We all know that feeling. The alarm blares, and instead of getting up, we slap the snooze button and drift back to sleep. Those extra minutes feel like a gift, but are they really? Sleep experts warn that hitting snooze disrupts crucial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/irregular-sleep-may-cause-premature-muscle-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a> stages. 



Yet, a study led by researchers at <a href="https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mass General Brigham</a> reveals that more than half of sleep sessions end with a snooze alarm. The average person spends 10.8 minutes each morning in a cycle of fragmented sleep before finally waking up



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-hits-snooze-the-most">Who hits snooze the most?</h2>



Some people can’t help but keep hitting the snooze button. Researchers divided snooze users into three groups. 



The first group barely hit snooze, maybe once or twice, for just three minutes. The second group snoozed a bit more, pressing it twice and snoozing for over six minutes. The last group - the heavy snoozers - couldn’t stop. 



They hit snooze four times per morning, spending about 20 minutes in a foggy, half-awake state.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-snoozing-disrupts-sleep">Why snoozing disrupts sleep</h2>



“Unfortunately, the snooze alarm disrupts some of the most important stages of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-the-brain-for-the-future-while-protecting-memories-of-the-past/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a>,” said Robbins. 



“The hours just before waking are rich in rapid eye movement sleep. Hitting the snooze alarm will interrupt these critical stages of sleep and typically only offer you light sleep in between snooze alarms."



“The best approach for optimizing your sleep and next day performance is to set your alarm for the latest possible time, then commit to getting out of bed when your first alarm goes off.”



Wake up feeling groggy and disoriented? That’s sleep inertia. The study backed this up, showing heavy snooze users slept less soundly and felt less rested during the day.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-women-use-the-snooze-button-more">Women use the snooze button more</h2>



Women seem to use the snooze button more than men. In the study, women pressed snooze an average of 2.5 times per session, while men hit it 2.3 times. Women also spent more time in snooze mode, averaging 11.5 minutes compared to 10.2 minutes for men.



Why do women snooze more? Researchers think it might be because women often deal with more sleep problems, like insomnia or restless <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-quality-could-be-the-key-to-better-metabolic-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a>. They might also have more responsibilities, like work, childcare, or other tasks that can interrupt their sleep. 



In the morning, they try to grab a few extra minutes of rest by hitting snooze. But those extra minutes don’t always provide real rest - they often leave them feeling more tired and groggy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weekdays-vs-weekends">Weekdays vs. weekends </h2>



People hit the snooze button more on weekdays than on weekends. The study found that from Monday to Friday, the average number of snoozes per session was 2.5. On weekends, it dropped slightly to 2.3.



Why the difference? During the workweek, people have set schedules and early alarms, so they’re more likely to hit snooze to squeeze in a bit more sleep. 



On weekends, they have more freedom to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-loss-has-a-greater-impact-on-heart-health-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a> in and less pressure to get up at a specific time. As a result, they don’t feel the need to keep pressing snooze.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-sleep-duration-affects-snoozing">How sleep duration affects snoozing</h2>



Not everyone has time to hit snooze. Those sleeping less than five hours hardly used the snooze function. 



However, those logging more than nine hours couldn’t get enough. They hit snooze four times per session, stretching their wake-up window to 20 minutes of fragmented sleep.



Researchers suggest that short sleepers might have tighter schedules, with no room for those few extra minutes in bed. Meanwhile, long sleepers may feel like they have more time to spare, leading to more snoozing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-countries-hit-snooze-the-most">Which countries hit snooze the most</h2>



Snooze habits vary from country to country. In the study, Sweden had the highest average snooze usage, with people hitting the snooze button 2.7 times per session. 



Germany and the United States were close behind at 2.5 snoozes per session. Japan and Australia kept their snooze time shorter, averaging 2.2 presses per session. 



When it came to how long people stayed in snooze mode, Sweden was again the leader. People there spent an average of 11.7 minutes hitting snooze. In Japan, that number was much lower - just 9.2 minutes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-prime-season-to-hit-snooze">The prime season to hit snooze</h2>



Seasons matter. In the Northern Hemisphere, December was prime snooze season, with people averaging 2.62 snoozes and 11.83 minutes of fragmented sleep. 



Down south, July took the top spot with 2.35 snoozes. On the flip side, September in the north and November in the south had the lowest snooze rates.



Why the shift? Dark mornings and less daylight in winter could make it harder to wake up, tempting people to hit snooze again and again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bedtime-and-wake-time">Bedtime and wake time</h2>



When you go to bed and wake up can affect how much you hit snooze. People who went to sleep early, around 8 p.m., barely used the snooze button. They averaged 2.5 presses. 



On the other hand, those who stayed up until 10 p.m. hit snooze five times, dragging out their wake-up by 26 minutes.



Wake-up times showed similar patterns. Early risers who woke up at 3 a.m. only hit snooze twice. But those getting up at 1 p.m. pressed snooze nearly seven times, spending 37.6 minutes in a foggy, fragmented state of sleep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-optimizing-sleep-and-feeling-rested">Optimizing sleep and feeling rested </h2>



Sticking to a regular sleep schedule meant less snoozing. People who went to bed at their usual time hit snooze five to six times per session. 



But those who stayed up late? They hit snooze up to seven times, struggling to get up in the morning and dragging out their wake-up time.



Is hitting the snooze button worth it? Rebecca Robbins thinks not. "The best approach for optimizing your sleep and next day performance is to set your alarm for the latest possible time, then commit to getting out of bed when your first alarm goes off."



Hitting snooze might feel good in the moment, but it breaks up crucial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bees-sleep-like-humans-with-similar-brain-patterns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep stages</a>, leaving you groggy and less rested. Next time that alarm rings, think twice before slapping snooze. Your brain - and your mood - will thank you.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-99563-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



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Hitting the snooze button is a bad idea for maintaining good health

We all know that feeling. The alarm blares, and instead of getting up, we slap the snooze button and drift back to sleep. Those extra minutes feel like a gift, but are they really? Sleep experts warn that hitting snooze disrupts crucial sleep stages. Yet, a study led by researchers at Mass General Brigham reveals that more than half of sleep sessions end with a snooze alarm. The average person spends 10.8 minutes each morning in a cycle of fragmented sleep before finally waking up Who hits...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-apartment-hypertension/">Air pollution</a> has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, lowered life expectancy, and overall reduced health and wellbeing.Life expectancy can be impacted by exposure to fine particulate matter

But in a new study, researchers from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> and <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/">Carnegie Mellon University</a> have discovered that mortality and life expectancy are affected by exposure to fine particulate matter called PM2.5. 

PM2.5 can be emitted from cars and power plants and are so small they can be easily breathed in. Accumulations of these particulates in the lungs can increase the risk of many heart and lung diseases. 

In this study, the researchers analyzed PM2.5 concentrations in the United States from 1999 to 2015. All counties in the US except Hawaii and Alaska were included in the study. 

Data from 750 air quality monitoring stations in the US, along with satellite images, were reviewed for the study. 

The highest PM2.5 levels during the years analyzed were recorded at 22 micrograms per cubic meter of air in Fresno County, California, in 1999. 

Even though PM2.5 concentrations have decreased since 1999, the researchers discovered that levels below current standards increase the risk of disease. 

Currently, the yearly standard for PM2.6 concentrations is 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air, and in 2015, the highest concentrations were 13.2 micrograms in Tulare County, California.

The researchers combined the PM2.5 data with mortality data from the<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm"> National Center for Health Statistics</a>. 

Between 1999 and 2015, there were 41.9 million deaths in the US, and 18.4 million were attributed to cardiovascular disease. 

A statistical model was used to predict the increased risk of death per one microgram per cubic meter of air of PM2.5 

The researchers estimate that PM2.5 levels between 2.8 and 13.2 micrograms in counties across the country can be linked to 15,612 deaths in females and 14,757 deaths in men from 1999 to 2015. 

What the model projections show is that PM2.5 levels, even at low concentrations, decrease life expectancy in the US and increase mortality rates. 

“We’ve known for some time that these particles can be deadly,” said Majid Ezzati, the lead author of the study. “This study suggests even at seemingly low concentrations - mostly below current limits - they still cause tens of thousands of deaths. Lowering the PM2.5 standard below the current level is likely to improve the health of the US nation, and reduce health inequality.”

The researchers published their findings in the journal PLOS Medicine. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/LanaElcova

Life expectancy can be impacted by exposure to fine particulate matter

Air pollution has been linked to an increased risk of...

Bill Wehrum, the former head of the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency’s</a> air policy division, resigned last month due to potential federal ethics violations. 

Now, Wehrum is facing his third inquiry into ethics violations given his prior experience as a lobbyist and lawyer for oil, gas, and coal companies and some of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses. 

The resignation is just another shakeup in the EPA after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/epa-climate-change-not-priority/">Andrew Wheeler</a>, a former coal lobbyist, was chosen to head the agency following the departure of Scott Pruitt. 

Wehrum served as a top EPA official from November 2017 till June of 2019. 

There have been several instances where Wehrum allegedly violated President Trump’s ethics pledge. Under that pledge, new political appointees are supposed to limit their interactions with former employers and clients, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/epas-watchdog-is-scrutinizing-ethics-practices-of-agencys-former-air-policy-chief/2019/07/22/469c22be-a8a8-11e9-a3a6-ab670962db05_story.html?utm_term=.5db69b3378f6">Washington Post</a>. 

If a political appointee does meet with a former client, those meetings must be open to all other interested parties. 

Wehrum reportedly met with two former clients in 2017 but didn’t consult with ethics officials. In another instance, Wehrum is said to have helped his former firm with a decision involving the company DTE Energy. 

Wehrum’s former law firm is also under investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate environment panel.

“This is yet another example where the Trump administration has done just the opposite of ‘draining the swamp,’ by empowering polluting industries and installing those industries’ lobbyists and lawyers at the highest levels of our federal government,” Senator Thomas R. Carper, a Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, told the Washington Post. 

Of particular interest are four industry groups, the Utility Air Regulatory Group, Air Permitting Forum, NAAQS Implementation Coalition, and CCS Alliance, all of which are represented by Whreum’s former law firm and which have pushed for recent EPA regulatory rollbacks. 

Wehrum has stated that he had not represented the Utility Air Regulatory Group or any individual members who were part of it. 

--

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>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/bakd

Former EPA official faces third inquiry into possible federal ethics violation

Bill Wehrum, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s...

The right to peacefully protest is a cherished American liberty, but it’s also one that often runs afoul of law enforcement agencies. Conflicting interests of protecting the liberties of protestors and upholding order and civility aren’t always handled the same by the government or law enforcement. In fact, it sometimes feels like the government is playing favorites, allowing groups with certain agendas to go further than those with different agendas. 

Protestors like those at Standing Rock faced enormous pressure. Law enforcement used tear gas grenades, water cannons, tasers, pepper spray, bean bag rounds and more on Standing Rock protestors. More than 300 people were injured in conflicts with law enforcement during the protests. According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/31/dakota-access-pipeline-protest-investigation-human-rights-abuses">The Guardian</a>, the UN even investigated human rights abuses against the protestors.

Standing Rock was exceptionally violent, but the crackdown on protestors there isn’t an isolated case. As I <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-protesting/">previously reported</a> partially in response to Standing Rock but also to forestall future environmental protests, states are ramping up laws against protesters. In February 2018, the <a href="https://www.nlg.org/conservative-led-anti-protest-legislation-already-doubled-since-last-year/">National Lawyers Guild</a> said that conservative led anti-protest bills introduced had already doubled compared to the entire previous year.  The bills jumped from 25 proposed in 19 states to 58 bills in 31 states. Nine bills were introduced in the first two months of 2018 alone. Not only is this crack down on non-violent protests disturbing, it’s especially so compared to what recent right wing activists have been allowed in a few recent cases. 

The armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a perfect example. Not only was this a case of federal property being occupied by force, it was sparked as a protest of the loss of grazing rights by ranchers accused of arson and other crimes. One man was killed by law enforcement during the standoff but largely, those involved in the armed occupation got off easy. The leaders were acquitted of charges. The ranchers who were initially charged with five years for arson and inspired the armed takeover were <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arsonist-ranchers-pardoned-and-given-more-land-access/">granted clemency</a> by President Trump. This stands in stark contrast with pipeline protestors that have been monitored by law enforcement as potential terrorists despite carrying out nothing more than unarmed protests. 

Recently, another example of anti-environmental activists being allowed to run amok was seen in Oregon. Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.hcn.org/issues/51.12/climate-change-rural-anxieties-derailed-oregons-climate-plans">High Country News</a> reported that Oregon was set to join California and others by joining the international emissions cap and trade market. The bill came shortly after Washington state passed its own package of climate bills. Reducing emissions seems like a standard these days but <a href="https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/6/5/18650155/climate-change-oregon-carbon-cap-trade-california">Vox</a> reports that Oregon’s bill was different. Several states and cities have already moved to reduce emissions from electricity production but Oregon was set to be the second state to mandate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions across all industry. The goal of “The Clean Energy Jobs Bill” HB 2020A was to reduce emissions 45% below 1990 levels by 2035 and 80% by 2050. 

The bill would have allowed Oregon, a much smaller state, to join California and parts of Canada in a carbon trading market. The idea was risky, as it would mean that Oregon was betting its fate partially on the California model and market forces beyond the small state’s control. If Oregon’s gamble panned out though, it would prove the viability of California’s model not just for a populous state with a large economy but also with a much smaller state like California. The bill could have set an example for other states wishing to reduce carbon emissions and even ushered in a new era of state environmental policy, but alas it was not to be.

The bill seemed likely to pass and become law, but Oregon Democrats didn’t see what was coming. Loggers, truckers and others in traditional blue collar jobs in Oregon protested the bill vigorously. Then, as <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-rogue-republicans-killed-oregons-climate-change-bill">The New Yorker</a> reports, eleven Oregon state senators left the state to go into hiding to avoid voting on the bill. This effectively denied the Senate the twenty people necessary to vote on the bill. When Democrats called on the state police to collect the rogue senators, right wing militia groups offered their services to protect the Republican senators “at any cost”. 

Protestors were largely cast as being representatives of the logging, farming and trucking communities, posing as David to the Goliath of ‘big government’. Despite the posturing, several logging companies supported the bill, according to <a href="https://www.wweek.com/news/2019/07/12/trump-invited-oregon-loggers-who-protested-carbon-cap-bill-to-white-house/">Willamette Week</a>. 

<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-rogue-republicans-killed-oregons-climate-change-bill">The New Yorker</a> reports that the bill also had support from all nine of Oregon’s recognized Native American tribes, the state’s electrical utilities as well Nike and Uber. The bill was also supported by the oldest farm union in Oregon, due to the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture. Indeed, the bill had widespread support and was expected to pass until underhanded political tactics undermined it.  

What happened in Oregon amounts to undermining basic democratic process because of the walk out by state Republicans. Support by armed militia groups against a state police force emphasizes the undemocratic nature of the standoff. Some of those opposed to a climate change bill were willing to use violence and yet they weren’t arrested or detained by force. The protestors were also allowed their place. Actually, in stark contrast to protestors at Standing Rock or Black Lives Matter advocates, some of the Oregon protestors were invited to the White House.

<a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2019/07/activists-opposed-to-oregons-climate-policy-invited-to-white-house.html">OregonLive</a> reported that Timber Unity, an organization of loggers, that protested against the state climate bill had two members invited to the White House for a July 8 speech on “environmental leadership”. Marie Bowers, a farmer, and Todd Stoffel, a logger and trucker, both from Timber Unity were invited. Both are Trump supporters but seemed surprised by the invite. It is surprising but aligns with how the Trump administration that seems to be pushing a trend of cracking down on protestors they oppose on the one hand but offering support to the protestors who share their views. 

--

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/arindambanerjee

DC invite for Oregon activists highlights unequal treatment of protestors

The right to peacefully protest is a cherished American liberty,...

Panama is the first Central American country to ban single-use plastic bags. Latin America is one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world, and now one Latin American nation has taken a big step in order to protect that biodiversity. 

Panama has become the first country in Central America to ban single-use plastic bags, joining over 60 other countries that have either totally or partially banned single-use <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/us-plastic-bag-restrictions/">plastic bags</a>.

This ban is an effort to reduce pollution on Panama’s beaches and protect the birds and marine wildlife that often get tangled in or ingest plastic bags. Signs can now be seen on the streets of Panama City that say, “less bags, more life,” and supermarkets, pharmacies, and other retailers will need to stop using traditional polyethylene bags immediately. Wholesale stores have until 2020 to conform to this new policy. Fines collected for non-compliance will be used to fund recycling and teaching programs.

According to the <a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/our-work/activities/new-plastics-economy">New Plastics Economy report</a> published by Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2016, oceans are expected by 2050 to contain more plastics than fish by weight. The same report also predicts that the entire plastics industry will consume 20 percent of total oil production by 2050.

In the United States, a few individual states have banned single-use plastic bags – including New York, California, Hawaii, and Maine. But if we’re to mitigate the massive environmental impact that plastic is currently having on our planet, it will take more than just a few states and nations to pass these laws.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rich Carey

Panama is the first Central American country to ban single-use plastic bags

Panama is the first Central American country to ban single-use...

New fungal disease likely appeared as a result of global warming. Research published by the <a href="https://www.asm.org/">American Society for Microbiology</a> has revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fossil-fuel-burning-infrastructure/">global warming</a> is likely to blame for Candida auris, an emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat. The study may have pinpointed the first example of a new fungal disease arising as a result of climate change.  

"The argument that we are making based on comparison to other close relative fungi is that as the climate has gotten warmer, some of these organisms, including Candida auris, have adapted to the higher temperature, and as they adapt, they break through human's protective temperatures," said Dr. Arturo Casadevall of the <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/">Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</a>. "Global warming may lead to new fungal diseases that we don't even know about right now."

According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC), the fungus poses a threat for three main reasons: it is often multidrug-resistant, it is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and it has already caused outbreaks in healthcare settings. Furthermore, C. auris has emerged in three distinct strains on different continents simultaneously. 

"What is unusual about Candida auris is that it appeared in three different continents at the same time, and the isolates from India, South Africa, and South America are not related. Something happened to allow this organism to bubble up and cause disease. We began to look into the possibility that it could be climate change," said Dr. Casadevall. "The reasons that fungal infections are so rare in humans is that most of the fungi in the environment cannot grow at the temperatures or our body."

The researchers compared the heat sensitivity of C. auris to its close phylogenetic relatives. The study showed that C. auris is capable of growing at higher temperatures than the other species, and the majority of its relatives were not tolerant of mammalian temperatures. 

"What this study suggests is this is the beginning of fungi adapting to higher temperatures, and we are going to have more and more problems as the century goes on," said Dr. Casadevall. "Global warming will lead to selection of fungal lineages that are more thermally tolerant, such that they can breach the mammalian thermal restriction zone."

Dr. Casadevall explained that if better surveillance systems were in place, the rise of C. auris would have been detected earlier. 

"We need to make investments in better surveillance of fungal diseases. We are pretty good at surveilling influenza and diseases that cause diarrhea or are contagious, but fungal diseases are not usually contagious and therefore nobody has really bothered to document them well. If more fungi were to cross over, you really wouldn't know until somebody started reporting them in the literature."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://mbio.asm.org/">mBio</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Ungnoi Lookjeab

New fungal disease likely appeared as a result of global warming

New fungal disease likely appeared as a result of global...

Scientists uncover new clues about how the brain smells. A team of neuroscientists from <a href="https://www.cshl.edu/">Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL)</a> have discovered that, unlike prior studies that showed predictable links between molecular properties of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/odors-healthy-animals-change/">odors</a> and early stage activity in the olfactory system, these correlations "held little predictive power when new odor pairs or shuffled properties were tested."

These new findings are published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/neuro/">Nature Neuroscience</a>.

"We don't really know what the brain is looking for [when it comes to smell], and we don't know what physical or chemical features, if any, the brain extracts," said Florin Albeanu from CSHL.

It’s understood that odor particles first enter via the nasal cavity, where they are bound to odorant receptors expressed by the olfactory receptor neurons within the sensory tissue. Then, the olfactory bulb processes information sent up from the receptors. 

It then sends this information to processing areas in the brain, including the cerebral cortex, where the olfactory output messages are analyzed and broadcasted throughout the brain, eventually being conveyed back to the bulb. Scientists uncover new clues about how the brain smells

"Rich feedback makes the olfactory system somewhat different from the visual system," Alexei Koulakov said. "Olfactory experience is very subjective, perception of smells actually depends on the context, and on an individual's prior experience."

Therefore, Albeanu and Koulakov believe it’s probably that the entry-level of olfactory inputs and the further processed bulb outputs pick up on the different aspects of smell.

These new results provide an opportunity to build a more comprehensive computational model for the odor space that captures the differences in informational relevance for scent features across the landscape of olfactory processing.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Yuganov Konstantin

Scientists uncover new clues about how the brain smells

Scientists uncover new clues about how the brain smells. A...

A new study from the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">NYU School of Medicine</a> has revealed that both adults and teenagers are more likely to try a new drug in the summertime. The researchers found that 34 percent of Americans who recently tried <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microdosing-lsd-study/">LSD</a> and 30 percent of those who tried marijuana or ecstasy reported that they first experimented during the summer months. 

"First-time users may be unfamiliar with the effects of various drugs, so it is important to first understand when people are most likely to start these behaviors," said study senior author Dr. Joseph J. Palamar.

According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, more than 3 million Americans tried LSD, marijuana, cocaine, or ecstasy for the first time in 2017.

The NYU investigation was focused on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which involved nearly 400,000 respondents who were at least 12 years old. Through a computer-assisted interview, the participants were asked to report on any drug use and to recall the month and year when they initiated use.

The researchers believe the findings can be at least partially attributed to the fact that many people have extra recreational time during the summer. They also pointed to the growing popularity of outdoor music festivals, where recreational drug use is common.

"Parents and educators who are concerned about their kids need to educate them year-round about potential risks associated with drug use, but special emphasis appears to be needed before or during summer months when rates of initiation increase," said Dr. Palamar. He recommends for potential users to become educated about the drugs they are going to use and their side effects. 

The experts emphasized that further research is needed to determine when and where people are most likely to use drugs for the first time, as well as other circumstances such as whether drug experimentation is typically planned or unplanned. 

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.jgim.org/">Journal of General 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/Couperfield

People are more likely to experiment with drugs in the summer

A new study from the NYU School of Medicine has...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.bidmc.org/">Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center</a> (BIDMC) have found that many older Americans are putting themselves at risk of serious health complications by taking daily doses of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/aspirin-older-adults-lives/">aspirin</a>. 

Doctors once recommended a low dose of aspirin for individuals who had an increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).  However, three separate studies conducted in 2018 showed that the risks of daily aspirin use far outweigh the benefits. 

As a result of the research, clinical practice guidelines were changed earlier this year. Dr. Christina C. Wee is the senior author of the BIDMC study and an associate professor at <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a>. 

"Although prior American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology guidelines recommended aspirin only in persons without elevated bleeding risk, the 2019 guidelines now explicitly recommend against aspirin use among those over the age of 70 who do not have existing heart disease or stroke," said Dr. Wee.

"Our findings suggest that a substantial portion of adults may be taking aspirin without their physician's advice and potentially without their knowledge."

Based on data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the team analyzed the use of aspirin for the prevention of CVD. 

The study revealed that about 29 million people aged 40 or older were taking a daily dose of aspirin for the prevention of heart disease. Among these individuals, around 6.6 million were using aspirin without a doctor's knowledge.

Shockingly, nearly half of adults over the age of 70 with no history of heart disease or stroke reported daily aspirin use. 

"Our findings show a tremendous need for health care practitioners to ask their patients about ongoing aspirin use and to advise them about the importance of balancing the benefits and harms, especially among older adults and those with prior peptic ulcer disease," said study lead author Dr. Colin O'Brien.

The researchers said that the findings are applicable to adults who do not have a history of cardiovascular disease or stroke. "If you are currently taking aspirin, discuss it with your doctor to see if it is still needed for you," said study co-author Dr. Stephen Juraschek. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://annals.org/aim">Annals of 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/Shane Maritch

Nearly half of older adults report daily aspirin use despite serious risks

Researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have...

The loss of a single gene could explain why are prone to heart disease. We’ve inherited many things from our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-previously-unknown-human-ancestor/">early human relatives</a>, including DNA, but a new study suggests that the loss of a single gene over time is responsible for an increased risk of heart disease today. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California-San Diego</a> conducted the study, which was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and of all the deaths due to cardiovascular disease, one-third are caused by atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis occurs when fatty deposits build up and clog arteries. Lifestyle factors, age, and hypertension can all increase the risk of atherosclerosis, but some people develop heart disease despite being healthy with no risk factors. 

In nearly 15 percent of first-time cardiovascular disease events caused by atherosclerosis, no known risk factors apply. 

The researchers believe this is because we inherited heart disease susceptibility from some of our earlier hominin ancestors two to three million years ago. 

In an earlier study, the same research team discovered that atherosclerosis heart attacks are non-existent even in our closest chimpanzee cousins. For this recent research, mice were genetically altered so that they did not possess a sialic acid sugar molecule called Neu5Gc. 

Humans are also Neu5Gc deficient, and the mice that lacked the molecule were twice as likely to have plaque build-up in their arteries compared to control mice. 

A gene called CMAH produces the Neu5Gc. The researchers theorize that millions of years ago, just as early hominins were getting the hang of walking upright, a mutation occurred in the genome and shut off the CMAH gene. 

A malarial parasite may have caused the gene to become inactive. 

“The increased risk appears to be driven by multiple factors, including hyperactive white cells and a tendency to diabetes in the human-like mice,” said Ajit Varki, a co-author of the study. “This may help explain why even vegetarian humans without any other obvious cardiovascular risk factors are still very prone to heart attacks and strokes, while other evolutionary relatives are not.”

When the mice were fed a Neu5Gc-rich, high-fat diet, this further increased the risk of atherosclerosis. 

The loss of the CMAH is not only responsible for an increased risk in heart disease, but the researchers have also linked the inactive gene to a decrease in fertility and an enhanced ability to run long distances.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Crevis

The loss of a single gene could explain why are prone to heart disease

The loss of a single gene could explain why are...

Introducing babies to peanuts may reduce their risk of becoming allergic. Over the past 15 years, the number of kids with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-treatment-peanut-allergies/">peanut allergies</a> has tripled. Children do not usually outgrow this particular food allergy, and exposure to peanuts can cause a dangerous reaction. 

In children and adults who have experienced a mild reaction to peanuts, there is a chance that the next reaction will be much more serious. Anaphylaxis, for example, is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur within minutes of exposure. 

New research published in the <a href="http://www.cmaj.ca/">Canadian Medical Association Journal</a> suggests that some children can be introduced to peanut products early in life to help prevent peanut allergies from developing. 

The researchers have highlighted five important things for parents to know about the early introduction of peanuts in infants to reduce their allergy risk.

According to the study, infants who are regularly fed peanut protein are less likely to develop an aversion to peanuts. The experts recommend giving peanut protein, such as peanut butter or powdered puff, to babies who are between 4 and 6 months old as one of the first foods. 

This strategy, however, should not be used for infants with the most severe type of eczema, or atopic dermatitis. Babies with severe eczema are more likely to have a peanut allergy, and only children who are free of eczema should be introduced to peanuts in the home. 

Infants with eczema and other risk factors for peanut allergy, such as an egg allergy, should be seen by a specialist before they are given peanuts in any form. 

Among children who are good candidates for reducing the risk of peanut allergy, 8 grams of peanut protein should be eaten at least twice a week. This is the equivalent of one heaping teaspoon of peanut butter.

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.cmaj.ca/">Canadian Medical Association Journal</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/Hafiez Razali

Introducing babies to peanuts may reduce their risk of becoming allergic

Introducing babies to peanuts may reduce their risk of becoming...

The laugh-track is a staple of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-enjoy-watching-television/">television</a> sitcoms, as canned laughter serves as the cherry on top of many a punchline. 

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University of College London</a> set out to determine if a canned laugh track makes a joke funnier. 

The answer is yes, according to the results published in the journal Current Biology, but laugh tracks are not as effective as real laughter. 

“Historically, TV and radio programs were always recorded in front of a live studio audience: this allowed those watching and listening to feel part of the performance,” said Professor Sophie Scott, the lead author of the study. “However, as the audience reaction was natural, certain ‘comedy’ programs, which weren’t overtly funny wouldn’t get a long laugh, so TV and radio producers increasingly added canned laughter to prompt an audience reaction.”

For the study, the researchers selected 40 “dad jokes,” the name given to a kind of groan-worthy joke that usually plays on an obvious pun. The researchers assigned each joke a baseline rating from one to seven with seven being hilarious. 

Some jokes in the study included, “What state has the smallest drinks? Mini-soda!” and 

“What does a dinosaur use to pay the bills? Tyrannosaurus cheques”

Next, the researchers recorded a professional comedian delivering the joke. One recording of the joke used canned laughter at the end and another used real laughter. 

Once the jokes were recorded, two groups of participants, neurotypical and autistic, listened to both versions of the recordings. 

It was important to include both neurotypical and autistic individuals in the study because of how laughter is processed in the brain. While some developing children find laugh tracks enjoyable, autistic children are not as easily manipulated. 

Overall, the canned laughter and real laughter made the joke funnier. There was a major difference in the baseline ratings and the ratings given by the participants after hearing the two versions of the joke. 

However, the humor in a joke was only marginally increased using canned, pre-recorded laughter. 

“What this study shows is that adding laughter to a joke, increases the humour value, no matter how funny or unfunny the joke is,” said Scott. “It also suggests we respond much better to spontaneous genuine laughter, rather than posed or canned laughter, showing the inherent human joy and value of a natural response.”

Both the neurotypical and autistic groups found that spontaneous, real laughter was better and rated the jokes higher compared to the canned laughter. 

The autistic group gave the jokes higher ratings overall finding them funnier than the neurotypical adults. 

“This research shows that while canned laughter does elevate the humour of a comedy, adding real laughter would get a better response,” said Scott. “This has been adopted in shows like Friends, which are recorded in front of an audience, with the real laughter amplified during editing for particular jokes that had been well received.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Kzenon

Study shows how canned laughter makes jokes seem funnier

The laugh-track is a staple of television sitcoms, as canned...

Exploration in some form or other is probably nearly as old as humanity. It seems likely that the first people wandered to find new hunting areas, rivers, plants to eat or simply for curiosity. But exploration in its more formal, pseudo-scientific form is a fairly modern affair. 

Saturday July 20th, 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing by US astronauts on Apollo 11. Undoubtedly, the moon landing is the highlight of American and perhaps even global exploration efforts. Unlike many efforts of the past, the moon landing is harder to understand in practical terms. 

July 20th marks another important date in the history of exploration, though less famous in the US, as Sir Edmund Hillary was born 100 years before. Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first people to climb to the top of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mount-everest-deadly-climbing-season/">Mount Everest</a>, the highest peak in the world. Like landing on the moon, the goal of climbing Mount Everest is a hard one to understand for many; there’s no obvious practical purpose to climbing a mountain like Everest. People died in efforts to climb Everest just as in the space program, and so the cost for something with no clear purpose is exceedingly expensive. 

Compared to other historic exploration events, the question of “why?” is not one often asked within the perspective of history. Christopher Columbus and many others set sail with the stated goal of discovering new trade routes and turning a financial profit. Of course, what Columbus discovered was not a trade route but continents and people unknown to Europeans to exploit and pillage for the profit of Europe. Exploration of Everest has in fact led to monetization of the mountain in a way that Norgay and Hillary couldn’t have imagined – the mountain and the experience of climbing is part of the tourism industry. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> under the Trump administration is making the International Space Station open to tourists  by 2020. However, the estimated cost of a private flight to the space station is $52 million plus very expensive daily living costs for essentials like food and oxygen. 

Still, this doesn’t answer the question of why. Surely we didn’t create the International Space Station as a novel Space BnB? The impetus to climb Mt. Everest for the first time must have been significantly more than allowing others to climb the mountain more easily.  

Exploration and its motivation is notoriously hard to explain. Famously, George Leigh Mallory who himself died trying to be the first to climb Everest has his own answer to the ‘why’ question: “Because it’s there.” The answer is far from satisfying but there’s an enormous disconnect between the casual armchair observer and something as raw and violent as Everest. 

There are thousands of actions and impulses that we humans engage in with little thought or question because they seem quite normal to us. I’ve found that I don’t have the words to describe many of my own motives to those who find them fathomless. Why for instance travel to Africa? Or why map out a cave? No one asks you why you like chocolate or why you don’t. Everything about exploration is directly experiential but what most people care about is the spoils that result from it. 

Exploration is also subjective. I’ve crawled and dug my way as part of a two man team into cave passages never seen by another human and was awed by the delicate beauty of the place. If a third person came a week later and crawled into the same cave, is it still exploration, still discovery? What do we really mean by exploration? 

Unfortunately, it may be inextricably linked to exploitation or desecration. I’ve thought of that small, beautiful cave passage many times. I’ve wondered if someone’s clawed their way into it to write their name in marker on the wall, if someone’s broken off a soda straw formation as a souvenir. I’ve thought of these things and wondered if it wouldn’t have been better to leave it a secret of the deepest type – a secret no mind knows. 

Mount Everest is certainly not pristine anymore, as <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-05-tonnes-rubbish-everest.html">reports</a> have shown a shocking amount of trash left by mountaineers. Of course, in other cases, the destruction caused by exploration has been much greater.

In his book <a href="https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/0289.htm">The Native Population of the Americas in 1492</a>, William M. Denevan reports that populations of Native Americans when Columbus landed in Hispaniola were estimated to be between 112 million to 80 million. By 1650, there were less than 6 million Native Americans, a devastating blow by any account. Likewise, the exploration and colonization of Australia that inevitably followed was just as destructive for indigenous communities there. In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillips and 1,500 colonists, mainly convicts, arrived in Sydney harbor. Within a decade, an estimated 90% of the indigenous population was dead, according to <a href="https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/australian-history/colonisation/">Australians Together</a>. 

This isn’t to say that all exploration ended the same. Polynesians travelled great distances, inhabiting long chains of islands guided only by the stars and perhaps a burning urge to see or know, or perhaps just facing the realities of physical resources. North America and Australia were both explored by people long before Europeans arrived. 

Yet, all of this exploration changed these lands. It’s been hypothesized that humans killed off megafauna both in the Americas as well as Australia. The wooly mammoth is dead, so is Megalania, the giant lizard of Australia. The Moa of New Zealand and the Elephant Bird of Madagascar were probably killed by each island’s first human inhabitants.

All of the destruction follows the initial impulse for discovery. Exploration at its purest isn’t what follows. Exploration is pulling your own body into a new cave passage or stomping to the top of a mountain. These are experiences that can be had by all, the experiences of the rawness of nature experienced in solitude or with a few others. The question is, can that experience be shared without destruction becoming inevitable?                   

--

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: NASA/Castleski/Shutterstock

Moon landing anniversary encourages reflection upon nature of exploration

Exploration in some form or other is probably nearly as...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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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

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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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