Carrying a reusable water bottle is a smart habit. It saves money. It cuts down on single-use plastic. It keeps you hydrated. There’s a catch, though. 



Many of us don’t clean our bottles nearly as well or as often as we think we do, and the germs that hitch a ride on our hands, rims, and lids can stick around.



In 2024, the global market for reusable water bottles was valued at about $10 billion, with surveys of university students reporting usage rates ranging from 50% to 81%.



A study on the campus of <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purdue University</a> put everyday bottles under the microscope to see how clean they really are and which habits help or hurt. The takeaway is a reality check with simple fixes that anyone can put into practice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-reusable-water-bottles">Studying reusable water bottles</h2>



The research team kept the question simple: "How clean are the bottles that students actually use all day?" 



To get real-world answers, they collected 90 bottles directly from students. They asked owners how they used and cleaned their bottles, then tested the bottles in two ways.



First, they swabbed the outer surfaces using a rapid hygiene test called ATP that lights up when organic residue remains. This signal is widely used in food safety as a quick screen for whether a surface is truly clean after washing. 



Second, they rinsed the insides and counted bacteria clinging to water-contact surfaces. They measured common water-loving bacteria and checked for coliforms, an indicator group that can signal when conditions could support more concerning contamination.



The study was led by Carl Behnke from <a href="https://www.purdue.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purdue University</a> with a cohort of academics and scientists. Later in the process, Dr. Yuriko Fukuta, an assistant professor of medicine (infectious diseases) at <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Baylor College of Medicine</a>, added clinical context.



Their goal wasn’t to name and shame anyone’s bottle. It was to map daily habits to measurable cleanliness, so people could tweak what they do and keep their bottles safer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-on-the-outside">What's on the outside</h2>



The outsides of bottles were dirtier than they looked. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP_test" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ATP readings</a> indicated that the exterior surfaces of all the water bottles collected (including two new bottles that were purchased from a local retailer as controls) were considered "dirty" and failed the ATP test.



That’s not surprising in daily life, where hands move from phones to doorknobs to laptop keyboards to bottle caps. Residue left behind gives microbes places to hang on to.



More frequent refills were associated with dirtier outer surfaces. Each refill adds touchpoints: your hands, the cap, counter edges, and faucet areas. The rim matters here because it is where hands and mouths meet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-on-the-inside">What's on the inside</h2>



Scientists tested the inside of people’s reusable bottles to see how many live bacteria were inside. Think of the number they report - CFU per milliliter - as how many tiny bacterial “colonies” can grow from a small sip of liquid rinsed off the bottle’s inner walls. 



Many places set the bar for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nearly-100-million-americans-exposed-to-contaminated-drinking-water/">drinking water</a> at below 100–500 CFU/mL. In this study, about 7 out of 10 bottles cleared 100, about 2 out of 3 topped 200, and 3 out of 5 exceeded 500. In plain English: most bottles carried more bacteria than you’d want in clean drinking water.



Researchers also checked for “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/coliform-bacteria">coliforms</a>,” the bacteria we use as a red flag for sanitation. For bottled water, the rule of thumb is basically “none detected” (no more than 1 per 100 mL). Here, roughly 1 in 4 bottles broke that limit, and a few were sky-high.



Bacteria need three things: moisture, nutrients, and time. A bottle provides moisture by design. Nutrients show up when anything other than water goes in, and time accumulates when a bottle sits in a warm car, on a desk, or by the bed overnight.



One clear pattern stood out. Bottles used strictly for water tended to have lower bacterial counts. Bottles that also held sports drinks, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bvo-highly-toxic-soda-ingredient-banned-by-the-fda-in-2024-still-being-used-today/">soda</a>, or sweetened tea or coffee with cream often had much higher counts. 



Sugars feed bacteria. Proteins and fats can leave a film that helps cells attach and form biofilms, which are much harder to remove than free-floating cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cleaning-reusable-water-bottles">Cleaning reusable water bottles</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-from-plastic-bottles-raises-your-blood-pressure/">Material</a> played a limited role. Glass tended to look cleaner on the quick outside test, likely because its surface is smoother and nonporous. But no material gets a free pass. 



Design features - narrow necks, flip tops, straws, bite valves, and silicone gaskets - create nooks where residue and biofilms hide. Those tucked-away spots are often the last to be disassembled and scrubbed.



People who cleaned more often generally had better results, but intentions didn’t always match outcomes. 



A quick rinse can leave sticky films intact. Dishwashers vary in heat and spray coverage; water may not reach beneath threads, seals, and straw assemblies.



Washing without separating the different parts of the bottle lets biofilms survive in hidden crevices.



“Do you wash your dishes after dinner?” Behnke asked. “Yes. But with water bottles, we often take them all over the place and don’t properly clean them.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-health-concerns">Human health concerns</h2>



Fukuta suggested that bacteria might include <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/staph-infections/symptoms-causes/syc-20356221" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">staphylococcus bacteria</a> or <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/group-a-strep/about/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strep</a>. And there’s this, from the cohort study: “More than 20% of our samples had coliform bacteria, which is fecal matter,” says Behnke.



A bottle can act as a fomite - a surface that helps move microbes from place to place - when it isn’t kept clean. Hands touch the cap and rim. 



Mouths contact the same areas. If the outside is grimy, it can become the pathway for microbes to reach the drinking surfaces.



Dr. Yuriko Fukuta agrees. “We’re constantly touching our water bottles with our mouths and hands, so it’s easy to transmit bacteria to them, and then it just grows,” she says. “In some cases this can make you sick, especially if you have a weaker immune system.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reusable-water-bottle-tips">Reusable water bottle tips</h2>



Treat a reusable bottle like a food-contact surface. Use hot water and dish soap. Scrub the walls with a bottle brush. 



Use a small brush, skewer, or toothpick for threads and tiny crevices. Take lids, straws, bite valves, and silicone rings apart and scrub them individually. 



Let everything dry completely with the cap off. Drying breaks the moisture part of the bacteria formula and prevents the musty smell that appears when water lingers.



If you use sweet or creamy drinks, wash the bottle the same day. If your current bottle has many small parts and you often skip steps, a simpler design with a wide mouth can help you stick with the routine. 



Avoid sharing bottles. Saliva adds new microbes that can seed later growth, even if nothing seems wrong at the time. 



If you often set your bottle on public surfaces, wipe the outside periodically, paying special attention to the rim and cap.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-all-means">What it all means</h2>



Reusable bottles are still a smart, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-thousands-of-nanoplastics-found-in-bottled-water/">sustainable choice</a>. They just need real cleaning. 



The inside isn’t sterile, and the outside picks up residue fast. Pair frequent refilling with a consistent cleaning routine. 



That set of small steps turns your bottle back into what you intended it to be: a safe hydration tool, not a traveling microbiology project.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/nov-dec-17-sun.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food Protection</a>.



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Reusable water bottles are a breeding ground for strep and fecal bacteria, study warns

Carrying a reusable water bottle is a smart habit. It saves money. It cuts down on single-use plastic. It keeps you hydrated. There’s a catch, though. Many of us don’t clean our bottles nearly as well or as often as we think we do, and the germs that hitch a ride on our hands, rims, and lids can stick around. In 2024, the global market for reusable water bottles was valued at about $10 billion, with surveys of university students reporting usage rates ranging from 50% to...

Rising nighttime temperatures could quietly aggravate one of the world’s most widespread sleep disorders: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This could bring steep costs to public health and the global economy.



This warning comes from a new study by sleep researchers at <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flinders University</a>. The experts analyzed more than 58 million nights of sleep data and found a strong link between ambient temperature and breathing interruptions.



The results of the analysis suggest that, unless climate change is slowed, the worldwide burden of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obstructive-sleep-apnea-speeds-up-aging-on-a-cellular-level/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OSA</a> may double before today’s newborns reach old age.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-billion-people-and-counting">A billion people and counting</h2>



OSA already affects nearly a billion adults. People with the disorder repeatedly stop breathing during sleep as throat tissues collapse. This leads to drops in blood oxygen, loud snoring, and dozens or even hundreds of brief awakenings each night.



Untreated OSA is tied to hypertension, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-disease-remains-the-leading-cause-of-death-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart disease</a>, cognitive decline, accidents, and depression. In Australia, the combined medical and productivity losses linked to poor sleep are estimated at roughly $66 billion per year.



Researchers knew little about how outdoor climate might influence the severity of the condition, despite its prevalence.



Bastien Lechat of the <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/fhmri/research/sleep-health" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) Sleep Health group</a> is lead author of the study.



“This helps us to understand how environmental factors like climate might affect health by investigating whether ambient temperatures influence the severity of OSA,” said Lechat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linking-sleep-apnea-to-high-temperatures">Linking sleep apnea to high temperatures </h2>



Lechat’s team partnered with a digital health company that provides a thin, FDA-cleared sensor placed under the mattress. The device measures subtle pressure changes to track breathing and body movement.



The researchers collected an average of 500 consecutive nights of raw data for each of 116,000 anonymous users in 29 mainly high-income countries. Altogether, this added up to more than 30,000 user-years of continuous monitoring.



The team then merged those sensor records with hourly surface-air temperatures generated by high-resolution climate models.



By comparing night-to-night shifts in breathing disruptions with local temperature fluctuations, the team could isolate the effect of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-impacts-our-daily-routines-and-transportation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heat</a> from other confounding factors such as age, weight, or chronic illness.



“Overall, we were surprised by the magnitude of the association between ambient temperature and OSA severity,” Lechat said. When the overnight temperature rose, apnea severity followed.



“Higher temperatures were associated with a 45 percent increased likelihood of a sleeper experiencing OSA on a given night.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cooling-technology-may-buffer-heat-stress">Cooling technology may buffer heat stress</h2>



“These findings varied by region, with people in European countries seeing higher rates of OSA when temperatures rise than those in Australia and the United States, perhaps due to different rates of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-buildings-used-passive-cooling-methods-to-reduce-heat-with-out-air-conditioning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">air conditioning</a> usage,” Lechat said.



In other words, cooling technology - and the affluence that underwrites it - can buffer heat-related sleep stress, while people in older buildings or lower-income areas remain vulnerable.


The researchers translated these nightly risks into long-term stakes by running a health-economics model. They based it on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), the same yardstick the <a href="https://www.who.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a> uses to compare illnesses.


“Using our modeling, we can estimate how burdensome the increase in OSA prevalence due to rising temperature is to society in terms of well-being and economic loss,” Lechat noted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-price-of-lost-sleep">The price of lost sleep</h2>



“The increase in OSA prevalence in 2023 due to global warming was associated with a loss of approximately 800,000 healthy life years across the 29 countries studied,” Lechat said.



“This number is similar to other medical conditions, such as bipolar disorder, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticide-exposure-increases-the-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parkinson’s disease</a>, or chronic kidney diseases.”



The team also attached a price tag. “Similarly, the estimated total economic cost associated was $98 billion, including $68 billion from well-being loss and $30 billion from workplace productivity loss,” Lechat said.



Those figures reflect only the added harm from climate change, not the baseline burden of OSA from other causes. Looking ahead, the numbers get starker. 



According to Lechat, the findings highlight that without greater policy action to slow global warming, OSA burden may double by 2100 due to rising temperatures.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sleep-study-misses-hot-regions">Sleep study misses hot regions</h2>



Senior author Danny Eckert, a sleep scientist at Flinders, points out important caveats. Wealthier nations and individuals who can afford a modern sleep tracker dominate the data set.



“This may have biased our estimates and led to an underestimation of the true health and economic cost,” he said.



Many of the hottest, least air-conditioned regions - South Asia, Africa, parts of Latin America - are underrepresented, yet stand to experience the strongest warming trends.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adapting-sleep-to-hotter-nights">Adapting sleep to hotter nights</h2>



Even as climate policy lags, the clinical community can act. “Higher rates of diagnosis and treatment will help us to manage and reduce the adverse health and productivity issues caused by climate-related OSA,” Eckert said.



Doctors still consider continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines the gold-standard therapy. But alternative approaches - oral appliances, weight loss, and positional training - can also reduce breathing disturbances.



The next step for the researchers is to test protective strategies directly. “Going forward, we want to design intervention studies that explore strategies to reduce the impact of ambient temperatures on sleep apnea severity,” Eckert added.



For now, their message is clear: hotter nights are more than a comfort issue. They may be quietly robbing millions of restorative sleep, healthy years, and economic productivity - making <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-mitigation-strategies-may-be-endangering-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate mitigation</a>, bedroom cooling, and sleep-health screening part of the same urgent conversation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60218-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Rising temperatures are driving a surge in sleep apnea cases

Rising nighttime temperatures could quietly aggravate one of the world’s...

Coffee is more than just a wake-up call. For many, it's a daily ritual that brings comfort and energy. But new research suggests that drinking coffee might also offer something unexpected - a longer life. That is, if you drink it right.



Scientists at <a href="https://www.tufts.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tufts University</a> have found that coffee can be linked to a lower risk of dying - but there’s a catch. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-this-amount-of-coffee-helps-prevent-heart-disease-and-diabetes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">benefits</a> depend on how much sugar and saturated fat you add. A splash of cream and a spoonful of sugar could cancel out the good stuff.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-black-coffee-for-a-longer-life">Black coffee for a longer life</h2>



The research team at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy took a closer look at what people actually put in their coffee. The study reveals something simple but important: less is more when it comes to additives.



The experts found that drinking one to two cups of caffeinated coffee a day was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes, including heart disease. 



Those who drank black coffee, or coffee with just a little sugar and fat, had a 14% lower risk of dying compared to non-coffee <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brains-solve-complex-problems-with-simple-tricks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drinkers</a>. But when sugar and saturated fat increased, the benefit disappeared.



“Coffee is among the most-consumed beverages in the world, and with nearly half of American adults reporting drinking at least one cup per day, it’s important for us to know what it might mean for health,” said Professor Fang Fang Zhang, senior author of the study.



“The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-this-amount-of-coffee-helps-prevent-heart-disease-and-diabetes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">health benefits</a> of coffee might be attributable to its bioactive compounds, but our results suggest that the addition of sugar and saturated fat may reduce the mortality benefits.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coffee-habits-of-46-000-american-adults">Coffee habits of 46,000 American adults</h2>



The study didn’t just look at coffee drinkers in general. The researchers analyzed nearly 20 years of data from 46,000 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NHANES</a>) between 1999 and 2018.



Participants shared details about what they ate and drank in a 24-hour period. Their coffee habits were tracked alongside information from the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ndi/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Death Index</a>, which listed causes of death including cancer, heart disease, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/y-chromosome-is-disappearing-may-already-be-causing-problems-for-men/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">others</a>.



The researchers classified coffee types by caffeine level and how much sugar and saturated fat they contained. 



For context, low sugar meant less than 2.5 grams per cup - about half a teaspoon. Low saturated fat meant no more than 1 gram, which is what you'd get from one tablespoon of light cream or half-and-half.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-coffee-doesn-t-mean-more-benefit">More coffee doesn’t mean more benefit</h2>



One cup a day? A 16% drop in overall mortality risk. Two to three cups? Slightly better, at 17%. But drink more than that, and the benefits didn’t keep rising. 



In fact, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-coffee-may-reduce-frailty-in-aging-adults/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drinking</a> more than three cups a day didn’t seem to offer any extra protection - especially when it came to heart-related deaths.



Also, coffee didn’t show any meaningful connection to cancer-related mortality. The positive effects were mostly linked to cardiovascular health and general longevity.



Study first author Bingjie Zhou is a recent Ph.D. graduate from the nutrition epidemiology and data science program at the <a href="https://nutrition.tufts.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Friedman School</a>.



“Few studies have examined how coffee additives could impact the link between coffee consumption and mortality risk, and our study is among the first to quantify how much sweetener and saturated fat are being added,” said Zhou.



“Our results align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommend limiting added sugar and saturated fat.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cream-and-sugar-dilemma">Cream and sugar dilemma</h2>



A spoonful of sugar might make your coffee taste better, but it could also reduce the health benefits. The study offers a clear takeaway: coffee itself isn’t the problem. What you put in it matters.



Coffee contains bioactive compounds like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrimp-proven-to-be-a-nutritional-treasure-packed-with-antioxidants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antioxidants</a> and anti-inflammatory agents that might help protect against disease and support a longer, healthier life.



But loading your cup with creamers, flavored syrups, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childrens-cereals-now-contain-more-sugar-and-fat-than-ever/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extra sugar</a> changes the nutritional equation. It turns a health-friendly drink into something closer to dessert.



This nuance matters. People often think of coffee as either good or bad. This research suggests the truth is more subtle - coffee can be beneficial, but only if it’s not drowning in additives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-of-the-study">Limitations of the study</h2>



As with any observational study, there are limitations. The researchers relied on self-reported dietary recall, which can vary depending on memory and accuracy. What someone reports eating on one day might not reflect their long-term habits.



Also, decaffeinated coffee didn’t show the same benefits in this study. But that may be because not enough people reported drinking decaf to make the data strong enough.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gaining-years-of-life-with-coffee">Gaining years of life with coffee </h2>



If you enjoy a daily cup of coffee, there’s no need to stop. In fact, if you drink it black or with just a touch of milk and minimal sugar, you might actually be doing your body a favor. 



But if your coffee resembles dessert in a cup, you might want to rethink what you're sipping.



In short: it’s not just the coffee that matters, but also how you drink it. Keep it simple, keep it balanced, and you might gain more than just a morning boost. You might just gain a few more years.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002231662500286X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Nutrition</a>.



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Coffee may help you live longer - if you drink it this way

Coffee is more than just a wake-up call. For many,...

The Bronze Age cemetery of Tiszafüred-Majoroshalom reveals a remarkable transformation around 1500 BCE. Led by Tamás Hajdu and Claudio Cavazzuti, a research team explored diet, mobility, millet consumption, and inequality during this critical period in the Carpathian Basin.



Using carbon, nitrogen, and strontium isotope analysis, they uncovered drastic lifestyle changes at the dawn of the Tumulus culture. Their study combined archaeology, bioanthropology, and environmental science to show how people adapted to shifting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millet-farming-marked-a-turning-point-in-life-during-the-bronze-age/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food</a> systems and social structures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-settlements-break-down-new-patterns-emerge">Settlements break down, new patterns emerge</h2>



During the Middle <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bronze-age-technology-is-a-modern-solution-for-clean-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bronze</a> Age (2000–1500 BCE), the region had many local cultures with tell-settlements. These were large fortified villages. But by 1500 BCE, these settlements were abandoned. Instead, people moved into short-term, horizontal communities with weaker central control.



This shift marked the arrival of the Tumulus culture, known for mound burials and new pottery styles. The big question: did new people bring these changes, or did local populations simply adopt new practices?



The researchers collected 130 isotope samples and radiocarbon-dated 60 individuals. They tracked changes in movement and eating habits with unprecedented precision.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-movement-different-origins">Less movement, different origins</h2>



Strontium isotope analysis helps identify where individuals grew up based on local geology. At Tiszafüred-Majoroshalom, most buried people had isotope signatures matching the immediate area. This means they were likely locals. 



About 20% had values matching nearby regions within 100 kilometers. Only one man clearly came from a more distant place.



Migration routes also shifted over time. In the Middle Bronze Age, newcomers came from radiogenic areas like the Upper Tisza and Northern Carpathians. 



In the Late <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bronze-age-teeth-discovery-highlight-the-evolution-of-the-human-diet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bronze</a> Age, migrants arrived from different regions, such as the Middle Danube, Southern Carpathians, or Transdanubia. These new patterns follow known west-to-east cultural movements.



Men showed slightly more mobility, but not by much. Few women came from outside, suggesting that marriages between distant groups were uncommon. When they did happen, they mostly occurred within the local region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-millet-intake-rose-in-the-bronze-age">Millet intake rose in the Bronze Age</h2>



A major dietary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-from-9000-year-old-skeletons-disproves-migratory-waves-theory-from-south-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shift</a> also occurred. Carbon isotopes revealed that broomcorn millet entered the diet around 1540–1480 BCE. Millet, a fast-growing crop, became a vital food by the Late Bronze Age.



Dental calculus confirmed this. In the Middle Bronze Age, millet traces appeared in only 2 of 14 individuals. In the Late Bronze Age, millet was found in 6 of 11 individuals. This cereal quickly became a staple.



At the same time, nitrogen isotopes showed reduced protein intake. Middle Bronze Age diets had wider protein access, especially among males. 



This gap closed in the Late Bronze Age, hinting at social leveling. Both men and women consumed less meat, and the diet was poorer but more equal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-variety-vanished-as-inequality-shrunk">Variety vanished as inequality shrunk</h2>



The Middle Bronze <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/technologically-advanced-society-discovered-across-philippine-islands-35000-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Age</a> saw more dietary diversity. People ate wheat, barley, lentils, and other plants. Spelt and emmer were present, while einkorn faded away. Legumes, oil crops, and foraged foods enriched meals.



By the Late Bronze Age, broomcorn millet overshadowed other grains. Macro-remains of millet were rare in earlier layers but became common after 1500 BCE. Stable isotope and dental evidence confirmed its growing role.



“The abandonment of the fortified MBA tell settlement is followed by a new phase with less structured centres, less stable social hierarchies and the reduced inequalities that we could clearly observe, at least at the level of food consumption,” the authors noted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bronze-age-life-changed-with-millet">Bronze Age life changed with millet</h2>



These findings challenge old views of the Tumulus people as nomadic herders. Their mobility decreased. Their diet shifted from rich and varied to simpler and millet-based. Social networks became flatter and more equal.



The Tumulus culture wasn’t just about burial mounds and metalwork. It marked a deeper change in how people lived, ate, and moved.



“The strong investment in broomcorn millet as key-cereal is considered one of the earliest phases in Europe,” noted the researchers.



This Bronze Age study shows how bones, teeth, and millet reveal the past. By studying them closely, we uncover stories of change, resilience, and adaptation that shaped ancient Europe.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-01113-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



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Bronze Age people abandoned meat for millet 3,500 years ago

The Bronze Age cemetery of Tiszafüred-Majoroshalom reveals a remarkable transformation...

In today’s world of rapid change and constant information overload, people crave meaning more than ever. Romantic partners often become anchors in the chaos, offering comfort and companionship. But beyond love and support, relationships can offer something deeper, a shared way of seeing the world.



When two people align in how they understand their surroundings, they don’t just feel closer. They also feel more certain, more secure, and more purposeful. 



A recent study from <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McGill University</a> explores this idea and reveals that partners who develop a shared view of the world gain more than emotional satisfaction. They also gain a deeper sense of meaning, especially in difficult or confusing times.



The findings, published in the&nbsp;Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, offer a fresh look at how romantic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-depression-contagious-couples-may-share-it-through-kissing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">relationships</a> shape our sense of self, purpose, and reality. They show that meaning doesn’t only come from being supported. It can also emerge when partners interpret the world together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-partners-shared-worldview-gives-life-meaning">Partners’ shared worldview gives life meaning</h2>



The McGill researchers conducted five separate studies involving nearly 1,300 adults from Canada and the United States. These studies used a mix of online surveys, laboratory tasks, and controlled experiments. 



The goal was to understand whether sharing a sense of reality with a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/men-might-say-i-love-you-first-to-show-they-care/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">romantic</a> partner could help people feel more certain and more meaningful.



The results were clear and consistent across all five studies. Participants who reported greater alignment with their partner’s views and interpretations of the world also reported a stronger sense of meaning in life. 



This connection came through reduced uncertainty. In simple terms, when people agreed with their partner’s view of the world, they felt more grounded.



Importantly, this effect was observed even in highly stressful contexts. For example, front-line health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Americans during the Black Lives Matter movement found it easier to cope when their partner shared their understanding of the events unfolding around them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-just-support-the-shift-in-perspective">Not just support: The shift in perspective</h2>



The study highlights a key difference from earlier research. In the past, scholars mostly focused on how relationships provide belonging or emotional support. But this study suggests another route to meaning through shared interpretation.



“Our approach was different from earlier work on how relationships promote meaning, which tended to focus on aspects like belonging or support,” said M. Catalina Enestrom, lead author of the research paper. 



“We set out to explore whether sharing thoughts, ideas and concerns about the world with a romantic partner could enhance meaning by reducing uncertainty about one’s environment.”



This focus on thought alignment, rather than just <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-are-falling-in-love-with-ai-companions-and-it-could-be-dangerous/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotional</a> closeness, shifts how we understand the role of relationships. It suggests that meaning is not only found in being loved but also in being understood and in understanding together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-partners-view-the-world-together">How partners view the world together</h2>



As couples spend more time together, they naturally build shared experiences. But these experiences become more than memories. They form the foundation of a shared reality, a mental and emotional map that both partners use to navigate life.



“As couples accumulate shared experiences, shared feelings, goals, and memories, they develop a generalized shared reality,” said senior author John Lydon, a psychology professor at McGill University. “This is different from simply feeling close or supported. It’s not just ‘my partner gets me,’ it’s ‘we get it.’”



This “we get it” feeling is powerful. It suggests that both individuals are not just emotionally close, but also intellectually and perceptually in sync. That can make the world seem less confusing, more organized, and easier to deal with.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-meaning-through-empathy">Building meaning through empathy</h2>



A shared reality doesn’t always require both partners to live through the same event. It can also form when one partner listens and aligns with the other’s interpretation. This means that even when experiences differ, a sense of shared meaning can still emerge.



“Shared reality can form, for instance, when a couple watches a horror movie together and one or both partners perceive that they both find it scary. But shared reality doesn’t necessarily require shared experiences," noted Enestrom.



"One partner can describe a stressful event they experienced, and if the other partner sees it the same way, this too can foster shared reality. As couples accumulate these shared reality experiences, they come to develop a sense of shared <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/who-is-happier-being-single-men-or-women/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">understanding</a> about the world in general."



This type of understanding strengthens the connection between partners. It allows them to act as each other’s witnesses to the world and co-creators of meaning, even in times of hardship.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coherence-and-purpose-the-roots-of-meaning">Coherence and purpose: The roots of meaning</h2>



While meaning can feel abstract, the researchers define it in practical terms as a sense of coherence and purpose. When people understand how the pieces of their lives fit together, they feel more stable. And when they know what they are working toward, life feels worthwhile.



Many studies have already shown that people who experience meaning also experience greater happiness, improved health, and stronger resilience. 



What this study adds is the idea that romantic relationships can play a key role in that process. Not just by offering support, but by helping partners reduce confusion and uncertainty together.



In chaotic moments, having someone to interpret the world with can be a powerful source of calm. That shared sense of reality gives people something to hold onto.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-shared-reality-matters-for-partners">Why shared reality matters for partners</h2>



This research sheds light on an often-overlooked part of intimacy. Love is not just about affection. It is also about perception. It is about looking at the same event, interpreting it in a similar way, and saying, “I see it too.”



In a world full of noise and confusion, being able to say “we get it” is more than comforting. It is grounding. It builds a shared path forward, where both partners can walk with clarity and purpose. And in that shared path, they find meaning not just as individuals, but as a team.



When two people consistently understand the world the same way, they are not just more connected. They are also more certain, more stable, and more fulfilled.



The study is published in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpspi0000472" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>. 



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Partners who view the world the same way feel more secure

In today’s world of rapid change and constant information overload,...

Good,Morning,,New,Day,,Weekend,,Holiday.,Happy,Middle,Aged,Woman

Night after night, our bodies cycle through light and heavy slumber. Most of us judge a good night’s rest by how spry we feel over morning coffee, but there is a deeper story. During the night, when muscles go limp and dreams fade, the brain slips into slow-wave sleep - the quietest, most restorative phase.



Researchers now point to a slow erosion of that phase as a silent warning sign for dementia. The issue is not the total number of hours you sleep each night, it's about how deeply we sleep year after year. 



Losing too much of that deep stretch appears to open the door to memory problems later in life. Even small nightly losses, study authors argue, can snowball over time and quietly shape cognitive destiny.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-slow-wave-sleep">Understanding slow-wave sleep</h2>



Often called <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sleep-clears-toxic-waste-from-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deep sleep</a>, slow-wave sleep is the most restorative phase of the sleep cycle. During this stage, the brain produces slow, high-amplitude delta waves, and the body enters its most relaxed state - heart rate slows, blood pressure drops, and muscles become nearly immobile.



During these spells, cerebrospinal fluid washes through brain tissue, sweeping away proteins such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleeping-may-lower-levels-of-alzheimers-abnormal-proteins/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amyloid and tau</a> that gather while we are awake.



Both are major suspects in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stopping-alzheimers-before-it-starts-early-treatment-shows-potential/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s disease</a>, which already affects about one in nine Americans older than 65.



When deep sleep shrinks, that nightly rinse falters. Laboratory work confirms that even a single restless night nudges amyloid levels upward. 



Over decades, a chronic shortfall can allow debris to pile up, fraying the circuits that handle recall, planning, and mood.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-sleep-over-decades">Tracking sleep over decades</h2>



An analysis drawn from the <a href="https://www.framinghamheartstudy.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Framingham Heart Study</a> followed 346 adults older than 60 who completed two overnight sleep studies five years apart. 



Over the next 17 years, 52 of them developed dementia, and a clear pattern emerged: each 1 percent annual drop in slow-wave sleep was linked to a 27 percent increase in risk.



“Slow-wave sleep, or deep sleep, supports the ageing brain in many ways, and we know that sleep augments the clearance of metabolic waste from the brain, including facilitating the clearance of proteins that aggregate in Alzheimer’s disease,” explained Associate Professor Matthew Pase of <a href="https://www.monash.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monash University</a>.



“However, to date we have been unsure of the role of slow-wave sleep in the development of dementia. Our findings suggest that slow-wave sleep loss may be a modifiable dementia risk factor.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-sleep-and-risk">Genes, sleep, and risk</h2>



The same project highlighted a genetic wildcard: <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5839141/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">APOE ε4</a>. Carriers of this variant lost deep sleep faster than their peers. Even without that gene, though, a steep decline in slow-wave minutes still spelled trouble.



Brain-volume measurements did not explain the trend, hinting that sleep itself is the driver. By tracking nightly brain waves, clinicians may gain an early heads-up long before symptoms appear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-slow-wave-sleep">Studying slow-wave sleep</h2>



A <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-023-02811-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">separate study</a> at the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Berkeley</a>, shows how deep sleep might soften the blow even when pathology is already in place. 



Sixty-two older volunteers spent a night undergoing electroencephalography and then tried to match names to faces. 



Those with heavy beta-amyloid deposits but plentiful slow-wave sleep performed as well as participants with cleaner brains.



“With a certain level of brain pathology, you’re not destined for cognitive symptoms or memory issues,” said <a href="https://www.abg.psychol.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-zsofia-zavecz" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Zsófia Zavecz</a>, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley’s <a href="https://www.humansleepscience.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Human Sleep Science</a>. 



“People should be aware that, despite having a certain level of pathology, there are certain lifestyle factors that will help moderate and decrease the effects. One of those factors is sleep and, specifically, deep sleep.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keeping-memory-afloat">Keeping memory afloat</h2>



Neuroscientist <a href="https://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/matthew-p-walker" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Matthew Walker</a>, senior author of the UC Berkeley study, posed a compelling question: If sleep is truly essential for memory, could it be a missing piece in the puzzle explaining why two people with the same level of amyloid pathology experience such different memory outcomes?



He noted that if this theory proves true, it would be exciting - because sleep is something we can actually change. It’s a modifiable factor.



Walker went on to compare deep sleep to a life raft: it keeps memory afloat rather than letting it sink under the weight of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-disruptions-could-signal-the-onset-of-alzheimers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s disease</a>. 



He suggested that non-REM, slow-wave sleep may be a crucial piece in understanding cognitive reserve. Even better, it’s something we can improve, even later in life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-more-slow-wave-sleep">Getting more slow-wave sleep</h2>



Laboratory gadgets cannot guarantee longer slow-wave stretches, yet everyday choices matter. 



Regular bedtimes anchor the body clock; a cool, dark bedroom keeps overheating at bay; and avoiding caffeine after lunch reduces late-night jitters. A warm shower before lights-out also nudges the brain toward <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sleep-how-slow-waves-boost-memory-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deeper stages</a>. 



“One of the advantages of this result is the application to a huge population right above the age of 65,” Zavecz said. 



“By sleeping better and doing your best to practice good sleep hygiene, which is easy to research online, you can gain the benefit of this compensatory function against this type of Alzheimer’s pathology.”



Wearable sensors are not perfect, but they now offer a glimpse into nightly slow-wave trends at home.



By understanding and supporting this critical stage of sleep through consistent habits and healthy routines, we gain a powerful, accessible tool for maintaining cognitive resilience well into older adulthood.



Spotting a downward drift early gives older adults a chance to course-correct with simple habits - an investment that could pay off in sharper memories for years to come.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2810957" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JAMA Neurology</a>.



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Scientists point to one particular sleep stage as being most important for preventing dementia

Night after night, our bodies cycle through light and heavy...

Most people savor a cup of coffee with hopes of an energetic start to the day. Recent findings suggest there may be more going on than just a morning jolt.



Experts have been discussing how this popular beverage is linked with lower chances of certain diseases. A 2025 meta-analysis found that individuals with diabetes who consumed one to four cups a day lowered their risk of heart-related issues and mortality.



<a href="https://faculty.smhs.gwu.edu/leana-sheryle-wen" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Leana Wen</a>, an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">George Washington University</a>, says coffee’s place in a balanced routine is worth considering.



“The evidence is quite strong,” said Dr. Wen, who has seen interest grow around simple lifestyle tweaks that might benefit both the heart and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-this-amount-of-water-per-day-helps-control-blood-sugar-levels-in-people-with-diabetes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blood sugar regulation</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coffee-s-protective-side">Coffee’s protective side</h2>



Some researchers have observed that those who regularly drink moderate amounts could experience lower overall mortality. 



The same review linked coffee with lessened odds of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/morning-coffee-drinkers-have-a-lower-risk-of-heart-disease-and-death/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular events</a>. Scientists point to antioxidant components in coffea arabica that may play a role in shielding cells from stress.



Certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-flavor-can-be-improved-with-a-simple-trick/">coffee</a> varieties contain substances that might help the body manage cholesterol. These natural agents may also support insulin activity, which is a factor in maintaining healthy glucose levels. 



When combined with sensible meal choices, a few cups could support broader metabolic balance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-coffee-moderation-is-key">Why coffee moderation is key</h2>



A safe <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/spilling-beans-how-much-caffeine-too-much">limit</a> for most healthy adults is around 400 milligrams of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caffeine-has-a-protective-effect-on-heart-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">caffeine per day</a>, which is roughly four 8-ounce cups. 



If someone goes beyond that, issues such as sleeplessness or jitteriness can appear. Tracking how much caffeine is in each cup keeps things under control.



People with heart conditions may want to watch for symptoms like <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heart-palpitations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">palpitations</a> if they consume several cups. 



Others might find that too much caffeine upsets digestion or nerves. A balanced approach helps keep potential downsides in check.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-coffee-interacts-with-the-body">How coffee interacts with the body</h2>



Caffeine stimulates the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542179/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">central nervous system</a>, which can temporarily boost alertness and focus. It blocks the effects of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep, helping people feel more awake.



Coffee also triggers the release of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dopamine-changes-from-cannabis-last-at-least-one-year/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dopamine</a> and norepinephrine, chemicals tied to mood and energy. 



While these effects are often seen as positive, they can lead to restlessness or irritability in sensitive individuals, especially if consumed in excess.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caffeine-affects-blood-sugar-and-insulin">Caffeine affects blood sugar and insulin</h2>



Moderate coffee intake has been linked with improved <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323027" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">insulin sensitivity</a>, which helps the body move glucose from the blood into cells more efficiently. 



This effect may reduce the risk of developing <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21501-type-2-diabetes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">type 2 diabetes</a> and help those with the condition manage blood sugar better.



Caffeine can also affect <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6544578/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glucose metabolism</a> differently in each person. In some, it may slightly raise blood sugar for a short time. The impact seems to depend on genetics, caffeine tolerance, and what’s eaten with or after the coffee.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-benefits">Who benefits</h2>



Most adults can enjoy a moderate coffee habit. <a href="https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2010/08/moderate-caffeine-consumption-during-pregnancy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pregnant women</a>, on the other hand, need to limit daily caffeine intake to under 200 milligrams to reduce potential concerns. 



It's also important for parents to remember that the <a href="https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Caffeine_and_Children-131.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Academy of Pediatrics</a> suggests children under 12 avoid caffeine entirely.



Adults with type 2 diabetes appear to gain some pluses from moderate coffee consumption. 



In a large survey, those reporting a few cups daily had lower rates of complications compared to non-drinkers. If someone experiences anxiety or insomnia, it’s wise to reassess caffeine’s part in the overall diet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tea-s-place">Tea’s place</h2>



Tea shares similarities with coffee, offering bioactive compounds that may support cardiovascular health. <a href="https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/camellia-sinensis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Camellia sinensis</a> leaves have polyphenols, which can help lower inflammation. 



These may be especially relevant for individuals watching their blood sugar.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-foods-might-work-like-medicines-to-lower-blood-pressure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Green tea</a> tends to have lower caffeine levels than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-tea-every-day-proven-studies-to-delay-biological-aging-in-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black tea</a>. Unsweetened versions sidestep extra calories. 



The analysis found that individuals with diabetes who drank up to two cups a day saw favorable trends related to heart disease and mortality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-about-energy-drinks-and-sodas">What about energy drinks and sodas?</h2>



Not all caffeinated beverages are equal. While coffee and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-tea-every-day-proven-studies-to-delay-biological-aging-in-humans/">tea</a> may offer potential health benefits, energy drinks and many sodas come with risks that often outweigh any positive effects of caffeine.



Energy drinks can contain up to 300 milligrams of caffeine per can, along with large amounts of added sugars and artificial additives. 



Regular consumption has been <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4682602/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">linked</a> with increased heart rate, high blood pressure, and in some cases, hospitalization. For people with diabetes, the sugar content alone makes these drinks problematic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-staying-mindful">Staying mindful</h2>



Many coffee and tea beverages come packed with sugar, syrups, or whipped toppings. These extras can increase calorie load and may undo the potential protective aspects. 



An approach that keeps sugar minimal might allow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-coffee-may-help-women-stay-sharp-and-strong-as-they-age/">coffee</a> or tea to retain their possible health benefits.



People sensitive to caffeine might try decaffeinated options. These still contain various phytochemicals that could help the body. 



A measured intake can be tailored to individual needs, particularly when combined with professional medical advice.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1570644/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Nutrition</a>.



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Scientists say drinking this amount of coffee helps prevent heart disease and diabetes

Most people savor a cup of coffee with hopes of...

Scientists have revealed a new biometric marker: your nasal breathing pattern. This is uniquely yours. According to new research, nasal airflow can identify individuals with 96.8% accuracy. That is on par with voice recognition.



The discovery came from a team at the <a href="https://www.weizmann.ac.il/pages/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Weizmann Institute of Science</a>. They created a wearable device that tracks nasal breathing patterns over 24 hours. Unlike short clinical tests, this method captures long-term characteristics.



“You would think that breathing has been measured and analyzed in every way,” said Noam Sobel. “Yet we stumbled upon a completely new way to look at respiration. We consider this as a brain readout.”



The study involved 97 participants and used 24 specific features extracted from their breathing patterns. Each feature remained stable over months, even up to two years. This suggests it comes from the brain’s respiratory <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breathing-rhythms-help-strengthen-memories-during-sleep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">network</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-wearable-breathing-pattern-tracker">A wearable breathing pattern tracker</h2>



Participants wore a silicone-encased device on their neck all day. It connected to a nasal cannula with separate tubes for each nostril. This setup recorded every breath in real time, logging airflow asymmetries and temporal pauses.



Researchers used AI models to analyze features like inhale volume and duty cycles. With just one hour of breathing data, they could still identify about 43% of participants during <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>. When they tested data across months, accuracy remained high: 95% during waking hours and over 70% during sleep.



Importantly, they ruled out motion as a confounding factor. Position sensors built into the device could only identify people with 37% accuracy. The breathing pattern did far better.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breathing-patterns-and-mental-health">Breathing patterns and mental health</h2>



The study didn’t just identify people. It predicted health and emotional traits. Breathing patterns reflected body mass index, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-quality-could-be-the-key-to-better-metabolic-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a> quality, and mental health. For example, those with higher anxiety scores had shorter inhales and more varied pauses during sleep.



These effects were not linked to illness. All participants were healthy and had no clinical diagnoses. Yet their breathing revealed differences tied to depression, anxiety, and even traits linked to autism. 



“Perhaps the way you breathe makes you anxious or depressed,” said Sobel. “If that’s true, we might be able to change the way you breathe to change those conditions.”



Researchers used a technique called canonical correlation analysis. It showed a strong link between breathing patterns and psychological traits, with a correlation of 0.87 across multiple tests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breathing-data-predicts-mood-behavior">Breathing data predicts mood behavior</h2>



Using nasal airflow data, researchers could predict BMI with strong accuracy. Tidal volume and exhale volume during sleep both correlated with higher BMI. Interestingly, even nasal cycle features, like airflow differences between nostrils, predicted BMI. That suggests brain-driven breathing control is involved.



In those with higher depression scores, the study found faster airflow and longer exhale pauses during wakefulness. For anxiety, shorter inhales and less stable breathing occurred during sleep. Even those with higher autism trait scores showed longer inhale pauses and more variable patterns during sleep.



These findings suggest that breathing patterns reflect both state (like stress or sleep) and trait (like body composition or emotional tendencies).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-and-challenges">Next steps and challenges</h2>



Despite the promise, the device has limitations. The nasal cannula, often associated with illness, may discourage everyday use. It also doesn’t track mouth breathing and sometimes slips during sleep. Soroka and Sobel plan to improve the device's design.



Still, the potential is big. A nasal breathing pattern reader could someday be used to track well-being, monitor mental health, or guide therapies. “We definitely want to go beyond <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-bacteria-breathe-by-creating-electricity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diagnostics</a> to treatment, and we are cautiously optimistic,” stated Sobel.



Even now, the researchers can identify you by your breathing pattern. Soon, they might help you breathe your way to better health.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00583-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Study shows that our breathing pattern is as unique as our fingerprints

Scientists have revealed a new biometric marker: your nasal breathing...

Take a sip of cabernet and your tongue might feel as if it's being scraped by coarse paper, while another vintage wine may glide across your mouth. According to chemists, this contrast in wine texture isn't just about how much tannin is present, but rather the exact molecular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wines-may-develop-new-tastes-as-climate-patterns-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">structure</a> of the tannins themselves.



The new <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40377541/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Condensed Tannin Fragmentation Fingerprinting method</a> tags every tannin fragment as it shatters inside a high‑resolution <a href="https://www.broadinstitute.org/technology-areas/what-mass-spectrometry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mass spectrometer</a>. The method transforms an invisible chemical jumble into a sortable library of flavor clues that winemakers can read like sheet music.



The peer‑reviewed study was directed by <a href="https://foodscience.psu.edu/directory/mtk5407" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Misha Kwasniewski</a>, associate research professor of fermented beverage science and technology at <a href="https://agsci.psu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tannins-affect-wine-texture">Tannins affect wine texture</h2>



<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12111099/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Procyanidins</a> are branched chains of the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/flavanols" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flavanol catechin</a> that can run from two to well over a dozen units, and the twists, bonds, and branching angles within those chains set how tightly the molecules clamp onto salivary proteins. 



Longer, more entangled chains strip away lubrication faster, so the same <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-grapes-became-wine-in-italy-over-7000-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chemical</a> family can create either a silky glide or a chalky drag across the gums.



When tannins bind those proteins, the resulting complexes lose solubility and scatter light - roughening tissue surfaces and amplifying the tactile signal drinkers describe as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34796497/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">astringency</a>. 



The familiar sensation is therefore less about tongue chemistry than about the mechanical friction created once saliva’s slip layer has been thinned out.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mixtures-of-taste-and-touch">Mixtures of taste and touch</h2>



Bitterness rides a different sensory pathway, relying on taste‑bud receptors that respond to specific tannin fragments floating free in the fluid rather than to whole chains. 



Two drinks can carry the same total tannin load yet, by favoring different fragment sizes, trigger strikingly different mixtures of taste and touch.



Climate compounds the story because cooler regions produce grapes with fewer skin tannins and shorter seed tannins. As a result, wines from Pennsylvania or Scandinavia often feel lighter than peers from California or Australia even when alcohol, color, and sugar match. 



This gap has long frustrated growers who cannot simply boost tannin numbers without upsetting balance elsewhere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tannin-structure-and-wine-texture-details">Tannin structure and wine texture details</h2>



Similar <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32242660/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in‑source fragmentation</a> approaches are gaining traction across metabolomics because they deliver tandem‑level structural detail on instruments that usually collect only parent masses, saving both money and analysis time. 



The Penn State team adapted the trick for tannins by firing three voltage steps (gentle, moderate, and high) at each molecule. This ensured that dimers, trimers, and longer polymers all leave distinctive fingerprints.



The researchers validated the workflow on 19 lab mixtures whose tannin <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wine-production-in-a-warming-world-the-winners-and-losers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recipes</a> were already known, deliberately mixing short and long chains to challenge the algorithm. 



The fingerprint report matched within two percentage points across the board, then repeated the performance on eight commercial ciders where the ingredient lists were revealed only after testing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-it-matter">Why does it matter?</h2>



The precision of the tannin fingerprinting method matters because classic colorimetric or precipitation assays lump every tannin together, masking the structural fine print that drives texture and health activity. 



Without that information, winemakers have been forced to tweak fermentation time, barrel choice, or fining agents by taste alone and hope the chemistry followed.



“Sometimes that tannic element is really harsh, like dragging sandpaper across your tongue. Other times it is velvety or smooth,” said Kwasniewski.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-manipulating-the-texture-of-wine">Manipulating the texture of wine</h2>



Pennsylvania vintners often struggle to build the weightier mouthfeel associated with <a href="https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=vitis+vinifera" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vitis vinifera</a> harvested in warmer valleys where skins thicken and seeds ripen fully. 



With the new fingerprint in hand, they can select clones, tweak maceration length, or add oak alternatives in a more targeted quest for body.



Because the read‑out comes from a one‑minute <a href="https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Analytical_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_(Analytical_Chemistry)/Instrumentation_and_Analysis/Chromatography/Liquid_Chromatography" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">liquid‑chromatography</a> run, small wineries could check fermentations each morning, log the tannin profile, and steer punch‑downs or blending before irreversible changes set in. 



Kwasniewski’s group is beta‑testing a suitcase‑sized instrument that can plug into the hose manifold next to the press.



Cider makers and craft‑beer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/red-or-white-the-surprising-truth-about-wine-and-cancer-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brewers</a> have joined the conversation, chasing the sweet spot where bitterness perks up flavor without tipping into harsh drying. 



Early trials suggest they can tune ingredient blends to drop perceived bitterness by fifteen percent while keeping the bright snap consumers expect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tannin-structure-and-health-benefits">Tannin structure and health benefits</h2>



Beyond flavor, tannin architecture parallels antioxidant power in foods such as dark chocolate, where procyanidins shoulder much of the <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/free-radical" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">free‑radical</a> scavenging load. 



Early <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955286302002152" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> shows that lengthening certain procyanidin chains can boost oxidative‑stress protection in tissue models without altering taste.



The Penn State fingerprint could therefore let nutrition researchers screen <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4696435/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cocoa</a> batches or tea harvests for the most potent molecular forms before those ingredients reach candy factories or teabags. Regulators in turn might rely on the data to validate label claims about flavanol content.



It could also clarify why some epidemiological reports tie moderate red‑<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/moderate-wine-consumption-reduces-cardiovascular-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wine</a> intake to vascular benefits while others find weaker links. Differentiating tannin shapes instead of measuring simple totals may reconcile those mixed results and point nutrition guidelines toward structure‑specific thresholds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-uses-of-tannin-fingerprinting">Future uses of tannin fingerprinting</h2>



The team now plans to push detection toward even larger tannin polymers that dominate age‑worthy reds - a task that may require higher voltages or alternative ionization modes to break the stubborn giants apart. 



Parallel work aims to translate the approach to <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9796155/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">white‑wine phenolics</a>, coffee, and even hops.



Collaborations with grape breeders are under way to evaluate experimental crosses for mouthfeel before full planting, turning sensory instinct into data that farmers can act on. 



If the project succeeds, future drink labels could list nuanced tannin fingerprints alongside alcohol percentage and acidity.



The study is published in the <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c02379?goto=supporting-info" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry</a>.



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Hidden chemistry of wine: What actually shapes its texture?

Take a sip of cabernet and your tongue might feel...

The idea that what we eat shapes how we sleep is catching on fast. A new six-month clinical trial puts the humble avocado at the center of that discussion. 



The research, led by Dr. Kristina Petersen of <a href="https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/?cid=CPC39865&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=216632423&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwu7TCBhCYARIsAM_S3Njk18_xKLXHwaS2Zu0LDF2JIvkEKY6cuE1XfwJLezsIvCB_JPOl65kaAiMzEALw_wcB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Penn State University</a>, was focused on 969 adults with larger waistlines. The study revealed that individuals who ate one avocado each day reported about 30 extra minutes of nightly sleep compared with the control group. 



Heart doctors now treat solid sleep health as seriously as blood pressure. According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/about/sleep-and-heart-health.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, adults who regularly get fewer than seven hours have higher odds of heart attack and stroke. 



The <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifes-essential-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Heart Association</a> includes sleep in its Life's Essential 8 checklist, alongside diet, exercise, and nicotine avoidance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-avocado-nutrients-matter-for-sleep-nbsp">Why avocado nutrients matter for sleep&nbsp;</h2>



According to the researchers, one-third of a medium avocado delivers 13 milligrams of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2908021/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tryptophan</a>, the amino acid the body uses to make melatonin. It also brings 45 µg of <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">folate</a> and 15 milligrams of <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnesium</a>, which are both tied to smoother circadian rhythms.&nbsp;



Each serving supplies three grams of fiber and five grams of <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/monounsaturated-fats" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monounsaturated fat</a>, nutrients that can trim LDL cholesterol and support steady blood sugar, two issues that often disturb sleep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avocado-improves-sleep-and-diet">Avocado improves sleep and diet</h2>



Volunteers in the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial (<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34496276/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HAT</a>) were randomized to eat either one large Hass avocado <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.039130" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">daily</a> or fewer than two avocados per month for twenty-six weeks.



Compliance stayed high, about 88 % of the avocado group reported eating the full fruit on recall days, yet their overall calories barely changed, suggesting people swapped rather than piled on food. 



The avocado group scored three points higher on the diet component of Life’s Essential 8 and showed modest reductions in LDL cholesterol, echoing earlier single-food trials.



“Sleep is emerging as a key lifestyle factor in heart health, and this study invites us to consider how nutrition - and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-diet-shifts-the-hidden-costs-of-what-we-eat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">foods</a> like avocado - can play a role in improving it,” said Dr. Petersen. Self-reported sleep increased from an average of 6.4 to nearly 7.0 hours per night.&nbsp;



Heart health depends on a variety of factors. While no one <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-methane-in-your-gut-says-about-your-diet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food</a> can solve everything, avocados provide several nutrients that contribute to different areas of cardiovascular well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-avocado-may-influence-sleep">How avocado may influence sleep</h2>



Magnesium <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39252819/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supplements</a> can deepen slow-wave sleep in adults with insomnia, and similar benefits appear when the mineral comes from food.



Tryptophan-rich evening snacks have been <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2654999/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shown</a> to lift nighttime melatonin and lower restlessness in lab studies. Avocados supply both compounds in a heart-healthy package.



The fruit’s steady stream of potassium may also help keep blood pressure dips that occur during deep sleep within a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-you-eat-can-literally-change-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">healthy</a> range, though that mechanism still lacks direct trial evidence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avocados-may-influence-hormones">Avocados may influence hormones</h2>



Emerging <a href="https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/FMR-2023-0013" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> also hints that avocados may influence hormonal balance, particularly cortisol and insulin - two key players in sleep and cardiovascular health. 



The monounsaturated fats in avocados have been shown to support insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation, both of which can contribute to more restful sleep and improved heart health.



Cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, naturally dips at night to prepare us for sleep. Some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK326737/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> suggest that nutrient-dense, fat-rich foods like avocados may help regulate the timing and magnitude of these dips, potentially smoothing the transition to deeper sleep cycles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diet-sleep-and-cardiovascular-links">Diet, sleep, and cardiovascular links</h2>



The study also showed that eating avocados daily improved overall <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-protein-packed-diets-are-really-doing-to-your-gut/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diet</a> quality, which is a foundational pillar in Life’s Essential 8. 



A better diet has cascading effects, not just on cholesterol and glucose, but on how the body regulates stress, hormones, and metabolism, all of which feed back into sleep patterns.



While the exact biological link between avocado nutrients and sleep isn't fully mapped, researchers believe the combination of healthy fats, fiber, and micronutrients may support more stable blood sugar and calm the nervous system, factors that are tied to sleep duration and quality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions </h2>



Because sleep was not the primary endpoint, the researchers relied on questionnaires instead of wearable trackers. 



Future trials that collect objective sleep stages and timing could confirm whether avocado nutrients directly lengthen restorative phases like <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/rem-sleep-what-is-it-why-is-it-important-and-how-can-you-get-more-of-it" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">REM</a> sleep.



The study group already had elevated waistlines, so the results may not translate to leaner adults or children. Researchers also want to see if pairing avocados with exercise or weight-loss plans produces bigger gains on the full Life’s Essential 8 score.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-tips-for-daily-life">Simple tips for daily life</h2>



Swap the late-night cookie for half an avocado on whole-grain toast sprinkled with pumpkin seeds. The mix pairs healthy fat with extra magnesium and tryptophan. 



Keep ripe avocados on the counter and the rest in the fridge to maintain freshness throughout the week. A squeeze of lemon slows browning when you store the second half.



If you take blood-thinning medication, remember that avocados are high in <a href="https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/vitamin-k/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vitamin K</a>, and it's important to discuss major diet changes with your clinician first. Adding a single food will not erase poor sleep hygiene, but it can be a good start. 



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.039130" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of the American Heart Association</a>.



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Want better sleep? Try eating an avocado daily

The idea that what we eat shapes how we sleep...

Most people go through life feeling glued to their skin. Hands move, feet follow, and the world stays in front of their eyes. Yet a surprising slice of the population has reported slipping loose, hovering a few feet up, and seeing their own body from the outside. 



The phenomenon is called an out-of-body experience (OBE), and its meaning has long puzzled science.



Researchers estimate that anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of global adults have touched this odd territory at least once.



Such accounts crop up in emergency rooms, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psilocybin-deeply-enhances-meditation-insights/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meditation retreats</a>, and even on living-room couches during an afternoon nap. 



Pilots under high G-forces have logged them, and neurologists have induced similar sensations in lab volunteers by tickling a small patch of brain behind the right ear. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-obes-the-strangest-trip-of-all">OBEs: The strangest trip of all</h2>



OBEs share a common script: sight and touch split. People feel <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-human-brain-adapts-to-weightlessness-in-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weightless</a>, hear the room dimly, and watch themselves from above. 



Laboratory work links the effect to the temporoparietal junction, the brain’s traffic circle for balance, vision, and the sense of owning a body. 



When signals there clash - because of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-eats-away-our-brains-cognitive-defenses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress</a>, epilepsy, lack of oxygen, or a virtual-reality headset - the mind may decide to leave its usual seat.



Historical texts show that monks, shamans, and soldiers have all written about brief departures. Modern imaging backs them up: the body stays put. 



Yet cardiology monitors sometimes register sudden drops in heart rate during an OBE, hinting at a reflex that calms the nervous system when things feel too intense.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surveying-the-floaters">Surveying the floaters</h2>



After years of scattered anecdotes, a fresh survey from the <a href="https://med.virginia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Virginia</a> School of Medicine takes stock. The team surveyed more than 500 adults who were certain they had floated. 



Four out of five said it happened between one and four times; the rest reported at least five departures. Most first left their body in childhood.



Nearly three-quarters called the event spontaneous. Nine percent linked it to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-arabians-burned-harmal-plants-to-heal-and-protect/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychoactive compounds</a>, while 8.2 percent said meditation, visualization, or similar practices did the trick. Only 0.7 percent pointed to hypnosis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-obes-and-the-stress-connection">OBEs and the stress connection</h2>



The new data reveal a heavy shadow of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/child-maltreatment-triples-the-risk-of-substance-use/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early hardship</a>. Many participants recalled medical trauma or abusive homes. 



They also carried more mental-health diagnoses than peers who had never floated, and the likelihood of a diagnosis increased the longer it had been since that first OBE. 



Many people who’ve had out-of-body experiences (OBEs) worry there’s something wrong with them and keep quiet out of fear of being judged. 



“Unfortunately, many mental-health professionals still view these experiences in the same way,” said Weiler, a neuroscientist with UVA’s <a href="https://med.virginia.edu/perceptual-studies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Division of Perceptual Studies</a>.



Weiler’s team found that individuals who’ve had OBEs often report poorer mental health than those who haven’t. 



However, the researchers believe OBEs may act as “a coping mechanism in response to past trauma,” rather than a sign of illness. 



They urge clinicians to reconsider how they view these experiences and to meet them with “greater openness and sensitivity.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gains-from-leaving-the-body">Gains from leaving the body</h2>



The survey also tracked unexpected upsides. Fifty-five percent of participants said the experience changed their life; seventy-one percent felt a lasting benefit; and forty percent called it the greatest thing that had ever happened to them. 



Many described a lighter view of death, deeper calm, and a sharper sense of connection to other people. These reports match earlier studies in hospital patients, where OBEs sometimes eased anxiety after major surgery.



While stress can tip the brain into an OBE, curiosity clearly plays a role. Some volunteers used <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wim-hof-method-helps-fight-stress-inflammation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">breathing exercises</a> or sleep-onset tricks to nudge the event on purpose, chasing the mental clarity they felt hovering in the air. 



Scientists studying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-slows-biological-aging-at-the-molecular-level/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meditation</a> note similar patterns of detachment during deep practice, though the body stays motionless on the cushion.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clinical-implications">Clinical implications</h2>



“This view,” the researchers write, “shifts the focus from causation to the possibility that OBEs may also emerge as a consequence - a coping strategy for navigating difficult or traumatic experiences.” 



Their argument moves attention away from the spectacle of floating and toward the stress that often hides underneath. 



“If OBEs are understood not as symptoms of pathology but as coping mechanisms - especially in response to trauma - this reframing can lead to several important shifts in clinical practice, research, and public understanding,” Weiler explained.



“Ultimately, we hope to reduce the stigma around this topic, encourage help-seeking, and build community and resilience among experiencers.”



Therapists who meet an OBE client might soon ask different questions: not “Why did you split from your body?” but “What weight were you carrying when you launched?” 



Workshops for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/witnessing-trauma-may-cause-ptsd-in-a-different-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PTSD</a> already teach grounding techniques, yet some clinicians now explore whether guided imagery that safely mimics an OBE can loosen painful memories without triggering panic.



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



Portable brain scanners and motion-tracking beds promise sharper views of the moment liftoff begins. Researchers aim to map the split-second traffic between inner ear, skin sensors, and sight that lets the self drift. 



Others wonder whether the heart’s slowdown during OBEs could teach new ways to manage panic attacks or chronic pain.



For now, the lesson is plain: when the mind steps outside, it may be staging a clever retreat, buying time until life feels safe again. 



Listening to the story behind that retreat might help bring both mind and body back into easy conversation.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0191886925002545" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Personality and Individual Differences</a>.



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When the mind leaves the body - Scientists investigate the incredible phenomenon of OBEs

Most people go through life feeling glued to their skin....

A soft, stretchable contact lens can now track eye pressure and movement, even when the eyelids are shut. It sends high-resolution, real-time data to a phone without blurring vision or causing discomfort.



The twin measurements - intraocular pressure and subtle shifts in gaze - are vital for catching problems like glaucoma before damage occurs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-smart-contact-lens-works">How the smart contact lens works</h2>



Created by engineers at the <a href="https://en.uestc.edu.cn/">University of Electronic Science and Technology of China</a> and tested in rabbits and people, the lens merges capacitive and magnetic sensors inside a five-layer film.



Serpentine copper wires register pressure changes as small as one millimeter of mercury (mmHg). A wafer-thin, neodymium-doped band answers the pressure coils with a magnetic pulse that reveals eye movement.



Both signals reach an exterior receiver the size of ordinary specs and then hop wirelessly to any Bluetooth-ready device.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-eye-pressure-matters-overnight"><a></a>Why eye pressure matters overnight</h2>



Glaucoma steals sight by slowly eroding the optic nerve. The damage often begins with pressure spikes that emerge after lights-out, when standard tonometers cannot operate.



Excess pressure is not the whole story: rapid eye movement sweeps and irregular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gaze-and-intention-the-unspoken-language-of-survival/">gaze</a> fixes also correlate with disease risk.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/smart-contact-lens_stretchable-BCL_credit-Micro-Nano-Journal_1big.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/smart-contact-lens_stretchable-BCL_credit-Micro-Nano-Journal_1s.webp" alt="Design and working principle of the BCL. (i) Schematic diagram of BCL-based closed-eye capacitive intraocular pressure (CIOP) and magnetic eye movement (MEM) monitoring. (ii) Key components of the BCL. (iii) Optical images depicting the BCL in initial, stretched, and twisted states, and the experimental setup worn on an eyeball. (iv) Wireless transmission of CIOP and MEM signals to portable devices. b Three-dimensional image illustrating the thickness of various BCL components. c Height profile along the pink line in (b), displaying the height of multilayer components. d Finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental results of the BCL under a series of pressing heights, with corresponding experimental height results. e Biocompatibility Characterization of the BCL. Credit: Microsystems &amp; Nanoengineering" class="wp-image-1973876"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Design and working principle of the BCL. (i) Schematic diagram of BCL-based closed-eye capacitive intraocular pressure (CIOP) and magnetic eye movement (MEM) monitoring. (ii) Key components of the BCL. (iii) Optical images depicting the BCL in initial, stretched, and twisted states, and the experimental setup worn on an eyeball. (iv) Wireless transmission of CIOP and MEM signals to portable devices. b Three-dimensional image illustrating the thickness of various BCL components. c Height profile along the pink line in (b), displaying the height of multilayer components. d Finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental results of the BCL under a series of pressing heights, with corresponding experimental height results. e Biocompatibility Characterization of the BCL. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Microsystems &amp; Nanoengineering</figcaption></figure>



Until now, no wearable system captured both cues while the eyes stayed closed. The new lens does, offering a missing night-time readout that could sharpen diagnosis and tailor drug timing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-engineering-the-smart-contact-lens">Engineering the smart contact lens</h2>



The device builds its sensing core on a transparent elastomer shaped like a standard hydrogel lens. Five nested sheets keep the profile thinner than the edge of a credit card.



The outer face hosts the copper coil, tuned to deform with corneal bulges caused by pressure shifts. A middle layer embeds stretchable conductors leading to a micro-scale circuit. 



Beneath that lies the magnetic film, followed by a comfort cushion that rests on the eye. A final, oxygen-permeable coating seals the stack and preserves clarity.



Tests on rabbit eyes showed the lens surviving thousands of blinks and pressure cycles without delamination. Human volunteers wore it for two hours under continuous monitoring and reported no burning, redness, or blur.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-continuous-data-and-instant-feedback">Continuous data and instant feedback</h2>



A glasses-mounted Tesla meter reads the magnetic changes from the lens with more than 97 percent accuracy, translating those variations into horizontal, vertical, and rotational eye motion.



At the same time, the coil’s resonance shift reveals pressure. A companion phone app plots both streams in real time and stores them for later review. 



Clinicians can compare overnight peaks to daily baseline values, flagging patterns that merit therapy adjustments.



“This technology bridges a long-standing gap in ophthalmic care,” noted Dr. Guang Yao, co-lead author of the study.



“The ability to monitor both intraocular pressure and eye movement continuously - even when the eyes are closed - offers a more complete picture of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-helps-prevent-cataracts-and-maintain-eye-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eye health</a>.”



“It enables early intervention and more accurate tracking of disease progression, particularly for glaucoma patients. And because it's wireless and wearable, it can be used comfortably at home, not just in clinics.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detecting-early-warning-signs">Detecting early warning signs</h2>



Eye movement data hint at disorders far outside ophthalmology. Irregular REM cycles mark sleep apnea and some mood conditions. Tremor-like micro-saccades can foreshadow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticide-exposure-increases-the-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parkinson’s disease</a>.



By delivering a clean, night-long trace, the smart contact lens could help neurologists map early warning signs without bulky lab gear. It may also aid attention studies, tracking gaze stability during prolonged tasks.



The research team foresees layering a drug-reservoir ring onto the current design. In such a closed-loop lens, a pressure spike could trigger a micro-valve to release medication directly onto the cornea.



Add a thin glucose sensor, and the system might warn diabetics of rising blood sugar while dosing their eyes as needed. 



Modular fabrication means each medical discipline could swap in its own sensing film without reinventing the core electronics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smart-contact-lens-monitors-vision-health">Smart contact lens monitors vision health</h2>



Biocompatibility assays showed no toxic leachates or immune response over a week-long animal trial. Vision tests confirmed that the lens preserved contrast and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-retinal-cells-explain-complex-color-perception/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">color perception</a>.



The next hurdles are mass production and regulatory review, both eased by the fact that the base materials already appear in commercial lenses and wearable electronics. As costs drop, the device could reach pharmacies as a prescription add-on rather than a hospital-only tool.



Until now, monitoring eye health meant using slit-lamp exams or wearing daytime-only sensors - not a lens that worked around the clock.



The stretchable bimodal contact lens rewrites that rulebook, letting vision care continue after the lights go out. 



By catching nocturnal pressure surges and mapping every flicker of motion, it gives doctors a fuller, round-the-clock picture of the organ they struggle hardest to observe.



For millions at risk of silent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-ai-could-protect-millions-of-people-from-vision-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vision loss</a>, a routine morning sync with their phone could soon replace guesswork with precise, night-laden data - and turn sleep into an ally in safeguarding sight.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41378-025-00946-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Smart contact lens keeps an eye on your health, night and day

A soft, stretchable contact lens can now track eye pressure...

A roaring hockey crowd can spark brain energy in an arena faster than anything else. The sight of skaters hurtling across the ice excites viewers, but deeper <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-hijacks-the-brain-disrupting-sleep-and-memory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain</a> activity may be flickering beneath the surface of a fan’s mind.



Fans come from all walks of life. Some passively watch the puck glide around, while others hang on every shift, penalty, and shot attempt as if the future of the universe depends on the next goal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brains-of-hockey-fans-during-a-game">Brains of hockey fans during a game</h2>



In a recent study by the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Waterloo</a>, researchers used a tool known as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to see if certain people’s brains respond differently during key points in a game. 



<a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/recreation-and-leisure-studies/people-profiles/luke-potwarka" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Luke Potwarka</a>, associate professor at the University of Waterloo, led this project and took a keen interest in moments that even casual observers might shrug off. 



“We found that for fans who really love the sport, these face-offs were moments of intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-brain-literally-changes-based-on-daily-activities-and-lifestyle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental</a> engagement,” said Dr. Potwarka. 



These were the moments when fans weren’t just watching, they were mentally preparing, anticipating, and evaluating what might come next.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-hockey-moments-activate-the-brain">Key hockey moments activate the brain</h2>



Face-offs happen countless times in any hockey match. They reset play and give teams a chance to gain control of the puck in strategic areas.



Serious fans often lean forward at that moment. They know a face-off close to the opponent’s net can decide momentum, even if it does not produce an immediate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brains-learn-new-skills-much-faster-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">goal</a>.



The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/dorsomedial-prefrontal-cortex" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dorsal medial prefrontal cortex</a> is one region that can show stronger signals when emotional intensity ramps up. Researchers noticed that fans with higher <a href="https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/an-examination-of-the-relationship-between-leisure-activity-invol" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ego involvement</a> showed more activation in that area during offensive face-off moments.



For casual observers, these face-offs seemed more ordinary. They responded strongly to obvious events such as a goal, but their brains did not light up as much for plays setting the stage for potential scores.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emotional-attachment-changes-brain-activity">Emotional attachment changes brain activity</h2>



People who identify with a sport often build personal rituals around watching games. They might rearrange plans or wear specific clothing to support their team.



That personal attachment can translate into heightened emotional states when a possible shift in the game’s balance is on the line. Researchers suggest that these insights could help broadcasters tailor content to engage longtime supporters and casual viewers alike.



Fans with strong ego involvement don’t just enjoy hockey, they see it as part of who they are. That identity shapes how they process information, narrowing their focus during key game moments and increasing emotional investment in outcomes.



In the study, individuals who felt most connected to the sport showed heightened activity in both sides of their dorsomedial prefrontal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-brain-learns-study-reveals-an-unexpected-twist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cortex</a>, especially when offensive face-offs occurred. 



This suggests that identity-linked attention kicks in before anything major happens on the ice, not just after a big play unfolds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-using-brain-data-from-hockey-fans">Using brain data from hockey fans </h2>



Sports broadcasters could focus on face-offs or other subtle cues with more compelling commentary. That extra detail might capture the attention of viewers who have yet to develop a strong bond with the game.



Production crews might also highlight slow-motion replays of a critical face-off to show tactics and anticipation. This approach could gradually spark interest for newcomers while feeding the excitement of loyal fans.



Hockey is a fast-moving event. Goals and penalties are the high-drama moments that grab headlines. Yet this study shows that smaller details can captivate those who hold hockey close to their hearts.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-casual-fans-might-miss">What casual fans might miss</h2>



The absence of strong neural responses from casual fans during offensive face-offs highlights how much knowledge shapes perception. 



Without a deeper understanding of hockey strategy, these viewers may not recognize the tension and possibilities building in those moments.



This difference matters because it means broadcasters can’t assume every viewer sees the same game. What seems ordinary to one person might feel like a make-or-break moment to someone else, depending on how much of their identity is tied to the sport.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-brain-responses-beyond-hockey">Exploring brain responses beyond hockey</h2>



These findings open up possibilities for researchers who want to see how fans react in other sports. 



Differences in knowledge, loyalty, and emotional ties likely play a role in how viewers respond to game events. Basketball, soccer, and baseball each have distinct moments akin to hockey’s face-offs. 



As scientists continue to refine <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2024/sep/wearable-brain-imaging-device-shines-light-how-babies-respond-real-world-situations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wearable brain-imaging devices</a>, they may reveal new ways to understand the bond between spectators and the sports they love.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-96895-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



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Loyal hockey fans show higher brain activity during matches

A roaring hockey crowd can spark brain energy in an...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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> (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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" 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> 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"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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