If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by work, bills, or the latest headlines, taking a moment for mindfulness might offer some relief. 



The practice - simply paying attention to the present moment without judgment - is known to help calm the mind and improve concentration.



“A lot of research has shown that mindfulness can reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teachers-experienced-high-anxiety-during-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">anxiety</a> symptoms,” said Resh Gupta, a postdoctoral research associate with the&nbsp;Mindfulness Science and Practice research cluster.



While many people experience the benefits of mindfulness firsthand, scientists continue to explore exactly how it works and which types of mindfulness best suit different anxiety patterns. 



Some anxieties come and go. Others linger and interfere with daily life. "We all experience anxiety, but it can manifest in many different ways,” noted Gupta. “It’s a tough problem to pin down.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-matching-mindfulness-with-anxiety-types">Matching mindfulness with anxiety types</h2>



At <a href="https://artsci.washu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Washington University in St. Louis</a>, researchers proposed a new framework to better understand how mindfulness interacts with anxiety. 



Their idea, published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, suggests that no single technique works for everyone. Instead, different mindfulness approaches may work better for different anxiety profiles.



The team includes postdoctoral research associate Resh Gupta, psychology professor Todd Braver, and Wendy Heller, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Their work was supported in part by WashU’s Incubator for Transdisciplinary Futures.



Braver described the paper as a reflection of the cluster’s broader goals. “There is a growing recognition that these practices can be incredibly useful in enhancing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/houseplants-boosted-psychological-well-being-during-covid-19-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychological well-being</a>,” he said. 



“But we still do not fully understand the mechanisms of action by which mindfulness can produce beneficial effects. That’s where the scientific research can be so valuable, by helping us more precisely identify why and how certain practices are effective.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-cognitive-control">The role of cognitive control</h2>



One of the key ideas in the new paper is that mindfulness may ease anxiety by improving what scientists call “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bilingual-children-have-lasting-cognitive-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cognitive control</a>.” This is the brain’s ability to stay on track — to manage thoughts and actions in ways that support our goals.



“Cognitive control is the ability to regulate your thoughts and your actions in a way that helps you achieve your goals,” Gupta explained. “For example, if you know you have to go to the grocery store right after work, you can keep that goal in mind during the workday and turn down an offer to do something else after work.”



Mindfulness appears to boost this mental skill. Neuroimaging research shows that meditation can activate the parts of the brain involved in cognitive control. 



In contrast, anxiety tends to do the opposite. It floods the brain’s working memory - the system we rely on to keep track of tasks and priorities - with worry and distractions.



“Worry occupies a lot of space in the brain’s working memory system,” Gupta said. “This is where your goals are stored.”



That mental clutter weakens cognitive control and makes it harder to cope with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-eats-away-our-brains-cognitive-defenses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress</a>. But mindfulness can strengthen control again and break the cycle of worry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-choosing-the-right-practice">Choosing the right practice</h2>



Not all mindfulness techniques work the same way. Depending on what kind of anxiety someone is experiencing, one approach might work better than another.



For people who tend to ruminate - replaying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pandemic-related-worries-diminish-cognitive-skills/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">worries</a> over and over - focused attention might be the most effective.



“Focused attention teaches you to choose an anchor, such as your breath or a sound,” Gupta said. “You keep bringing your attention back to that anchor every time your mind wanders. Instead of focusing on the worry, you're focusing on the present moment experience.”



Others experience anxiety as physical symptoms, such as a racing heart or tightness in the chest. For those cases, a broader technique may be more useful. 



“For this type of anxiety, a form of mindfulness meditation called open monitoring may be beneficial,” Gupta said. “Instead of focusing on one thing, such as the breath, you can observe all internal and external experiences from moment to moment in a non-reactive, non-judgmental way.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bringing-mindfulness-into-the-community">Bringing mindfulness into the community</h2>



The Mindfulness Science &amp; Practice cluster at Washington University isn’t just focused on research. It also offers programs for students, faculty, and the St. Louis community. 



The programs include talks, workshops, and events that introduce participants to mindfulness exercises taught by trained practitioners.



“We’re dedicated to helping the WashU and greater St. Louis community get access to tools to learn about mindfulness science and practice,” Gupta said.



Braver believes that making a variety of mindfulness options available empowers individuals to find the practices that suit them best. 



“People have different options they can choose from, so it becomes easier to find one that best fits your particular temperament, concerns, or current situation,” said Braver. "It’s quite empowering to learn these types of practices, and to feel like we can be in charge of how we use them to improve our quality of life.”



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Practicing mindfulness can quiet the noise of anxiety

If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by work, bills, or the latest headlines, taking a moment for mindfulness might offer some relief. The practice - simply paying attention to the present moment without judgment - is known to help calm the mind and improve concentration. “A lot of research has shown that mindfulness can reduce anxiety symptoms,” said Resh Gupta, a postdoctoral research associate with the&nbsp;Mindfulness Science and Practice research cluster. While many people experience the benefits of mindfulness firsthand, scientists continue to explore exactly how it...

A new smartphone application developed in part by the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">NYU School of Medicine</a> is helping <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/women-migraines/">migraine</a> sufferers by providing training on a relaxation technique. After practicing the method at least twice per week, individuals reported an average of four fewer headache days per month.

RELAXaHEAD guides patients through progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), which is a type of behavioral therapy that involves alternately relaxing and tensing different muscle groups to reduce stress.

According to the study authors, the research is the first to evaluate the potential for an app to treat migraines. It is also the first to examine the effectiveness of combining digital technology with traditional therapies under the supervision of a doctor.

"Our study offers evidence that patients may pursue behavioral therapy if it is easily accessible, they can do it on their own time, and it is affordable," said study senior author and neurologist Dr. Mia Minen. "Clinicians need to rethink their treatment approach to migraine because many of the accepted therapies, although proven to be the current, best course of treatment, aren't working for all lifestyles."

There are more than 36 million people in the United States who suffer from migraines. The most common symptoms are moderate to severe head pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. 

Dr. Minen explained that while patients are often prescribed drug treatments and behavioral therapy, they do not pursue the therapy even after a doctor's recommendation because of the expense and inconvenience. "Oftentimes they end up only taking medications."

The researchers tested the app among 51 confirmed migraine patients, who were asked to keep a daily record of the frequency and severity of their headaches while using the tool for 90 days. At the same time, the app kept track of how long and how often patients used PMR.

The study participants had an average of 13 headache days per month, ranging from four to 31. Anxiety and depression were also reported by about 30 percent of the patients.

The use of the RELAXaHEAD app and PMR dropped to 51 percent after six weeks and dropped even further to 29 percent after three months. The study authors expected this gradual decrease in the use of the app,  and they plan to identify potential ways to encourage more frequent sessions. 

Dr. Minen said that the findings suggest that accessible smartphone technologies "can effectively teach patients lifelong skills needed to manage their migraines."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/npjdigitalmed/">Nature Digital Medicine</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Smartphone app guides migraine sufferers through relaxation therapy

A new smartphone application developed in part by the NYU...

Buried beneath layers of sediment and preserved for millions of years, researchers from <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> discovered some of the earliest evidence of flaked and chipped stone tools in Ethiopia. 

The tool fragments are more than 2.58 million years old, which precedes the oldest evidence of systematic and purposeful stone tool production. 

It's a discovery that helps shed light on how human evolution and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stone-age-tools-intelligence/">origins of tool use </a>coincide. 

The researchers published their findings in a new study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

The tools were discovered in the excavation site called Bokol Dora 1 (BD 1), and the site is near the same area where the oldest fossil of the genus Homo was discovered. 

"At first we found several artifacts lying on the surface, but we didn't know what sediments they were coming from," said Christopher Campisano, a geologist who helped uncover the tools. "But when I peered over the edge of a small cliff, I saw rocks sticking out from the mudstone face. I scaled up from the bottom using my rock hammer and found two nice stone tools starting to weather out."

After years of meticulous excavating the area by hand, the researchers came across a layer of bones and hundreds of pieces of stone tools indicating human activity and systematic chipping of stones to make knives. 

Luckily, the tools had been discarded near a water source where they were immediately buried and well preserved. 

To date the million-year-old fragments and bones, the researchers dated a layer of volcanic ash located below the site and analyzed magnetic signatures in the sediment. 

The Earth has gone through several pole reversals in it 4.5-billion-year history and these reversals leave a mark in the Earth's soil. The sediment at the BD 1 site has "normal" polarity which means that it's older than other sites which have "reversed" sediment signatures. 

Early humans and chimpanzees were using tools long before modern humans started working with stone, but the difference is how these tools were made and used. Stone tools discovered in Kenya dating back 3.3 million years ago were described as "percussive," which means that the stones were used for hammering and breaking food. 

These tools were called "Lomekwian" while the "Oldowan" tools discovered at BD 1 are distinctly different from those made by chimpanzees and early human relatives. 

"We expected to see some indication of an evolution from the Lomekwian to these earliest Oldowan tools," said Will Archer, a member of the research team. "Yet when we looked closely at the patterns, there was very little connection to what is known from older archaeological sites or to the tools modern primates are making."

[caption id="attachment_1873435" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/tools.png"><img class="wp-image-1873435" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/tools.png" alt="" width="650" height="332" /></a> A large artifact found in situ at the Bokol Dora site. Image Credit: David R. Braun[/caption]

Oldowan tools were chipped to create more precise edges, and the artifacts discovered at BD 1 helps illustrate that tool production went through many reinventions over the years. 

Interestingly, the researchers say that the shift to knife-like chipped tools coincides with changes in our human ancestors' teeth and jaw. 

Human teeth started getting smaller along with a change in the way our ancestors ate, and the researchers say that this is closely tied to advancements in tool making. 

"Given that primate species throughout the world routinely use stone hammers to forage for new resources, it seems very possible that throughout Africa many different human ancestors found new ways of using stone artifacts to extract resources from their environment," said David Braun, lead author of the paper. "If our hypothesis is correct then we would expect to find some type of continuity in artifact form after 2.6 million years ago, but not prior to this time period. We need to find more sites."

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: David R. Braun

Early humans were making stone tools over 2.5 million years ago

Buried beneath layers of sediment and preserved for millions of...

In Rwanda, a project to deliver water filters and portable biomass-burning cookstoves effectively reduced the prevalence of diarrhea and acute respiratory infection in children under 5 by up to 29 percent. The results suggest that this type of delivery system can provide a solution for rural populations that lack access to safe <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/socioeconomic-groups-unsafe-drinking-water/">drinking water</a> and that rely on traditional fire for cooking.

"Until now, there has been limited evidence of the effects when these products are delivered at scale," said Evan Thomas, who is the director of the Mortenson Center for Global Engineering at <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">CU Boulder</a>. "The study demonstrates the viability of bringing water filters and cookstoves to vulnerable households and will help inform future national initiatives."

Around 1.1 billion people do not have safe drinking water available, and more than one third of those individuals depend on open wells and untreated surface water. This water is often contaminated with human and animal feces. 

Furthermore, cooking inside on an open-fire stove has been linked with pneumonia, low birth weight, and impaired development in children. Among adults, household air pollution is associated with pulmonary and cardiovascular disease. In addition, more than 80 percent of Rwandans rely on firewood as their primary fuel source.

Study lead author Thomas Clasen is a professor at Emory University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

"After neonatal disorders, pneumonia and diarrheal disease are the two leading killers of children under 5 years of age in Rwanda and much of sub-Saharan Africa," said Professor Clasen. "The results of this randomized controlled trial provide strong evidence that effective interventions can be successfully delivered and embraced by a population at risk, even in remote rural settings."

The investigation was focused on over 101,000 households including nearly half a million people from the poorest economic quartile of Rwanda's Western Province. Each household was provided with a water filter and a high efficiency portable wood-burning cookstove. The homes were visited every 4 months for a year following the distribution.

The program was financed by the social enterprise DelAgua Health in partnership with the Rwanda Ministry of Health. The project was named "Tubeho Neza," which means "live well" in Kinyarwanda.

"These results should have important policy implications in Rwanda and beyond," said Professor Clasen. "We see strong evidence that the intervention provides significant benefits that might continue to accrue if the program continues to be supported."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: DelAgua Health

Water filters and efficient stoves reduced illness in Rwandan children

In Rwanda, a project to deliver water filters and portable...

Experts at <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">UC San Francisco</a> have created a digital <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/transcendental-meditation-ptsd-symptoms/">meditation</a> training program that was proven to boost memory and attention in young adults in a matter of just six weeks.

MediTrain was designed to personalize the length of the meditation sessions based on the abilities of the participants. This makes it easier for the users to focus their attention on learning a meditative breathing technique. 

The team tested the new program using a randomized trial that involved 59 participants between 18 and 35 years old. 

The extent of the improvements in attention and memory were unexpected for the healthy young adults. The results, which were achieved in just 20 to 30 minutes of daily practice, were similar to what has been previously demonstrated in middle-aged adults after months of intensive meditation training. 

"We thought it was a long shot to see these types of improvements in a group this young and healthy," said study first author Dr. David Ziegler. "But it speaks to the power of the method."

As the individuals practiced the technique over six weeks, they were challenged to increase the amount of time they maintained focus on their breathing. 

"This is not like any meditation practice that exists, as far as we are aware," said study senior author Dr. Adam Gazzaley. "We took an ancient experiential treatment of focused meditation, reformulated it and delivered it through a digital technology, and improved attention span in millennials, an age group that is intimately familiar with the digital world, but also faces multiple challenges to sustained attention."

MediTrain combines traditional training with unprecedented digital features, which could explain the impressive results. One aspect of the digital training that may contribute to its success is that participants were required to regularly check their progress.

"Not only do you learn how to maintain focus on your breath, but you are also required to introspect on how well you're able to do that," said Dr. Gazzaley. "We believe that's part of the active ingredient of this treatment."

MediTrain provides regular feedback, with progress reports during the training sessions, at the end of each day of training, and at the end of each week. On day one, the users could stay focused on their breath for an average of only 20 seconds. After 30 days of training, the average time increased to an average of six minutes.

The researchers said that MediTrain holds promise for a younger generation that is accustomed to digital devices but faces multiple challenges to sustained attention from heavy use of media and technology.

"Many of us struggle with challenges to our attention, which seem to be exacerbated by modern technology," said Dr. Gazzaley. "What we've done here is flip this story around by creating and studying a digital delivery system that makes cognitive benefits of traditional focused attention meditation more personalized, accessible and deliverable."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav">Nature Human Behaviour</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

Personalized meditation app boosts memory, attention in young adults

Experts at UC San Francisco have created a digital meditation...

One-fifth of the world’s population are at risk of severe water shortages. Researchers at the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a> have determined that nearly 20 percent of the global population lives in a stressed water basin where <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/crop-production-climate-change/">climate change</a> could threaten water availability for agriculture, industry, and for everyday use.

The investigation was focused on trends in global water usage from 1980 to 2016, with an emphasis on what is known as inflexible consumption. Crop irrigation, cooling thermal power plants, livestock, and humans all have a demand for water that is inflexible.  

"Many studies evaluating water scarcity have mainly centered on the share of the available supply being consumed by humans, but this ignores the fact that some uses are more flexible or productive than others," said study lead author Yue Qin. "By looking at how water is actually used, we can begin to see what water is really difficult to do without and if there are any opportunities for savings in other areas."

The scientists developed a water stress index that takes into account the scarcity, flexibility, and variability of global water supplies. The study, which was focused on watersheds on six continents, pinpointed numerous hot spots where a drought or heat wave could put a major strain on reserves. The researchers also identified numerous opportunities to conserve resources through new technologies and better management practices.

The investigation showed that the top 10 percent of the most stressed river basins support about 19 percent of the world's population, 19 percent of thermal electricity generation, and one-third of irrigated agricultural production. Over the course of the 37-year study period, there was a significant increase in water stress for the worst-impacted regions.

According to the study, Asia faces an even greater dilemma due to their high stress indices combined with the total human and livestock population, reservoir capacity, electricity generation, and production of irrigated crops. North America is in the same predicament, but to a lesser degree. These areas are particularly vulnerable to shocks triggered by droughts and heat waves.One-fifth of the world’s population are at risk of severe water shortages

"The new index tells us where water issues are greatest and for what reasons, so decisions now don't limit our options and ability to be resilient in the future," said Thomas Torgersen, who is a program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences, which funded the research.

The scientists evaluated the productivity and flexibility of water use in specific basins, and discovered that the Nile basin in Africa and the Tigris-Euphrates and Lake Balkhash basins in Asia all have high water stress indices and elevated consumption.  The study authors determined that water could be saved by switching from cooling power plants with fresh water to dry cooling technologies. They found that this strategy could decrease cooling water use in the Lake Balkhash basin by 95 percent.

"Given the limited political capital and resources when you're developing new technologies and policies, where do you focus those efforts for the most potential benefit?" said co-author Professor Julie Zimmerman. "We can't solve these problems in isolation. This study reinforces the linkages between these systems and why we need to be holistic in our approaches."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</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: Steven Davis / UCI

One-fifth of the world’s population are at risk of severe water shortages

One-fifth of the world’s population are at risk of severe...

Recent instances of elephant injuries illustrate harms of tourism industry. Elephants have long been a source of human fascination and admiration. The species is vastly intelligent, social and emotional, capable of activities previously believed to be unattainable to non-humans such as grieving the dead. This love for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/poaching-rates-elephants-not-safe/">elephants</a> brings countless tourists to elephant attractions, allowing them the opportunity to interact with the species firsthand.

The attractions may look idyllic to star-struck visitors, but they are often darker than they seem. Two recent cases of elephant injuries at wildlife attractions provide a small glimpse into an industry rife with concerns over animal welfare.

A<a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/baby-elephant-collapses-exhaustion-tied-16193114"> video</a> taken in May shows a one-year old elephant, strapped to his mother by ropes, collapse from exhaustion while his mother gives rides to humans. The young elephant struggles to get up while laying on the concrete ground before finally getting to his feet and continuing the elephant ride.

In April, footage of a young skeletal elephant performing tricks at a Thai zoo went viral. The elephant appeared to be in distress as he mechanically performed tricks during a show. Although animal activists worked to have the elephant moved to a sanctuary, he developed an infection in his digestive tract before he could be relocated. The infection left him so weak that his legs snapped, slowly killing him over the course of days, the animal advocacy group Moving Animals told<a href="https://people.com/pets/baby-elephant-dies-phuket-zoo-thailand/"> People</a>.

Both the incidents occurred in Thailand, a country that has emerged as a hub for elephant tourism. The country has a complicated relationship with domestic elephants. Elephants were used in the logging industry until logging was banned in 1989. After the ban took place, 2,000 mahouts were left to care for captive elephants who they had no immediate use for. The tourism industry quickly came in to fill this void.

There are now an estimated 200 elephant parks in Thailand. Many of them market themselves as “sanctuaries” and “refuges” despite<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephant-sanctuary-attractions-inhumane/"> rampant inhumane practices</a>.

As commonly seen in animal attractions, financial gain becomes a primary motivation, trumping the welfare of the stars of the show.

Elephant attractions routinely subject animals to cruel conditions such as abusive training practices, the use of chains and isolation from conspecifics. The attractions may also push the elephants to work long hours, interacting with<a href="https://d31j74p4lpxrfp.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/int_files/pdfs/taken_for_a_ride.pdf"> up to 1,000</a> tourists a day.

For unknowing tourists, it may be difficult to spot an inhumane elephant attraction. Attraction operators may allow the elephants to roam while tourists are visiting, keeping the chains and small enclosures hidden from the public. Operators may also tell tourists about how they rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned elephants.

This deception allows tourists to both have their up-close encounter with elephants and leave feeling that they had a fulfilling and meaningful experience.

If any good can come from the recent incidents of elephant injuries, tourists can see a snapshot into the consequences of elephant exploitation in the tourism industry.

While the issue is not as simple as casting all elephant attractions as cruel, tourists should conduct thorough research before visiting any animal attraction to ensure they are not supporting animal cruelty. With elephant tourism, the line between ethical and exploitative is difficult to decipher. 

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: deejungloei / Shutterstock

Recent instances of elephant injuries illustrate harms of tourism industry

Recent instances of elephant injuries illustrate harms of tourism industry....

Sleep deprivation increases the risk of reckless sexual behavior among teens. According to a new study published by the <a href="https://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>, sleep deprivation increases the likelihood that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/physical-activity-teens-sleep/">teenagers</a> will engage in risky sexual behavior, such as having intercourse under the influence of drugs and alcohol or having sex without condoms. 

Study lead author Dr. Wendy M. Troxel is a senior behavioral and social scientist at the RAND Corporation, which is a nonprofit research institution.

"Teens by and large are not getting the recommended eight to 10 hours of sleep a night, due to a number of reasons, including biological changes in circadian rhythms, early school start times, balancing school and extracurricular activities and peer social pressures," said Dr. Troxel.

"Insufficient sleep may increase the potential for sexual risk-taking by compromising decision-making and influencing impulsivity."Sleep deprivation increases the risk of reckless sexual behavior among teens

The research team analyzed data from a long-term study of 1,850 adolescents and young adults in Southern California. Each year from 2013 to 2017, the teenagers reported their sleep schedules on weekdays and weekends and described any sleep issues in the four weeks leading up to the survey. 

The participants were also asked to report on any alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs used right before or during sexual activity and whether they used condoms. The teens were divided into groups based on their sleep patterns, including weekday sleep duration, weekend sleep duration, and sleep quality. 

The researchers found that adolescents who were chronically sleep deprived were almost two times more likely to engage in unsafe sex than those who slept in an average of 3.5 hours on weekends.

"Teens who were short weekday and short weekend sleepers were not getting adequate sleep during the school week and were not catching up on sleep on the weekends, and thus were chronically sleep-deprived," said Dr. Troxel.

"On one hand, we should encourage sleep routines for teens because regularity is important for maintaining healthy sleep and circadian rhythms. However, for most U.S. teens, whose weekday sleep opportunities are constrained due to early school start times, maintaining consistency in sleep-wake schedules throughout the week may not only be unrealistic, but also may be unhealthy, if it perpetuates a pattern of chronic sleep deprivation."

"Our recommendation is for parents and teens to find a middle ground, which allows for some weekend catch-up sleep, while maintaining some level of consistency in sleep-wake patterns. We also need to encourage school districts to consider delaying school start times because this could make a substantial difference in helping teens get adequate sleep."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/hea/">Health Psychology</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

Sleep deprivation increases the risk of reckless sexual behavior among teens

Sleep deprivation increases the risk of reckless sexual behavior among...

Stem cell therapy restored a sense of smell in mice in an innovative new study that has many positive implications for age-related declines in smell sensitivity. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> and published in the journal Stem Cell Reports.

“This is the first model of smell loss showing evidence of recovery using a cell-based therapy,” said Bradley Goldstein, the senior study author. “It is very important to understand that many questions would need to be worked out before considering this in a human patient. However, it does provide evidence that such an approach warrants further study.”

Twelve percent of the US population currently has an impaired sense of smell, and many factors can contribute to olfaction impairment, including age-related decline, head trauma, or genetic risk factors. 

While not as hindering to quality as life <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hearing-loss-premature-death/">as age-related hearing impairment</a>, any decrease in sense sensitivity can have a detrimental impact on health and well-being. 

As of now, there are no treatments for a lost sense of smell, but recent research has shown that viral gene therapies could help restore olfaction. 

In this study, the researchers wanted to test the potential of stem cell therapy in restoring olfaction, which, unlike viral therapies, can target impaired olfaction caused by a wide range of factors. 

“There is some evidence that a failure to normally replace damaged or lost olfactory neurons may contribute to many forms of acquired olfactory loss,” said Goldstein. “So, we were interested in testing the idea that a cell-based therapy approach, to replace neurons, might be plausible.”

The researchers used gene editing to create mice that had no sense of smell. Drops of globose basal cells were inserted in the noses of the mice and sense of smell was soon restored as the cells worked to repair the sensory neuron connections responsible for olfaction. 

The results hold promise for treating loss of smell in humans, but the researchers say that there is much more work that needs to be done before human trials can begin. 

“To be potentially useful in humans, the main hurdle would be to identify a source of cells capable of engrafting, differentiating into olfactory neurons, and properly connecting to the olfactory bulbs of the brain,” said Goldstein. “Regardless, continuing to study the mechanisms in human cells that are required for production of functional olfactory neurons from progenitor cells will be broadly important for moving forward.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Stem cell therapy could help restore a sense of smell

Stem cell therapy restored a sense of smell in mice...

Coffee lovers around the world may have been a little worried by recent, conflicting studies. Is it good for you? Is it bad for you? Does it stunt growth? Raise the risk of heart disease?

On one front, at least, they can now rest easily. A new study shows that drinking coffee – even as much as 25 cups a day, though less is probably better – doesn’t stiffen arteries. 

"Despite the huge popularity of coffee worldwide, different reports could put people off from enjoying it. Whilst we can't prove a causal link in this study, our research indicates coffee isn't as bad for the arteries as previous studies would suggest,” said Dr. Kenneth Fung of <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University</a>, who led the data analysis.

Previous studies had, on occasion, indicated a possible link between coffee lovers’ drink of choice and stiff arteries, but not consistently. Other studies have linked <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-alcohol-live-past-90/">coffee drinking to good health</a>. Which should people believe?

Fung and his colleagues set out to determine if there really was a connection between coffee and hard arteries.

The study worked with more than 8,400 UK residents, in three groups: Those who drank less than one cup of coffee a day, those who drank one to three cups, and those who drank more than three. They excluded anyone who drank more than 25 cups of coffee in a day. 

"Although our study included individuals who drink up to 25 cups a day, the average intake amongst the highest coffee consumption group was five cups a day,” Fung noted. “We would like to study these people more closely in our future work so that we can help to advise safe limits."

The researchers took the coffee lovers’ demographics into account, factoring in age, smoking status, alcohol use, weight, height, gender, ethnicity, diet and blood pressure. Using MRI heart tests and pulse wave tests, they determined that drinking large amounts of coffee didn’t seem to have much effect on arterial stiffness. They also found that most moderate and heavy coffee drinkers tended to be male smokers who drank alcohol regularly – all risk factors for hardened arteries.

"Understanding the impact that coffee has on our heart and circulatory system is something that researchers and the media have had brewing for some time,” said Dr. Metin Avkiran of the <a href="https://www.bhf.org.uk/">British Heart Foundation</a>, which co-funded the research with the <a href="http://www.barts-londonschooltrust.org.uk/">Medical College of Saint Bartholomew's Hospital Trust</a>. 

"There are several conflicting studies saying different things about coffee, and it can be difficult to filter what we should believe and what we shouldn't,” he said. “This research will hopefully put some of the media reports in perspective, as it rules out one of the potential detrimental effects of coffee on our arteries."

The researchers will present their findings at the <a href="https://www.bcs.com/">British Cardiovascular Society Conference</a> in Manchester today.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Good news for coffee lovers: the drink doesn't stiffen arteries

Coffee lovers around the world may have been a little...

A multi-year research project conducted across six countries has shown that atheistic and agnostic beliefs are different depending on the country and that many agnostics and atheists still reportedly believe in the supernatural or the underlying forces of good and evil. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.stmarytx.edu/">St. Mary’s University</a>, <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/">University of Kent</a>, <a href="https://www.coventry.ac.uk/">Coventry University</a>, and <a href="https://www.qub.ac.uk/">Queen’s University Belfast</a> surveyed people from Brazil, China, Denmark, Japan, the UK, and the US to better understand how a person’s “unbelief” shapes religious identity and what unbelief looks like outside of western countries. 

The researchers recently released their findings in a report called the <a href="https://research.kent.ac.uk/understandingunbelief/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2019/05/UUReportRome.pdf">“Understanding Unbelief: Atheists and agnostics around the world.” </a>

What the report shows is that atheism looks very different from country to country.

“Atheists...and agnostics...exhibit significant diversity both within, and between, different countries,” the researchers wrote. “Accordingly, there are very many ways of being an unbeliever.” 

Even within the communities of unbelievers, the researchers found that many reportedly still identified as Christian or Buddhist or believed in supernatural forces. 

“Unbelief in God doesn’t necessarily entail unbelief in other supernatural phenomena. Atheists and (less so) agnostics exhibit lower levels of supernatural belief than do the wider populations,” the researchers wrote. 

In the US, 20 percent of people reported believing in the supernatural while in China, 50 percent of self-identified atheists said they believed in the “underlying forces of good and evil.” 

The study also shows that even self-identifying atheists are not <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/religious-prayer-trouble/">wholly confident in their unbelief. </a>

When asked to agree or disagree with the statement, “the universe is ultimately meaningless,” Brazil had the highest number of atheists/agnostics who agreed with the statement, but no country had a majority of 50 percent or more who ultimately agreed with the sentiment.

“First, in no country surveyed does the proportion of either unbelievers, or the general population, affirming a meaningless universe reach 50%,” the researchers wrote. 

Atheists and agnostics from Japan were the least likely to believe in supernatural forces. 

The report also puts to rest the notion that unbelievers have low moral values and don’t place the same importance on family, nature, or fundamental rights as the general population. 

The surveys showed that most atheists and agnostics value’s lined up with the general population and that family, nature, justice, and compassion were some of the highest rated values. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Many atheists and agnostics admit they still believe in the supernatural

A multi-year research project conducted across six countries has shown...

Researchers and military members sometimes must travel to extreme and hostile environments like Antarctica and it’s important to ensure that if an emergency or accident happens, medical supplies will be easily accessible and effective. 

A new study has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/anesthesia-weaken-traumatic-memories/">anesthetic drugs</a> are not degraded or impacted by the freezing conditions found in Antarctica. Even when the drugs were left outside with little protection from the elements, testing showed that the drugs were safe to use. 

The research was conducted by Major Ricardo Navarro-Suay from the <a href="http://www.comunidad.madrid/centros/hospital-central-defensa-gomez-ulla">Hospital Central de la Defensa “Gómez Ulla”</a> in Spain and presented at the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.esahq.org/">European Society of Anaesthesiology</a>. 

Doctors and Anaesthetists need to be sure that their medical supplies are not affected or altered by environmental factors even in extreme environments, as this could endanger a patient’s safety or make treatment difficult. 

For this study, the researchers exposed fentanyl citrate, etomidate, rocuronium bromide, and suxamethonium chloride, all of which are common anesthetics, to Antarctic weather conditions. 

The researchers placed vials of the drugs in a clear plastic bag and left the bags outside for 72 hours on Deception Island in Antarctica. 

Daily weather measurements were recorded, and the researchers examined the vials 24 hours, 48 hours, and 72 hours after they were placed outside to look for any signs of damage. 

After the experiment, the researchers analyzed the drugs using high-resolution liquid chromatography. 

All four of the drugs were still safe to use and were within the 99-110 percent margins of security. 

The researchers say that the extreme cold may have even benefitted the chemical makeup of the drugs.  

“Sometimes a drug can be changed or improved with weather conditions, like light or cold. The drug administration security interval is from 95 to 110% so these results show we could employ these drugs safely to patients under the extreme conditions like the polar weather found in Antarctica,” said Navarro-Suay. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Anesthetic drugs still work in extreme environments like Antarctica

Researchers and military members sometimes must travel to extreme and...

Although many adults strive to hit 10,000 steps per day, a new study from <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/">Brigham and Women's Hospital</a> has found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/social-support-lower-risk-death/">older women</a> require fewer steps to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

By analyzing four-years’ worth of data collected from the Women's Health Study, researchers found that those who took as few as 4,400 steps per day had a lower risk of death than those who only reached 2,700 steps per day.

Furthermore, risk of death decreased with more steps taken per day, but leveled off at around 7,500 steps per day — much less than the 10,000 steps many wearable step-monitoring devices encourage. These findings are published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine">JAMA Internal Medicine</a>.

"Taking 10,000 steps a day can sound daunting. But we find that even a modest increase in steps taken is tied to significantly lower mortality in older women," said I-Min Lee, MBBS, ScD, an epidemiologist in the <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/research/departments/preventive-medicine/division-of-preventive-medicine">Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham</a>. "Our study adds to a growing understanding of the importance of physical activity for health, clarifies the number of steps related to lower mortality and amplifies the message: Step more — even a little more is helpful."

Lee and colleagues studied participants of the Women’s Health Study, originally conducted to evaluate risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer among women taking low-dose aspirin and vitamin E. After the initial study was completed, the participants were asked to participate in a long-term study regarding steps and health. 16,741 women averagely aged 72 agreed to wear an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer device on their hips for seven straight days during all waking hours.

During the 4-year study period, 504 of the participants died. Those who were in the bottom 25% of steps walked per day (2,700 steps or less) had the greatest risk of death, and 275 women in this percentile died. Those who took 4,400 steps or more per day had a 41% lower risk of death. And those who walked more had an even lesser risk of death, with the correlation levelling out at around 7,500 steps per day.

The team notes that this study has not identified a cause for the correlation, and is simply observational. They also note that the women involved in the study were primarily white and older, therefore further studies must be completed to diversify the findings.

“Of course, no single study stands alone. But our work continues to make the case for the importance of physical activity," Lee said. "Clearly, even a modest number of steps was related to lower mortality rate among these older women. We hope these findings provide encouragement for individuals for whom 10,000 steps a day may seem unattainable."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/David Pereiras

Older women require fewer steps per day to maintain lower mortality rates

Although many adults strive to hit 10,000 steps per day,...

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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