nature

The Philippines may be the next nation to grant rights...

A new study from <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> has identified a link between behavior problems in childhood and the development of severe <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/insomnia-heart-failure-stroke/">insomnia</a> in adulthood. The research suggests that parents should be addressing behavioral issues early on, as well as establishing a consistent sleep schedule. 

Insomnia is a very common sleep disorder among adults, and is estimated to affect nearly one in three people. Chronic insomnia is known to increase the risk of mental and physical health issues and may lead to economic consequences when an individual's capacity to work suffers.

The Australian research team used data from a long-running population study to investigate a potential connection between childhood behavioral problems and insomnia in middle age. The United Kingdom 1970 Birth Cohort Study is a large-scale study of more than 16,000 babies born in a single week. 

The current investigation was focused on thousands of cohort participants aged 5, 10, and 16 years old, who were followed up on at age 42. For the UK study, externalized behavioral problems had been reported by parents, including disobedience, fighting, bullying, property damage, theft, and irritability.

Study senior author Robert Adams is a professor of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health (AISH).

"This study shows a consistent association of behavioral problems during childhood, particularly at ages 5 and 10 years, with insomnia symptoms in adulthood," said Professor Adams. "The findings suggest that early intervention to manage children's externalized behaviors, such as bullying, irritability or constant restlessness, may reduce the risk of adult insomnia."

"As well as identifying sleep problems early in life, we should also identify children with moderate to severe behavioral problems that persist through childhood as potential beneficiaries of early intervention with a sleep health focus."

Study lead author Dr. Yohannes Adama Melaku explained that the study is the first to highlight an unfavorable association between early-life behavioral problems in children and insomnia, as well as the first to address insomnia from a life-long perspective.

"Given the cost of sleep disorders, including insomnia, to every economy and society in the world, it's another important step towards managing this endemic problem in the community," said Dr. Melaku. 'This first study is important because we don't know exactly the childhood or early-life factors that potentially influence this outcome of insomnia and finding these connections could reduce sleep disorders in the future."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/">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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Brian A Jackson

Childhood behavioral problems linked to severe insomnia in adulthood

A new study from Flinders University has identified a link...

A year-long study of nine men hints at an intriguing possibility: someday, maybe even soon, there may be medications to slow or even reverse the aging process.

An international team of scientists set out to determine if they could affect study participants’ “biological age” by repairing the thymus, a lymphoid organ that plays a major role in the immune system.

They separated biological age – physical signs of aging on the human body – from chronological age – i.e., what you answer when asked how old you are. To do that, they used a set of epigenetic tests, including <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30669119">GrimAge</a>. Study participants took the tests at the start of the study and again at the end.

For the year of the study, the nine men between the ages of 51 and 65 took a drug cocktail that included recombinant human growth hormone and metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes and insulin resistance. Studies have shown that growth hormone can regenerate the thymus, but also trigger diabetes. 

At the end of the year, the nine men saw a major effect on the aging process. Their biological ages were now 1.5 years lower, on average, than when they had started. 

The drugs alone may not have been the only factor in the men’s better health.

“Perhaps just undergoing this trial somehow changed the behavior of these men towards a more healthy lifestyle,” Dr. João Pedro de Magalhães of the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a> told the New Scientist. 

And the team admitted that, because they didn’t have a control group taking a placebo, the results will need to be studied more closely.

But it’s unlikely that the reversal of the aging process was spontaneous, lead author Dr. Greg Fahey of <a href="http://www.21cm.com/">21st Century Medicine</a> said.

“If placebo by itself caused such a strong effect, it would be expected that many prior interventions would have reported similar effects,” he said.

The researchers plan to continue looking into the drug cocktail and its effects on the aging process, as well as how better diet and exercise might have affected their current research.

“This study certainly opens exciting avenues for future work and doing a larger trial with proper controls is now warranted,” de Magalhães said.

The new research adds to a growing body of work focused on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/anti-aging-drugs-human-trials/">medications</a> that may slow or reverse aging and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shutting-down-genes-slow-aging/">genetic research</a> into the aging process.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/acel.13028">Aging Cell</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Could drug cocktail reverse the aging process?

A year-long study of nine men hints at an intriguing...

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?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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