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...

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/california-electric-cars/">electric cars</a> of the future are expected to be much quieter, reducing not only air pollution but also noise pollution. Experts are now evaluating both the benefits and the risks of quieter traffic.

Electric cars that do not produce much noise could be particularly dangerous for pedestrians who have limited vision or who are blind. As a result, the European Union will require any future electric or hybrid vehicles to include acoustic vehicle alerting systems (AVAS).

Klaus Genuit is the founder of HEAD acoustics GmbH, a company that provides sound and vibration analysis. He is investigating how vehicle alert signals can best be designed. Rene Weinandy, the head of Noise Abatement in Transport for the <a href="https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en">German Environment Agency</a>, is evaluating whether AVAS should be used at all. 

While AVAS could improve vehicle safety, the systems are also likely to replace the traffic noise that electric cars would eliminate. The requirements for AVAS to contain different tones and frequencies could ultimately just sound like New York City at rush hour. This collective noise may drown out important signals and defeat the purpose of AVAS.

“An alert signal is only effective if it happens in very specific situations,” said Genuit. “All published results are showing only examples of one car with a warning signal. It was not considered what happens if several cars are producing warning signals.” 

Genuit said that this mixture of sounds could be distracting to drivers. Weinandy added that noise is not only annoying and distracting, but can also be an environment poison considering its ill effects on health.

“It is a synthetic, increasing sound that is supposed to be similar to an internal combustion engine vehicle startup,” said Weinandy. “The question is, what are the downsides this noise poses? Is it really a wise decision to increase the noticeability of electric vehicles in traffic by making them spray poison? Now regulations on the so-called AVAS for electric cars have been cast into laws both in the U.S. and Europe without scientific proof of their effectiveness and adequate consideration of their negative side effects. Neither have less harmful alternatives been systematically sought for and investigated.”

The German Environment Agency is currently working exploring alternatives to AVAS. 

“If we really use warning signals instead of more intelligent systems like car-to-pedestrian communication using smartphones, then we have to consider the following aspects: detectability, is it localizable, elimination of strong tones to avoid disharmony and roughness, and elimination of pitch shifting,” said Genuit. “A suitable signal should be developed based on a modulated broadband noise whereas the slope of the envelope gives the information about acceleration and speed.”

The research will be presented at the 177th Meeting of the <a href="https://acousticalsociety.org/">Acoustical Society of America</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Future electric cars will ease noise pollution, but pose new safety risks

The electric cars of the future are expected to be...

Policies aimed to “nudge” people toward a greener lifestyle, such as including energy use comparisons between neighbors on energy bills as an incentive to lower usage, and companies automatically enrolling employees in a 401K, often make people believe they are participating in a greater good. 

However, researchers from <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/">Carnegie Mellon</a>, <a href="https://www.fordham.edu/">Fordham</a>, and <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard</a> Universities have found that these policy nudges, though semi-effective and seemingly costless, actually have a problematic cost. According to the experts, these measures can decrease support for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/republicans-climate-change-action/">larger policies</a> with greater green impact.

"Although nudges can effectively change behavior, most have too small an impact to address societal problems on their own," said David Hagmann, a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="https://www.hks.harvard.edu/">Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.</a> "It appears that many people view them as substitutes for economic policies like a carbon tax or cap-and-trade scheme, instead of the complements they were always intended to be."

Six studies confirmed that, in the presence of a potential green energy nudge, support for carbon tax declines. Researchers found that when the carbon tax was on the only option on the table, 70% of participants supported it. However, when participants were given the option of enrolling in “green energy” plans by default, support for the carbon tax decreased to only 55%.

And when researchers opened up their experiments to alumni of a public policy school, the alumni not only replicated the researchers’ previous findings, but experts in public policy incorrectly believed that green energy nudges are more effective at curbing carbon emissions than a carbon tax.

"In an ideal world, we would have a place for both nudges and heavy-handed interventions to combat climate change," said George Loewenstein, the <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/simon/what-is-simon/herbert-a-simon.html">Herbert A. Simon University Professor of Economics and Psychology at CMU</a>. "However, our results indicate that an effort to deploy nudges can backfire by reducing the likelihood that the most effective policies will be supported and implemented."

Despite these upsetting findings, the researchers devised a way to remedy the situation. When participants were presented with information and evidence about the small effect of policy nudges in comparison to large effects of a carbon tax, participants were less likely to support the nudge.

"We should use all the tools at our disposal to combat the threat of climate change," said Emily Ho, a doctoral student in the <a href="https://www.fordham.edu/info/21603/psychology">Department of Psychology at Fordham</a>. "If we can set realistic expectations about the impact of nudges, we can deploy them without undermining the policies that are going to address climate change most effectively - whether it's a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

‘Costless’ nudges toward green energy can impede larger policy changes

Policies aimed to “nudge” people toward a greener lifestyle, such...

Individuals born between 1981 and 1996, known as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/millennials-arrested-fewer-crimes/">millennials</a>, are notorious for cell phone and technology use. An investigation from <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/">Brigham and Women's Hospital</a> (BWH) has revealed that while both millennial and older parents commonly text behind the wheel, the younger drivers are becoming distracted more often.

Texting while driving is a modern safety crisis that is likely tied to a recent rise in motor vehicle fatalities in the United States. Every day, nine people are killed and more than 1,000 others are injured as a result of accidents caused by a distracted driver, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Study lead author Dr. Regan Bergmark is a sinus and endoscopic skull base surgeon at BWH. “My hope is that we can find solutions that prevent deaths and injuries from motor vehicle crashes; when patients arrive in our emergency departments and operating rooms, it is often too late,” said Dr. Bergmark.

The researchers conducted a national survey of 435 parents called the Distracted Driving Survey (DDS), which included questions about reading and writing texts while driving. The parents were also asked about their use of email, social media, and maps while behind the wheel.

Overall, millennials had higher DDS scores than did older parents, representing more reckless behavior. Although millennial parents were more likely to read text messages on the road, there was no significant difference among the two groups of parents when it came to writing texts or crash rates.

“We found that millennial-aged parents reported riskier distracted driving behavior than older parents, although distraction was prevalent in both age groups,” said Dr. Bergmark. “We found that most parents, regardless of age, reported reading and writing texts while driving in the past month.”

The study authors recommend for more pediatricians to talk to parents about texting and driving. They also suggest that drivers use apps designed to limit this risky behavior. 

“I think parents likely know the risks of distracted driving. More than half of parents surveyed said they believe they are safer drivers when their kids are in the car, and two-thirds said they use their phone less when they have their kids in the car,” said Dr. Bergmark. “We believe there is an opportunity to change behavior by engaging with parents more directly through their children's pediatrician about distracted driving and having apps or programs that people can commit to using.”

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

Millennial parents report more frequent distracted driving

Individuals born between 1981 and 1996, known as millennials, are...

It’s a rhetorical question.  Any United States citizen ‘owns’ part of public lands and at the same time, no one does.  Collective administration of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/national-parks-endangered-species/">National and State Parks</a>, Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land is supposed to manage these lands in a way appropriate for all Americans.  

Other interests in land management – sustainable forestry, grazing, or wildlife conservation – are all parts of public land management, but in essence public lands are for the recreation of the American people.  Unfortunately, the management of public lands is a compromise of sorts between different groups of people with different backgrounds, goals, and ways of viewing ‘the land’. 

Recently, an opinion piece by Danielle Williams republished by <a href="https://www.hcn.org/articles/recreation-5-reasons-to-keep-geotagging">High Country News</a> and originally published on <a href="https://www.melaninbasecamp.com">Melanin Basecamp</a> defends the practice of ‘geotagging’.  Geotagging is the practice of ‘tagging’ selfies with the exact location of where they were taken.  The piece takes issue with the idea promoted by some outdoors people that this type of behavior brings in undesirables, people who haven’t ‘earned’ the right to be in a place.  The piece argues that this sort of ‘elitism’ excludes people of color, the disabled and other under privileged people disproportionately. 

This idea brings to mind a conversation I had a while back with Sophia Danenberg, the first African American woman to summit Mount Everest.  Danenberg told me that people of color often feel excluded from the outdoors, specifically the climbing community. Climbers she has voiced this concern to have argued that they treat everyone the same.  But this isn’t the point because Danenberg feels many in the climbing community are unwelcoming to everyone.  The problem is that this means that people of color feel more excluded because they may already be less confident than their white counterparts.  There is definitely some work that needs to be done on inclusiveness in the outdoors, especially in organizations dominated by the white and the wealthy.  

In her article, Williams correctly points out that the history of public lands is one of Native American lands stolen by white people.  Williams also points out that people of color are more likely to suffer from environmental degradation than their white counterparts. Exclusion is a clear problem in the outdoor and environmental communities.  But the discussion of geotagging and selfies in the outdoors misses two important issues. 

First, the outdoors isn’t all about a person or group of people’s experience, it’s also about the environment itself.  Some places restrict the number of people coming into the outdoors already (like the weighted lottery system needed for an individual permit to raft the Grand Canyon).  Many places don’t limit the number of visitors, but this doesn’t mean that more people doesn’t mean a negative impact on the environment. Not everything is destroyed by a large mineral extraction company.  

Secondly, I’ve spent a bit of time in the caving community.  In my experience, if you’re willing to put in the work to learn proper caving techniques for safety of the group and to protect the cave, cavers are happy to take you on trips.  No caver I know would willingly tell someone the location of a cave though, unless they knew that person very well and had been caving with them before. This might seem elitist, but there’s a very good reason for it.  

White Nose Syndrome is decimating bat populations in the eastern US and was potentially brought there on the shoe of a tourist to a European cave. Casual graffiti and the taking of cave formations as souvenirs has trashed some caves, leaving no surface untouched by vandalism and looting.  This is as surely destruction as a mine drilling into a cave. 

Caves are of course special, small environments but anyone who’s spent time outdoors has seen a wild animal dead along a park road, or broken glass littering a public campground or trees with carved hearts and initials.  

A two or three hour walk on any trail that’s popular at all will turn up at least on piece of trash.  <a href="https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/pft/2016/12/6/two-deer-killed-by-illegally-dumped-plastic-garbage">Plastic Pollution Coalition</a> reported in 2016 of deer in India dying from eating plastic in trash.  It’s a problem in the United States, too. On a backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, I once saw a sign posted telling of deer that died from eating plastic baggies with food in them.  These are problems that occur when people come to view places as merely backdrops to their own experiences, something that social media seems to encourage. 

The other problem with geotagging is the quality of the experience.  For many, the outdoors is much more than a place for activities, it’s a deep sanctuary, a place to connect with something bigger, older, deeper than the individual or even humanity.  In his book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Abstract-Wild-Jack-Turner/dp/0816516995">The Abstract Wild</a>, Jack Turner discusses stumbling upon a remote petroglyph panel in Utah in his youth without expecting it.  Later, Turner returned to the panel and found himself feeling a mix of emotions, first expressing his happiness that the petroglyphs were preserved,

“I am pleased the Harvest Site is preserved in the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park.  I am happier still that the pictographs remain difficult to visit. I am delighted they remain in such good condition.  I support the tough new backcountry management plan. I praise the rangers for their courage, their vision, and their devotion to a place I love.”

Then, Jack Turner changes his focus a little, addressing something harder to grasp, how things like saturation of media and easy access can in themselves change the nature of a thing or a place and his own feeling of loss: 

“But I wish we were wise enough to preserve something more.  I wish that children seven generations from now could wander into an unknown canyon and receive at dusk the energy captured by a now-forgotten but empowered people.  I wish these children could endure their gaze and, if only for a moment, bask in the aura of their gift.”

The point is that for better or worse, some experiences can’t be shared.  Solitude. Loneliness. Rather than encouraging people to snap the exact same selfie as a hundred Instagram crazed tourists before them, the focus should be on empowering as many people as we can to explore the world and live fully in its wildness.  Some rules are inherit in respect for a place. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Who owns public lands?

It’s a rhetorical question.  Any United States citizen ‘owns’ part...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> has identified a link between political debate over the rights of marginalized groups and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/traditional-masculinity-bullying-homophobia/">bullying</a> among students based on their identities. For example, in the time leading up to a public vote on gay marriage in California, homophobic bullying significantly increased among young people. 

Before Proposition 8 was ruled unconstitutional by a federal court, it was a ballot proposition initiated by opponents of gay marriage. The researchers found that, at the same time the debate heated up prior to the 2008 election, rates of homophobic bullying in schools increased.  

“We think that young people don't hear what adults and lawmakers are talking about, but they do,” said study senior author Stephen Russell.

According to the researchers, the investigation provides empirical evidence that public debates about laws involving marginalized groups can lead bullies to target young people who identify with those groups.

“Public votes and voter referendums on the rights of minority groups occur in approximately half of U.S. states,” said study first author Professor Mark Hatzenbuehler of Colombia University. “Our findings suggest that the public discourse surrounding these votes may increase risk for bias-based bullying.”

The study was focused on annual survey data from nearly five million students in more than 5,000 California schools. The team analyzed the number of students who experienced homophobic bullying from 2001 to 2015.

When the Proposition 8 vote took place during the 2008-2009 school year, the occurrence of homophobic bullying was the highest among the years examined in the study. At the same time, trends in other types of bullying related to race, religion, and gender declined. 

Russell pointed out that the rate of homophobic bullying during the 2008-2009 school year was higher even than the estimated population of LGBT students. “The data are telling us that straight kids are getting bullied for this, too. It's all about what the bullies perceive.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/">Pediatrics</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>

Political debates surrounding marginalized groups increase youth bullying

A new study led by the University of Texas at...

A new study has found that being overly affectionate with our dogs may unwittingly lead to the spread of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-wastewater/">antibiotic-resistant bugs</a>. 

Doggy kisses and cuddles may help strengthen the bonds we have with our pets, but researchers from the <a href="https://www.gcu.ac.uk/">Glasgow Caledonian University</a> warn that these displays could spread drug-resistant bacteria through saliva. 

Unfortunately, the researchers acknowledge that behaviors such as cuddling and allowing our dogs to lick our faces are a deeply ingrained part of pet ownership that people are unlikely to stop doing anytime soon. 

The study was published in the journal Behavioral Medicine.

“This close contact could potentially put adults, children and the pets themselves at risk of transferring bugs that are resistant to antibiotics through saliva,” said Adele Dickson, a psychologist who led the study. “I would also advise any open wounds be covered so there’s no risk of transferring anything from skin to skin.”

Dickinson and a team of researchers interviewed 35 dog owners. The dogs in the study had all been treated with antibiotics and many unnecessarily so. 

Vets may be too quick to hand out antibiotics and owners are asking for antibiotics even if their pet doesn’t need them. 

As with humans, misuse and overprescribing of antibiotics in pets can lead to antibiotic resistance which can spread to humans through contact. 

“The biggest take-home message to pet owners from this study is to think twice about whether your pet, you, your children or other family members actually need antibiotics,” said Dickinson. “Many pet owners told us they felt a sense of guardianship and protection towards their pet when it became ill and they would specifically ask for antibiotics to reassure themselves that they were helping but it’s actually doing more harm than good if they are not necessary.” 

To reduce the risk of spreading antibiotic resistance, the researchers recommend that pet owners and vets carefully consider using antibiotics and avoid coming in contact with their dog's saliva as much as possible.

Dickinson is quick to point out that the study results do not call for completely ceasing all contact with pets. 

“I know how important that affectionate relationship between the owner and their pet is to both mental and physical health and well-being,” Dickinson said. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Drug-resistant bugs could be spread through contact with pets

A new study has found that being overly affectionate with...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/">University of Kent</a>, virtual reality (VR) technology could substantially improve the quality of life for people who suffer from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dementia-patients-doubled/">dementia</a>. 

The researchers found that when dementia patients “visited” new places with VR headsets, their aggression was reduced and they became more cooperative with caregivers. Many of the patients even recalled past memories.

The study, which was focused on eight patients between the ages of 41 and 88, was conducted at St. Andrew's Healthcare in Northampton. Each patient was exposed to five virtual environments (VEs) including a cathedral, a forest, a sandy beach, a rocky beach, and a countryside scene. 

The team collected feedback from both patients and their caregivers. The study revealed that VR helped patients to access old memories by providing them with new stimuli. One patient recalled a vacation after seeing a bridge in the VE which reminded them of the trip, for example.

The memories provided positive mental stimulation for the patients and also helped their caregivers learn more about their lives before care, which helped to improve interactions.

The patients were given the choice of which VEs to explore during their sessions, and some chose the same environment repeatedly. Dr. Jim Ang explained that while a larger study is needed to validate the results, the early findings show that VR has huge potential in this area.

“VR can clearly have positive benefits for patients with dementia, their families and caregivers. It provides a richer and more satisfying quality of life than is otherwise available, with many positive outcomes,” said Dr. Ang. “With further research it will be possible to further evaluate the elements of VEs that benefit patients and use VR even more effectively.”

The researchers added that as it becomes easier to produce 360-degree VR videos, VEs could be specifically designed for individual patients, including simulations of their home or their favorite location.

The study results were presented at the <a href="https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1240624">Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Virtual reality can improve the mood and memories of dementia patients

According to a new study from the University of Kent,...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> have identified a nap-suppressing gene in fruit flies. The discovery is providing experts with new insight into how humans and other animals weigh the benefits of a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/midday-naps-lower-blood-pressure/">nap</a> versus important things that need to be done during the day.

According to the researchers, midday naps are more intense on hotter days, which is a phenomenon that likely evolved to help protect against exposure to the intense afternoon sun. 

Short naps are known to have cognitive benefits in humans, including help with memory and learning. On the other hand, excessive daytime sleep has been linked to serious diseases such as Parkinson's and diabetes.

The researchers have pinpointed a gene in Drosophila flies, which they refer to as the “daywake” gene, that suppresses the inclination to take a daytime nap when temperatures are cool. This gene is likely activated to increase the amount of time that the fruit flies use to focus on hunting for food and mates. 

“This gene contributes to behavioral flexibility, or the ability to hide from the noontime sun when the weather is hot but engage in activities good for survival when the weather is cool. That probably helped these flies expand beyond their ancestral home in equatorial Africa to successfully colonize temperate zones around the world,” explained study co-author Professor Isaac Edery.

The daywake gene slightly overlaps a “period” gene that is known to regulate circadian rhythm and daily wake-sleep cycles in the files. The researchers found that daywake activity is increased by a specific sequence within the period gene, and that this process is most effective when the flies are exposed to cold temperatures. 

“Although the daywake gene is not present in humans, our finding reinforces the idea that nighttime sleep and daytime siesta are governed by distinct mechanisms and serve separate functions for health and survival,” said Professor Edery.

The finding that the activities of a sequence in one gene can trigger the action of a nearby gene is a new discovery in itself which promises to reveal new gene regulatory mechanisms in flies and other organisms, concluded Professor Edery.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists discover a gene that regulates napping during the day

Researchers at Rutgers University have identified a nap-suppressing gene in...

Research from <a href="https://www.bofaml.com/content/boaml/en_us/home.html">Bank of America Merrill Lynch</a> has revealed that advances in death-delaying technology will soon push the human life expectancy to more than 100 years. 

According to a report written by Merrill Lynch analysts Felix Tran and Haim Israel, companies working to treat or prevent diseases and slow the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pollution-accelerates-aging-cellular/">aging process</a> will provide some of the best investment opportunities over the next decade. 

Anti-aging technologies such as innovation in genome science and wearable wellness products have already created a market worth $110 billion, and the experts predict that this market will be worth $600 billion by 2025.

“Medical knowledge will double every 73 days by 2020 vs. every 3.5 (years) in 2010, and genomic sequencing costs have fallen 99.999% since 2003,” wrote the analysts. “This has enabled a new frontier in precision medicine to further extend life expectancy, heralding a ‘techmanity’ (technology meets humanity) revolution.”

The team highlighted five key contributors which will help to increase the length and quality of human lifespans, including genomics, artificial intelligence, future health food, “ammortality,” and “moonshot medicine.”

The study of the human genome, for example, will provide the “next generation of gene editing technology offering potentially revolutionary advances in prevention and disease treatments.” The report pointed to the genome sequencing company Illumina, in particular, as playing “an important role in helping advance disease research, drug development, and the creation of molecular tests.”

“Moonshot medicine” companies, such as Sangamo, Vertex Pharma and Neurocrine, are working on revolutionary treatments for some of the most debilitating diseases in the world, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

The quest to delay death, also known as “ammortality,” is a market with the potential to hit $504 billion by 2025. According to Israel and Tran, ammortality “will help to improve health spans &amp; lifespans to the betterment of human vitality, enabling the world population to live freer of disease, rather than forever.”

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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

Death-delaying technology could push human life expectancy beyond 100 years

Research from Bank of America Merrill Lynch has revealed that...

Voters approve measure to decriminalize magic mushrooms in Denver. Denver, Colorado has now become the first city in the United States to pass a ballot measure that decriminalizes psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms. 

When Initiative 301 was put on the ballot, there was clear support for the campaign, but at the beginning of the three week voting period, it seemed like the referendum wouldn’t pass. 

That all changed on Tuesday, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/crime-law/2019/05/08/denver-voters-apparently-reject-decriminalization-magic-mushrooms/?utm_term=.f2fbb270922c">Washington Post</a> which reported on the landmark vote, and the measure passed with 50.6 percent of 176,000 Denver citizens voting yes, and 49.4 voting no. 

The <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2019/05/08/denver-psychedelic-magic-mushroom/">Denver Post</a> reports that the final votes were 89,320 in favor and 87,341 against. The vote will be certified on May 16th as the city is still accepting ballots from overseas and military personnel. 

The vote won’t make magic mushrooms available in dispensaries or legal in the city limits. Instead, the ballot is aimed at law enforcement officials directing police to make psilocybin possession the lowest priority when it comes to law enforcement. 

Psilocybin mushrooms will still be illegal in Denver, and Colorado and keep their Schedule 1 classification under Federal law. 

Part of Initiative 301 is the implementation of a review panel that will examine the impacts of decriminalization on public safety and health. 

“We’re sending a clear signal to the rest of the country that America is ready to talk about psilocybin,” Kevin Matthews, the leader of the Decriminalize Denver movement, told the Washington Post. “We have work to do, we’re ready for it and we couldn’t be happier.” Voters approve measure to decriminalize magic mushrooms in Denver

Psilocybin has been found to help treat <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-vote-medicinal-benefits/">treatment-resistant depression</a> and a range of mental disorders. 

More and more research is being done on the potential treatment options that psilocybin and other psychedelics offer, and measures to decriminalize may help make research and studies more feasible in the future.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Voters approve measure to decriminalize magic mushrooms in Denver

Voters approve measure to decriminalize magic mushrooms in Denver. Denver,...

A team of neurobiologists at the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California San Diego</a> has identified the region of the brain that is responsible for making decisions based on value. These types of choices are influenced by our past experiences.

Study senior author Professor Takaki Komiyama explained that data from tens of thousands of neurons pointed to an area of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/different-tastes-neurons-brainstem/">brain</a> called the retrosplenial cortex (RSC). This brain region was not previously known for “value-based decision-making,” which is an essential animal behavior that is impaired in neurological conditions such as dementia and addiction.

Value decisions become necessary when we decide where to buy our morning coffee, for example. According to the study authors, we assign a value to a certain coffee shop based on our experience, and this value is stored in the RSC as a reference for the next time we go out for coffee. 

“When you have two coffee shops to choose from, no one is telling you which one to go to - you rely on the internal value in order to choose one over the other,” said Professor Komiyama. “How the brain maintains this value information - and how it might be different in healthy and disease states - could be relevant in clinical applications.”

[caption id="attachment_1872413" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/brain-neurons.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1872413" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/brain-neurons.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="597" /></a> Neurons in the brain, Image Credit: Komiyama Lab, UC San Diego[/caption]

The research team obtained more than 45,000 images of neurons across six brain regions in mice. By comparing how value-related information was processed in each brain region, the data led the researchers to the RSC. 

“We found that the RSC, which previously had not been studied in the context of value-based decision-making, showed the strongest value information most persistently over time. These were unique characteristics,” said Professor Komiyama.

Professor Komiyama’s lab generates nearly a terabyte of data in a single day. She explained that science's recent capacity to record and study massive data sets opens new windows to our understanding of basic neurological functions.

“Previously these types of experiments were with one neuron at a time, which was simple to analyze,” said Professor Komiyama. “Technological advances are allowing new experiments with thousands and thousands of recordings of neuronal activity that can be related to various features of behavior. I'm sure we're still just scratching the surface of these complex data so the next new challenge has become big data analysis.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

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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

Scientists identify the brain region that processes value decisions

A team of neurobiologists at the University of California San...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> has found that “robopets” can reduce feelings of loneliness and agitation among older adults in care homes. The researchers are reporting that interactions with small, animal-like robots may even provide comfort and pleasure. 

A review of nearly 20 studies involving 900 care home residents has revealed that robotic pets can increase <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/older-adults-anger-harmful-health/">social interaction</a> with other residents, family members, and staff by serving as a stimulus for conversation.

“Although not every care home resident may choose to interact with robopets, for those who do, they appear to offer many benefits,” said study lead author Dr. Rebecca Abbott. 

“Some of these are around stimulating conversations or triggering memories of their own pets or past experiences, and there is also the comfort of touching or interacting with the robopet itself. The joy of having something to care for was a strong finding across many of the studies.”

In their appearance and behavior, robopets mimic the characteristics of pets and companion animals. Five different types of robopets were examined in the studies, including a dog named Aibo, a baby seal named Paro, a bear named Cuddler, and two cats named Necoro and Justocat.

According to the researchers, staff training may help residents get the most out of their robopet. Individuals who have a special regard for animals or who previously had pets of their own are more likely to engage with the robots. 

“It is not always possible to have a cat or a dog come into a care home, so robopets can offer a good alternative,” said study co-author Dr. Noreen Orr. “Of course robopets are no substitute for human interaction, but our research shows that for those who choose to engage with them, they can have a range of benefits. A new wave of more affordable robopets may make them more accessible to care homes.”

The experts said that further research is needed to determine whether the benefits of robotic pets are short-term or long-term.

“Modern technology has the amazing capacity to improve people's health and wellbeing and revolutionise the care they receive. Technology can never replace human interaction, but this kind of research is incredibly important to help us assess its benefits,” said Caroline Dinenage.

“I want older people to have healthier, more connected and independent lives - we are investing £98 million to develop innovative new products - like robopets - services and treatments through our Ageing Society Grand Challenge."

The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/17483743">International Journal of Older People Nursing</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Robotic pets could make great companions for care home residents

A new study from the University of Exeter has found...

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

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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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