A year‑long investigation following almost 20,000 adults has uncovered a clear link between getting to sleep early at night and doing more physical activity the following day. 



The recent <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2420846122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a>, reports that volunteers who habitually nodded off near 9 p.m. accumulated roughly 30 extra minutes of brisk movement each day compared with people who stayed awake until 1 a.m.



<a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@josh-leota" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Josh Leota</a> of <a href="https://lens.monash.edu/@josh-leota" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Monash University</a> led the project, working with colleagues across Australia, the United States, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.



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



Those <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sleep-during-naps-can-spark-insight-and-creativity/">early sleepers</a> also beat the sample average, clocking about 15 more minutes of moderate‑to‑vigorous physical activity <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.682233/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">(MVPA)</a> than peers who usually fell asleep around 11 p.m.



Public‑health agencies <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">advise</a> adults to rack up at least 150 minutes of moderate effort each week, or about 30 minutes a day, meaning the extra half hour observed in the early‑to‑bed group can single‑handedly meet the daily target.



Crucially, the data show it is not just what time you fall asleep most nights, but whether you shift that time earlier while still getting your usual amount of shut‑eye. This combination produced the highest next‑day MVPA totals in the sample.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-night-owls-under-pressure">Night owls under pressure</h2>



Your natural preference for early or late sleep, known as your <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/chronotypes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chronotype</a>, is not merely a quirk of habit. Research using accelerometers has <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-12267-5">linked</a> extreme evening chronotypes to more sedentary time and a higher ten‑year cardiovascular risk score in middle‑aged adults.



Another analysis of college students found that people who experience at least a two‑hour mismatch between work‑day and weekend sleep, known as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39321660/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social jetlag</a>, were less likely to hit either aerobic or strength‑training recommendations.



“Standard 9‑to‑5 routines can clash with the natural sleep preferences of evening types, leading to social jetlag, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-particular-sleep-stage-slow-wave-deep-is-most-important-for-preventing-dementia/">poorer sleep quality</a>, and increased daytime sleepiness, which can all reduce motivation and opportunity for physical activity the next day,” explained Dr. Leota.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-activity-gadgets-that-never-sleep">Activity gadgets that never sleep</h2>



The Monash team relied on a wrist‑worn wearable sensor called <a href="https://www.whoop.com/us/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WHOOP</a> that logs heart rate, motion, and skin temperature every few seconds.



To confirm their findings, they repeated the analyses with almost 6,000 volunteers whose Fitbits fed data into the <a href="https://allofus.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. All of Us Research Program</a>. The patterns held firm across age, gender, and ethnicity.



Earlier <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4341978/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> has already shown that exercise and sleep travel a two‑way street: better sleep encourages movement, while regular movement deepens sleep quality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-work-schedules-make-it-worse">Work schedules make it worse</h2>



Evening‑type workers who are forced into early starts also face higher odds of metabolic trouble. Nurses who self‑identified as night owls had a 72 percent greater risk of developing diabetes than their early‑bird colleagues, although a healthier lifestyle cut that figure dramatically.



Adding vigorous workouts late in the evening can backfire too. An <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2025/05/10/working-out-night-sleep-quality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a> of 15,000 fitness‑tracker users found that strenuous activity inside the four‑hour window before bedtime delayed sleep onset by up to 80 minutes and severely reduced total sleep.



The <a href="https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/physical-activity" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a> notes that exceeding the weekly activity minimum of up to 300 minutes of moderate effort, delivers extra <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fitness-focused-medicine-physical-activity-reduces-chronic-disease-risk/">protection</a> against heart disease, depression, and several cancers. These benefits could be even easier to leverage if early sleep routines lead to increased daily activity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-sleep-tweaks-big-gains-in-activity">Small sleep tweaks, big gains in activity</h2>



Participants who advanced their bedtime by even 30 minutes, without shortening their total sleep, recorded noticeable lifts in activity the next morning.



“Our findings are consistent across different populations and show that if you can get to sleep earlier than usual whilst keeping your sleep duration the same, you may be more likely to increase your physical activity the following day,” said <a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/elise-facer-childs">Dr. Elise Facer‑Childs</a>, senior author of the study. 



The pattern held regardless of age or fitness level, suggesting that a modest scheduling change is one lever almost anyone can pull.



If carving out time to exercise feels impossible, consider starting with the bedroom clock. An earlier lights‑out not only guards sleep duration but also builds momentum for next‑day <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/small-bursts-of-intense-exercise-can-slow-brain-aging/">activity</a>. 



This helps people reach or surpass the 150‑minute‑a‑week benchmark without adding another appointment to an already packed calendar.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-earlier-bedtimes-may-help-fight-obesity">How earlier bedtimes may help fight obesity</h2>



Mounting research connects <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3632337/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">obesity</a> with sleep habits, particularly the timing and quality of rest. People who sleep later are more likely to snack at night and less likely to engage in early‑morning activity, both of which can contribute to long‑term weight gain.



A 2020 <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7154640/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meta‑analysis</a> found that late bedtimes are linked to higher body mass index in both children and adults, even when total sleep time is adequate. Shifting sleep earlier may align eating patterns and activity schedules in a way that helps regulate metabolism and reduce excess fat storage.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2420846122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Early sleep times linked to enhanced activity during the day

A year‑long investigation following almost 20,000 adults has uncovered a clear link between getting to sleep early at night and doing more physical activity the following day. The recent study, reports that volunteers who habitually nodded off near 9 p.m. accumulated roughly 30 extra minutes of brisk movement each day compared with people who stayed awake until 1 a.m. Dr. Josh Leota of Monash University led the project, working with colleagues across Australia, the United States, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Why bedtime matters Those early sleepers also beat...

Research conducted by immunologists at the <a href="https://www.babraham.ac.uk/">Babraham Institute</a> has demonstrated that transplanting faecal matter from younger mice to older mice revived the gut immune system by stimulating the gut microbiome.

The aging process is particularly hard on the gut, and age-related changes to the human gut <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/link-gut-microbiome-fight-cancer/">microbiome</a> have been linked to increased frailty, inflammation, and intestinal disorders. While these changes coincide with a decrease in the function of the gut immune system, it has not been clear whether there is a direct link.

"Our gut microbiomes are made up of hundreds of different types of bacteria and these are essential to our health, playing a role in our metabolism, brain function and immune response," said study lead author Dr. Marisa Stebegg. "Our immune system is constantly interacting with the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. As immunologists who study why our immune system doesn't work as well as we age, we were interested to explore whether the make-up of the gut microbiome might influence the strength of the gut immune response."

Mice naturally like to sample the faecal pellets of other mice. The study showed that co-housing young and old mice boosted the gut immune system of aging mice, which partially corrected their age-related decline.

"To our surprise, co-housing rescued the reduced gut immune response in aged mice. Looking at the numbers of the immune cells involved, the aged mice possessed gut immune responses that were almost indistinguishable from those of the younger mice," explained Dr. Michelle Linterman.

The findings demonstrate that damage to the gut immune response is not irreparable. According to the study, the decline can be reversed with the appropriate stimuli by turning back the clock on the gut immune system to more closely resemble the conditions found in a young mouse.

The study confirms a link between the effects of the aging immune system and age-related changes in the gut microbiome. Furthermore, the research suggests that probiotics and diet have the potential to promote healthier aging.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Marisa Stebegg, Babraham Institute

Turning back the block on the gut microbiome promotes healthier aging

Research conducted by immunologists at the Babraham Institute has demonstrated...

Coffee is often associated with exotic places.  Names of roasts, varieties and locations listed on the bags of coffee beans all bring to mind tropical paradises or quaint villages where <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/good-news-for-coffee-lovers-drink-doesnt-stiffen-arteries/">coffee</a> is roasted in tiny batches.  

Shade grown coffee produced by fairly paid workers can indeed contribute to a paradise on Earth.  Lemurs live high in trees above coffee plantations in some regions of Madagascar. <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/coffee-farms-are-good-birds-other-wildlife-study-finds-180968205/">Smithsonian Magazine</a> reported that shade grown coffee can also support bird and other wildlife diversity.  Certifications like <a href="http://fairtradeamerica.org/Fairtrade-Products/Coffee">Fairtrade</a> also aim to guarantee that coffee plantation workers are paid and treated justly.  

With the mere presence of labels like Fairtrade and <a href="https://www.rainforest-alliance.org">Rainforest Alliance</a> certifications, it makes you wonder, what is the alternative to just and environmentally friendly coffee growing?  

According to <a href="https://www.rainforest-alliance.org/issues/food">Rainforest Alliance</a>, 80% of rainforest loss comes from agriculture, which sometimes includes coffee growing.  The organization says that sustainable farming is key to stopping not just deforestation but cycles of poverty and climate change.  

What do farms look like that fall short of the lofty goals of organizations like Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance?  What are the worst coffee farms like? 

The answer first came last year when <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/09/slave-labor-found-at-starbucks-certified-brazil-coffee-plantation/">Mongabay</a> reported on coffee growers on a plantations certified by Starbucks were found to be working in almost slave-like conditions. In August 2018, Brazil Labor Ministry investigators raided the Córrego das Almas farm in Brazil and rescued 18 workers working on coffee plantations in near slavery.  

One of the workers rescued reported that there were lots of bats and mice present in the living quarters of the farm, to the point that the small mammals would eat all of the worker’s food before they could.  No records of hours were kept for 11 hour days worked 6 days a week. The workers collective housing had dangerously poor sanitation and no running water. 

Instead water for cooking, cleaning and drinking was taken from open containers with no lids where dead animals were sometimes found.  Perhaps worst of all, payments for the amount of coffee picked were rigged. Sometimes coffee was left to be weighed in the morning only to disappear at night without explanation. 

The farm was certified by C.A.F.E. Practices, a certification owned by Starbucks in partnership with SCS Global Services.  After the raid, the companies reviewed the certification of the farm to look at issues of compliance with their standards. Another certification, the UTZ seal, from a Netherlands based organization was pulled when the organization was questioned about the incident by a reporter.

According to <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/slave-labor-found-at-second-starbucks-certified-brazilian-coffee-farm/">Mongabay</a>, in July 2018 another farm in Brazil Cedro II was found with farm workers in slave-like conditions working 17 hour shifts, often without a day off.  This farm as well had certifications from Starbucks and Nestle that were suspended when the farm made a government ‘Dirty List’. As of April 2019, Brazil’s ‘Dirty List’ contains 48 companies that engaged in something akin to slavery.  Cedro II also had a Rainforest Alliance certification that was suspended. 

Now just this year, eight months after making Brazil’s Dirty List, Starbucks and Nescafé said they would stop buying coffee from the Cedro II farm.  This raises questions of how far can we trust certifications to begin with? 

<a href="https://counterculturecoffee.com/blog/sustainability-in-coffee-certification">Counter Culture</a> points out that different certifications mean different things, with each focusing on different aspects of the environment and farm employee wellbeing but no one certification covering all bases.  Besides that, certification labels cost money and there is a larger supply of certified coffee than there is demand for it. 

Simply, not enough consumers care whether coffee has a certification or not to create a surefire benefit to getting certified for growers.  The benefit to becoming certified is a bit speculative. On top of that, as we’ve seen, sometimes coffee growers can get around meeting the actual requirements of the certification, instead growing coffee under immoral and even illegal conditions.  Coffee is after all big business, which leaves it open to corruption and makes the supply chain complex and hard to follow.

In 2011, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/oct/04/green-coffee">The Guardian</a> reported that coffee is the second most tradable commodity after oil.  There‘ s also an imbalance in power with a majority of small growers supplying coffee to large companies like Starbucks, which increases competition between individual growers.  It’s not just people that pay the cost either. 

<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/04/shade-trees-coffee-plantations-effect-bird-biodiversity/">National Geographic</a> reported this year that Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee a day, without realizing the scope and impact of that consumption on the tropics.  Bird diversity suffers with the increase of coffee plantations in places like Costa Rica. Along with a loss in bird diversity, is a loss of environmental integrity as a whole. 

The good news is that beyond certifications, there are things that consumers can look at. Coffee from some sources is naturally more sustainable than others.  Coffee was first grown in Ethiopia, no one knows exactly when it was discovered. The <a href="http://www.ncausa.org/about-coffee/history-of-coffee">National Coffee Association</a> says a legend tells of a goat herder named Kaldi discovered coffee after noticing his goats wouldn’t sleep at night after eating berries from a certain bush.  From Ethiopia coffee spread to the Arabian Peninsula and then to the world, the rest is history. 

The point is that coffee is a natural part of the East African environment, where in Kenya and Ethiopia it is still grown under the shade of tall trees, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/04/shade-trees-coffee-plantations-effect-bird-biodiversity/">National Geographic</a>.  Mexican coffee is also said to have a high percentage of shade grown coffee.  Unfortunately, this still does little for those trapped in unending servitude that is slavery in everything but name.  

Even coffee with multiple certifications has no guarantee to exclude all forms of exploitation as with the farms raided by Brazil’s government.  The only sure way to know you as a consumer aren’t contributing to misery or destruction is to visit a farm itself or forego a cup of that magical black elixir that is so much a part of many people’s mornings.                                

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Em Faies

Coffee farms found using slave labor raise alarming regulation questions

Coffee is often associated with exotic places.  Names of roasts,...

It may be one of your first difficult parenting decisions, how or if you plan to sleep train your infant child. 

The process of sleep training is important, it’s argued, as it teaches your child to start sleeping through the night and staying asleep. But when it comes to how to sleep train or even if you should sleep train, many experts are divided. 

Should you comfort your child as soon as they start crying during sleep training, should you wait for two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes, should you allow co-sleeping, or should you just let your infant cry it out and learn to fall back asleep on their own? 

Emily Oster, an economics professor and mother of two, has raised a lot of controversy with her new book Cribsheet in which she suggests that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/starting-babies-solid-food/">babies sleep better</a> after being left to “cry it out.” during sleep training. 

Oster has since faced wave after wave of social media backlash for her book with some wondering why an economics expert has opted to weigh in on parenting. 

For two years, Oster reviewed and analyzed thousands of studies and academic papers that focused on sleep training and its benefits and risks. 

In Cribsheet, Oster says that these studies show that controlled crying doesn’t negatively impact infants, and babies actually sleep better and are happier after controlled crying sleep training. 

“In studies where parents were encouraged to use this technique, and others were not, they found - on average - after the sleep training, babies sleep better,” Oster told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7096251/Cribsheet-book-claims-babies-sleep-better-left-cry-out.html">Daily Mail</a>. “Many studies found parents reported their babies are happier after the sleep training than before.” 

Many are not unconvinced though, with other parenting book authors stating that controlled crying can do lasting psychological damage. 

“Being responded to is a need and the responses of a parent tend to mean a lot more to a person than attention from other sources,” Philippa Perry, bestselling author The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did), told the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/574de956-3fa0-11e9-9bee-efab61506f44">Financial Times</a>. “If parents habitually fail to respond to a child’s cries, there’s a danger of heading down to them a distorted pattern of how to form attachments and maintain relationships.”

Oster, however, has pushed back against these statements saying there is no evidence to support such claims. 

Ultimately, Cribsheet is not the tell-all answer to parenting, and no parenting book ever will be. 

“The focus of the book is not just providing people with an answer, but also going through the data and trying to help make it clear why I reached these particular conclusions,” said Oster. “Like many other things in the book, the goal is really to provide people with evidence so they can make the best choices for them.”

Besides sleep training, Cribsheet also deals with popular parenting topics like breastfeeding and vaccinations. 

Regardless of how parents plan to sleep train,  first and foremost new parents should be well versed in <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/safesleep/index.html">how to ensure their child sleeps safely</a>. This includes making sure babies sleep on their backs and that sleep areas are not obstructed with pads, blankets, or stuffed animals that could present suffocation hazards.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/LeManna

Controversial book claims it’s better to let babies cry themselves to sleep

It may be one of your first difficult parenting decisions,...

Genetics expert says DNA, not school quality, determines success. Professor Robert Plomin of <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King’s College London</a>, who is also a leading geneticist, has proposed a theory that academic success is pre-determined by a child's genes. He believes that spending money on private schools is a waste because he feels there is evidence that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/grit-academic-success/">children</a> will have the same grades regardless of the school they are enrolled in. 

While speaking to an audience at the Hay Festival, Professor Plomin suggested that nature plays a much bigger part in our lives than nurture.

"The reason why education is universal is literacy and numeracy are innate - children need to learn to read. We’re talking about what makes them different. So the issue is do differences in the quality of school make a difference in outcomes like GCSE scores or getting into universities?," said Professor Plomin.

"There’s a correlation there - kids who go to selective schools have a GCSE score that is one full grade higher than kids who go to comprehensive schools. That’s a correlation though and correlations don’t necessarily imply causation and in this case they don’t."Genetics expert says DNA, not school quality, determines success

"If you correct for what the schools selected on, there’s no difference in GCSE scores. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you select the very best kids academically, yes they go on and do well. But have you added value? The answer is no."

Professor Plomin continued on to say that if the only reason for sending a child to a private school is for achievement, then there is no point. On the other hand, he suggests that enrolling children in prestigious schools to make important connections and to gain credentials makes much more sense. "But achievement itself - they don’t add anything. Schools matter - kids have got to learn all this stuff. But do they make a difference? The answer is no."

Professor Plomin wrote a book entitled Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are, in which he goes into more detail about how genetic variations have a large impact on the psychological differences among humans. 

"Even though schools have little effect on individual differences in school achievement, some parents will still decide to pay huge amounts of money to send their children to private schools in order to give their children whatever slight advantage such schools provide," wrote Professor Plomin. "I hope it will help parents who cannot afford to pay for private schooling or move house to know that it doesn’t make much of a difference in children’s school achievement."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Genetics expert says DNA, not school quality, determines success

Genetics expert says DNA, not school quality, determines success. Professor...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">University of California San Francisco</a>, the consumption of red or white meat has the same effect on blood cholesterol levels. 

In addition, the researchers found that eating high levels of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/reduced-meat-consumption-2050/">red meat</a> or white poultry elevated blood cholesterol levels more than a comparable amount of plant proteins. This effect was the same regardless of the amount of saturated fat.

"When we planned this study, we expected red meat to have a more adverse effect on blood cholesterol levels than white meat, but we were surprised that this was not the case - their effects on cholesterol are identical when saturated fat levels are equivalent," said study senior author Dr. Ronald Krauss.

He noted that the meats examined in the study did not include fish, grass-fed beef, or processed products like bacon or sausage. Nonetheless, the results clearly indicated that restricting meat altogether is more effective for lowering blood cholesterol levels than previously thought. According to the research, plant proteins are the healthiest for blood cholesterol.

The study, which was named the Animal and Plant Protein and Cardiovascular Health (APPROACH) trial, also revealed that the consumption of large amounts of saturated fat increased concentrations of large cholesterol-enriched LDL particles. These lipoproteins are not as strongly associated with cardiovascular disease as smaller LDL particles.

In a similar fashion, red and white meat increased amounts of large LDL in comparison to diets which excluded meat. For this reason, standard LDL cholesterol tests may misrepresent levels of larger LDL particles, overestimating the cardiovascular risk of higher meat and saturated fat intakes.

Dr. Krauss explained that non-meat proteins such as vegetables, dairy, and legumes produce the best cholesterol benefit.

"Our results indicate that current advice to restrict red meat and not white meat should not be based only on their effects on blood cholesterol," said Dr. Krauss. "Indeed, other effects of red meat consumption could contribute to heart disease, and these effects should be explored in more detail in an effort to improve health."

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit Shutterstock/Ryzhkov Photography

Red and white meats have an equally negative effect on cholesterol

According to a new study from the University of California...

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

Smartphone app guides migraine sufferers through relaxation therapy

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

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

Early humans were making stone tools over 2.5 million years ago

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

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

Water filters and efficient stoves reduced illness in Rwandan children

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

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

Personalized meditation app boosts memory, attention in young adults

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

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

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

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

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

Recent instances of elephant injuries illustrate harms of tourism industry

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

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

Sleep deprivation increases the risk of reckless sexual behavior among teens

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

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;



---



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

[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 



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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



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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



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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



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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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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



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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



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Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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