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...

In a study published by the <a href="https://www.sfn.org/">Society for Neuroscience</a>, researchers analyzed neural activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) which reflects the intention to drink alcohol. Using rats as a model system, the experts found that PFC brain activity was weakened in animals with a family history of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/quitting-alcohol-health-benefits/">excessive drinking</a>. 

The research has implications for the development of new targeted therapies to treat alcohol use disorders.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the cerebral cortex that covers the frontal lobe. The PFC is involved in decision making, planning complex cognitive behavior, and controlling social behavior. This region of the brain becomes activated before a behavior is initiated, indicating intention. 

A team of experts led by David Linsenbardt of <a href="https://www.iupui.edu/">Purdue University Indianapolis</a> investigated neural activity in the prefrontal cortex of rats to determine whether this brain region processes the intention to consume alcohol.

Among two types of rats, the team compared activity before and during alcohol consumption. One type of rat had a family history of alcohol abuse, while the other type had no family history of excessive alcohol consumption. 

The prefrontal cortex was found to be activated in both groups of rats during the consumption of alcohol. However, prior to alcohol consumption, this region only became activated in rats without a family history of drinking.

The findings suggest that the prefrontal cortex directly encodes the intention to consume alcohol, but that this process is disrupted in animals who have a higher risk of abusing alcohol. For individuals with a predisposition to drink excessively, restoring prefrontal cortex activity could provide experts with a new approach for treating alcohol use disorders.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.eneuro.org/">eNeuro</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, CLIPAREA l Custom media

Prefrontal cortex may provide new opportunities for treating alcoholism

In a study published by the Society for Neuroscience, researchers...

Parents who talk to their teens about sex promote safer behavior. A new study from <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> has investigated the success of programs aimed at helping parents to communicate with their children about sex. The researchers found that parent-based interventions do not make <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/social-media-television-depression/">adolescents</a> more likely to engage in sexual activity, and often lead to safer sexual practices. 

"People have been studying parent-based sexual health interventions for decades, and we wanted to know how effective they are; as well as whether there are specific features of these interventions that make them more effective," said study first author Professor Laura Widman.

The team analyzed the results of 31 trials, involving more than 12,000 adolescents between the ages of 9 and 18. Among the studies examined, 16 had follow-up periods of more than a year.

One of the most widespread effects identified in the meta-analysis was an increase in condom use by adolescents whose parents took part in an intervention. This effect was found to be the strongest among adolescents aged 14 or younger and Black or Hispanic youths. In addition, interventions that targeted parents and adolescents equally were more effective in promoting the use of condoms. 

"These are variables that make sense intuitively: reaching kids when they're younger and, often, more willing to listen; involving both parents and adolescents; spending more time on the subject matter - none of those are particularly surprising," said Professor Widman. "However, it's good to see that the data bears this out."

According to the study, interventions did not have an influence on when adolescents became sexually active.

"In other words, the kids who were taught about sexual health did not become sexually active any earlier than kids who were not part of the interventions - but kids who were part of the interventions were more likely to use condoms when they did become sexually active," explained Professor Widman.

The researchers also identified some areas that could be explored in future intervention research.

"For example, we found only one intervention that targeted fathers, and it worked very well," said Professor Widman. "Similarly, there was only one intervention aimed specifically at parents of sons, which also worked very well. This suggests that it may be worthwhile to pursue broader efforts to assess the effectiveness of gender-specific interventions for parents and adolescents."Parents who talk to their teens about sex promote safer behavior

"What's more, we found that there is a dearth of information on the effectiveness of online interventions. That's definitely an area ripe for future study."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics">JAMA Pediatrics</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

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Parents who talk to their teens about sex promote safer behavior

Parents who talk to their teens about sex promote safer...

Every day, we are faced with choices when we must decide whether to try something new or to stick with what we already know. Researchers at <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a> wanted to find out which of these strategies pays off the most in the real world, and they discovered that traversing unfamiliar territory may lead to greater success. 

The investigation was focused on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sharks-threatened-fishing-boats/">fishing boat</a> captains, who make critical choices between the familiar and the unknown every day while seeking out the best fishing spot. The UC Davis team analyzed more than half a million fishing vessel position records from nearly 2,500 commercial fishing trips in the Gulf of Mexico, including their revenues. 

Study co-lead author Shay O'Farrell is a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Professor James Sanchirico in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy. 

"It looks like exploration pays off in the face of uncertainty," said O'Farrell. "This is particularly important in the context of global environmental change, when disturbances such as storms and droughts are predicted to increase."

The researchers found that some vessels explore new territory more frequently than others, investing more time and resources into trying out new fishing locations. In times of stability, the exploratory vessels were found to perform just as well as vessels that relied more on consistency.

"In relatively stable environments, we would expect that any gains from switching behaviors would usually go away, otherwise vessels would be changing how they fish," said Sanchirico.

In 2009, popular fishing grounds in the Gulf of Mexico were closed and boats were forced to find new places to fish. The researchers discovered that the exploratory vessels were much less impacted by the sudden change in circumstances, which is likely due to the captains' experience in selecting new fishing grounds.

According to O'Farrell, the findings may hold lessons for times of uncertainty.

"One way in which we can future-proof our livelihoods is by exploring new options," said O'Farrell. "That way, if our current options become unavailable or less attractive in the future, we can fall back on our knowledge of alternatives. Sharing our knowledge could make us even more resilient still, as we can draw from a larger pool of experience."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

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Why it may not always pay to stick with what you know

Every day, we are faced with choices when we must...

A recent study from the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> has found that only seven percent of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/having-first-emotional-bond/">couples</a> equally divide their household chores. The investigation, which was focused on 8,500 couples across the UK, revealed that 93 percent of women are still doing the majority of the housework. 

Based on data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, the analysis showed that even when both men and women have full time employment outside of the home, women are still five times more likely to do housework for at least 20 hours per week. 

Men shared equally modern views on gender roles, such as the importance for women to work outside of the home. Most men also agreed with women that housework should be shared, but they were still found to put in less than five hours a week on average. 

"These results matter because this is extra work which women are doing for free as housework is unpaid," said study lead author Professor Anne McMunn. "We don't think this is an active choice on the part of men to try to keep women down."

In the seven percent of cases where men were doing as many household chores as women, this was most often because the woman was the main breadwinner. 

"We tend to follow the patterns which we saw our parents fall into when we were growing up but this has been described as a 'second shift' for women who come home from work and start doing more in the form of household chores," said Professor McMunn.

The largest group of couples examined for the study was made up of relatively young "dual earners," where both the men and women had full-time jobs. While it would be expected for these couples to split the housework evenly, only three percent of males that fell into this category worked in the home for at least 20 hours per week as opposed to 16 percent of females.

The second largest group consisted of couples where men had full-time jobs and women worked part-time or not at all. Nearly 75 percent of these couples had children in the home. 

In addition to taking on the majority of the childcare, more than half of these women did 20 or more hours of housework a week. By contrast, almost two-thirds of the men cleaned for less than five hours.

"Men still earn more than women, on average, and that gives them a little more leverage in terms of negotiating housework," said Professor McMunn. "Things are not changing as fast in the domestic sphere as we might have thought, so we need to raise awareness and think a bit more about it."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/wes">Work, Employment, and Society</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/ESB Professional

Study shows that women are still doing most of the housework

A recent study from the University College London has found...

Electronic cigarettes are often used to help smokers quit, but research has been mixed as to whether the benefits of vaping outweigh the potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/health-risks-vaping-e-cigarettes/">long-term health impacts</a>. 

But now, a comprehensive new study has shown that  e-cigarette smokers are 77 percent more likely to quit than non-vapers. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/trtc/">Massachusetts General Hospital’s Tobacco Research and Treatment Center </a>reviewed and analyzed data from 8,2000 participants of the <a href="https://pathstudyinfo.nih.gov/">Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study</a>.

Data on tobacco use over a year and two year period was key for the researchers as it helped show how successful participants in the Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study were in their cessation efforts and if e-cigarettes helped with quitting. 

At the beginning of the study, 3.6 percent of the participants reported using e-cigarettes every day, but 18 percent reported using them occasionally. 

After the two year study period was up, daily e-cigarette users had the most success in refraining from smoking.

Only six percent of non-vapers had successfully quit for two years, compared to eleven percent of e-cigarette users. 

This recent study shows that e-cigarettes can help with smoking cessation and may lead to higher quitting success than people who use other quitting aids.

It’s possible that past studies didn’t use or look at daily versus casual vaping when researching the impacts and benefits of electronic-cigarettes.

The researchers did find that four percent of regular e-cigarette users that quit relapsed, the odds were still lower compared to those that successfully staved off cigarettes. 

“In this nationally-representative longitudinal cohort study of U.S. adult cigarette smokers, daily e-cigarette use, compared to no e-cigarette use, was associated with a 77% increased odds of prolonged cigarette smoking abstinence over the subsequent two years,” the researchers conclude in their study. “Regular use of e-cigarettes may help some smokers to stop smoking combustible cigarettes.”

 The study was published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

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Can e-cigarettes help people quit smoking?

Electronic cigarettes are often used to help smokers quit, but...

If you search YouTube for videos about climate change or geoengineering, you will likely be shown conspiracy theory content that uses scientific terms to appear more credible, according to a new study. 

This “hijacking” of science to create content that directly opposes the worldwide scientific consensus is leading to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/battling-climate-change-misinformation/">rampant spread of misinformation</a>. 

YouTube has millions of channels and nearly two billion active users per month. Many people use the platform to learn and enjoy watching videos about science, health, and technology. 

The driving force behind platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and even shopping sites like Amazon are algorithms that take mountains of data to create recommendations catered to each individual user. Search terms only strengthen these algorithms. 

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="http://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/~a/root/?lidx=1">RWTH Aachen University</a> looked at how YouTube’s algorithms directed users to videos about science when using search terms like “climate change or “geoengineering.” 

The researchers wanted to know if videos tagged with these keywords offered non-biased and scientifically accurate information. 

“So far, research has focused on the most-watched videos, checking their scientific accuracy, but this doesn’t tell us what an average internet user will find, as the results are influenced by previous search and watch histories,” said Dr. Joachim Allgaier, the leader of the study. “To combat this, I used the anonymization tool TOR to avoid personalization of the results.”

Allgaier chose ten search terms related to climate change and analyzed 200 videos tagged with the terms and which covered topics about climate change and climate change modification. 

A large majority of the videos were not based in science and directly opposed the general scientific consensus about human emissions and climate change. 

Many of the videos go further than just spreading misinformation, the researchers found. Some terms like “geoengineering” have been hacked by conspiracy theorists and the term is used to describe and strengthen global conspiracies. 

For example, videos about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-debunk-chemtrails-conspiracy-theory/">chemtrails</a>, a notorious conspiracy theory, talk about geoengineering and climate modification. 

“Within the scientific community,’ geoengineering’ describes technology with the potential to deal with the serious consequences of climate change, if we don’t manage to reduce greenhouse gases successfully,” said Allgaier. “However, people searching for ‘geoengineering’ or ‘climate modification’ on YouTube won’t find any information on these topics in the way they are discussed by scientists and engineers.”

The study highlights an ongoing problem with YouTube and its algorithm, which has faced sharp criticism for promoting misinformation, hate speech, and conspiracy theories.

“Searching YouTube for climate-science and climate-engineering-related terms finds fewer than half of the videos represent mainstream scientific views,” says study author Dr. Joachim Allgaier, Senior Researcher at the RWTH Aachen University. “It’s alarming to find that the majority of videos propagate conspiracy theories about climate science and technology.”

The findings were published in the study <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2019.00036/">Frontiers in Communication</a>. 

--

By <a href="https://kaywritesstuff.com/">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/NiP STUDIO

YouTube conspiracy theorists are using science terms to appear credible

If you search YouTube for videos about climate change or...

Male-pattern baldness and hair loss have impacted people for centuries, as records of remedies for baldness date back to Ancient Egypt. 

While drugs like Propecia and Rogaine are effective at slowing hair loss, science has yet to find a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cure-balding-gray-hair/">treatment</a> that completely reverses the balding process. 

But now, there’s promising new evidence that stem cell therapy and 3-D printing could offer an innovative solution to balding.

Balding begins when a hair follicle goes dormant. The human scalp contains around 100,000 hair follicles, and the actual strand of hair is produced thanks to stem cells located at the base of the follicle called dermal papillae. 

At the root of the follicle, blood vessels help create cells which stimulates the hair protein growth. As the hair strand gets pushed up through the skin, it dies, but the hair at the root of the follicle keeps growing. 

Over time, follicles on the head will grow dormant and hair growth ceases. There has been a growing interest in findings way to generate new hair and reverse hair loss with cell therapy. 

Cell therapy involves taking stem cells from a person and using those to generate new treatments explicitly catered for that individual. 

One cell therapy company, a startup called <a href="https://stemsontx.com/">Stemson Therapeutics</a>, is working on cloning hair follicles. Hair strands are grown or farmed using the stem cells from an individual's blood, and these young and vigorous follicles are implanted near the dormant follicle. 

Stemson Therapeutics has successfully cloned and implanted hair into a mouse, but the company is about a year and a half away from human clinical trials. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> have found a way to 3-D print a mold meant to hold follicles and the dermal papillae. 

“For a long time, we’ve been saying this is ten years away,” Robert Bernstein, a dermatologist in Manhattan who specializes in hair transplantation, told the <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/07/hair-for-all/594826/">Atlantic</a>. “But now it actually might be less.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Africa Studio

Cloning hair could offer a potential cure for baldness

Male-pattern baldness and hair loss have impacted people for centuries,...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">BMJ</a> is reporting that the tobacco industry has been raising its prices far beyond what is required by tax hikes. According to the researchers, the companies inflated their product prices even when <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tobacco-execs-sugary-drinks-to-kids/">tobacco</a> taxes were increased unexpectedly.

Despite the fact that "roll your own" tobacco is often sold illegally, the study revealed that this product had the highest industry-driven price hikes. 

The researchers also found that, prior to 2010, the tobacco industry regularly drove up cigarette prices above the level required by tax rises. The investigation showed that almost 50 percent of the total price increase in tobacco across the UK can be attributed to price hikes as opposed to higher taxes.

Over the last decade, manufactured cigarette sales have fallen by 17 percent and sales of cheaper "roll your own" tobacco have increased by 46 percent.

The researchers set out to explore the extent to which price increases have been due to tax increases or industry strategies since 2010. For their investigation, the experts used data on inflation, tax rates, and tobacco sales from 2010 to 2015.

When there were large and unexpected tax increases between 2010 and 2012, industry-driven price changes were small. Over the three years that followed, however, tax increases were planned and were much less substantial. At this time, 33 percent of the price increase for manufactured cigarettes was industry-driven, as well as 48 percent of the price increase for "roll your own" tobacco.

"This implies that the industry does not believe its own argument that higher taxes/prices encourage illicit tobacco purchasing," wrote the study authors. "This is further supported by a higher proportion of the total price increase being attributable to industry revenue increases for 'roll your own,' despite the illicit market share for 'roll your own' being substantially higher."

"If the tobacco industry is still able to increase its revenue (and hence profits) per pack, then the government should be able to further increase taxes to deal with the harms from tobacco."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/">Tobacco Control</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: ShutterstockProfessional

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Tobacco industry raising prices far beyond what is required by tax changes

A new study published by the BMJ is reporting that...

Some of the biggest names in the automotive industry have been privately plotting the development of more fuel-efficient vehicles with the <a href="http://ww2.arb.ca.gov/homepage">California Air Resources Board</a> (CARB). The negotiations may counteract efforts by the Trump administration to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/trump-freeze-fuel-efficiency-standards/">freeze vehicle emissions</a> and gas mileage standards. 

According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, the agreement between Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, BMW of North America, and the state of California may ultimately result in the manufacturing of vehicles that have an average fuel efficiency of 50 miles per gallon within the next five years.

In 2012, the Obama administration established an average fuel economy standard of 51 miles per gallon by 2026. However, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced plans to freeze these standards at 37 miles per gallon in the same time frame.

Mary D. Nichols, chairwoman of CARB, hopes that the Trump administration will decide to join the new deal, which she said gives automakers flexibility in meeting emissions goals without "massive backsliding."

“What we have here is a statement of principles intended to reach out to the federal government to move them off the track that they seem to be on and onto a more constructive track,” said Nichols.

The four automakers said in a joint statement that the decision to strike a deal with California was driven by a need for predictability, lower compliance costs, affordable vehicles for customers, and also by the desire to be good environmental stewards.

"These terms will provide our companies much-needed regulatory certainty by allowing us to meet both federal and state requirements with a single national fleet, avoiding a patchwork of regulations while continuing to ensure meaningful greenhouse gas emissions reductions,” said the auto companies, which represent about 30 percent of the American market. 

The automakers have agreed to manufacture fleets that average nearly 50 miles per gallon over the next six years. The environmental benefits of these negotiations will grow substantially if more automakers choose to make the same commitment. 

For its part of the deal, California will certify vehicles from the four companies and will grant them flexibility in meeting each year’s emissions goal. The automakers pledged to improve their fleet’s average fuel efficiency by 3.7 percent a year, which is only slightly less than the standards set under former President Obama.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/TierneyMJ

California makes deal with automakers to improve fuel efficiency standards

Some of the biggest names in the automotive industry have...

Yasuní National Park in Ecuador is part of a legendary region of the Amazon. It is home to some of the reputedly fiercest indigenous people in the far western <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/destroyed-tropical-forests-restored/">Amazon rainforest</a>, the Huaoroni. First contact with these people ended typically in violent death to the outsider, sending a clear message for a desire of solitude.

Missionaries that arrived in an airplane in the 1950s are a typical example. Soon after arrival, the missionaries were speared to death. Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of hardship for the Huaoroni living in the area.

Over time, missionaries brought crippling European disease and slandered the indigenous culture, introducing clothes and customs not well adapted to the local environment. Some Huaoroni even suffered from polio. 

The Huaoroni also split into two groups – those who were influenced by the missionaries and became more westernized and those who fled deeper into the jungle. To this day, some of the Huaoroni live deep in Yasuní, uncontacted by outsiders. This leaves the Huaoroni contacted by missionaries and subsequent outsiders divided from their relatives and culturally impoverished.  

The creeping cultural influence of missionaries led to the end of cycles of violent revenge killings among the Huaoroni but it also allowed them to be taken advantage of by scrupulous outsiders. Without the imminent threat of death by the hands of the Huaoroni, Yasuní has slowly become more and more visited by outsiders. 

I visited the National Park myself as part of a tropical field biology course, passing by Huaoroni men with fishing spears boarding a bus and traveling down river past a huddle of huts that makes up a Huaoroni village. What most visitors view of Yasuní is a very small piece of a much larger park. But all of Yasuní represents the remaining territory that the Huaoroni must now share with tourists and other outsiders, and is still only about a third of their previous territory. 

From the beginning of contact, the Huaoroni have had a complicated relationship with the outside world, highlighted by differing views of land ownership and a changed cultural identity. Outsiders wanting to cash in on resources found on traditional Huaoroni land or control it complicate that relationship and challenge notions of indigenous territorial sovereignty.

Yasuní was made an Ecuadorian National Park in 1979, becoming Ecuador’s largest mainland national park (the Galapagos are part of Ecuador as well). This marked the government’s official control of the region as opposed to a land traditionally controlled by the Huaoroni. The 982,000 hectare park was declared a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in the same year. Bordering Yasuní is a Huaoroni Reserve as well. 

Despite the protection afforded a national park and International Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador opened Yasuní to oil drilling in 2016. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/26/oil-drilling-underway-beneath-ecuadors-yasuni-national-park">The Guardian</a> reports that oil extraction began removing 23,000 barrels a day and the government reported little disturbance to the park. Despite the government’s comforting words, environmentalists and the Huaoroni have been less than pleased about drilling in Yasuní. 

Initially, Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa offered the chance to leave oil in the ground in Yasuní for a bribe. The president agreed to leave the area alone for a payment of $3.6 billion, after 6 years of waiting for the ransom, Ecuador had received only $200 million before opening the park to drilling. The government has been criticized by environmental groups for the move but defends the action, claiming that modern technology allow for drilling with little negative impact on the environment. These claims have been extremely hard to verify as the government has allowed no independent oversight of drilling in Yasuní at all. 

“The government has not allowed any independent monitoring by scientists, journalists, or civil society. The well site is militarised, and aerial flyovers and images are prohibited,” Kevin Koenig, Ecuador program director of Amazon Watch, told <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/10/exclusive-new-satellite-images-show-ecuador-drilling-next-to-yasunis-itt/">Mongabay</a>.

The consequences are likely to be much larger than the Ecuadorian government has been willing to acknowledge. Roads will leave an ecological impact for long periods of time, and the potential for water pollution could be catastrophic. The project also opens the doors to hundreds of workers that could come into violent conflict with the Huaoroni. Critics claim that oil field workers often return to areas now with already made roads as hunters, beginning the colonization of the area. Some claim that much of this potential destruction could have been prevented by flying to each oil well site by helicopter instead of building roads. 

Since the initial foray into Yasuní, the threat from oil exploitation has only grown. <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2014/06/oil-company-breaks-agreement-builds-big-roads-in-yasuni-rainforest/">Mongabay</a> reported in 2014 that oil company Petroamazonas had initially made an agreement with the Ecuadorian government to not make a road into a remote part of Yasuní called Block 31. Unfortunately, satellite photos confirmed that the company ignored the government agreement, building roads anyway. 

Despite not honoring the agreement, Petroamazonas has been granted more drilling rights in Yasuní. The government refusing independent oversight and overlooking rule breaking in one of Ecuador’s most remote and biodiverse regions is disturbing, especially so when indigenous people are concerned. Despite a history of drilling in Yasuní that already deeply concerns indigenous advocates and environmentalists, Ecuador is going even further in allowing drilling. 

Now, block 43, the last block in the most contentious areas for drilling within Yasuní has been opened to drilling, heralding drilling in the last part of the park <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/07/heart-of-ecuadors-yasuni-home-to-uncontacted-tribes-opens-for-oil-drilling/">Mongabay</a> reports. Energy minister, Carlos Perez delayed the decision to open the area to drilling last year when environmentalists and Indigenous leaders occupied his office in protest. But in the end, drilling in the contentious area, home to uncontacted Huaoroni that have been in voluntary isolation, was approved with a small reduction of the oil extraction area. 

If history is any sort of guide, oil extraction in the region will continue unabated until it’s all gone and the indigenous population are left sharing poisoned water with what’s left of the wildlife. Yasuní is still a paradise for the most, part but greed and short sightedness can destroy the irreplaceable very quickly.        

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Dr Morley Read

The last part of Yasuní, home to uncontacted tribes, now open for drilling

Yasuní National Park in Ecuador is part of a legendary...

The high cost of healthy foods linked to malnutrition across the globe. According to a new study from the <a href="http://www.ifpri.org/">International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)</a>, the price difference between healthy and unhealthy foods can explain the rise of international <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/war-urbanization-global-malnutrition/">malnutrition</a>, differences in dietary patterns, child stunting, and obesity among adults.

"Our research shows that most healthy foods are substantially more expensive in poorer countries," said IFPRI Senior Research Fellow and study co-author Derek Headey. "But while healthier foods become cheaper over the course of development, so too do unhealthy processed foods, like soft drinks." 

To draw this conclusion, the team used national price data for 657 standardized food products in 176 countries collected under The International Comparison Program (ICP). They then developed a system to measure how costly it is to diversify diets away from bread, corn, and rice-based diets.

The study, published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jn/nxz158/5535433">The Journal of Nutrition</a>, shows that higher caloric prices of a food item usually predicts lower consumption of that food. 

The team saw that healthy foods were often the most expensive in the world’s poorest nations, especially foods that are nutrient dense and animal sourced, which are widely understood to be effective in reducing stunting. For example, eggs and fresh milk are often 10 times as expensive as starchy staples.

"Prior to this study, we already knew that the poorest children in the world weren't consuming enough of the really nutrient-dense foods that promote healthy growth and brain development,” said Headey. "But now we have a better idea why: poor people also live in poor food systems. That combination of low incomes and high prices means they're simply not going to buy enough and eat enough of these nutrient-dense foods."

Poor child-feeding practices have often been attributed to lack of nutritional knowledge, however, the team believes that high prices of healthy foods may actually be to blame.

"The link between milk prices and stunting is especially strong,” said co-author Harold Alderman, "which is entirely consistent with a whole body of evidence on the strong linkages between dairy consumption and child growth."

And although the team uncovered development processes put in place to make healthy foods more affordable, these processes also make unhealthy foods, like soft drinks and sugar-rich snacks, even cheaper.

"Public health agencies in upper income countries have been concerned with the high consumption of sugar-rich foods for some time," said Alderman, "but our study shows that these products often become very affordable in middle income countries, and sometimes even in relatively poor countries where obesity rates are really on the rise."

Nutrition-sensitive agricultural investments could make healthy foods cheaper, and the taxation and regulation efforts, like food labelling, can curb consumption of unhealthy foods, according to Headey and Alderman.

"These findings raise an important agenda for future research: understanding why food prices vary across countries, and sometimes within them, and how best to change food prices in a way that leads to better diets and nutrition outcomes in rich and poor countries alike," Headey said.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Alexander Raths

The high cost of healthy foods linked to malnutrition across the globe

The high cost of healthy foods linked to malnutrition across...

Cats can be finicky pets. One minute your four-legged friend is purring and rubbing against your legs, but as soon as you start stroking its fur, the cat does a 180 and starts hissing, scratching and biting. 

If you’ve experienced this kind of rejection from your cat, there is a simple reason behind the behavior. According to Lauren Finka, a postdoctoral research associate at <a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/">Nottingham Trent University</a>, you might be petting your cat wrong. 

In an article for the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-stroke-a-cat-according-to-science-116025">Conversation</a>, Finka takes readers through the ancestry of house cats and helps shed light on the odd quirks of felines. 

Cats, like dogs, evolved alongside humans, but their path to domestication took a few different turns. 

First of all, domestication of dogs is said to have begun between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-dogs-bond/">20,000 and 40,000 years ago</a>. As dogs diverged from their wild ancestors, they started working alongside humans, and a beneficial partnership arose. 

With cats, this domestication process is said to have begun around 4,000 years ago. Cats helped keep pests under control. Four thousand years ago seems like a long time, but your snuggly little kitten probably still thinks like a wildcat. 

Dogs and their wild wolf ancestors are social creatures, hunting, living, and communicating in packs. Wildcats, on the other hand, prefer a more solitary life. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t ever pet your cat. Many cat owners will attest that their cat is extremely affectionate (on their terms).

It’s just important to understand the subtle clues you cat might be giving you. 

First and foremost, let your cat come to you for affection. As social creatures ourselves who use touch to communicate, using restraint when faced with something cute, soft, and fluffy does not come naturally, according to Finka. 

However, restraint is exactly what’s required. Research has shown that cats will let their owners stroke them for longer when the cat initiates contact rather than humans. 

If your cat does hop on your lap for a good cuddle, you’re not in the clear entirely. Look for crucial body language and behavior signals while you pet your cat. 

Less is more, according to Finka. Stick to the base of the ears, under the chin and cheeks rather than the tummy or back. 

If your cat is purring, relaxed, and gently waving their tail, chances are that your cat is happy. 

However, if while stroking your cat and you don’t hear any purring, notice that the cat is shaking their head, licking their nose, twitching, or flattening their ears, stop stroking and walk away. 

“Ultimately though, when it comes to cats, it’s important to respect their boundaries – and the wildcat within – even if that means admiring their cuteness from afar,” Finka concludes. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek

How to pet your cat the right way

Cats can be finicky pets. One minute your four-legged friend...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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