Let's face it: resisting that extra slice of chocolate cake or those tempting cookies can be a real struggle. We've all been there. But have you ever wondered why some people seem to have an easier time making healthy choices than others? New research suggests that our body mass index (BMI) might play a role in our snacking battles. Being <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-now-affects-more-than-a-billion-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">overweight</a> changes brain activity and makes it harder to resist unhealthy foods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-dilemma-of-overweight-individuals">Brain dilemma of overweight individuals </h2>



Canadian scientists from <a href="https://www.queensu.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen's University</a> conducted a study to understand how the brain influences our food choices. They used MRI scans to monitor the brain activity of 123 individuals. Participants were presented with different food choices and asked to make decisions.



The researchers discovered that individuals with a higher BMI experienced significantly more mental effort when choosing healthy foods over preferred snacks.



"We examined how brain states change when making natural and regulated dietary choices in an established food task. Individuals with lower weight status could successfully modify their eating behaviours while maintaining similar modes of brain activity. Individuals with higher <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-can-be-passed-down-from-parents-to-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weight</a> status could not rely on this mechanism," noted the study authors.



The research highlights a concerning prediction: over 18% of the world's adult population will likely be obese by 2025. This statistic emphasizes that many people find it challenging to maintain a healthy diet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-activity-of-overweight-individuals">Brain activity of overweight individuals</h2>



The Canadian study's key takeaway lies in how the brain orchestrates food choices in individuals with varying BMIs. Here's a deeper dive into what the researchers may have observed in the brain scans:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lower-bmi">Lower BMI</h3>



People with lower BMIs likely exhibited a steadier pattern of brain activity during food selection. This stability suggests their brains didn't require a significant shift in function to prioritize healthy options. 



Over time, individuals with lower BMIs might have developed well-defined neural pathways associated with healthy eating behaviors. These pathways act like established highways within the brain, making healthy choices more automatic and requiring less conscious effort. 



Another possibility is that the brains of individuals with lower BMIs might show less activation in areas linked to reward processing when presented with tempting, unhealthy options. Basically, these options might not trigger the same intense pleasure response in the brain, making it easier to resist them. 



For example, for someone with a lower BMI, the brain's reward system might not light up as intensely when presented with a dessert compared to someone with a higher BMI. This dampened pleasure response could translate to a weaker craving and less difficulty in resisting the unhealthy option. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-higher-bmi">Higher BMI</h3>



The study suggests that people with a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/excess-weight-in-middle-age-shortens-life-expectancy-by-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">higher BMI</a> exhibited a more significant shift in brain activity during food choices. This heightened activity indicates their brains had to work considerably harder to overcome the allure of unhealthy options and prioritize healthy ones. 



Individuals with a higher BMI might experience a surge in activity in brain regions associated with cravings and reward seeking when presented with unhealthy foods. This heightened response could be likened to a stronger signal on the brain's reward network, making it much more challenging to resist temptation. To counteract the strong pull of unhealthy options, people with a higher BMI might need to activate areas of the brain responsible for cognitive control and decision-making to a greater degree. This increased mental effort might explain why some people find it so difficult to make healthy choices consistently. 



Think of it like applying the brakes on a speeding car. The greater the temptation (speeding car), the harder the brain (driver) has to press the brakes (cognitive control) to resist the unhealthy option and choose the healthy one.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cause-and-effect-mystery">Cause and effect mystery</h2>



It's crucial to remember that this research is correlational, meaning it shows an association but doesn't prove that one causes the other. The researchers can't definitively say whether difficulty with healthy choices leads to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obese-higher-taste-satisfaction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weight gain</a>, or whether weight gain changes the brain and makes healthy choices harder. More research is needed to untangle this cause-and-effect mystery.



The study offers a fascinating glimpse into the complex interplay between brain activity and food choices. It opens doors for future research to explore potential interventions that could help people, regardless of their BMI, make healthier choices with less internal struggle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-activity-from-being-overweight">Brain activity from being overweight</h2>



The study proves several key points:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-not-just-about-willpower">It's not just about willpower</h3>



For years, we've often been told that healthy eating is a simple matter of willpower. However, this study highlights that our biology plays a much larger role than previously understood. The brain's response to food cues, reward signaling, and the effort required for decision-making can significantly impact our choices.



This knowledge is essential because it can help remove the stigma and self-blame that often surrounds difficulty in maintaining a healthy diet. Understanding that there's a strong biological component can encourage a more compassionate approach toward oneself and others.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biological-component">Biological component</h3>



The research doesn't imply that people with high BMIs lack willpower. Rather, it suggests there may be underlying differences in brain wiring affecting how their brains process food choices. This difference makes resisting unhealthy options require significantly greater mental effort.



This understanding removes judgment from the equation. People struggling with their weight aren't "weak-willed" - their brains may simply be working differently. Acknowledging this biological component fosters empathy and moves the focus away from blame.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-solutions-for-brain-activity-in-overweight-individuals">Potential solutions for brain activity in overweight individuals</h3>



This research paves the way for developing effective and personalized strategies to help people manage their weight. Traditional approaches centered purely on willpower often fall short because they ignore this complex biological aspect.



By understanding how the brain influences food choices, scientists and healthcare professionals can develop interventions that address the root causes of the struggle. These interventions might include things like cognitive training, behavioral therapy, or possibly even targeted medications to support brain processes involved in healthy decision-making.



The study offers a beacon of hope, highlighting the potential for science to revolutionize how we approach weight management and improve dietary habits. It's a shift towards a more supportive and solution-focused outlook.



If you find yourself struggling with cravings, don't beat yourself up. Your brain might be working against you. Don't underestimate the power of small changes. 



Even minor shifts in your eating habits can make a long-term difference. Seek support from healthcare professionals and explore resources for healthier eating.



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Being overweight makes it hard for the brain to resist unhealthy food

Let's face it: resisting that extra slice of chocolate cake or those tempting cookies can be a real struggle. We've all been there. But have you ever wondered why some people seem to have an easier time making healthy choices than others? New research suggests that our body mass index (BMI) might play a role in our snacking battles. Being overweight changes brain activity and makes it harder to resist unhealthy foods. Brain dilemma of overweight individuals Canadian scientists from Queen's University conducted a study to understand...

New research from the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/">University of Surrey</a> has found that small changes in the timing of breakfast and dinner can successfully reduce body fat. The study was focused on time-restricted feeding, which is a form of intermittent fasting. 

Over ten weeks, the researchers investigated the impact that changing meal times may have on body composition, dietary intake, and diabetes and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/overweight-heart-disease-risk/">heart disease</a> risk markers.

Two groups of study participants were instructed to either delay their breakfast by 90 minutes and have dinner 90 minutes earlier, or to eat meals as they would normally. 

Before and during the intervention, the individuals provided blood samples and recorded everything they ate. The participants also completed a feedback questionnaire immediately after the trial.

The individuals were not required to stick to a strict diet and were allowed to eat freely, which helped the researchers evaluate whether this type of diet was easy to follow in everyday life.

The study revealed that participants who changed their meal times lost more than twice as much body fat compared to individuals in the control group. The findings suggest that time-restricted feeding could have broad health benefits, but larger studies are needed to confirm this theory.

Even though there were no restrictions on what participants could eat, the experts found that those who made meal time changes ate less food overall. It is also possible that the longer fasting period which resulted from stricter meal times could have contributed to the body fat reduction.

“Although this study is small, it has provided us with invaluable insight into how slight alterations to our meal times can have benefits to our bodies,” said study lead author Dr. Jonathan Johnston. “Reduction in body fat lessens our chances of developing obesity and related diseases, so is vital in improving our overall health.”

“However, as we have seen with these participants, fasting diets are difficult to follow and may not always be compatible with family and social life. We therefore need to make sure they are flexible and conducive to real life, as the potential benefits of such diets are clear to see.”

“We are now going to use these preliminary findings to design larger, more comprehensive studies of time-restricted feeding.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-nutritional-science">Journal of Nutritional Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Small changes in meal times can help reduce body fat

New research from the University of Surrey has found that...

As we’ve recently reported, air pollution has wide ranging physiological effects on the human body. Poor air quality can actually change the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-heart-structure/">heart’s structure</a>, harm cardiovascular health, increase the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-traffic-air-pollution-asthma/">asthma</a>, and has even been linked to 3.2 million cases of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-diabetes/">diabetes</a> in one year.

But now, a new study has found that air pollution even impacts cognitive function and causes a “huge reduction in intelligence.” 

The research was published this week in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> and linked long-term exposure to air pollution to poorer scores on math and verbal tests.

A collaborative team of researchers led by <a href="http://english.bnu.edu.cn/">Beijing Normal University </a>tracked the test scores of 20,000 people in China over the course of 4 years. The results showed that test scores, particularly the verbal scores, were impacted by air pollution levels.

“The damage on the aging brain by air pollution likely imposes substantial health and economic costs, considering that cognitive functioning is critical for the elderly for both running daily errands and making high-stake decisions," the study’s authors wrote.

According to the <a href="http://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), over 90 percent of the world’s population breathe unsafe air and more than 4.2 million people die each year from exposure to air pollution.

"Polluted air can cause everyone to reduce their level of education by one year, which is huge," said Xi Chen of the <a href="https://publichealth.yale.edu/">Yale School of Public Health</a>, co-author of the report. “But we know the effect is worse for the elderly, especially those over 64, and for men, and for those with low education. If we calculate for those, it may be a few years of education.”

--

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution causes reduction of intelligence, study finds

As we’ve recently reported, air pollution has wide ranging physiological...

A new study suggests that the diets of people who dwell in rainforests promote a healthier gut with more diverse microbes in children. This type of diet, which is high in fiber and unprocessed foods, may have benefits for patients with conditions such as obesity and type 1 diabetes.

The study was focused on adults and children who normally lived in the city as they visited a remote Venezuelan village without electricity, soap, or other amenities for 16 days.

Among the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/conversations-kids-language-skills/">children</a>, their microbiomes became more diverse and accumulated more helpful bacteria. However, such changes were not found in the adults who visited the rainforest.


Study senior author Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Department of Anthropology at <a href="https://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers-New Brunswick</a>.

“The findings suggest dietary interventions to encourage a more diverse microbiome may best succeed in children, while the microbiome of adults may be more resistant to change,” said Professor Dominguez-Bello.

Professor Dominguez-Bello’s team had previously examined the connection between the microbiome and human health. The researchers discovered that the human microbiome in urbanized, modernized societies contains far less diversity compared to people living pre-modern lifestyles in the Amazon jungle of Venezuela and Peru.

The current study was developed to investigate how early impacts on the microbiome may contribute to conditions such as obesity and diabetes in developed countries. Study participants stayed in a rainforest village in southern Venezuela near the border of Brazil. 

The individuals had a daily diet that consisted of cassava, fish, a little meat, and a lot of fruit. They adapted to the local time zone with eight hours of sleep, and bathed in a river without soap.

The skin, nostrils, mouths, and feces of the participants were swabbed for microbes several times throughout the study. These samples were compared with samples from local villagers, which confirmed that the urban visitors arrived with a less diverse microbiome.

Over the course of 16 days, the urban children showed significant microbiome changes. The adults, on the other hand, did not. 

Professor Dominguez-Bello said that further research is needed to understand the “age window” during which the microbiome can change, and also to identify the health implications of such changes.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://msphere.asm.org/">mSphere</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rainforest diet may promote healthier digestion among children

A new study suggests that the diets of people who...

Mangrove forests may be able to adapt to rising sea levels brought on by climate change and provide a crucial natural defense against storm surges and hurricanes for coastal communities. 

Coastal communities are more and more at risk from rising sea levels and devastating storm damage as the impacts of climate change grow more extreme. 

Already, we have witnessed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricanes-stronger-climate-change/">record-breaking hurricanes</a> and floods in the past few years coupled with stark declines in natural coastal defenses like marshland and coral reefs. 

There is a growing interest in improving and preserving these coastal barriers by local governments, and a study shows that the warming temperatures brought on by climate change could prove beneficial to mangroves in subtropical wetlands. 

Biologists from <a href="https://www1.villanova.edu/university.html">Villanova University </a>conducted the study over a period of two years and the results were recently published in the Journal of Ecology. 

The researchers set up large warming chambers in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on Merritt Island which is part of the <a href="https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/">Kennedy Space Center</a> (KSC). 

Because of the KSC’s precarious low-lying position infrastructure near the coast, the researchers had the perfect opportunity to see how salt marshes and mangroves might protect KSC and the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration's</a> assets against rising sea levels. 

The researchers increased the temperatures in the marsh and mangrove ecosystems, and as temperatures increased, the marshy shrubs doubled in plant height and quickly transformed into woody mangrove forests. 

The mangrove forests kept up with the changes in temperature which led the researchers to conclude that subtropical wetlands might be able to adapt to climate change and better serve coastal communities. 

“Our study provides some evidence that the ongoing reshuffling of species on earth's surface could allow for some adaptation to the same global changes that are causing them,” said Samantha Chapman, a member of the research team. “Conserving and restoring our coastal wetlands can help humans adapt to climate change.”

The study emphasizes the roles wetlands play in protecting against storm surges, floods, and hurricanes, all of which have increased in severity in the past decade due to climate change. 

Investing in the preservation and management of mangrove forests and other natural barriers could help protect infrastructure and lower the costs of hurricane and storm damage. 

“Our experiment highlights the impact multiple interacting aspects of climate change, such as warming and sea level rise, can have on the outcome of species invasions resulting from climate change -- and on the capacity of those communities to protect shorelines,” said Glenn A. Coldren, the first author of the study. 

--

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>

Mangroves could provide a defense against rising sea levels

Mangrove forests may be able to adapt to rising sea...

It should come as no surprise that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/quitting-smoking-improves-lungs/">smoking</a> and drinking – especially excessively – is bad for your health. But what might be surprising is just how quickly these bad habits can begin affecting one’s health – even at a young age. A new study published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj">European Heart Journal</a> reports that the arteries of teenagers who drink alcohol and smoke, even just occasionally, are already showing signs of stiffening at age 17. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> assessed data from 1,266 adolescents in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) over a five-year period between 2004 and 2008. 

“We found that in this large contemporary British cohort, drinking and smoking in adolescence, even at lower levels compared to those reported in adult studies, is associated with arterial stiffening and atherosclerosis progression,” says John Deanfield, a professor at the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science and senior author of the paper.

Study participants gave details of their smoking and drinking habits at ages 13, 15, and 17, and had aortic stiffening assessed using a Vicorder device to measure the speed at which arterial pulse propagates through the circulatory system. Exposure to parental smoking was also part of the questionnaires.

Results showed that teenagers in the high-intensity smoking group (more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime) had a relative increase of 3.7 percent in the stiffening of their arteries compared to those in the low-intensity smoking group (0-20 cigarettes). Teenagers who tended to “binge drink” – defined as more than 10 drinks in a typical drinking day – had a relative increase of 4.7 percent in the stiffening of their arteries compared to light-intensity drinkers (fewer than two drinks on a typical day). 

The findings of the study also showed that a combination of high alcohol intake and smoking was linked to even greater arterial damage compared to smoking and drinking separately. Participants in both the high-intensity smoking and drinking groups had a relative increase of 10.8 percent in the stiffening of their arteries compared to those who had never smoked and were light-intensity drinkers.

“The age at which participants started drinking alcohol was not associated with arterial health, suggesting that duration of exposure might not be that important at this young age,” says Dr. Marietta Charakida of <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/index.aspx">King’s College London</a> and formerly of the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science. “In addition, no beneficial effect of low alcohol consumption was found with regards to arterial health.”

Luckily, the study also found that if teenagers stopped drinking and smoking during adolescence, their arteries recovered and returned back to normal. But this doesn’t mean that this effect can be achieved later in life. 

“Governments and policy-makers need to devise and implement effective educational strategies, starting in childhood, to discourage children and teenagers from adopting smoking and bad drinking habits,” says Charakida. “They should also be told about the benefits of stopping these unhealthy behaviors.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Smoking and drinking causes significant artery damage in teens

It should come as no surprise that smoking and drinking...

The recent string of massive wildfires in the western United States might have made people more hesitant to buy homes in high-risk areas, but a new study has found that this is not the case.

Wildfires across the US have been increasingly devastating due to a combination of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/summer-weather-wildfires-flooding/">climate change</a> and an increase in urban expansion into more wildfire-prone areas, prompting more evacuations and rescues than in previous years. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.unlv.edu/">University of Las Vegas Nevada</a> set out to see how much wildfire risk impacts housing development and the real estate market. 

The study, published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, shows that housing prices drop immediately after a wildfire but soon increase over the following years. 

It’s both a blessing and a curse, according to the lead author Shawn McCoy. The research shows that people are more and more motivated these days to settle into high-risk fire areas, finding the benefits that come with beautiful views and isolation worth the risk. 

Residential growth into previously isolated forested areas known at Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) increased from 30 million housing units in 1990 to 43.4 by 2010. 

"To the extent that homeowners value the environmental amenities in these high-risk areas," McCoy said, "if the market participants systematically underestimate the likelihood of a fire, we may observe inefficiently increased rates of housing development in forested areas, as well as a potential decrease in the willingness among existing homeowners to take the steps needed to prevent fire from impacting their homes."

McCoy along with Randy Walsh, a co-author of the study from the <a href="https://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh</a>, reviewed real estate data collected from 360,00 properties in Colorado that had been impacted by wildfires between 2000 and 2012. 

The two then used statistical techniques to compare real estate prices before and after wildfires in homes that were located either outside or within high-risk wildfire zones. 

Using 3D modeling, the researchers were able to model their findings and show exactly how wildfire-risk influences real-estate and housing development in high-risk areas. 

“This modeling strategy allows us to use real estate markets as a lens to draw inferences regarding the underlying linkages between fire and fire risk perception at a very fine geographic and temporal scale,” said McCoy. “If a recent fire has the effect of inducing a significant change in the salience of fire risk, this will ultimately be reflected by a decrease in the demand for homes in fire risk areas.”

No matter how much damage wildfires cause, no amount of media coverage or facts about wildfire risk will sway homeowners in WUI areas. 

What’s more, the rise and fall pattern in real estate prices after a fire shows that any initial concerns about fire risks fade over time. 

“Despite an initial drop in real estate prices in risk-prone areas, the results of our study suggest that homebuyers' initial fears about fire risk will fade, and development in risk areas may continue to increase,” said McCoy. 

The researchers say the results of this study could help inform policymakers, insurance companies and homeowners fund better solutions to expanding housing development into high-risk wildlife areas. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wildfires haven’t impacted housing demand in high-risk areas

The recent string of massive wildfires in the western United...

With yet another mass shooting this week during a video game conference in Florida, many in the United States cry yet again for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stricter-gun-laws-firearm-injuries/">stricter gun control policies.</a>

According to a new study, half of all deaths attributed to firearms in the world occur in just six countries in the America, which further emphasizes how rampant the gun violence problem is in the United States and parts of Central and South America. 

<a href="http://www.healthdata.org/">The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation </a>recently reviewed firearm-related mortality between 1990 and 2016 for 195 countries and territories. 

Half of the more than the quarter of a million firearm deaths in 2016 occurred in Brazil, the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Guatemala, according to the study’s findings published in the journal JAMA. 

“Our findings provide a comprehensive analysis of firearm-related deaths - by homicide, suicide, and accidental injury,” said Ali Mokdad, a senior author on the paper. “The study also reinforces the message that it is imperative to expand gun safety and education.” 

The study is one of the most extensive ever conducted on global firearm deaths, and shows that firearm homicides make up the majority of firearm deaths in the world. 

While homicides account for 64 percent of all global firearm-related deaths, the researchers found that firearm-related deaths varied by country. 27 percent of firearm deaths in 2016 were suicides and in 67 of the 195 countries, and suicides by firearms made up the majority of all firearm deaths. 

In Greenland, for example, the research shows that there were on average 22 suicides by firearm per 100,000 people, the highest age-adjusted rate of suicide by firearms in the world followed second by the United States with 6.4 deaths per 100,000 people. 

Greenland’s history of suicide prevalence is long and complex and for more than 30 years, Greenland has had some of the highest suicide rates in the world, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/21/474847921/the-arctic-suicides-its-not-the-dark-that-kills-you">National Public Radio. </a>

The research also found that 87 percent of the deaths in 2016 were of males. 

“These findings show the disproportionately high mortality among men," said Christopher Murray, a fellow senior author. "This study is important for policymakers at the national and global levels."

Singapore had the lowest firearm related deaths, and for the six countries where half of all firearm deaths in 2016 occurred, Brazil had the highest number followed by the US, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Guatemala. 

Overall the number of firearm deaths across the world increased from 209,000 in 1990 to 251,000 in 2016. 

“This study confirms what many have been claiming for years - that gun violence is one of the greatest public health crises of our time,” said Mohsen Naghavi, the first author of the study. “There are no simple antidotes to address this health problem. The tragedy of each firearm-related death will continue until reasonable and reasoned leaders come together to address the issue.”

--

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>

Half of all firearm deaths occur in just six countries

With yet another mass shooting this week during a video...

Research presented at the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society of Cardiology</a> is reporting that people who vacation longer also tend to live longer.

Professor Timo Strandberg of the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> is one of the study’s co-authors.

“Don't think having an otherwise healthy lifestyle will compensate for working too hard and not taking holidays,” said Professor Stranberg. “Vacations can be a good way to relieve stress.”

The study was focused on 1,222 middle-aged male executives born between 1919 and 1934 that participated in the Helsinki Businessmen Study, which was conducted from 1974 to 1975. 

The men all had at least one risk factor for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wood-coal-cooking-cardiovascular/">cardiovascular disease</a>, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and elevated triglycerides.

Participants were randomly placed in either a control group or an intervention group for five years. The men in the intervention group received advice every four months to do aerobic physical activity, eat a healthy diet, achieve a healthy weight, and stop smoking. The men in the control group received usual healthcare and were not advised by the investigators.

By the end of the five years, the risk of cardiovascular disease was reduced by 46 percent in the intervention group compared to the control group. After 15 years, however, there had been more deaths in the intervention group than in the control group.

The current investigation has extended the mortality follow-up on the study to 40 years. The researchers used national death registers and examined data on amounts of work, sleep, and vacation among the participants. 

While the death rate was found to be consistently higher in the intervention group compared to the control group until 2004, death rates were the same in both groups between 2004 and 2014.

Among individuals in the intervention group, shorter vacations were associated with excess deaths. Men in this group who took three weeks or less of vacation each year had a 37 percent greater chance of dying in 1974 to 2004 than those who took more than three weeks of vacation. On the other hand, vacation time had no impact on risk of death in the control group. 

“The harm caused by the intensive lifestyle regime was concentrated in a subgroup of men with shorter yearly vacation time,” said Professor Strandberg. “In our study, men with shorter vacations worked more and slept less than those who took longer vacations. This stressful lifestyle may have overruled any benefit of the intervention. We think the intervention itself may also have had an adverse psychological effect on these men by adding stress to their lives."

The research is published in the <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/12603">Journal of Nutrition, Health &amp; Aging</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People who vacation more also live longer, study reveals

Research presented at the annual meeting of the European Society...

The beauty aisles in department stores have grown to a massive, and frankly, overwhelming size. These aisles are crammed with bright bottles printed with buzz words such as “moisturizing”, “revitalizing” and “nourishment”. 

As awareness spreads about the plight of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animal-testing-method-saves/">research animals</a>, more and more people are reading the bottles for words such as “cruelty-free” and “not tested on animals” as well. Unfortunately, there is a lack of clarity about what these words mean and if animals were actually tested on.

Consumers might assume that “cruelty-free” and “not tested on animals” are straight-forward terms that make it clear that no animals were used to test the product. However, as the<a href="https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/labeling/claims/ucm2005202.htm"> U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration</a> (FDA) website points out, “Some cosmetic companies promote their products with claims of this kind in their labeling or advertising. The unrestricted use of these phrases by cosmetic companies is possible because there are no legal definitions for these terms.”

Cosmetic companies may use the phrases “cruelty-free” and “not tested on animals” to describe their finished cosmetic products. This means that the cosmetic a consumer buys at the store was not tested on animals but separate ingredients used to make the product were. While technically the finished product is cruelty free, animals still suffered in a laboratory for the product to be made.

Manufacturers may also use a “cruelty-free” label if they themselves did not perform the animal testing but outsourced the testing to a third party.

Complicating matters even further is a Chinese law that requires foreign cosmetic products to be tested on animals in order to be sold in the country. The incentive of a huge market in China is often too much for manufacturers to turn down.

While many large companies sell their products in China, some are also working to advance the field of non-animal cosmetic testing. L’Oreal has been creating human skin cell models as an alternative since 1979 and is currently researching other alternatives such as molecular modeling and imaging techniques.

As our society advances, so does our science. Cosmetic animal testing is seen by many scientists and researchers as an outdated and inaccurate model. The European Union even banned the use and sale of cosmetic products tested on animals.

Technical phrasing and global politics may be headache inducing for the average consumer, especially one who is trying to pick up some quick groceries. Thankfully, people trying to take a stand with how they spend their dollar can download apps which will tell them if their products are truly cruelty free. 

They can also keep their eye out for the Leaping Bunny logo, which guarantees that neither the manufacturer nor any of their ingredient suppliers tested on animals at any stage of the process. As for companies that sell in China the website says, “At this time, any company that markets or sells their products in China may be removed from the Leaping Bunny Program unless a company can provide proof that they are exempt from animal testing now and anytime in the future.” 

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By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

“Cruelty-free” doesn’t always mean what it implies

The beauty aisles in department stores have grown to a...

A diet that is low in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-breakfast-exercise-burns-carbs/">carbohydrates</a> and high in fat and protein is commonly used for weight loss, yet the potential health effects of this type of diet have been the subject of much debate. A new study from the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society of Cardiology</a> (ESC) has revealed that low-carb diets are unsafe and can even be life-threatening.

“We found that people who consumed a low carbohydrate diet were at greater risk of premature death,” said study co-author Professor Maciej Banach. “Risks were also increased for individual causes of death including coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer. These diets should be avoided.”

Obesity is an increasing problem across the globe, and is associated with a higher risk of serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Diets low in carbohydrates are often suggested as a way to combat obesity.

The study was focused on data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 1999 to 2010, which involved 24,825 participants.

The study revealed that individuals with the lowest carbohydrate intake had a 32 percent higher risk of all-cause death over an average of 6.4 years compared to participants with the highest carbohydrate consumption. In addition, risks of death from coronary heart disease increased by 51 percent, while the risk of death from cancer increased by 35 percent.

These findings were confirmed by a meta-analysis of seven cohort studies with a total of 447,506 participants. The studies had an average follow-up 15.6 years.

“Low carbohydrate diets might be useful in the short term to lose weight, lower blood pressure, and improve blood glucose control, but our study suggests that in the long-term they are linked with an increased risk of death from any cause, and deaths due to cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and cancer,” said Professor Banach.

The researchers also investigated the link between all-cause mortality and low carbohydrate diets among obese and non-obese participants in two age groups: 55 years and older versus under 55 years old. The correlation was found to be the strongest among non-obese older individuals.

Professor Banach speculated that a higher intake of red and processed meat may be the mechanism that drives this relationship.

“The reduced intake of fibre and fruits and increased intake of animal protein, cholesterol, and saturated fat with these diets may play a role. Differences in minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals might also be involved.”

“Our study highlights an unfavourable association between low carbohydrate diets and total and cause-specific death, based on individual data and pooled results of previous studies. The findings suggest that low carbohydrate diets are unsafe and should not be recommended.”

The research was presented at the meeting <a href="https://www.escardio.org/portal/site/Escardio/menuitem.c9f480f01a3ca18798f54de7202031ca/?vgnextoid=3f7fec3be124d410VgnVCM1000004e03a8c0RCRD&amp;vgnextchannel=34d1d0ce97cbc410VgnVCM1000004e03a8c0RCRD&amp;vgnextfmt=default&amp;vgnextlocale=EN">ESC Congress 2018</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

Low-carb diets linked to higher risk of premature death

A diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in...

On again-off again relationships may make for good television, but new research shows that partners should really consider the pros and cons before engaging in these often unhealthy relationship patterns.

A new study conducted by researchers from <a href="https://missouri.edu/">the University of Missouri </a>and<a href="https://illinois.edu/"> the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</a> shows that on-off relationship patterns are actually damaging to mental health and well-being and typically don’t <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-relationships-asking-much/">benefit the relationship</a>. 

Published in the journal Family Relations, the study offers several tips for re-evaluating a relationship and communication effectively in order to either stabilize the relationship or safely end it.

Previous research has found that over 60 percent of adults have been involved in an on again-off again relationship at one point in their lives, with one of third of couples who lived together reporting that they broke up and got back together at least once in their relationship. 

Even though these relationship patterns are common, on-off relationships are more heavily associated with high rates of abuse and lower levels of commitment between couples. 

“Breaking up and getting back together is not always a bad omen for a couple,” said Kale Monk who led the study. “In fact, for some couples, breaking up can help partners realize the importance of their relationship, contributing to a healthier, more committed unions. On the other hand, partners who are routinely breaking up and getting back together could be negatively impacted by the pattern.”

For the study, the researchers reviewed data from more than 500 individuals in relationships. The couples in the study who reported breaking off their relationships and getting back together also had poorer quality relationships overall. 

The researchers found that on-off relationships correlated with an increase in depression and anxiety.

“The findings suggest that people who find themselves regularly breaking up and getting back together with their partners need to 'look under the hood' of their relationships to determine what's going on,” said Monk. “If partners are honest about the pattern, they can take the necessary steps to maintain their relationships or safely end them. This is vital for preserving their well-being.”

The researchers suggest that couples should be direct in their communication if they find themselves facing another on-off situation. In order to avoid future breakups or safely end the relationship, it's important to talk about the underlying issues that could be the cause for why couples break up. 

If the relationship is abusive or there was a pattern of violence, the researchers say that seeking outside support could help remove someone safely from a dangerous situation. 

For other couples who just find themselves continually breaking up and getting back together, the research shows that thinking about why getting back together is appealing could get couples to reassess the situation and find the best solution for both parties. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kyvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

On and off-again relationships can harm your mental health

On again-off again relationships may make for good television, but...

Adobe recently published their <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/adobe/2018-adobe-consumer-email-survey">fourth annual consumer email survey</a> and found what email phrases are the most irritating to office employees. 

Email use has only increased over the years with Adobe researchers finding that in the US, people check their inboxes for around two and half hours every day. 

It would seem we are hooked on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blue-light-smartphones-damages-eyes/">electronic communication</a> as it can be a quick and convenient way to share information with co-workers and get tasks done. 

However, the survey of over 1,000 white-collar workers found that there are some email subject headlines and phrases to avoid if you want to keep harmony in the office. 

The results include a list of the most hated email phrases with the number one most irritating being “not sure if you saw my last email.” 

25 percent of the survey respondents said that phrase was annoying followed by 13 percent who didn’t like seeing “Per my last email” pop up in their inbox. 

If you’re constantly checking your inbox and working to follow up on emails, that last thing you need is someone who constantly sends emails following up on emails previously sent. 

45 percent of the survey participants said that one of the worst email faux pas was sending too many emails. Another big agitator was seeing a name spelled incorrectly in the email.

The “annoying” list also included “please advise,” “as previously stated, and “any update on this?”

Like texting and other non-face to face forms of communication, tone in email is incredibly hard to convey and easy to misconstrue. 

If an email comes across as passive-aggressive, judgemental, or redundant, it can have a major impact on workplace productivity and morale. 

“Emotion and intent are sometimes hard to convey via email, so [some phrases] can negatively impact productivity and culture,” Kristin Naragon, Adobe's director of email solutions, told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/23/adobe-survey-these-are-the-9-most-annoying-email-phrases-of-2018.html">CNBC Make It</a>. “Your colleagues could choose not to respond out of frustration. This can damage relationships and ultimately, morale.”

Email is one of the most preferred forms of office communication and so surveys like this can help people improve communication and respond to the most pressing issues as they arise. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals which email phrases annoy everyone

Adobe recently published their fourth annual consumer email survey and...

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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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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

[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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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...