The unfairness of discrimination is obvious,&nbsp;but did you know it could also rob you of years of healthy life?&nbsp;A new study shows that experiencing prejudice can cause premature <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/syncing-brain-muscle-circadian-rhythms-slows-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aging</a>, increasing your risk of serious diseases and shortening your lifespan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discrimination-what-it-is-and-how-it-causes-aging">Discrimination: What it is and how it causes aging</h2>



We often hear about major discrimination – big,&nbsp;shocking events like being denied a job because of your race or being harassed due to your gender identity.&nbsp;But the study by <a href="https://publichealth.nyu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NYU's School of Global Public Health</a> found that everyday slights ("microaggressions"),&nbsp;along with workplace bias,&nbsp;were also damaging.&nbsp;This includes:



<ul>
<li>Being treated with less respect than others:&nbsp;This could mean being ignored in meetings,&nbsp;having your ideas dismissed,&nbsp;or facing condescending comments laced with stereotypes.&nbsp;This constant undermining chips away at your confidence and sense of belonging.</li>



<li>Being unfairly passed over for opportunities:&nbsp;Imagine consistently being overlooked for promotions,&nbsp;training,&nbsp;or high-profile projects despite your qualifications.&nbsp;This not only limits your career growth but sends a crushing message that your contributions aren't valued.</li>



<li>Feeling threatened or harassed due to your identity (race,&nbsp;gender,&nbsp;sexual orientation,&nbsp;etc.):&nbsp;Even if the harassment isn't overt physical violence,&nbsp;it can take the form of offensive jokes,&nbsp;invasive questions,&nbsp;or exclusion from social groups.&nbsp;These experiences create a hostile environment where you feel unsafe and unwelcome,&nbsp;impacting your mental and physical health.</li>
</ul>



These seemingly subtle acts might be dismissed by some as "not a big deal" or told to "just get over it".&nbsp;However,&nbsp;this study highlights the very real harm caused by this kind of persistent disrespect.&nbsp;The cumulative effect over time contributes to the stress that drives premature aging.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-premature-aging-discrimination-s-hidden-cost">Premature aging: Discrimination's hidden cost</h2>



The NYU study looked at over 2,000 adults and found a clear link:&nbsp;people who experienced more discrimination had signs of accelerated aging at the molecular level.



“Experiencing discrimination appears to hasten the process of aging,&nbsp;which may be contributing to disease and early mortality and fueling health disparities,” said Adolfo Cuevas,&nbsp;lead author of the study.



This doesn't mean you'll instantly get wrinkles, but it puts you at higher risk for age-related diseases like heart problems, depression, and more. It's a heavy burden to carry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stress-from-discrimination-and-aging-connection">Stress from discrimination and aging connection</h2>



Our bodies are amazingly resilient,&nbsp;but they're not designed for constant stress.&nbsp;When we face threats (real or perceived),our bodies go into "fight-or-flight" mode.&nbsp;This ancient survival mechanism prepares us to handle danger by:



<ul>
<li>Increasing heart rate and blood pressure:&nbsp;This gets more oxygen to muscles for quick action.</li>



<li>Dumping stored energy:&nbsp;Sugars are released into the bloodstream for immediate fuel.</li>



<li>Suppressing 'non-essential' functions:&nbsp;Digestion and the immune system temporarily slow down.</li>
</ul>



This release of hormones like cortisol was originally designed for short bursts to escape a predator or fight off an attacker. But in modern life,&nbsp;our bodies can't always tell the difference between a looming deadline and real physical danger.



This chronic stress leads to something called "biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aging-may-be-driven-by-genetic-imbalances/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aging</a>," where our bodies start to function like they're older than our actual age.&nbsp;Here's how:



<ul>
<li>Cellular damage:&nbsp;Cortisol and other stress hormones can damage cells and hinder DNA repair.</li>



<li>Inflammation:&nbsp;Constant 'fight-or-flight' mode triggers low-grade inflammation throughout the body,&nbsp;linked to many chronic diseases.</li>



<li>Weakened immune system:&nbsp;Stress takes a toll on our ability to fight off infections and diseases.</li>
</ul>



Discrimination is a powerful stressor because it hits our core need for safety,&nbsp;belonging,&nbsp;and respect.&nbsp;This constant strain eats away at our health on a cellular level,&nbsp;making us biologically 'older' than our years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-race-matters">Race matters</h2>



The study revealed a troubling trend:&nbsp;Black participants reported experiencing more discrimination and exhibited signs of faster biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-aging-discovered-in-plant-leaves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aging</a> compared to White participants.&nbsp;This highlights the persistent social inequalities that lead to a greater burden of discrimination for Black Americans.



However,&nbsp;the study also found a seemingly contradictory result.&nbsp;White participants who did experience discrimination showed a potentially stronger negative impact on their biological aging.&nbsp;Researchers hypothesize a few reasons for this.



Black participants might have faced more frequent and low-level ("microaggressions") discrimination throughout their lives. This constant drip of stress may have a cumulative effect, leading to a higher overall level of biological aging. 



In contrast, White participants who experienced discrimination may have had fewer encounters, making it a more acute stressor with a potentially more intense impact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-facing-prejudice">Facing prejudice</h2>



Living in a society where you face regular prejudice might lead some people to develop coping mechanisms to manage the stress. 



Black Americans may have had more experience navigating these situations, while White participants who rarely experience discrimination might lack established coping strategies.



Additionally, studies suggest that strong social support networks can buffer the negative effects of stress.&nbsp;Black communities often have a rich tradition of social support,&nbsp;which might help to mitigate the impact of discrimination on biological aging.



It's important to note that these are potential explanations, and further research is needed to fully understand the complex reasons behind this disparity. 



"These findings underscore the importance of addressing all forms of discrimination to support healthy aging and promote health equity,” noted Cuevas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fighting-back-change-starts-with-us">Fighting back: Change starts with us</h2>



This research is sobering, but it's also empowering. Here's what we can do:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenge-our-own-biases">Challenge our own biases</h3>



We all have biases that can influence our thoughts and actions. Take time to reflect on unconscious prejudices and work to unlearn them. Educate yourself on different perspectives and engage in conversations that promote understanding and empathy.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speak-up">Speak up</h3>



When you witness discrimination, safely call it out. Be an ally by supporting those affected and advocating for inclusive behavior. It's crucial not to remain silent or passive when someone is being mistreated.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-support-anti-discrimination-efforts">Support anti-discrimination efforts</h3>



Contribute your time or resources to organizations that combat discrimination and fight for equality. Volunteering or donating to these groups helps amplify their impact and furthers the cause.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-manage-stress">Manage stress</h3>



While discrimination can be a significant source of stress, it's important to address other stressors that are within our control. Find and practice healthy coping techniques like exercise, meditation, or talking to friends to reduce overall stress levels.



Imagine a world where everyone is treated with respect,&nbsp;regardless of how they look or who they love.&nbsp;It's not just a moral issue – this study suggests it's a matter of life and death.&nbsp;By working together,&nbsp;we can create a society where everyone has a chance to live a long and healthy life.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354624000528?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brain Behavior &amp; Immunity - Health</a>.



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Discrimination speeds up aging at the molecular level

The unfairness of discrimination is obvious,&nbsp;but did you know it could also rob you of years of healthy life?&nbsp;A new study shows that experiencing prejudice can cause premature aging, increasing your risk of serious diseases and shortening your lifespan. Discrimination: What it is and how it causes aging We often hear about major discrimination – big,&nbsp;shocking events like being denied a job because of your race or being harassed due to your gender identity.&nbsp;But the study by NYU's School of Global Public Health found that everyday slights...

A group mentality may have helped humans to evolve. A recent analysis published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a> has found that showing favoritism toward a member of one's own social group may not be the result of learned behavior, but instead may happen simply out of instinct. While this favoritism may ultimately lead to stereotyping or discrimination, it may have originally facilitated human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/evolutionary-changes-bipolar-disorder/">evolution</a>.

Yarrow Dunham is an assistant professor of Psychology at <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> and the author of the review.

“Researchers have found that you can randomly assign someone to a group, and even if they theoretically have no vested interest in that group, they will have persistent favoritism for it, an ingroup bias, across a range of different measures,” said Durham.A group mentality may have helped humans to evolve 

“Many theories attempt to explain inter-group dynamics by capturing the complexity of each group, but I argue that they can be explained with the simpler concept of mere membership, of us-and-them.”


To investigate, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/group-mentality-human-evolution/">Dunham</a> analyzed previous studies that described the neural basis for distinguishing ingroup from outgroup, the ways social groupings affect the friend preferences of preschoolers, and methods for social and self-categorization. 

Dunham found an ingroup bias where people not only tended to like other group members more, but were also more generous among their own group, more easily forgave team members, and more easily cooperated within their group.

Conflicts across different social classes, religions, and even our favorite sports teams share the dynamics of us and them.

According to Dunham, the us-and-them phenomenon can explain most of the observations we have about inter-group dynamics, and the things it fails to explain should become the primary focus of social <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=psychology&amp;cvid=50ecf8af42f34f1db89e7b0890621d1f&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">psychology</a> research.

“Our strong adaptations for group living have made humans so successful as a species over thousands of years; groups give us other people to cooperate with, trust, and learn from,” said Professor Dunham. 

“On one hand, this ingroup bias has made us a deeply cultural, quick-to-learn species of flexible learners. But as soon as more than one group interacts, we see tendencies toward bias in the form of prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes, and this is particularly true in more modern societies in which we're just interacting with all kinds of different people all the time.”

While Dunham's research investigates the roots of ingroup biases in order to identify strategies to help combat the associated prejudices, this type of favoritism may still be helping humans develop as a species. 

“From an evolutionary perspective, I'm not sure ingroup bias is something we would actually want to overcome because it constitutes so much of how we learn as a cultural, social species,” said Professor Dunham.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/home">Trends in Cognitive Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A group mentality may have helped humans to evolve

A group mentality may have helped humans to evolve. A...

A new study has found a potential cause of migraines that could explain why women are affected more often than men. The research may ultimately lead to personalized treatments for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-treats-migraines-better/">migraine</a> sufferers.

The investigation revealed that sex hormones have an influence on cells around the trigeminal nerve and the blood vessels that are connected to it. High levels of estrogen, in particular, were found to make these cells more susceptible to triggers for migraine headaches.

Antonio Ferrer-Montiel is a professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the <a href="http://www.umh.es/?lang=EN">University Miguel Hernández</a> in Spain.

“We can observe significant differences in our experimental migraine model between males and females and are trying to understand the molecular correlates responsible for these differences,” said Professor Ferrer-Montiel.

“Although this is a complex process, we believe that modulation of the trigeminovascular system by sex hormones plays an important role that has not been properly addressed.”

To identify the role of specific hormones, the research team analyzed decades of research on sex hormones, migraine sensitivity, and cell responses to migraine triggers. Some hormones like testosterone seemed to protect against migraines, while others like prolactin appeared to make migraines worse. 

The hormones make the cells either more or less vulnerable to migraine triggers by affecting the ion channels, which regulate the sensitivity of the cells.

Further research is needed to determine the role of some hormones, but changes in estrogen levels stood out as playing a big role in making cells more sensitive to the onset of a migraine attack.


Professor Ferrer-Montiel emphasized that this research is only preliminary. The study authors also pointed out the need for studies which focus on the relationship between menstrual hormones and migraines.

The team will continue their own investigation using preclinical, human-based models. Professor Ferrer-Montiel said, “If successful, we will contribute to better personalized medicine for migraine therapy.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-biosciences">Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why women tend to get more migraines than men do

A new study has found a potential cause of migraines...

Teamwork is important for problem-solving, and in today's world of constantly being <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smartphone-addiction-social-connection/">plugged in and connected</a>, people are able to share, collaborate, and tackle problems 24/7. 

At first, this might seem like the most efficient way to get things done. But a new study conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.hbs.edu/Pages/default.aspx">Harvard Business School</a> found the exact opposite to be true. 

The researchers found that constant connection brings about the least creative solutions and doesn’t foster any real communication or learning opportunities.

Instead, the researchers recommend “intermittent” collaboration, working alone for a good chunk of your time and coming together on occasion to get the best results. 

The results were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

For the study, a trio of Harvard Business researchers asked participants split into groups of three to complete a complex problem-solving task. 

Some of the group members were constantly interacting to mirror today's “always on” access to technology. The other members either interacted occasionally or never interacted with each other. 

The researchers had several hypotheses about what would happen with the group members. 

It was assumed that the group members that worked alone and never interacted with each other would come up with the fewest variations of solutions but would produce the most creative possibilities. 

With the group members that were constantly interacting, the researchers guessed that the groups would produce higher average quality but mediocre solutions. 

Both of these scenarios turned out to be true, but the researchers found that the group members who occasionally interacted had the best of both worlds. The group members were able to take advantage of each other's skills and input but not to such an extent that it became routine for certain members to carry others. The intermittent interaction also allowed for finding creative and high-quality solutions similar to the group members who were always alone. 

The researchers say that several things can be learned from these study results and that businesses looking for optimal problem-solving methods should take a step back from the “always-on” mindset that new technological advancements are enforcing. 

Rather business should allow team members to work together occasionally, as it was often done in the past, and then return to their own jobs. 

“As we replace those sorts of intermittent cycles with always-on technologies, we might be diminishing our capacity to solve problems well,” said Ethan Bernstein, a leader of the study. 

The results also explain why businesses like <a href="https://www.ideo.com/">IDEO</a>, which is known for its excellence in creativity and brainstorming, is so successful because intermittent problem-solving collaborations are part of the business model. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Staying plugged in to work colleagues leads to less efficiency

Teamwork is important for problem-solving, and in today's world of...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> have investigated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gender-bias-lawyers-courtroom/">gender attitudes</a> across 47 countries to compare the different levels of support for equal rights. The experts found that support for women's rights has spread across the globe since the movement of the 1960s, but it is still not distributed evenly.

Professor Xiaoling Shu and graduate students Bowen Zhu and Kelsey Meagher used machine learning to analyze data involving more than 70, 000 people from the <a href="http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/">World Values Survey</a>.

The researchers compared individual variables that affect gender attitudes such income, education, and religion. They also examined three country-level influences including economic development, women's economic independence, and workforce participation.

Overall, the highest amount of support for equal rights was found in countries where the largest numbers of women participate in the workforce.

The team identified three distinct transitions in gender attitudes, which were associated with national characteristics.


Across the social democratic countries of Finland, Sweden, and Norway that are characterized by high economic development, there were high rates of women's labor force participation and high levels of women's economic independence. These factors promote highly egalitarian views toward both women's rights and dual mother-worker roles.


Liberal and conservative Western countries such as the United States, Germany, and New Zealand are characterized by economic wealth, modest rates of women's labor force participation, fewer women as chief breadwinners, and inadequate maternity provisions. This combination promotes women's equality, but also projects gender-based expectations of intensive mothering onto women.


Former socialist states such as Russia, China, and Romania - which are characterized by far less economic development - foster an ideology that upholds male supremacy.

“Although economic development has liberalized attitudes toward gender equality, it has not led to growing support for women's dual roles as mothers and workers, largely due to the policies of liberal and conservative welfare states which are based on a male breadwinner model and provide little institutional support for working women,” wrote the study authors.

"On the other hand, despite high levels of women as primary wage earners and strong maternity provision in former socialist countries, women's paid employment has not routinely led to beliefs about their equal rights and status with men.”


The study will be presented at the 113th <a href="http://www.asanet.org/">American Sociology Association</a> Annual Meeting.

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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

Support for gender equality has spread, but not evenly

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have investigated gender...

When researchers model and estimate ancient climate conditions, they do so using sediment and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-cores-show-how-abruptly-climate-shifts-affect-earth/">ice cores</a> because each layer in the core sample can reveal important isotopic information about temperature, weather extremes, biomass, and precipitation when the layer was formed. 

But a new study has proven that we can discern climate and precipitation information by analyzing excavated bones and pots from ancient human settlements.

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> studied pots and bones excavated from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic city settlement of Çatalhöyük in southern Anatolia, Turkey which existed from approximately 7500 BC to 5700 BC.

A well-documented climate change event occurred 8,200 years ago at the peak of the settlement’s existent, and the researchers used archeological remains to see how the ancient Neolithic people adapted. 

The settlement dealt with severe drought-like conditions due to a sudden decrease in global temperatures because a massive amount of glacial meltwater was released from a freshwater lake in northern Canada. 

The researchers discovered that during this time, sheep and goats were more popular for herders rather cattle because they are more drought resistant and the cut marks on the ancient bones found at the site showed that meat was a major food source during the drought. 

In the cooking pots, the researchers also analyzed cooking fats that lined the pots which clearly came from the sheep, goats and whatever ruminant (cud-chewing) animals could be spared for food. 

The results of the study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,  show that animal fat remnants in pottery can be used to assess climate and precipitation conditions of ancient human settlements. 

The bones and fats show that meat was readily consumed because the drought would have hindered agricultural operations. 

Changes in the isotopic information in the hydrogen atoms found in the fats reflect a period of major climate change according to the study researchers. 

“It is really significant that the climate models of the event are in complete agreement with the H signals we see in the animal fats preserved in the pots,” said Richard Evershed, a co-author of the study. “The models point to seasonal changes farmers would have had to adapt to - overall colder temperatures and drier summers - which would have had inevitable impacts on agriculture.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvadette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Çatalhöyük Research Project

How did ancient humans cope with climate change?

When researchers model and estimate ancient climate conditions, they do...

The total solar eclipse of 2017 was so popular that towns in the path of totality were booked solid months in advance to the event. Campgrounds were full, hotels had no vacancies, and people flocked to buy solar eclipse safe viewing glasses from stores and online. 

People who weren’t lucky enough to view it in person tuned in to one of the many live broadcasting streams of the eclipse, and a new survey found that 216 million American adults viewed the eclipse. 

To put that number in perspective, only <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-bowl-lii-tv-ratings/">104 million Americans</a> watched the 2018 Super Bowl. 

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/importance-solar-eclipses-history/">solar eclipse</a> didn’t just bring people out of the woodwork to watch the moon come directly between the Earth and Sun, but researchers from the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan (U-M)</a> found that it also garnered a flurry of interest, engagement with science, conservation and research about the event. 

Jon Miller, director of the <a href="https://isr.umich.edu/">International Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy at U-M's Institute for Social Research</a>, along with the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration,</a> leads a series of yearly surveys to gauge public scientific literacy. 

Miller and his team conduct a survey at both the beginning and end of the year to see how people seek out scientific information. 

Given the rare opportunity the 2017 solar eclipse provided in capturing people’s attention, the researchers administered a third survey in the weeks following the August eclipse. 

The results of the eclipse survey showed that 88 percent of American adults watched the event, and people sought out information around 16 times three months following the total eclipse. 

Before and after the eclipse people were more motivated to find information as well as talk to friends and family about the event. Miller and his team found that on average survey respondents reported having at least eight eclipse-related conversations. 

"What we found was that there was a substantial amount of people going online, going to libraries, talking to their friends, trying to figure out what was going to happen with the eclipse before and after the event," said Jon Miller, "To a large extent, scholars have watched what people do before a scientific event, but not what they do after. The event can be a stimulus that causes people to look for more information."

People who traveled to be in the path of totality or to get a better view of the eclipse reported engaging in more information-seeking activities than those who just watched at home. 

Of the millions of Americans who did watch the eclipse, 62 million tuned into a live or recorded broadcast of the eclipse online or on TV. 

“This level of public interest and information seeking about a science-oriented event is unparalleled,” said Miller said. “It suggests that groups and organizations interested in fostering increased adult interest in science should think about post-event programming to provide resources and a forum for these discussions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

2017 solar eclipse was watched by a record number of Americans

The total solar eclipse of 2017 was so popular that...

A study published by the <a href="https://www.sfn.org/">Society for Neuroscience</a> has confirmed the theory that communication between adults and children can have a considerable influence on early brain development. Among young children who engaged in regular conversation with adults, the researchers found stronger connectivity in brain regions that are critical for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-lessons-language-skills/">language</a>.

In 1995, a highly influential study revealed that children from higher-income families are exposed to about 30 million more words compared to children from lower-income families. The finding of this “word gap” suggested that early language exposure may have an impact on brain structure.

Earlier this year, a team of cognitive scientists at the <a href="http://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) demonstrated that brain physiology and language skills among four to six-year-olds were more heavily influenced by conversation with adults than by the so-called word gap. 

Harvard and MIT graduate student Rachel Romeo was the lead author of the study, which was published in the online edition of <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/home/pss">Psychological Science</a>.

“The important thing is not just to talk to your child, but to talk with your child. It’s not just about dumping language into your child’s brain, but to actually carry on a conversation with them,” said Romeo.

For the current study, Romeo’s team used neuroimaging to examine the brain structure of 40 children between the ages of four and six, who had diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. 

Based on conversations recorded between the children and their parents at home, the experts found that greater conversational turn-taking was linked to stronger connectivity between two brain regions that are critical for language comprehension and speech production - the Wernicke's area and the Broca's area.

The research indicates that talking with children from an early age could enhance their language skills, regardless of parental income or education.

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/">Journal of Neuroscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Conversations with kids help them develop better language skills

A study published by the Society for Neuroscience has confirmed...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.sfn.org/">Society for Neuroscience</a> describes what happens in the brain that allows people to feel overly and unrealistically optimistic. The researchers have found that the motivation to cling to a positive outlook results from interactions between several regions across the brain's prefrontal cortex.

A research team led by Bojana Kuzmanovic of the <a href="https://www.sf.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research</a> has been studying unrealistic optimism, which they believe should be regarded as part of the expression of a person's beliefs. The experts wanted to explore how this belief system could be changed by new life experiences or by the introduction of conflicting evidence.

Using neuroimaging techniques, the researchers have identified circuits in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-responsible-depression/">brain</a> that facilitate the process that we use to update our beliefs.

For their investigation, the experts asked participants to estimate the likelihood that they themselves or their peers would experience an adverse life event, such as finding out they had cancer. Next, the individuals were presented with actual statistics, and were instructed to reevaluate their personal risk based on the new evidence.

The study revealed that, when participants had initially overestimated the risk of experiencing an adverse event, the difference between the two estimates was much greater. According to the experts, this demonstrates optimism bias, a perception that causes people to believe they are at less risk of negative events compared to others. 

The analysis of the corresponding brain activity and its underlying circuitry showed that this phenomenon depends on the influence of the brain's valuation system on the reasoning process.

The brain circuit identified in the study involves the dorsolateral, ventromedial, and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, which the researchers have concluded work together to support a preferred conclusion by distorting new information as it is introduced.

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/">Journal of Neuroscience</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

The brain biases our beliefs when we’re overly optimistic

A new study published by the Society for Neuroscience describes what...

Cats and dogs can provide a crucial source of comfort for many pet owners, but a new study revealed even more benefits of having animals at home. 

A recent survey found that having a cat or dog can increase happiness and that people with pets tend to be healthier and more successful. 

Dog owners are more likely to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-walking-older-adults-active/">engage in exercise</a> on cold or rainy days because they know their dog needs a walk, and so pet owners are often more physically active, especially among elderly citizens. 

The survey showed that pet owners also get a little more exercise from doing simple housework and pet cleanup. 

For the survey, retirement home builder company <a href="https://www.mccarthyandstone.co.uk/">McCarthy &amp; Stone</a> commissioned researchers to conduct a study on the benefits of pet ownership across the UK.

The researchers surveyed 1,000 dog and cat owners in the UK and after analyzing the survey responses discovered several positive trends associated with pet ownership. 

Aligning with previous research, the survey showed that pet owners were twice as active as people without pets, exercising around five times per week. 

Pet ownership also coincided with a higher likelihood of being married, having children, and higher levels of job satisfaction. 

The researchers also noticed that pet owners in the UK earned higher incomes, around $5,200 more per year.  

Having a pet also countered <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/app-loneliness-older-people/">loneliness and isolation</a>, something that many older people report as they go through their golden years. 

Pet owners were more likely to talk to their pet and this had a very beneficial impact. 16 percent of the survey respondents said that they wouldn't talk to anyone during the day if they didn’t have a pet.

“The psychological and emotional benefits of pet ownership are well-known among mental health professionals,” said psychologist Corinne Sweet. “Having a close bond with a domestic animal can boost “feel food” biochemicals such as endorphins and oxytocin; which can make owners feel more relaxed, calmer and happier at home.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Michael Hardy

People who have pets tend to be happier, healthier, and wealthier

Cats and dogs can provide a crucial source of comfort...

Our addiction to our phones has been linked to several problematic negative health trends and has been found to impact <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/addiction-smartphones-imbalances-brain/">brain function</a> and increase feelings of unhappiness. 

Now, a new study has found that blue light emitted from smartphones, laptops and tablets damages the eyes and increases the risk of macular degeneration. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.utoledo.edu/">University of Toledo</a> in Ohio conducted a study examining how blue light is absorbed and processed by the eye. 

Our eyes contain a kind of vitamin A called retinal which converts light into signals that the brain can then process. 

The eye is well prepared to combat UV light, as UV rays from the sun are reflected off of the eye. But blue light is absorbed by the eye and this can trigger cell death which can eventually lead to macular degeneration.

“The human eye reflects UV light (such as from the sun) very well but it allows blue light to enter and the retinal can absorb blue light very well,” Ajith Karunarathne, the lead author of the study, told <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6044469/Cellphones-blue-light-DOES-affect-vision-wearing-retina-time.html">Daily Mail Online.</a>

Macular degeneration occurs when part of the retina of the eye is damaged. Over time, blurred vision and blind spots can lead to blindness because of this damage. 

Millions suffer from macular degeneration in the United States, and as we continue to increase our exposure to blue light, millions more could cause irreversible damage to the retina. 

For the study, the researchers tested retinal cells that had absorbed blue light by injecting the cells into other cancer and heart cells. The blue light in the retina jumpstarts a reaction in the eye that converts oxygen into a molecule that attacks and kills photoreceptor cells in the eye. 

As the blue light cells interacted with other cells, the researchers noticed toxic molecule killed any cells it came in contact with. 

The cancer and heart cells were unaffected by exposure to just blue light alone and the vitamin A retinal alone. It was the absorbed blue light in the retinal that triggered cell death. 

While the researchers did find that a vitamin E molecule called alpha-tocopherol can prevent cell death in the eyes, the researchers say more study is needed to find out of the eye has other more effective protective measurements against blue light damage. 

For now, the researchers advise against using cell phones in the dark and wearing sunglasses outside to protect against UV rays and blue light. There are also blue light filters that you can download on your phone which will help reduce the amount of blue light absorbed by the eye. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Becca Tapert

Blue light from smartphones damages your eyes over time

Our addiction to our phones has been linked to several...

A new study from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> has found that young black males do not feel as safe in neighborhoods that are predominantly white. The research revealed that black youths felt fearful in areas with a larger population of white people compared to places where they normally spent the most time.

The research team equipped 506 young black males and females with smartphones to track their locations for a week in Columbus, Ohio. The participants reported on relevant topics, such as how safe they felt, five times per day.


Sociology Professor Christopher Browning is the lead author of the research, and also heads the Adolescent Health and Development in Context (AHDC) study. 

“It doesn't have to be a majority white neighborhood for African American boys to feel more threatened,” said Professor Browning. “It just has to be more white than what they typically encounter.”

While they were outside of their own neighborhoods, black teens in the study visited areas that had an average of 13 percent more white people. Unlike the male participants, the females did not report feeling significantly less safe in these regions.

According to Professor Browning, the results of the study are consistent with the theory that young black males expect increased scrutiny, surveillance, and even direct targeting when they are in white areas.

“We've seen a lot of stories in the media lately about the police being called on black people going about their business in white areas,” said Professor Browning. “This may help explain why black youth felt more threatened in parts of town where they were exposed to more white people.”

Professor Browning explained that most previous research on feelings of safety among black youths has been focused on the neighborhoods that they lived in. The findings of this analysis, however, suggest that this is not the best approach.


In the current study, the level of safety reported by the participants seemed to be dependent on how much the places they visited differed from the areas where they spent most of their time.

“Part of the experience for black kids is having to leave their home neighborhoods to go to places that might not be as welcoming,” said Professor Browning.

“They are typically going to places with amenities like restaurants and movie theaters that may not be available in their neighborhoods. And these places are probably going to be whiter than the places they live.”

The investigation was based on data from the AHDC, which provides insight into the lives of 1,405 youths living in 184 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-walkable-neighborhoods-healthier/">neighborhoods</a> across Franklin County, Ohio.

The research was presented by Professor Browning at the annual meeting of the <a href="http://www.asanet.org/">American Sociological Association</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Young black males feel less safe in whiter neighborhoods

A new study from Ohio State University has found that...

Scientists have analyzed the chemical composition of some of the tools used to construct the iconic stone sculptures of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clues-easter-island-mysteries/">Easter Island</a>, a remote region located 2,300 miles off the coast of Chile. The team found new evidence to suggest that the ancient society was much more sophisticated and cooperative than previously thought.

Study co-author Laure Dussubieux is a research scientist at the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a>.


“For a long time, people wondered about the culture behind these very important statues,” said Dussubieux. “This study shows how people were interacting, it's helping to revise the theory.”


Study lead author Dale Simpson, Jr. is an archaeologist from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a>.


“The idea of competition and collapse on Easter Island might be overstated,” said Simpson. “To me, the stone carving industry is solid evidence that there was cooperation among families and craft groups.”

The first settlers, known as the Rapa Nui people, arrived on Easter Island about 900 years ago. “The founding population, according to oral tradition, was two canoes led by the island's first chief, Hotu Matu’a,” said Simpson.

The population eventually grew into the thousands, and a complex society emerged that carved the island’s well-known statues, or the moai. These statues, which are also referred to as “Easter Island Heads,” were once figures with full bodies that became partially buried over the years. 

There are nearly 900 known figures, and the largest one is over 70 feet tall. Simpson explained that the size and number of the statues represent the complexity of the early society.

“Ancient Rapa Nui had chiefs, priests, and guilds of workers who fished, farmed, and made the moai,” said Simpson. “There was a certain level of sociopolitical organization that was needed to carve almost a thousand statues.”


To gain a better understanding the Rapa Nui society, the team analyzed about 20 of the 1,600 stone tools made of volcanic stone called basalt that had been recovered in excavations. Some of the tools, called toki, were fragments that gave some indication of how they were used.

“We wanted to figure out where the raw materials used to manufacture the artifacts came from,” explained Dussubieux. “We wanted to know if people were taking material from close to where they lived.”

There are at least three different basalt quarries that the Rapa Nui used for material to make their stone tools. The tools from these various sites, which cover twelve square meters, provide insight into the movement and collaboration among the people.


“The majority of the toki came from one quarry complex - once the people found the quarry they liked, they stayed with it,” said Simpson. “For everyone to be using one type of stone, I believe they had to collaborate. That's why they were so successful - they were working together.”


This level of cooperation contradicts the popular theory that Easter Island's inhabitants ran out of resources and were driven to extinction by heavy conflict. 

“There's so much mystery around Easter Island, because it's so isolated, but on the island, people were, and still are, interacting in huge amounts,” said Simpson. 

Even though the society was dominated by colonists and slavery, Rapa Nui culture has persisted. Simpson added, “There are thousands of Rapa Nui people alive today -the society isn't gone.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://pacificarchaeology.org/">Journal of Pacific Archaeology</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: Dale Simpson, Jr.

Ancient society of Easter Island may have been more sophisticated

Scientists have analyzed the chemical composition of some of the...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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...