Gel manicures have turned into a tiny luxury that fits between lunch breaks and school runs. The ultraviolet or near‑ultraviolet lamps that harden glossy manicure coatings do the job in about four minutes, so the routine feels harmless.



The dryers bathe fingertips in swift pulses of light, but until recently few people asked what those pulses do to the skin that holds the nails. A new laboratory study brings unsettling answers.



The new work was led by photochemist <a href="https://bicyt.conicet.gov.ar/fichas/p/en/maria-laura-dantola" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. María Laura Dántola</a> at the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Physical‑Chemical Research <a href="https://www.inifta.unlp.edu.ar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(INIFTA</a>), part of Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council <a href="https://www.conicet.gov.ar/?lan=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(CONICET</a>).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-manicure-lamps">Studying manicure lamps</h2>



Serrano’s team placed common skin molecules, including tyrosinase, inside a chamber that mimicked a salon lamp and zapped them for the same four‑minute cycle used in most gel services. 



All targets, from amino acids to lipids, emerged chemically altered and less able to perform their jobs.



“These devices are used without any controls or regulations requiring manufacturers to report on the potential risks of frequent exposure,” cautioned Dántola and colleagues. 



One of the starkest changes hit tyrosinase, the enzyme that drives production of melanin, a pigment that shields DNA from solar radiation.



The researchers also measured how fast the altered molecules sparked <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/oxidative-stress" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxidative stress</a> reactions that can shred cell membranes. Reaction rates jumped within seconds, confirming that harm starts long before a hand is removed from the booth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-photosensitization-matters">Why photosensitization matters</h2>



Photosensitization happens when a molecule absorbs light then transfers that energy to oxygen, creating reactive species. Those species slice through DNA, proteins, and lipids with no regard for cell repair cycles.



Because tyrosinase sits at the start of melanin synthesis, even small interruptions amplify downstream damage. Losing melanin’s natural sunscreen effect makes every future dose of sunlight or lamp light more hazardous.



Many over‑the‑counter skincare ingredients, including retinoids and some antibiotics, can enhance photosensitization. 



People who use them may face higher risks because their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-c-promotes-skin-renewal-and-anti-aging-at-the-genetic-level-dna-demethylation/">skin</a> already carries extra light‑reactive compounds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tyrosinase-melanin-and-lost-defense">Tyrosinase, melanin and lost defense</h2>



Tyrosinase flips the chemical switches that turn the amino acid tyrosine into melanin granules. When the lamp’s photons broke those switches, the team saw melanin output stall.



Without melanin the skin compensates poorly for incoming ultraviolet, so photo‑aging and cancer risk rise. The altered enzyme also disrupts color balance, explaining reports of blotchy pigmentation after frequent gel sessions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-manicure-lamps-are-very-bright">Manicure lamps are very bright</h2>



Bench measurements showed the lamp delivered a dose of <a href="https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/what-s-the-difference-between-uva-and-uvb-rays-.h15-1592991.html">UVA radiation</a> around 368–400 nanometers, the same band blamed for tanning and wrinkles. 



A separate American <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-35876-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> in 2023 reported that a 20‑minute session killed up to 70 percent of cultured human skin cells and stamped permanent mutations on the survivors.



Sensor data from the Argentine team indicate the lamp’s irradiance peaks at 7 milliwatts per square centimeter, nearly matching the noon sun in Buenos Aires during spring. 



Weekly visits translate into roughly three and a half hours under that intensity each year, more than many people spend sunbathing.



A systematic <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38557455/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> in 2024 concluded that while the absolute cancer risk appears low, the evidence remains weak and long‑term users should be told the data gaps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-short-bursts-long-shadows">Short bursts, long shadows</h2>



Gel clients often repeat the service every two to three weeks, layering dose upon dose across years. Cumulative exposure matters because photochemical injuries add rather than heal, especially when they trigger oxidative stress and DNA breaks.



A 2023 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-49814-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test</a> on human keratinocytes showed sunscreen with SPF 50 cut cell death by more than one‑third during the same four‑minute irradiation used in salons. 



Protective gloves that leave only the nail plate visible can block over 90 percent of the rays, yet they remain optional accessories.



“These are processes that, in one way or another, result in cell death,” added Dántola and colleagues after monitoring the altered enzyme profiles. 



The comment echoes warnings from dermatology societies that link chronic UVA to premature aging and certain skin cancers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keeping-nails-and-skin-safe">Keeping nails and skin safe</h2>



Dermatologists at the <a href="https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/gel-manicures-dermatologists-share-tips-to-keep-nails-healthy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Academy of Dermatology</a> urge customers to apply a broad‑spectrum SPF 30 or higher on their hands before every gel manicure and to choose LED lamps that cure polish faster and with lower UV output.



Salons can switch to newer hybrid lacquers that air‑dry or set under visible blue light, trimming exposure further. At home, limiting sessions and spacing them at least a month apart reduces cumulative dose.



For clients unwilling to give up the chip‑free finish, simple habits help: wear fingertip‑less UPF gloves, time the lamp cycles carefully, and keep moisturizer handy because dry <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teen-skin-bacteria-could-hold-the-secret-to-acne-prevention/">skin</a> amplifies light penetration.



Regulators have yet to issue binding standards for consumer nail lamps, so the burden falls on users and technicians. 



Serrano’s group believes clear warning labels and pre‑packed barrier gloves would let people enjoy the beauty trend while understanding the trade‑offs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-manicure-lamps-speed-vs-safety">Manicure lamps: Speed vs. safety</h2>



The beauty business around gel nails is sizable. Analysts <a href="https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/uv-nail-gel-market" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimate</a> the global UV gel polish segment alone was worth almost six billion dollars in 2024 and could double within a decade.



Social media trends and influencer tutorials push fans to redo manicures every week rather than once a month, increasing exposure well beyond the study’s four‑minute baseline. Convenience encourages at‑home kits, yet those kits often ship without detailed safety instructions.



Dántola stresses that the project sits in basic science, aimed at mapping chemical events rather than legislating behavior. 



Still, sharing data allows dermatologists, engineers, and regulators to design larger trials that measure real <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-carry-toxic-chemicals-that-are-easily-absorbed-by-skin/">skin</a> after repeated consumer‑level doses.



Applied research may soon test glove fabrics, lamp filters, or polish formulas that polymerize under visible light. Until such options become standard, informed choice remains the safest tool on the manicure table.



The study is published in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39763051/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chemical Research in Toxicology</a>.



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Manicure lamps can seriously damage skin and cause premature aging

Gel manicures have turned into a tiny luxury that fits between lunch breaks and school runs. The ultraviolet or near‑ultraviolet lamps that harden glossy manicure coatings do the job in about four minutes, so the routine feels harmless. The dryers bathe fingertips in swift pulses of light, but until recently few people asked what those pulses do to the skin that holds the nails. A new laboratory study brings unsettling answers. The new work was led by photochemist Dr. María Laura Dántola at the Institute of Theoretical...

Americans are now spending nearly $150 billion each year on illegal drugs. According to a new report from the <a href="https://www.rand.org/">RAND Corporation</a>, Americans spent nearly $150 billion on illicit drugs in 2016. Of the money exchanged for cannabis, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cocaine-pharmaceutical-drugs-river-wildlife/">cocaine</a>, heroin, and methamphetamine, a large portion was spent by just a small share of individuals who use drugs on a daily or frequent basis.

The researchers have estimated that the spending on these four illegal drugs fluctuated between $120 and $145 billion each year from 2006 to 2016. By comparison, in 2017, about $158 billion was spent on alcohol across the United States.

For cannabis, total spending from both legal and illegal sources increased by 50 percent within the same decade, rising from $34 to $52 billion. This market is roughly the size of the cocaine and methamphetamine markets combined, but the money generated from heroin sales is starting to approach the value of the marijuana market.

Study lead author Greg Midgette is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland and an adjunct policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges.

"To better understand changes in drug use outcomes and the effects of policies, policymakers need to know what is happening in markets for these substances," said Midgette. "But it is challenging to generate these estimates, and given that critical data sources have been eliminated, it will likely be harder to generate these figures in the future."

After a steep decline in cocaine use from 2006 to 2010, consumption fell more slowly through 2015 before reversing in 2016. The results of the study indicate that 2.4 Americans were using cocaine at least four times a month in 2015 and 2016. While the number of users did not change significantly in 2016, cocaine consumption grew as its cost declined. Americans are now spending nearly $150 billion each year on illegal drugs

Heroin use increased by approximately 10 percent each year between 2010 and 2016, but these estimates could be low. The study authors found the potential for heroin use among individuals without criminal histories, which contributed to some of the uncertainty. 

In the same six-year time frame, regular cannabis use jumped by nearly 30 percent. Weight-based consumption estimates are no longer used for cannabis due to many major changes in the market, such as changes in the potency of the drug as well as the widespread introduction of products such as oils and waxes. 

The greatest amount of uncertainty was found in projecting the number of methamphetamine users. This is because national data sets do not accurately account for its prevalence. 

"While there is considerable uncertainty surrounding national methamphetamine estimates, multiple indicators suggest methamphetamine use has exceeded its previous peak around 2005," said study co-author Beau Kilmer, who is the director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center. "While there is much more we can do to reduce opioid use disorders and poisonings involving synthetic opioids, we cannot ignore the growing problems associated with methamphetamine use."

The research was funded by the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/">Office of National Drug Control Policy</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Syda Productions

Americans are now spending nearly $150 billion each year on illegal drugs

Americans are now spending nearly $150 billion each year on...

For developing children, some words, sounds, and sentences can be difficult, but at certain milestones, if a child is still struggling, it may be due to a language or speech disorder. 

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>, researchers examined a potential link between poor language and poor mental health. 

According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/language-disorders.html">Centers for Disease Control</a>, language and speech problems can show up alongside emotional or behavioral disorders. 

For some children, mental health and language are closely linked. In children with developmental language disorder (DLD), for example, mental health problems were thought to be caused by struggling with the disorder. 

However, the researchers discovered underlying genetic factors that explain why children with DLD are more likely to have poor mental health. 

The study, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1044/2019">Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research</a>, is the first of its kind to identify a genetic link between mental health and language. 

For the study, the researchers reviewed genetic data, questionnaires, and assessments on language ability from over 5,000 children that were enrolled in the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/">Children of the 90s</a> longitudinal study. 

The researchers also investigated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetic-variations-smell-differently/">genetic variants</a> in six genes that play a role in language development in children. Polygenic scoring was used to see if variants that impact language development also influence mental health. 

Almost half of the variants studied correlated with both language and poor mental health. 

The researchers say that these findings need to be confirmed and that future studies should explore more genetic variants that may play a role in language and mental health. 

However, the results show a potential genetic link that helps explain why children with language disorders have poor mental health. 

“This study provides very preliminary evidence that children with language disorders, such as developmental language disorder (DLD), may experience poor mental health due to shared biological mechanisms,” said Dr. Umar Toseeb, the lead author of the study. “This means that children with DLD may have poor mental health because the genes that are responsible for building neural systems responsible for language might also be responsible for mental health.”

The identification of a potential genetic link could help implement preventive mental health care. 

“If our findings are confirmed in future work, it could mean that, rather than wait for children with developmental language disorder to show symptoms of poor mental health before intervening, mental health support is put in place as soon as language difficulties become apparent, as a preventative measure,” said Toseeb. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/fizkes

Why some children with poor language also have poor mental health

For developing children, some words, sounds, and sentences can be...

Onshore wind farms in Europe have the capacity to produce 100 times the energy that is currently generated, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.sussex.ac.uk/">University of Sussex</a> and Aarhus University.

After analyzing all of the suitable sites for onshore <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wind-farm-efficiency/">wind farms</a>, the team determined that Europe has the potential to supply enough energy for the entire world through the year 2050.

The study revealed that using all of Europe's available capacity for onshore wind farms would result in an installed capacity of 52.5 terawatts of power.

"The study is not a blueprint for development but a guide for policymakers indicating the potential of how much more can be done and where the prime opportunities exist," said Professor Benjamin Sovacool.

"Our study suggests that the horizon is bright for the onshore wind sector and that European aspirations for a 100% renewable energy grid are within our collective grasp technologically."

"Obviously, we are not saying that we should install turbines in all the identified sites but the study does show the huge wind power potential right across Europe which needs to be harnessed if we're to avert a climate catastrophe."

The investigation was focused on advanced data from Geographical Information System (GIS)-based wind atlases. This data provided the team with the detailed insight that was needed to pinpoint all of the areas in Europe that are suitable for wind power generation.

The spatial analysis has now identified more than three times the onshore wind potential in Europe than previous studies.

"Critics will no doubt argue that the naturally intermittent supply of wind makes onshore wind energy unsuitable to meet the global demand," said Professor Peter Enevoldsen.

"But even without accounting for developments in wind turbine technology in the upcoming decades, onshore wind power is the cheapest mature source of renewable energy, and utilizing the different wind regions in Europe is the key to meet the demand for a 100% renewable and fully decarbonized energy system."

The researchers estimated that more than 11 million additional wind turbines could be installed over almost five million square kilometers of terrain.

"One of the most important findings of this study, aside from the fact that it concludes that the European onshore wind potential is larger than previously estimated, is that it facilitates the ability of countries to plan their onshore wind resource development more efficiently, thereby easing the way for commitments by these countries to move entirely to clean, renewable energy for all purposes," concluded Professor Mark Jacobson.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy-policy">Energy Policy</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Envision Energy

The onshore wind farm potential in Europe could power the world until 2050

Onshore wind farms in Europe have the capacity to produce...

The <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> announced on August 15th that July 2019 was 1.71 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the average 56.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes this past July the hottest month ever recorded. 

The super-hot month of July followed the hottest June on record, which was about .71 degrees Fahrenheit above average. And the record-breaking temperature trend is destined to continue if <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cattle-pastures-greenhouse-gas-emissions/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> are not curbed immediately.

“If you put all of the Julys for the last 20 or 40 or 100 years, there’s a clear trend upward,” Michael Allen, a climate scientist at <a href="https://www.odu.edu/">Old Dominion University</a>, told <a href="https://time.com/5652972/july-2019-hottest-month/?utm_source=emailshare&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=email-share-article&amp;utm_content=20190815">Time</a>. “That’s the concern — that long-term trend. Not a single day or single month in particular.”

July is usually the hottest month of the year worldwide, therefore it makes sense that record-setting hot temperatures would peak during the summer months. And because of El Niño’s presence, July 2019 temperatures were destined to be hotter than average.

But the drastic increase in heat witnessed this year can only be blamed on climate change.

These creeping temperatures have the most troubling effect on the Arctic, where ice is melting at a quickening pace. In fact, the average amount of sea ice was at a record low (19.8% below average) this July compared to its previous record-breaking low in July 2012. Fast-melting ice in the Arctic leads to worldwide sea level rise, and therefore, erosion, floods, and freshwater contamination.

Furthermore, heat waves can have negative effects on human health — specifically those living in urban areas where people live in close, hot, and stuffy quarters. And when high temperature-caused wildfires ignite near these urban locations, as they did this summer in Siberia, Russia, and Alaska, the health situation can become even more dire with the presence of smoke and ash in the air. 

“Greenhouse gas pollution traps heat in the atmosphere, which has consequences,” James Butler, director of NOAA’s Global Monitoring Division, <a href="https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2455/RISING-EMISSIONS-DRIVE-GREENHOUSE-GAS-INDEX-INCREASE">said in May</a>, per Time. “There’s no getting around it — burning fossil fuels is changing the course of our planet’s future. How society deals with that will be a major challenge in coming decades.”

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Grass-lifeisgood / Shutterstock

July 2019 was officially the hottest month ever recorded

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced on August 15th...

You might not think there’s a big difference between walking and running besides speed. But when working to develop <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robotic-system-frogs-jump/">robotic devices</a> to help assist in these movements, it is challenging to create one that can seamlessly switch between gaits. 

A new exosuit developed by researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard</a> and the <a href="https://www.unomaha.edu/">University of Nebraska Omaha</a> can help with both walking and running, and it’s the first untethered portable device of its kind. 

When we walk and run, although our gaits start with an extension of the hip, the biomechanics of the two paces are drastically different. 

For this study, published in the journal Science, the researchers built on previous multi-joint extension exosuits designed to help with mobility and were able to create a new hip-assisting suit that is less complex than previous models and light-weight. 

When worn, a cable actuation system applies force between a waist belt and thigh wraps. 

The researchers had to find a way for the suit to identify a walking and running gait and distinguish between the two. 

To help overcome this challenge, the researchers used biomechanic comparisons between walking and running to create an algorithm. While walking, a person’s center of mass moves upward when the heel strikes the ground, but in running the movement of the center is mass is opposite. 

“We took advantage of these biomechanical insights to develop our biologically inspired gait classification algorithm that can robustly and reliably detect a transition from one gait to the other by monitoring the acceleration of an individual’s center of mass with sensors that are attached to the body,” said Philippe Malcolm, Ph.D., a co-corresponding author of the study. 

Treadmill tests showed that the exosuit lowered metabolic walking rates for wearers by 9.3 percent and running rates by four percent. 

“We were excited to see that the device also performed well during uphill walking, at different running speeds and during overground testing outside, which showed the versatility of the system,” said Conor Walsh, Ph.D., the leader of the study. “While the metabolic reductions we found are modest, our study demonstrates that it is possible to have a portable wearable robot assist more than just a single activity, helping to pave the way for these systems to become ubiquitous in our lives.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University

New robotic exosuit can switch between walking and running

You might not think there’s a big difference between walking...

Energy use in buildings and homes accounts for over one third of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/co2-emissions-56-million-years/">CO2 emissions</a> in the United States. However, a new model developed by Jared Langevin, a research scientist at <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a>, and colleagues, shows that cutting the amount of emissions produced by U.S. buildings by 80% by 2050 is an attainable goal and requires the installation of new energy-efficient building technologies, innovative operational approaches, the electrification of fossil-fuel consuming building systems, and an increase in the share of electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

"Buildings are a substantial lever to pull in trying to reduce total national CO2 emissions since they are responsible for 36% of all energy-related emissions in the U.S.," said lead author Jared Langevin. "Because the buildings sector uses energy in a multitude of ways and is responsible for such a large share of electricity demand, buildings can help accelerate the cost-effective integration of clean electricity sources on top of contributing direct emissions reductions through reduced energy use.”

Langevin and his colleagues considered three types of efficiency measures in their estimates of possible CO2 emissions reductions. These efficiency measures included alternatives like dynamic windows and wall air sealing, control strategies to improve building operations, and the conversion of fuel-fired heating and water systems to electric systems.

They also looked at how parallel incorporation of renewable energy sources into the electric grid could potentially shift emissions reduction estimates from individual buildings and the total buildings sector.

"While building CO2 emissions are quite sensitive to the greenhouse gas intensity of the electricity supply, measures that improve the efficiency of energy demand from buildings need to be part of the solution," Langevin said. "Getting close to the 80% emissions reduction target requires concurrent reductions in building energy demand, electrification of this demand, and substantial penetration of renewable sources of electricity — nearly half of annual electricity generation by 2050.” 

“Moreover, buildings can support the cost-effective integration of variable renewable sources by offering flexibility in their operational patterns in response to electric grid needs."

After considering many different avenues, the researchers found two particularly promising ways to effectively reduce emissions output. The first is installing energy-saving retrofits and upgrades to windows, walls, roofs, and insulation. And the second is the usage of smart software that optimizes energy-intensive building heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation services.

"Regulations and incentives that support the sale of more efficient, less carbon-intensive technology options, early-stage research and development that drives breakthroughs in technology performance, aggressive marketing of those technologies once developed, training for local contractors charged with technology installation, and consumer willingness to consider purchasing newer options on the market are all needed to achieve the 80% emissions reduction goal by 2050," Langevin said.

The study and model is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(19)30357-5">Joule</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Quality Stock Arts

How buildings could reduce their carbon emissions by 80 percent

Energy use in buildings and homes accounts for over one...

Chemicals found to separate X-sperm from Y-sperm could allow for sex selection. Experts at <a href="https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en">Hiroshima University</a> have identified chemicals that suppress the survivability and motility of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-sperm-bank-space/">sperm</a> that carry the X chromosome. According to a report in <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>, scientists are warning that this discovery could lead to the development of products for home use that would make couples much less likely to conceive a girl.

A team led by Masayuki Shimada identified 492 genes that are active in sperm that carry the female X chromosome, yet are not active in sperm that carry the male Y chromosome. Chemicals found to separate X-sperm from Y-sperm could allow for sex selection

"Among these genes are members of different classes of receptors that have the potential to mediate sperm responses to factors in their external environment, such as chemokines, creatine, progesterone, and pathogens. Thus, functional differences of X-sperm and Y-sperm can be identified and provide a novel approach for specifically selecting X-sperm or Y-sperm," wrote the study authors. 

Many of the genes unique to the X-sperm were found to code for proteins that protrude from the surface of the sperm. The experts demonstrated that certain chemicals can bind to two of these proteins and slow down the movement of X-sperm without affecting Y-sperm. 

Using a mouse model, the team showed that the selection of the slower sperm resulted in offspring that were 81 percent female, while the faster sperm produced 90 percent males.

Alireza Fazeli of Tartu University told New Scientist that these chemicals could be potentially added to gel or foam products that would be applied inside the vagina before sexual intercourse to greatly increase the chances of conceiving a boy.

"I am concerned about the social impact of this,” said Fazeli. “It’s so simple. You could start to do it in your bedroom. Nobody would be able to stop you from doing it.”

Such products would likely be in high demand in countries that already favor one gender over the other. Bioethicist Wybo Dondorp told New Scientist that, in these types of countries, "it is clear that if there are more easy, cheap, accessible technologies they will be used."

In 2016, there were 33.59 million more men than women in China, according to the country’s National Bureau of Statistics.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/MakeStory Studio

Chemicals found to separate X-sperm from Y-sperm could allow for sex selection

Chemicals found to separate X-sperm from Y-sperm could allow for...

Increasing the abundance of a threatened salmon could have economic benefits. A new study from the <a href="https://www.uoregon.edu/">University of Oregon</a> suggests that increasing the abundance of a threatened species can be very beneficial to people living in the Pacific Northwest. The team found that a two-thirds increase in the average number of coho salmon returning to the Oregon coast each year would generate up to $518 million in economic benefits.

The study has been released just as the U.S. Department of Interior announced that economic impacts must now be considered for listing a species under the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/trump-endangered-species-act/">Endangered Species Act</a> (ESA).

"When we think about actions to protect endangered and threatened species, we often focus on the costs," said study co-author David Lewis. "The benefits of protecting threatened species are difficult to estimate since they are considered to be non-market and arise from the public's values for things like the existence of abundant salmon in the wild. This study gives us a way to evaluate the benefits."

"If an agency is considering a policy or program that would increase the number of salmon by a certain amount, our study translates the benefits for that amount of salmon to a dollar value," added study co-author Steven Dundas.

"This provides evidence of the economic value Pacific Northwest residents place on protecting threatened and endangered species. We can compare it to how much we actually spend on salmon restoration activities, to see if there's a net benefit to more investment."

In collaboration with the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the researchers found that up to $277 million a year could be gained by achieving conservation goals sooner rather than later.

"There are sizable benefits to achieving conservation goals quickly," said Lewis. "That has real implications for conservation programs, showing that there's significant value to the public in up-front investments."

The investigation was focused on surveys that were mailed to 5,000 households in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and northern California in the fall of 2017. The participants were presented with various conservation scenarios and their associated benefits for improving the abundance of Oregon Coast coho salmon. 

The survey respondents were then asked to choose a conservation scenario, which was linked to an annual per-household cost from a combination of additional taxes and higher prices for lumber and agricultural products, ranging from $10 to $350 per year.

"The surveys create a situation for someone to make a decision about a public good - as if increases in salmon abundance were something they could choose off the shelf at the grocery store," said Dundas.

By analyzing the responses, the researchers were able to calculate the average household willingness to pay for salmon conservation, which was multiplied by the number of households in the Pacific Northwest to estimate the overall benefits.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Bill Perry

Increasing the abundance of a threatened salmon could have economic benefits

Increasing the abundance of a threatened salmon could have economic...

According to new research from Erik Trinkaus of <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University</a> and colleagues, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/neanderthals-pine-resin-tools/">Neanderthals</a> commonly suffered from “swimmer’s ear” due to abnormal bone growths in the ear canal. 

Swimmer’s ear, which is caused by external auditory exostoses (dense, bony growths) in the ear canal, is linked to repeated exposure to cold water or air. There is also a genetic predisposition for the condition.

Trinkaus and his team came to their conclusion, published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0220464">PLOS ONE</a>, after examining the ear canals of 77 ancient human remains, including Neanderthals and early modern humans from the Middle to Late Pleistocene Epoch of western Eurasia. 

The early modern human remains showed similar frequency of exostoses to modern humans, but the condition was incredibly common in Neandertal samples. About half of the 23 Neandertal remains examined showed that the ancient humans suffered from mild to severe exostoses.

Trinkaus and colleagues believe that the commonality of swimmer’s ear in Neanderthals can be explained by their amount of time spent collecting resources in cold, aquatic settings.

"An exceptionally high frequency of external auditory exostoses (bony growths in the ear canal; "swimmer's ear") among the Neandertals, and a more modest level among high latitude earlier Upper Paleolithic modern humans, indicate a higher frequency of aquatic resource exploitation among both groups of humans than is suggested by the archeological record,” Trinkaus said. “In particular, it reinforces the foraging abilities and resource diversity of the Neandertals."

Furthermore, because the geographic distribution of the exostoses found in Neanderthals does not align with proximity to ancient water sources nor cooler climates, Trinkaus and his team believe that multiple factors were at play to form so many exostoses, such as environmental factors as well as genetic predispositions, as is still applicable today.

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/IR Stone

‘Swimmer’s ear’ was common amongst Neanderthal populations

According to new research from Erik Trinkaus of Washington University...

New non-verbal marker could help diagnose autism. There may be a new way to help screen for autism that uses neural markers. Researchers from <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/">Dartmouth</a> led a study that identified the first neural, non-verbal marker of autism of its kind. 

Currently, screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is difficult because there is no conclusive test to prove a diagnosis as there are for other diseases. Doctors screen for specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autism-less-empathy/">behavior and development delays. </a>

Even if a trained clinician suspects ASD, an official diagnosis may not come until much later. 

In this study, researchers were able to identify an objective, non-verbal marker of autism independent of intelligence. 

“Autism is hard to screen for in children, when the first signs are present. A trained clinician may be able to detect autism at 18-months or even younger; yet, the average age of a diagnosis of autism in the U.S. is about four years old,” said Caroline Robertson, the lead author of the study. “We need objective, non-invasive screening tools that don’t depend on assessing a child’s behavior.”New non-verbal marker could help diagnose autism

It’s been thought that people with autism have differences in the way neural signals are inhibited in the brain and how certain information is processed. 

Robertson’s past research found that when presented two images at the same time, an autistic brain is slower when switching back and forth from one image to the other, something called slower binocular rivalry.

In this new study, the researchers measured the rate of slower binocular rivalry in people with autism using an electroencephalography (EEG) electrode placed over the visual region of the brain on a participants head. 

Once the electrode was in place, participants were shown two images that flickered back and forth. 

The EEG neural data were then used to predict whether or not an individual had autism, and the researchers were able to accurately identify autism in the brain 87 percent of the time. 

The study paves the way for developing new non-verbal markers for diagnosing and screening for ASD. 

“This visual test may be a non-verbal marker of autism in adults,” said Robertson, “Our next steps are to learn whether this test could potentially be used to detect autism in pre-verbal children and non-verbal adults and develop it into a screening tool for the condition. In the meantime, this result gives us new insight into the brain in autism, showing that visual regions of the brain are affected.” 

The study findings were published in the journal Current Biology. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Photographee.eu

New non-verbal marker could help diagnose autism

New non-verbal marker could help diagnose autism. There may be...

More than 20 percent of adults with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-diabetes/">diabetes</a> in the US may be taking more medication than necessary, which has led to thousands of emergency room visits, according to a new study. 

Diabetes is on the rise, and as of 2017, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p0718-diabetes-report.html">Centers for Disease Control</a> reported that more than 100 million adults were living with diabetes or prediabetes. 

Glucose lowering therapies are essential for diabetes, but researchers from the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/">Mayo Clinic</a> found that overtreatment is a much more common problem than previously thought. 

In a new study, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers calculated the number of American adults that are overtreated and used this info to determine how many potentially preventable emergency room visits occur due to overtreatment. 

The researchers found that overtreatment was linked to 4,774 hospitalizations and 4,804 emergency room visits over two years. 

“It is important not only to ensure that we do not undertreat our patients with diabetes, but also that we do not overtreat them because both undertreatment and overtreatment can harm our patients,” Rozalina McCoy, M.D., the leader of the study. 

McCoy and her team reviewed and analyzed data from the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm">National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey</a> and the <a href="https://www.optumlabs.com/">OptumLabs Data Warehouse</a>. 

From the survey, the researchers were able to identify 10.7 million adults with diabetes who had hemoglobin AIC levels within the recommended range, but out of these individuals, 22 percent were overtreated. 

After identifying patients who were overtreated, the researchers used the OptumLabs data to estimate the number of hospitalizations and emergency room visits directly due to intensive glucose-lowering therapy.

Between 2011 and 2014, 2.3 million Americans with diabetes were overtreated. 

The study results are alarming as they show that diabetes treatments have focused on eliminating undertreatment but overlooked the consequences of overtreatment. 

“When we develop a diabetes treatment plan, our goal should be to maximize benefit while reducing harm and burden of treatment,” said Dr. McCoy. “We need to align treatment regimens and goals with each patient’s clinical situation, health status, psychosocial situation, and reality of everyday life to ensure that care is consistent with their goals, preferences and values,” she says.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/goffkein.pro

Diabetes patients may be taking more glucose-lowering medication than needed

More than 20 percent of adults with diabetes in the...

California leads a federal lawsuit over replacement of the Clean Power Plan. States across the country are suing the Trump administration in an attempt to overthrow the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule, which was passed by the EPA this summer to loosen restrictions on coal-fired power plants. 

An alliance of six cities, the District of Columbia, and 22 states including California, Michigan, and New York has joined forces to ask a federal court to put a stop to the legislation before it is ever implemented.

The ACE rule was designed to directly undermine the emissions-reductions targets that were adopted by the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pruitt-clean-power-plan/">Clean Power Plan</a> (CPP). The Trump administration claimed the CPP was "an overreach of EPA’s authority under the Clean Air Act."

Created by former President Obama, the CPP set a 2030 goal of reducing carbon pollution by 32 percent below 2005 levels. According to the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/">Natural Resources Defense Council</a> (NRDC), power sector emissions had already decreased by 28 percent in 2017, 13 years ahead of schedule.

The CPP was also combatting the enormous costs associated with climate change and the damaging health effects of air pollution, and was projected to save the country an estimated $25 to $45 billion by 2030. 

In the same time frame, the CPP was expected to reduce the pollutants that contribute to smog and soot by 25 percent, helping to avoid 140,000 to 150,000 asthma attacks among children and up to 6,600 premature deaths. 

But the ACE rule, which was finalized in June, will allow for much of this progress to be dismantled by allowing states to set their own standards for coal plants.

"This is a perversion of the Clean Air Act, which requires EPA to set performance targets and requires state plans to meet those targets," stated the NRDC.

The lawsuit to stop the ACE rule was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington this week. The move was announced on Tuesday by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, Governor Gavin Newsom, and Mary Nichols, the chairwoman of the California Air Resources Board. 

The California officials said the new EPA rules will be damaging to both the climate and the economy. 

"President Trump’s attempt to gut our nation’s Clean Power Plan is foolish - and it’s also unlawful," said Becerra, who pointed out that the ACE rule would hurt the emerging energy market as well. “Because we’re prepared to confront the climate crisis head-on, we’re prepared to confront President Trump head-on in court.” California leads a federal lawsuit over replacement of the Clean Power Plan

Many critics believe that President Trump’s new rule is yet another effort to support the fading coal industry. The jurisdictions behind the latest legal battle intend to expose that, regardless of the motivation behind it, the ACE rule puts both the environment and human health at risk. 

"They are in the short-term business," Governor Newsom said of the Trump administration. "California is in the future business. We are leaping ahead." He added that the world is looking to his state to take on Trump and defend climate policies. 

"California is proving that smart climate policies are good for our economy and good for the planet,” said Governor Newsom. “As the Trump administration attempts to obliterate national climate protections, California will continue advancing the cause of American climate leadership.”

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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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rudmer Zwerver

California leads a federal lawsuit over replacement of the Clean Power Plan

California leads a federal lawsuit over replacement of the Clean...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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