Young,Female,Tourist,In,Friendly,Contact,With,Cow,Met,In

City dwellers in the Netherlands have a curious way of clearing their heads. Rather than see a psychologist or seek therapy through other means, they hop on a train, ramble into the green lowlands, and hug a cow.



The practice, known as “koeknuffelen,” sounds quirky until you try it; within minutes most visitors feel their shoulders drop and their pulse slow.



Scientists have long suspected that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-some-cats-make-excellent-therapy-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">animal-assisted therapy</a> works in part because soft noses, steady heartbeats, and wordless company nudge our nervous system toward calm. 



Until now, almost every formal study has focused on dogs, cats, or the occasional rabbit. Cows, though, linger on the fringes - huge, sweet, and largely untested.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cuddling-cows-as-therapy">Cuddling cows as therapy</h2>



Two researchers - Dr. Katherine Compitus of <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York University</a> and Dr. Sonya Bierbower of the United States Military Academy at <a href="https://www.westpoint.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">West Point</a> - set out to change that. 



Their paper, “Cow Cuddling: Cognitive Considerations in Bovine-Assisted Therapy,” appears in the journal Human-Animal Interactions and may tip the field toward larger pasture-mates. 



Conducted at <a href="https://www.shsanctuary.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Surrey Hills Sanctuary</a> in New York State, the pilot project paired 11 volunteers, ages 13 to 79, with two mellow steers named Magnus and Callum.



The work used the 24-item <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312371308_HAIS_The_Human-Animal_Interaction_Scale_Manual" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human-Animal Interaction Scale</a>, a survey that captures how often people stroke, lean on, or otherwise connect with an animal and records the animal’s own moves in return. Each session lasted 45 minutes to prevent fatigue on either side of the fence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-cows-and-people-respond">How cows and people respond</h2>



Magnus and Callum greeted their guests with slow sniffs, accepted hay pellets from open palms, and even settled onto the grass for a shared lounge. 



When interested, they licked sleeves - a bovine version of social grooming - and, when finished, they simply rose and wandered off. Unfriendly gestures were scarce. 



One teenager admitted she had expected headbutts but, instead, “fell in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grass-scarcity-alters-cow-feed-and-dairy-products/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">love with cows</a>” before the session ended.



The steers’ preferences turned out to be surprisingly specific. 



“We have discovered in the current study that bovine-assisted therapy may not only be an effective treatment model that benefits human participants but appears to be enriching to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-makes-dairy-cows-produce-less-milk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cattle participants</a> as well, as shown by their proximity to and continuous interactions with humans,” Dr. Compitus said. 



The data also revealed a gender twist: the animals spent more time beside women than men, and the women, in turn, reported stronger feelings of attachment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-calm-signals-from-cow-therapy">Measuring calm signals from cow therapy</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-a-pill-stop-cows-from-burping-methane/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stress in cattle</a> shows up as loud calls, quick tail flicks, or rigid backs. None spiked during these cuddle sessions. Instead, the animals’ easy breathing and willingness to lie down suggested comfort. 



“Two of the gaps in the research we address in this study are the inclusion of cattle in AAT and an examination of the cognitive processes of animals involved in AAT,” Dr. Bierbower noted. 



For a field that often views animals as passive tools, tracking the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmers-want-to-talk-to-their-cows-so-ai-is-helping-them-interpret-moos-and-burps/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cow’s point of view</a> marks an important shift.



Therapists already use dogs to ease anxiety during dental visits and miniature horses to coax speech from children on the autism spectrum. Cattle bring a different scale. 



A mature steer may top 1,500 pounds, yet these gentle giants lower their heads for scratches much like a Labrador does. That contrast - immense size, peaceful manner - can amplify the sense of safety that therapy animals provide.



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



Touch triggers a release of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oxytocin-holds-the-keys-to-both-your-heart-and-your-memory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxytocin</a>, sometimes called the “bonding hormone,” in both humans and many mammals. The hormone slows heart rate, reduces cortisol, and boosts feelings of trust. 



While a purring cat can spark that reaction, leaning against a broad cow magnifies the tactile cue: more surface area, deeper vibrations, and a steadier baseline heart rhythm.



Researchers in earlier dog-based trials found that even brief petting lowers blood pressure. The current cattle study hints the same benefit may hold when the animal outweighs the participant by a ton. 



Because <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cattle-gallstones-insanely-valuable-are-the-new-must-have-item-in-global-smuggling-rings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cows live in herds</a> and often groom one another, they may already possess social wiring that lets them extend calm to another species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-all-of-this-mean">What does all of this mean?</h2>



Dr. Compitus reaffirmed that the therapy appeared enriching for the steers, citing their close proximity and continuous interactions with humans. 



Yet she also cautioned, “It is unclear without further testing whether the animals sought out the attention of women in general or if the women were more likely to initiate the actions when compared to the men participants.”



Future work will need larger herds, more diverse volunteers, and perhaps heart-rate monitors on both sides of the cuddle. It will also need to check whether cattle enjoy the work long-term or simply tolerate it for snacks. 



Ethical guidelines already require therapy dogs to rest between client visits; similar safeguards for bovine partners will be crucial.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-cow-cuddle-therapy">What's next for cow cuddle therapy?</h2>



Animal-assisted therapy grew from a fringe idea in the 1960s to a mainstream adjunct in hospitals and schools today. 



Adding cows may seem like a pastoral gimmick, yet the early numbers suggest genuine promise. Eleven participants is small, but every study starts somewhere, and Magnus and Callum appear to have opened the gate.



As Dr. Bierbower and Dr. Compitus refine their protocols, mental-health clinics might soon book time at local farms, giving stressed-out teens and weary adults a chance to swap city noise for the slow beat of a cud-chewing companion. 



If larger trials confirm the soothing power of a 1,500-pound hug, the phrase “therapy animal” could soon conjure more than wagging tails - it might also bring to mind a soft-eyed steer waiting beneath an open sky.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/hai.2024.0016" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human-Animal Interactions</a>.



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Cows who are 'cuddled' as therapy animals strongly prefer women over men

City dwellers in the Netherlands have a curious way of clearing their heads. Rather than see a psychologist or seek therapy through other means, they hop on a train, ramble into the green lowlands, and hug a cow. The practice, known as “koeknuffelen,” sounds quirky until you try it; within minutes most visitors feel their shoulders drop and their pulse slow. Scientists have long suspected that animal-assisted therapy works in part because soft noses, steady heartbeats, and wordless company nudge our nervous system toward calm. Until now,...

Researchers at Finland’s <a href="https://www.utu.fi/en">University of Turku</a> have found that grandchildren’s survival is greatly increased by a grandmother’s involvement in their childhood — but only if grandmothers are healthy. 

Doctoral Candidate Simon Chapman, Postdoctoral Researchers Jenni Pettay and Mirkka Lahdenperä, and Academy of Finland Professor Virpi Lummaa from Turku’s Department of Biology used historic Finnish parish records to investigate the “Grandmother Hypothesis,” which proposes that the long post-reproductive lifespan in human women has evolved so grandmothers can provide help to their grandchildren.

Human women’s ability to survive for so long after menopause separates us from other primates, and yet we still don’t know much about the limits to extended longevity throughout our evolutionary past. However, this study — the first of its kind and published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a> — wanted to explore if grandmothering children had something to do with human women’s extended post-reproductive life.

The team investigated how the presence of grandmothers at different ages and of different health statuses affected the lives of their grandchildren born between 1731 and 1890, a period in history where <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/low-income-countries-children/">child mortality</a> rates were at a high.

They found that the presence of maternal grandmothers increased the survival of toddlers (aged 2 to 5) by almost 30%, thus proving that women’s prolonged longevity can be favored by natural selection. However, children living with a paternal grandmother over the age of 75 had a 37% lower probability of surviving to their second birthday.

"We were a little surprised when we found that old and/or weak paternal grandmothers were actually detrimental to grandchild survival,” Chapman said. “Though we cannot say for sure what the mechanism might be, we suspect this to be the outcome of some kind of competition from living under the same roof, as the parents may have needed to split their limited resources between their dependent children and the dependent grandmother.”

The study’s findings show that post-reproductive lifespan could have evolved due to the benefits of having a maternal grandmother in the house. However, dwindling health (without appropriate medicine) limits the effects of even longer lifespans.

"In that context, our finding that grandmothers in poor health were associated with higher infant mortality in the same household stresses the importance of healthy ageing and discovering ways to prolong healthy lifespan alongside the increasing total lifespan in the modern world," Chapman explained.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Kids benefit from grandmother involvement, until a certain point

Researchers at Finland’s University of Turku have found that grandchildren’s...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/house-mouse-human-life/">Vikings</a> have a reputation of having been bloodthirsty explorers who took to the high seas in search of countries to invade. Rarely do we see Viking warriors in movies and television without layers of fur and iron armor, because it’s also been long assumed that Vikings originated from a cold and forbidding Norse climate. 

Separating fact from fiction when it comes to the legendary Vikings is challenging, especially when you start to delve in records of Viking conquests. 

However, a new study has found that Viking settlements in Greenland were likely much warmer than previously realized and perhaps the familiar picture of the fur-clad Viking is inaccurate. 


Researchers from <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> reconstructed 3,000 years of southern Greenland’s past climate in the first study of its kind to investigate climate conditions in Greenland when the Vikings settled there between 985 and 1450.

The results, published in the journal Geology, show that the Vikings settled in Greenland when temperatures were comparatively mild to the years before and after. Summers at that time would have seen temperatures of around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

“People have speculated that the Norse settled in Greenland during an unusually, fortuitously warm period, but there weren't any detailed local temperature reconstructions that fully confirmed that. And some recent work suggested that the opposite was true,” said Yarrow Axford, the senior author of the study. “So this has been a bit of a climate mystery.”

Axford, along with Everett Lasher, a Ph.D. candidate, analyzed lake sediment cores from Southern Greenland to determine past climate conditions over 3,000 years. 

Sediment cores consist of layers of sediment and organic material and analyzing the layers can tell researchers what the climate was like and what kind of wildlife thrived in those conditions. 

The researchers found preserved chironomids, a species of lake fly, trapped in the layers of sediments. Oxygen isotopes in the exoskeletons of the flies helped the researchers gain a fuller understanding of climate in the region. 

“The oxygen isotopes we measure from the chironomids record past lake water isotopes in which the bugs grew, and that lake water comes from precipitation falling over the lake,” said Lasher, the first author of the paper. “The oxygen isotopes in precipitation are partly controlled by temperature, so we examined the change in oxygen isotopes through time to infer how temperature might have changed.” 

After analyzing the sediment samples and chironomids, the researchers found that, contrary to popular belief, the Vikings settled in Greenland during a brief warm period. 

Towards the end of the warm period, temperature fluctuations became so varied that record highs and lows may have driven the Vikings to abandon their settlements. 

Warmer ocean currents in the area may be the reason for the warming trend, but the researchers can’t say for sure what drove the climate to warm as it did. 

The team notes that looking to the past and understanding climate fluctuations thousands of years ago could help with future climate projections for Greenland. 

“Unlike warming over the past century, which is global, Medieval warmth was localized,” said Axford. “We wanted to investigate what was happening in southern Greenland at that time because it's a climatically complex part of the world where counterintuitive things can happen.”
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: G. Everett Lasher/Northwestern University

Vikings may have settled in a surprisingly warmer Greenland

Vikings have a reputation of having been bloodthirsty explorers who...

Global suicide mortality rate has dropped by one third since 1990. A new study has found that the number of deaths from suicide has risen by 6.7 percent worldwide between 1990 and 2016. But after adjusting for age group population growth, global mortality rates due to suicide have actually decreased by 33 percent in the same time frame.  

Around 800,000 deaths from suicide are reported every year, and suicide prevention is a global effort. The <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) hopes to reduce global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/suicide-twice-common-homicide/">suicide mortality</a> by one-third by 2030.

To achieve this goal and inform public prevention policies, it’s important to fully understand the different risk factors and be able to identify the regions and populations that would benefit most from prevention efforts. Global suicide mortality rate has dropped by one third since 1990

With this in mind, an international team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington </a>conducted a study to calculate suicide rates over time.

The study was published in the journal The BMJ, and the results illustrate how complex and varied suicide risk factors are across different countries and groups.

For the study, the researchers reviewed and analyzed data from the <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)32154-2/fulltext">2016 Global Burden of Disease</a> and identified patterns of mortality and years of life lost on a global scale.

The researchers then broke those patterns down and focused on regional patterns and examined suicide mortality rates based on age, sex, and income. Over a period of 27 years, the Global Burden of Disease data showed an increase in the number of deaths from suicide to 817,000 in 2016.

After the researchers adjusted for age, though, overall global mortality rate decreased.

On average, men were more at risk than women, but this differed in lower-income countries.

By region, the researchers found that suicide was a leading cause of years of life lost in high-income countries in the Asia Pacific region. 

Suicide mortality was also one of the top ten leading causes of death in eastern Europe, central Europe and high-income areas in North America.

What the research shows is that suicide remains prevalent worldwide, but some positive decreases are happening in mortality rates and years of life lost compared to previous years.

The study authors emphasize that it’s too soon to identify the cause for these declines as the research was observational and not without its limitations. More research is needed to understand how to best prevent suicide at the regional level and to see what prevention methods are proving successful.

If you are in crisis call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 which provides free and confidential support 24/7. You can also visit the <a href="https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/">National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website</a> for resources to help.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global suicide mortality rate has dropped by one third since 1990

Global suicide mortality rate has dropped by one third since...

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” may be an old adage, but research has consistently proven that a healthy diet with plenty of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruit-and-veggie-prescriptions-found-to-improve-childrens-diets/">fruits and vegetables</a> has a strong influence on physical health. Not only can eating better help with weight loss and metabolism, but a balanced diet is also essential for healthy bones, digestive health, and cognition. 

Lately, research is showing that fruits and vegetables can also improve mental health and well-being, but limited results make these associations difficult to prove. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> conducted a large longitudinal study to help add to the growing evidence that fruits and veggies really do impact mental health. The new research was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953618306907">Social Science and Medicine.</a>

The researchers analyzed data from the <a href="https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk/">UK Household Longitudinal Survey</a> from 2010 through 2017 which included dietary and mental health information on 50,000 individuals who took part in the survey. 

Three questions from the survey involved fruit and vegetable consumption and the researchers were able to calculate how many portions of fruits and vegetables each person ate in a day,  

The researchers also reviewed survey responses to the General Health Questionnaire which is often used to help screen for different psychiatric disorders. 

The results showed a direct relationship between mental well-being and fruit and vegetable consumption. 

Adding just an extra portion of fruit or greens had the same positive impact on mental well-being as walking for an extra ten minutes a day for four weeks. 

The researchers found that going from a healthy, balanced diet to eating fewer portions of fruit and vegetables adversely impacted mental health and increased emotional distress. 

Despite these positive benefits and the well-known impacts of eating healthy, only 1 in 10 Americans meet national fruit and vegetable recommendations, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1116-fruit-vegetable-consumption.html">Centers for Disease Control</a>.  

More studies are needed to help shed insight on why exactly fruits and vegetables help improve mental well-being, but the research shows a clear link between the two. 

“Our findings provide further evidence that persuading people to consume more fruit and vegetables may not only benefit their physical health in the long run, but also their mental well-being in the short run,” the researchers wrote in their study.  

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fruit and vegetables shown to improve mental health and well-being

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” may be...

It started with President Donald Trump, who ordered the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to maximize water for the farmers of the San Joaquin Valley as drought and climate change continue to plague the arid western United States.  Evidence shows that fish in the estuary of the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta are in decline. Despite this, Trump’s plan proposes to pump water from the delta southward. The plan is largely supported by agri-business that would potentially profit from more water.  Those opposed to the Trump plan include commercial fishermen that would suffer as well as environmentalists and those concerned with water quality near the delta itself. 

As for now, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is part of an ecosystem supporting a diversity of species despite the human impact of water usage.  The <a href="https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-fish-and-wildlife">Water Education Foundation</a> reports that the delta is home to more than 55 fish species as well as more than 750 wildlife and plant species.  Four separate runs of Chinook Salmon spawn in the San Joaquin River, identified by the different times of year they cross under the Golden Gate Bridge.  The Winter-run Chinook Salmon are an endangered species and the spring-run Chinook are a threatened species. In addition to the native species, there are over 200 introduced species living in the area.  Invasive species include fish that were introduced for fishing.

Competition from exotic species along with contaminants, water usage and overfishing have led to a decline of native wildlife in the delta.  Studies from 2002 and 2004 have shown a decline in pelagic species and especially a decline in juvenile striped bass and Delta smelt. The Delta smelt is a small, three inch long fish found only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta.  The smelt is naturally vulnerable, besides living in such a small area, it has a lifespan of only one year and has a limited diet. Overall the decline of the delta due to human causes has led to 100 wildlife species, 140 plant species and 13 fish to be protected in one way or another by state or federal regulation.            

<a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/08/editorial-block-trump-plan-to-pump-delta-water-south-to-the-central-valley/">The Mercury News</a> reports that the California state government is trying to block the Trump administration’s plan to allocate less water to the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Currently, as little as 20% of the San Joaquin River reaches the ocean, making it one of the most overused rivers in California.  Preliminary proposals by California’s State Water Resources Board would raise the amount of water reaching the sea to 45-65%. More detailed water usage plans are to follow. 

Trump won support of the California farmers he would now supply with water, saying on the campaign trail, “It’s is ridiculous where they’re taking the water and shoving it out to sea.”

Now it appears President Trump is trying to fulfill promises by promoting a maximum water delivery plan.  Unfortunately for the president, the state of California has very different ideas on how to allocate water.          

<a href="https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article214437104.html">The Sacramento Bee</a> reported last year on a new plan for water allocation in California.  California’s State Water Resources Control Board boldly proposed allocating less water for humans and agriculture and more for fish.  The board cited the decline of several fish species and the possibility of a looming environmental catastrophe as justification for the plan.  Not only does allowing more water to flow to the sea support wildlife and communities in the delta region, it also allows more water to refill the ground water, including aquifers that are being used for agriculture.  

The plans by the board are also in conflict with plans by California’s former governor Jerry Brown, who proposed new pipes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to move water south.  Under Jerry Brown’s plan, water flow of the San Joaquin to the sea would increase to 30%-50% of its natural state. 

For an idea of the impact of less or more water flow into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, it’s helpful to look at salmon numbers of salmon caught that were hatched during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/california-drought-winners-losers/">historic drought conditions</a>.  <a href="https://fishbio.com/field-notes/the-fish-report/value-california-salmon">Fish Bio</a> reports that salmon and the profits made from fishing them declined from 2013 to 2015. The profit from commercial salmon fishing in 2013 was $244 million in economic impact and $104.5 economic impact from recreational fishing.  Those numbers dropped to $88.4 million economic impact for commercial fishing and $33 million for recreational fishing in 2015. The fish being caught in 2015 were hatched during drought conditions. The other side of the issue is farmers who feel more water would help them succeed.  

According to the <a href="https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/californias-water-water-for-farms-november-2018.pdf">Public Policy Institute of California</a>, agriculture in California produced $50 billion in sales in 2017.  California farmers also use 40% of available water, while cities use only 10% of the state’s water, and the rest is categorized as ‘environmental’.  Farmers have steadily shifted to crops that create more profits and jobs per share of water, the financial value of farming more than doubling since the 1960s when adjusted for inflation.  Still, other businesses in California have grown, overshadowing agriculture which now is only about 2% of California’s economy. The main issue is still that everyone needs water and every industry is dependent on agriculture to feed workers at very least.

Efficiency in water delivery systems has improved, with water being more often delivered with drip and micro irrigation systems than the previous flood systems.  Unfortunately the new systems also leave no water to seep back in and recharge ground water, leading to an overall drop in ground water levels. Farmers are also growing more crops like nuts, fruits and vegetables as opposed to grains, which create more income per acre allowing them to drill deeper wells, further decreasing the ground water levels.  Unfortunately these new crops are also thirstier and less drought resistant than previous crops. Nitrates from farm runoff have also started to damage the quality of groundwater. 

California’s State Water Resources Board argues that agriculture and conservation can co-exist.  With the decline of quality water throughout California and the western US as a whole, it becomes obvious that extreme efforts at efficiency and good planning on the part of all parties is necessary.  We stand at a crossroads and the quality of life for humans and non-humans alike in the western US is at stake.

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Conservation vs agriculture: The battle over water in California

It started with President Donald Trump, who ordered the Bureau...

A new survey from the <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/">Pew Research Center</a> has revealed a powerful connection between religion and happiness. Based on data from the United States and more than two dozen other countries, the researchers found that adults who are actively involved in church are happier and more civically engaged than adults who are religiously unaffiliated or inactive. 

The researchers set out to determine whether <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/religion-shaped-environment-views/">religion</a> had a positive or negative impact on eight different indicators of individual well-being, including two measures of civic engagement, self-reported levels of happiness, and five measures of individual health.

Religious participation was broken down into three categories: actively religious, inactively religious, and religiously unaffiliated.

In the United States, 36 percent of actively religious adults described themselves as being “very happy,” compared to just 25 percent of both inactive and unaffiliated individuals. In Australia, 45 percent of adults who were active participants in church reported being very happy, compared to only 33 percent of unaffiliated adults.


The researchers noted that “there is no country in which the data show that actives are significantly less happy than others (though in many countries, there is not much of a difference between the actives and everyone else).”

Although the study showed that religiously active individuals typically smoke and drink less, this group was not found to be significantly healthier in terms of obesity or physical activity. The findings add to a growing collection of studies which suggest religious participation has a positive effect on overall life satisfaction. 

While religious activity seems to be connected with higher levels of happiness, the underlying cause or connection remains unclear. Previous research suggests that the social connections that come along with attending church may contribute to happiness. Another theory is that religious activity is associated with greater well-being simply because happier, healthier individuals are more inclined to join religious groups. 

The full report from the Pew Research Center can be found <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/2019/01/31/religions-relationship-to-happiness-civic-engagement-and-health-around-the-world/">here</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New research suggests that religious people are happier than others

A new survey from the Pew Research Center has revealed...

A team of neuroscientists at <a href="https://www.med.emory.edu/">Emory University School of Medicine</a> has found a focal pathway in the brain that makes people feel calm and happy when it is electrically stimulated. According to the experts, the technique is a “potentially transformative” way to keep patients relaxed during awake brain surgery.

The researchers determined that direct electrical stimulation of the cingulum bundle, a prominent white matter tract in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/space-changes-brain/">brain</a>, caused immediate laughter followed by a sense of calm and happiness. After this behavior was observed in an epilepsy patient who was being monitored for seizures, the stimulation was strategically used again to keep the patient relaxed during brain surgery.

“Even well-prepared patients may panic during awake surgery, which can be dangerous,” said study lead author Dr. Kelly Bijanki. “This particular patient was especially prone to it because of moderate baseline anxiety. And upon waking from global anesthesia, she did indeed begin to panic.” 

“When we turned on her cingulum stimulation, she immediately reported feeling happy and relaxed, told jokes about her family, and was able to tolerate the awake procedure successfully.”


The cingulum bundle is located under the cortex and curves around the midbrain, with a shape resembling a girdle or a belt. Study senior author Dr. Jon Willie explained that this region was a logical target because it connects many brain regions that coordinate complex emotional responses. The experts noted that the area which regulated laughter and relaxation is located at the top and front of the cingulum bundle.

"The patient described the experience as pleasant and relaxing and completely unlike any component of her typical seizure or aura,” wrote the researchers. “She reported an involuntary urge to laugh that began at the onset of stimulation and evolved into a pleasant, relaxed feeling over the course of a few seconds of stimulation.”

While further research is needed, Dr. Bijanki said that the cingulum bundle could ultimately become a new target for brain stimulation therapies to address anxiety, mood, and pain disorders.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jci.org/">Journal of Clinical Investigation</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Brain stimulation could help patients feel calm during surgery

A team of neuroscientists at Emory University School of Medicine...

Being kinder to yourself could help alleviate stress and make you feel safe, relaxed, and more connected, according to new research. 

Self-care, self-compassion, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-treat-anxiety/">mindfulness</a> are gaining the attention of the medical community as potential methods to help improve mental health and wellbeing. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> and the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> conducted a new study to examine the physical and psychological impacts of self-compassion and cultivating a kinder inner dialogue. 

The research was published in the journal Clinical Psychological Science. 

135 students from Exeter took part in the study, and the researchers split the students into five groups. 

Each of the groups was given an 11-minute recording meant to cultivate self-compassion or create a critical inner voice. 

The researchers recorded the heart rates and sweat responses of the participants, and each student was asked about how they felt and how connected they felt to others. 

Two of the groups were given recordings that helped guide self-compassion, and the members of these groups said they felt more connected and compassionate towards themselves. The researchers also noticed that students from these two groups had lower heart rates and sweat responses. 

The groups that listened to critical recordings meant to induce positive feelings of competitiveness and self-improvement had higher heart rates. All the groups reported higher levels of self-compassion, but only the groups given the self-compassion recordings had lowered stress responses. 

Self-kindness also resulted in increased heart-rate variability which is a strong indicator of heart health. 

“These findings suggest that being kind to oneself switches off the threat response and puts the body in a state of safety and relaxation that is important for regeneration and healing,” said Hans Kirschner, the first author of the study. 

Past research has shown that when the body’s threat response is turned on, it can damage the immune system and increase the risk of disease. 

The researchers only assessed the effects of self-compassion on healthy students and next plan to see if self-compassion exercises can help people with recurrent depression. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Self-compassion shown to have physical and mental benefits

Being kinder to yourself could help alleviate stress and make...

2018 was the fourth hottest year on record behind 2016, 2017 and 2015, according to two new independent reports by the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration</a> (NASA) and the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA.).

According to researchers from <a href="https://www.giss.nasa.gov/">NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies</a>, the past five years were collectively the warmest years in modern recorded history. 

“The five warmest years have, in fact, been the last five years,” Gavin A. Schmidt, director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/02/06/climate/fourth-hottest-year.html">New York Times</a>. “We’re no longer talking about a situation where global warming is something in the future. It’s here. It’s now.”

For the report, the researchers analyzed temperature data from 6,300 weather stations, buoys, and Antarctic research stations. Next, they used an algorithm to calculate global averages.

Typically, NASA and the NOAA would have released their annual climate and temperature reports earlier, but the government shutdown delayed publication. 

The new report shows that overall <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warmer-winter/">global temperatures are rising</a> and rising fast in direct correlation with increases in greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. 

In fact, the weather extremes experienced across the world including record lows in the midwestern United States and record highs in Australia, severe storms, retreating glaciers, record low sea ice coverage, and long-lasting droughts can all be attributed to climate change in some respect or another. 

The reality is climate change and global warming are here to stay, and in many respects, it’s too late to hold back the tide of rising sea levels. 

A drastic decrease in emissions, though, could help prevent catastrophic warming.  

“The impacts of long-term global warming are already being felt — in coastal flooding, heat waves, intense precipitation, and ecosystem change,” Schmidt said in a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/2018-fourth-warmest-year-in-continued-warming-trend-according-to-nasa-noaa">NASA release</a>. 

The global surface temperature has risen by around two degrees Fahrenheit since the 1880s, and the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change </a>recently released a report stating that a rise of 1.5 degrees would result in disaster. 
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

2018 was officially the fourth hottest year on record

2018 was the fourth hottest year on record behind 2016,...

By the year 2100, severity of weather will be greater due to melting ice sheets off Greenland and Antarctica. 

A new study, published February 6th in <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, simulates the effects of this extreme melting on ocean and air temperatures and weather circulation patterns under our current climate policies.

“Under current global government policies, we are heading towards 3 or 4 degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels, causing a significant amount of melt water from the Greenland and Antarctic Ice Sheets to enter Earth's oceans,” said Associate Professor Nick Golledge from <a href="https://www.victoria.ac.nz/antarctic">Victoria University of Wellington's Antarctic Research Centre</a> in New Zealand. “According to our models, this melt water will cause significant disruptions to ocean currents and change levels of warming around the world.”

Professor Golledge and an international team of researchers were able to better predict the future of climate change using detailed simulations of the melting paired with satellite observations of recent ice sheet changes. 

Professor Natalya Gomez, from the <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/eps/">Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at McGill University</a>, modelled projected changes in water levels around the world as the ice sheets continue to melt. She predicts that the fastest water level rise will happen between 2065 and 2075.

"Water levels would not simply rise like a bathtub," said Professor Gomez. "Some areas in the world, such as the island nations in the Pacific, would experience a large rise in sea level, while close to the ice sheets the sea level would actually fall."

However, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/arctic-ice-rising-sea-levels/">sea level changes</a> are not the only outcome of the melting ice sheets. As warmer melt water enters into the ocean, major currents like the Gulf Stream will weaken. This will lead to warmer air in the Arctic, Eastern Canada, and Central America, and warmer temperatures in Northwestern Europe.

“Sea level rise from ice sheet melt is already happening and has been accelerating in recent years. Our new experiments show that this will continue to some extent even if Earth's climate is stabilized. But they also show that if we drastically reduce emissions, we can limit future impacts," Golledge explained.

The study shows that current climate change policies put in place by the Paris Agreement must be altered to prepare for the future ahead.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Natalya Gomez, McGill University

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Melting ice sheets could prompt “climate chaos” within this century

By the year 2100, severity of weather will be greater...

The midwestern United States can’t catch a break. 

After the polar vortex brought record-breaking lows, temperatures so cold that thousands in the Twin Cities Metro area <a href="https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/01/29/xcel-thousands-in-twin-cities-without-power-during-dangerous-cold-snap/">lost power</a> on one of the coldest nights of the year, the Midwest is now contending with freezing rain, snow storms, and ice-covered roads making for a treacherous commute. 

Despite the freezing temperatures and wintery weather, the numbers shows that it’s actually been a warmer than usual winter. January is expected to end up as a “near normal” month for the land of 10,000 lakes. 

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the globe, the polar vortex drove temperatures in Australia to record highs. On January 18th, Australia had its hottest night in recorded history, and during the month, thousands of people in Sydney lost power due to the sweltering heat wave. 

The heat is so bad that roads are melting, millions of dead fish are washing up on river banks, bats are dying off, and fruit is being cooked on the vine, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/18/australia/australia-heat-wave-peak-intl/index.html">CNN</a>. 

New South Wales broke 14 heat records in January, and from January 12th to the 17th, Australia experienced the ten hottest days on record, as reported by the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/">Bureau of Meteorology</a>. Bushfires in Tasmania are also posing a major threat. 

Even though temperatures dipped well below zero for the Midwest, there were far more highs than lows across the United States. 

An <a href="https://grist.org/article/despite-the-u-s-cold-snap-january-was-hot-hot-hot/">article</a> by Eric Holthaus, published as part of the collaborative journalism project, <a href="https://www.climatedesk.org/">Climate Desk</a>, explains that there were 651 recorded daily highs in January in the US and 321 recorded lows. 

On a global scale, that ratio was 20 highs to 1 low, and record-breaking highs were reported in Namibia, Chile, and Reunion Island. 

“To put it bluntly, events like this can’t happen in a normal climate,” Holthaus wrote. “The harsh truth is we are not only losing the weather of the past, but there’s no hope of it stabilizing any time soon.” 

We have now passed the point of no return and a dangerous feedback loop years in the making will continue to drive up temperatures and sea level rise even if CO2 emissions are drastically reduced. 

Greenhouse gasses are building up in the atmosphere and the oceans causing temperatures to rise, glaciers to melt, and sea ice to reach all-time lows in the Arctic and Antarctic. A warmer ocean increases the risk of coral bleaching and mass coral bleaching events are becoming increasingly common. 

In the Arctic, retreating glaciers has revealed mossy vegetation that had spent the last <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-reveals-moss-covered/">40,000 years covered in ice</a>. 

Even with stark warnings recently issued by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2030-limit-climate-change-warming/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a>, there is a very real possibility that the true extent of climate change’s impact has been underreported and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/economic-impact-climate-change/#">underestimated</a>. 

The longer we ignore these hard truths, the harder it will be to limit catastrophic warming in future years. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Even amidst the polar vortex, it’s been a warmer than usual winter

The midwestern United States can’t catch a break. After the...

The vast majority of humans on this planet <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/meat-consumption-climate-change-2/">consume meat</a> in one form or another, and it’s no secret that our omnivorous ways can have a negative impact on the environment. 

Now, a new study published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1755263x">Conservation Letters</a> has found that at least 200 species of large animals (known as megafauna) are decreasing in number. Over 150 of these species are under threat of extinction due in part to our meat consumption habits. 

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> College of Forestry took part in an international collaboration that built a list of megafauna based on body size and taxonomy. The animals studied were considered unusually large in comparison to other species within their class. 

Analysis of these species’ populations found that 70 percent were in decline. Also, almost 60 percent were threatened with disappearing all together.

“Direct harvest for human consumption of meat or body parts is the biggest danger to nearly all of the large species with threat data available,” says William Ripple, distinguished professor of ecology in the College of Forestry at OSU. 

“Thus, minimizing the direct killing of these vertebrate animals is an important conservation tactic that might save many of these iconic species as well as all of the contributions they make to their ecosystems.”

As hunting and fishing strategies have become more coordinated and refined in the last few centuries, our proficiency in killing wildlife has only increased. As a result, 2 percent of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vanishing-giants-study-reveals-shocking-decline-of-large-mammals-in-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">megafauna</a> species are now extinct. “Our results suggest we’re in the process of eating megafauna to extinction,” Ripple says. 

“Through the consumption of various body parts, users of Asian traditional medicine also exert heavy tolls on the largest species. In the future, 70 percent will experience further population declines and 60 percent of the species could become extinct or very rare.”

Besides the intentional harvesting of megafauna species, many become accidentally caught in traps, snares, trawls, and nets – a consequence of our more efficient hunting methods. 

“And there's also habitat degradation to contend with,” Ripple explains. “When taken together, these threats can have major negative cumulative effects on vertebrate species.”

Preserving many of these species will likely be challenging as the human population continues to grow, creating more mouths to feed. 

“There will be economic arguments against it, as well as cultural and social obstacles,” says Ripple. “But if we don’t consider, critique and adjust our behaviors, our heightened abilities as hunters may lead us to consume much of the last of the Earth's megafauna.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Our meat-eating is pushing Earth’s largest animals towards extinction

The vast majority of humans on this planet consume meat...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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