When it comes to creativity, especially in brainstorming new and unusual uses for everyday objects, many people instinctively turn to Google. It's quick, easy, and feels helpful. But that habit might actually be holding group creativity back.



A recent study from researchers at <a href="https://www.cmu.edu/">Carnegie Mellon University</a> suggests that searching online before thinking for yourself may lead to more predictable - and less original - ideas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creativity-at-a-cost">Creativity at a cost</h2>



The team asked participants to think of novel uses for two common items: umbrellas and shields. Some participants were allowed to use Google during the brainstorming process. Others were asked not to use the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/internet-access-should-be-a-basic-human-right/">internet</a> at all.



On an individual level, both groups produced similarly creative ideas. But once grouped, a pattern emerged. Google users tended to echo the same ideas.



Study lead author Danny Oppenheimer is a professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Social and Decision Sciences.



“This appears to be due to the fact that Google users came up with the same common answers, often in the same order, as they relied on Google, while non-Google users came up with more distinct answers,” noted Professor Oppenheimer.



In other words, Google didn’t kill creativity entirely, but it did seem to homogenize it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-help-from-google-more-creativity">Less help from Google, more creativity</h2>



The objects chosen, umbrellas and shields, produced an unexpected split. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/online-search-results-often-match-users-biases/">Online searches</a> generated plenty of alternative uses for umbrellas, but for shields - not so much.



That led to an interesting twist: participants had a harder time brainstorming ideas for umbrellas, even though Google offered more help. Shields, with fewer online suggestions, actually inspired more creative responses.



Why? The researchers believe it’s a case of "fixation effects." When people see a possible solution too early - especially a familiar one - they tend to stick to that path and struggle to think differently.



“For example, a person trying to brainstorm ‘things you might spread’ who sees other people, or Google, give answers like ‘butter’ or ‘jam’ is more likely to come up with other foods, such as cream cheese, and less likely to come up with non-food-based answers, like disease or rumors,” said Oppenheimer.



“This study is the first evidence of fixation effects being induced by internet search."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-not-about-banning-the-internet">It's not about banning the internet</h2>



So, is the internet ruining our creativity? Not quite. "The internet isn’t making us dumb, but we may be using it in ways that aren’t helpful,” said Oppenheimer.



Instead of avoiding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-digital-technology-influence-our-sense-of-self/">technology</a> altogether, the researchers suggest we rethink how we use it. Taking time to think offline before jumping into a search engine might help avoid falling into the fixation trap.



Sttudy co-author Mark Patterson is an assistant teaching professor in Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Social and Decision Sciences.



“Many of us are sort of rethinking what our relationships with technology are like,” said Patterson.



“It feels like every week there’s some sort of mind-blowing, new advance, and I think one interpretation of our paper is a reminder about the important advantages that we have just as regular people trying to solve problems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-holding-on-to-our-individuality">Holding on to our individuality </h2>



Patterson emphasized the value of original thought - even if it feels a little old-school.



“Even though it sounds like the kind of messaging you might get from your preschool teacher. Like, ‘You’re you, and you’re different, and you’re unique.’ That messaging actually does matter,” said Patterson. 



“We want to hold on to our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/are-we-losing-our-uniqueness-people-have-less-desire-to-stand-out/">individuality</a> and our regular, un-tech-aided <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-humanity-can-work-together-to-solve-global-challenges/">humanity</a>, because it’s the thing that’s going to make us solve problems slightly differently than other people, and that can really be valuable.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smarter-prompts-smarter-thinking">Smarter prompts, smarter thinking</h2>



The team also points to the importance of how we use technology - not just whether we use it.



“Our hope is that by studying how human thought interacts with technology use, we can figure out ways to glean the best of the internet while minimizing the negative consequences,” Oppenheimer said.



This might mean using better prompt strategies or doing a round of solo brainstorming before opening a browser. The goal isn’t to stop using online tools. It’s to use them smarter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-google-doesn-t-always-harm-creativity">Google doesn't always harm creativity </h2>



For most daily searches - quick facts, simple tasks - fixation isn’t a big problem. But for larger, more complex problems that require group input and diverse thinking, it could be.



“For some of these bigger, tough, societal-level challenges that we’re facing, I think taking advantage of real diversity and a wide range of solutions requires groups to come up with a lot of different solution strategies,” said Patterson.



In other words, creativity still starts with the human mind. The internet can help - but only if we don’t let it do all the thinking for us.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13421-025-01732-x">Memory &amp; Cognition</a>.



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How Google searches can limit your creativity

When it comes to creativity, especially in brainstorming new and unusual uses for everyday objects, many people instinctively turn to Google. It's quick, easy, and feels helpful. But that habit might actually be holding group creativity back. A recent study from researchers at Carnegie Mellon University suggests that searching online before thinking for yourself may lead to more predictable - and less original - ideas. Creativity at a cost The team asked participants to think of novel uses for two common items: umbrellas and shields. Some participants...

A new study led by psychologists at <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a> is challenging the idea that listening to music enhances creativity. As individuals were tested for verbal creativity, the team found that exposure to background music “significantly impaired” their performance. 

The investigation was focused on people with verbal insight problems that are believed to tap creativity. While music was found to stifle their imagination, background library noise seemed to have no influence. 

The test involved word associations in which participants were shown three words and were asked to identify a common word that could be incorporated with the given words. For example, a common word for dress, dial, and flower would be sun, which can be used to forms the words sundress, sundial, and sunflower.

Study participants were assigned verbal tasks in separate experiments, which involved either a quiet environment, background music with foreign lyrics, instrumental music without lyrics, or music with familiar lyrics.

“We found strong evidence of impaired performance when playing background music in comparison to quiet background conditions,” said study co-author Dr. Neil McLatchie. The researchers said this may be because music disrupts verbal working memory.

The testing revealed that exposure to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/music-popular-sleep-aid/">music</a> with familiar lyrics negatively affected creativity regardless of whether the music was positive, was liked by the participants, or whether participants typically studied in the presence of music. 

The individuals performed as well on the verbal tasks during library noise conditions as they did in a quiet environment. The researchers explained that library noise provides a “steady state” that is not as disruptive.

“To conclude, the findings here challenge the popular view that music enhances creativity, and instead demonstrate that music, regardless of the presence of semantic content (no lyrics, familiar lyrics or unfamiliar lyrics), consistently disrupts creative performance in insight problem solving.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14640597">Applied Psychology: An International Review</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Background music found to significantly impair creativity

A new study led by psychologists at Lancaster University is...

A new law called “Max and Keira’s Law” may help to lower the number of people who die each year in the UK while waiting on an organ transplant. Instead of signing up as an organ donor on an online register, residents of England will give implied consent to donate their organs unless they opt-out. 

According to <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>, the system is already in place in Wales and has been proposed in Scotland. The new law in England was named for nine-year-old Keira Ball, who had four of her organs donated after a car accident. One of the recipients, nine-year-old Max Johnson, received a life-saving heart transplant. Each year in the UK, hundreds of patients die while waiting for a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/baby-uterus-transplant-deceased-donor/">transplant</a>.

Individuals who want to opt-out as organ donors will simply add their name to the NHS Organ Donor Register. Because of the trauma that is involved when people pass suddenly, the families will actually have the final say for those who do not opt-out as donors. 

Good candidates for organ donation are mostly young and healthy individuals that have been involved in a car accident. The patient usually has a traumatic head injury which has left them brain dead, but their heart is still beating and they are on life support. This allows the organs to remain in good enough condition to be donated. 

Claire Wilson explains in New Scientist that the new opt-out system will not completely resolve the shortage of organs needed for transplants, but there is hope that it may increase the number of families who give their consent for organ donation. In the time since Wales introduced its opt-out system in 2015, the consent rate has started to increase.

According to the <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/">National Health Service</a> (NHS) in England, more than 80 percent of adults in England say they would consider donating their organs, but only 37 percent are registered as donors on the NHS Organ Donor Register. The new law is expected to take effect in April of 2020.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Can an opt-out organ donation policy help save lives?

A new law called “Max and Keira’s Law” may help...

It’s a well-known fact that women generally live longer than men.

In America, women on average live to 81 while men live to age 76, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db328.htm">Centers for Disease Control</a>, but the trend is not just isolated to the United States or similar higher-income countries. 

Even though statistics prove that women tend to live longer than men, researchers are still working to explain why.

A recent feature in <a href="http://time.com/5538099/why-do-women-live-longer-than-men/?utm_source=emailshare&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=email-share-article&amp;utm_content=20190228">Time</a> reviewed some of the most prevalent theories of female versus male longevity. Studies into biology, hormones, and behavior show that the matter isn’t necessarily black and white but likely influenced by a range of biological and environmental factors. 

One of the significant influencing factors could be that men are more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviors. 

“Men are more likely to smoke, drink excessively and be overweight,” Dr. Perminder Sachdev, a professor of neuropsychiatry at the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a> in Australia, told Time. “They are also less likely to seek medical help early, and, if diagnosed with a disease, they are more likely to be non-adherent to treatment.”

Sachdev also said that men are more likely to die in car accidents. 

Elevated <a href="http://time.com/5538099/why-do-women-live-longer-than-men/?utm_source=emailshare&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=email-share-article&amp;utm_content=20190228">levels of testosterone</a> could be driving these risky tendencies, but research also indicates that testosterone levels inhibit the immune system from efficiently fighting diseases. 

One 2012 study conducted by Kyung-Jin Min, a professor of biological sciences at<a href="http://eng.inha.ac.kr/"> Inha University</a> in South Korea, found that Korean eunuchs who had been castrated as children lived 14 to 19 years longer than uncastrated men. 

While Min’s research provides strong evidence that high levels of testosterone block specific disease-fighting properties in the immune system, other research also shows that low testosterone increases the risk of heart disease. 

Estrogen, on the other hand, may help reduce disease risk and prevent cell damage in women, as one <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3863713/">2013 review found</a>. 

A <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/women-live-longer-men/">2018 study</a> conducted by researchers from<a href="https://www.duke.edu/"> Duke University</a> found that even in dire circumstances such as famine where mortality dropped overall, women still outlived men, even as newborns. 

Another potential explanation is the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/women-outlive-men-chromosome/">second X chromosome</a> present in all female mammals. The role of women as mothers who give birth and nurture offspring may also play a key role in female longevity. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

We know that women live longer than men. The question is: why?

It’s a well-known fact that women generally live longer than...

Despite lacking scientific evidence or sometimes even common sense, certain conspiracy theories continue to persist. Some of the more popular ones include the ideas that the Earth is flat, bigfoot lives, lizard people control the government, the moon landing was faked.

While these theories continue to be debunked and debated, studies into the psychology and motives that drive belief in conspiracy theories have yielded many interesting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/creationism-conspiracy-theories-thinking/">examinations of human nature</a>. 

Belief in conspiracy theories has been linked to prejudice, political disengagement, and little interest in environmental conservation. 

Now, new research has found that people who believe in conspiracy theories are also more likely to commit low-level crimes like claiming a lost item that doesn't belong to them. 

Two studies conducted by psychologists from the <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/">University of Kent</a> and <a href="http://www.staffs.ac.uk/">Staffordshire University</a> examined how belief in conspiracy theories influenced anti-social and unethical behavior. 

The research was published in the British Journal of Social Psychology

For the first study, 253 participants were asked about their stance on conspiracy theories like the British government hiding important national security matters from the public. Next, the participants were asked about how acceptable certain petty crimes and unethical activities were. 

The individuals that held a strong belief in conspiracy theories were more accepting of common petty crimes. 

With the second study, 120 people (not involved in the first study) were split into two groups. One group was given an article about a conspiracy theory to read. 

Both groups were asked about their opinions on petty, low-level crimes but the group that read about the conspiracy theory before answering the questions showed stronger tendencies toward committing a future crime. 

Exposure to a conspiracy theory increased feelings of anomie or a detachment from the usual ethical and social standards of society the researchers found. 

“Our research has shown for the first time the role that conspiracy theories can play in determining an individual's attitude to everyday crime,” said Karen Douglas, an author of the study. “It demonstrates that people subscribing to the view that others have conspired might be more inclined toward unethical actions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Conspiracy theory believers are more likely to commit small crimes

Despite lacking scientific evidence or sometimes even common sense, certain...

Researchers from <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/education">New York University’s School of Medicine</a> have discovered the brain circuit that could be responsible for the ability to have high-speed, back-and-forth conversation. By studying the male Alston singing mouse, from the cloud forests of Costa Rica, researchers have launched a new model to examine the brain’s mechanisms that allow behind the sub-second precision of vocal turn-taking.

“Our work directly demonstrates that a brain region called the motor cortex is needed for both these mice and for humans to vocally interact," said senior author Michael Long, PhD, an associate professor of neuroscience at NYU School of Medicine."We need to understand how our brains generate verbal replies instantly using nearly a hundred muscles if we are to design new treatments for the many Americans for whom this process has failed, often because of diseases such as autism or traumatic events, like stroke.”

The study, published March 1st in <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>, shows that circuits in the motor cortex of the brain enable the fast starts and stops of conversation while other areas of the brain tell muscles to create vocal notes.

"By segregating sound production and control circuits, evolution has equipped the brains of singing mice with the tight vocal control also seen in cricket exchanges, bird duets, and possibly, human discussion," said co-first author Arkarup Banerjee, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Long's lab.

Banerjee explained that, before their study, there were no suitable mammalian models to help them explore conversation besides the marmoset, a primate whose back-and-forth conversation is much slower than human speech. However, once the team realized that the singing mice “bend and break” their songs to fit a changing social situation, researchers were able to pinpoint the relationships between <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/depth-sleep-brain-flush-toxins/">brain</a> centers and song musculature during a mouse-to-mouse sing-song conversation.

Furthermore, researchers found that the orofacial motor cortex (OMC), located at the front and side of the motor cortex, regulated song timing. Knowing this, they were then able to slow the OMC via a safe method called “focal cooling” to observe functional separation between the brain between sound generation and timing functions.

The team will continue to use their mouse model to deeper explore speech circuits in human brains in an effort to better understand what happens when things go wrong due to disease and trauma.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NYU School of Medicine

Singing mice reveal how the brain clicks into conversation

Researchers from New York University’s School of Medicine have discovered...

A recent <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>, has found that climate change and overfishing has shrunk many of the world’s fisheries. Researchers have found that ocean warming has caused an average 4.1% decline in sustainable catches for both fish and shellfish between 1930 and 2010. In five specific locations, including the East China Sea and North Sea, the average drop was between 15% and 35%.

These drop percentages are concerning as seafood has become a huge source of nourishment for the growing global population. And more than 56 million people work in the fisheries industry or subsist on fisheries, the researchers note.

"We recommend that fisheries managers eliminate overfishing, rebuild fisheries and account for climate change in fisheries management decisions," said study leader <a href="https://marine.rutgers.edu/~cfree/">Chris Free</a>, a postdoctoral scientist at the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California, Santa Barbara</a>. "Policymakers can prepare for regional disparities in fish catches by establishing trade agreements and partnerships to share seafood between winning and losing regions."

"We were stunned to find that fisheries around the world have already responded to ocean warming," said co-author <a href="https://marine.rutgers.edu/main/malin-pinsky">Malin Pinsky</a>, an associate professor in <a href="http://deenr.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers' Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources</a>. "These aren't hypothetical changes sometime in the future."

Although some ocean species have benefitted from warming ocean temperatures, these species can only take so much warming before they start to decline in numbers due to too high of temperatures, senior author <a href="https://marine.rutgers.edu/~ojensen/index.html">Olaf Jensen</a>, an associate professor in <a href="https://marine.rutgers.edu/main/">Rutgers' Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences</a>, said.

Scientists from <a href="https://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers-New Brunswick</a> and the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> studied the impact of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-summer-weather-severe/">climate change</a> and ocean warming on 235 populations of 124 species in 38 global ecological regions. They then used ocean temperature maps to combine fishery data and estimate temperature-caused changes in the sustainable catch between 1930 and 2010. Losses were seen in areas like the Sea of Japan, North Sea, Iberian Coastal, Kuroshio Current, and Celtic-Biscay Shelf. Gains were recorded in the Labrador-Newfoundland, Baltic Sea, Indian Ocean, and Northeast U.S. Shelf.

Furthermore, the researchers note that overfishing makes species in fisheries more vulnerable to ocean warming, and continued warming will negatively impact efforts to rebuilt overfished areas.

The next step is for researchers to better understand the impact of tropical ocean warming as well as explore other factors related to the drop of sustainable catches in fisheries like ocean temperatures, ocean oxygen content, acidity, and productivity.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Orion Weldon

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Climate change has already shrunk many global fisheries

A recent Rutgers University study, published in the journal Science, has...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-parents-sleep-deprivation/">Sleep deprivation</a> and untreated sleep disorders greatly increase the risk for serious metabolic issues such as heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Trying to make up for lost sleep over the weekend doesn’t work A team of researchers has determined that sleeping more on the weekends cannot compensate for a chronic lack of sleep. 

“The key take-home message from this study is that ad libitum weekend recovery or catch-up sleep does not appear to be an effective countermeasure strategy to reverse sleep loss induced disruptions of metabolism,” said study co-lead author Kenneth Wright of the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a>.

The researchers set out to investigate how a weekend of recovery sleep may influence an individual's metabolic health. The study was focused on healthy young adults, who were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first group got plenty of sleep each night for 9 nights, while the second group got just 5 hours of sleep each night for 9 nights. The third group of participants slept 5 hours for 5 nights, slept as much as they wanted over the weekend, and then returned to 2 more days of restricted sleep. Trying to make up for lost sleep over the weekend doesn’t work

In the sleep-restricted groups, insufficient sleep led to an increase in snacking after dinner and weight gain. During weekend recovery in the third group, study participants consumed fewer extra calories after dinner compared to those who got insufficient sleep. When the individuals returned to the work week, however, their circadian body clock shifted and they also ate more after dinner and gained weight. 

Sleep deprivation was associated with a decrease in insulin sensitivity, and this effect was stronger in the group that had a chance to sleep more on the weekend. The insulin sensitivity of their whole bodies, liver, and muscle decreased by up to 27 percent once they returned to insufficient sleep after the weekend. 

“Our findings show that muscle- and liver-specific insulin sensitivity were worse in subjects who had weekend recovery sleep,” said co-lead author Christopher Depner. He noted that these metabolic aberrations were not seen in the people who got consistently less sleep. “This finding was not anticipated and further shows that weekend recovery sleep is not likely (to be) an effective sleep-loss countermeasure regarding metabolic health when sleep loss is chronic.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trying to make up for lost sleep over the weekend doesn’t work

Sleep deprivation and untreated sleep disorders greatly increase the risk...

The health effects of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-consumption-heart-failure/">alcohol</a> consumption may be underestimated, particularly for younger people. Previous studies that have provided evidence for protective health benefits from drinking were typically focused on individuals who were over the age of 50, which fails to account for people who had died younger than age 50 as a result of alcohol consumption.

The study authors, led by Dr. Timothy Naimi of the <a href="https://www.bmc.org/">Boston Medical Center</a> pointed out that “deceased persons cannot be enrolled in cohort studies. Those who are established drinkers at age 50 are 'survivors' of their alcohol consumption who (initially) might have been healthier or have had safer drinking patterns.”

According to the researchers, more than 40 percent of deaths related to alcohol occur before age 50. This suggests that most current studies do not represent the risks of alcohol consumption across the full age spectrum.

For their investigation, Dr. Naimi and his team used the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact software application from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The experts obtained government statistics on the cause of death or preventive health benefits related to alcohol consumption from 2006 to 2010.

The researchers found that age was a major factor in deaths prevented by alcohol consumption. Overall, 35.8 percent of deaths caused by alcohol occurred in people between the ages of 20 and 49, and only 4.5 percent of fatalities in this age group had been prevented by alcohol consumption.

While individuals aged 65 and older saw a similar mortality rate caused by drinking, 80 percent of the deaths that were prevented by alcohol occurred in this group.

The study authors said the findings show that younger people “are more likely to die from alcohol consumption than they are to die from a lack of drinking.” On the other hand, older people are the most likely to reap the health benefits of moderate drinking.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jsad.com/">Journal of Studies on Alcohol &amp; Drugs</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Alcohol consumption can be beneficial… depending on your age

The health effects of alcohol consumption may be underestimated, particularly...

A new report has found that Americans use more toilet paper than any other population in the world with a tissue market that generates $31 billion each year.

The <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/issue-tissue-how-americans-are-flushing-forests-down-toilet-report.pdf">report</a>, conducted by the<a href="https://www.nrdc.org/"> Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)</a> and the environmental group <a href="https://www.stand.earth/">Stand.earth</a>, shows that our propensity for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/manure-paper-sustainably/">tree-pulp paper products</a> is degrading Canadian forest habitats and threatens indigenous communities. 

Even though the United States accounts for just four percent of the world’s population, the country is responsible for 20 percent of total global toilet paper use. 

On average, Americans go through about three rolls of toilet paper a week. 

The super-soft, two-ply toilet paper that’s a staple in your bathroom, the facial tissue you always have on hand if you get a cold, and the quilted paper towels you use to mop up the kitchen counter are all typically made of tree-pulp. 

While tree-pulp paper products are easy on your wallet, the new “Issue with Tissue” report emphasizes the high environmental costs of single-use paper products. 

The NRDC describes the manufacturing and consumption of paper products as a “tree-to-toilet-pipeline,” where trees are cut down to make pulp which is turned into paper that is soon flushed away. 

Most wood-pulp comes from boreal forests in Canada which stretches from the Yukon to Newfoundland.

It’s a vast habitat, home to caribou and over a hundred species of birds. 70 percent of Canada’s<a href="https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/boreal/17394"> indigenous communities</a> live in the country’s forested regions, but logging destroys a million acres of boreal forests each year to help meet the demand for tree-pulp paper products. 

The impacts of logging on the forest ecosystem are devastating both the indigenous communities and native wildlife. 

“Some communities have only a fraction of their forest left intact,” the report states. “Although Canadian governments have made efforts toward reconciliation...often communities
do not have the power to say no to development on their lands.” 

Logging also contributes to climate change, and less tree cover means more carbon emissions are released into the atmosphere. 

The report called out tissue manufacturers Procter &amp; Gamble Co., the makers of Charmin, and Kimberly-Clark Corp. and Georgia-Pacific which manufacture Angel Soft and Quilted Northern, as some of the least environmentally friendly tissue paper companies. 

“The average American consumer doesn’t think about how their toilet paper is made,” said Shelley Vinyard, a co-author of the report and campaign manager of the NRDC’s boreal corporate campaign. “We can’t afford this old-fashioned and outdated approach to making toilet paper and other tissue products, given the climate crisis and the urgent need to keep our forests intact.”

The report includes a “buyer’s guide to the sustainability of at-home tissue products,” where different popular tissue brands are graded on their sustainability and eco-friendly materials so consumers can make more informed decisions when stocking up on toilet paper. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

America’s high demand for toilet paper is destroying Canadian forests

A new report has found that Americans use more toilet...

You may remember the great public debate surrounding the photograph of a dress that quickly became a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/28/business/a-simple-question-about-a-dress-and-the-world-weighs-in.html">viral sensation in 2015</a> after the public could not agree on its color. 

Was it blue with black stripes or white with gold stripes? The two color schemes were so different that the internet exploded when it became clear that so many people perceived the same image so differently. 

Now, a new study of colorful snail shells has once again revealed that people see and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hormone-see-color/">categorize some colors differently</a>. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a> first categorized analyzed the color of Cepaea nemoralis (grove snail) shells and then measured the shells using a spectrometer to see if there were differences in the way people saw the color of shells. 

The study was published in the journal Heredity, and the researchers explain how the ability to accurately identify and categorize colors is crucial to how we classify species and to our understanding of evolution. 

Grove snails are common across Europe, and their shells can be yellow, brown, and pink. The color of the shell may have evolved in response to the snail’s preferred habitat or to evade predators.

If there are documented color changes that have evolved in a species, like if a grove snail’s shell changed color, researchers can work understand what environmental factors prompted the change. 

However, it’s important to know what color that snail’s shell is in the first place.  If researchers studying the snails see different colors, it represents of a problem in classifying them.

[caption id="attachment_1868714" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/snail-shells.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1868714" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/snail-shells.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="343" /></a> Snail shell color variations, Image Credit: Daniel Ramos Gonzalez[/caption]

“The shell patterns and colour are hugely variable - almost like a snail fingerprint. As scientists, to ensure the accuracy of our studies and the subsequent interpretation, it is important that we have a reproducible measure of colour,” said Angus Davison, the leader of the study. “The problem is that there are obvious differences in how humans perceive and categorise their colour, making it very difficult to compare the different types.”

For the study, Davison and a Ph.D. student categorized grove snail shell colors by eye. The snail shells were then measured with a spectrometer which measured the light that reflects off the shell to accurately identify the color of the shell. 

Yellow snail shells were accurately identified by eye and matched the yellow shells measured by the spectrometer. But the researchers found that humans struggled to agree on the color of brown or pink shells.

Now, the researchers have a better understanding of how people process and label colors which going forward could help with future studies examining color and evolution. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Dr Angus Davison/The University of Nottingham

Pink or brown? ‘The Dress’ debate returns, this time over snail shells

You may remember the great public debate surrounding the photograph...

There’s a reason that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tigers-species/">tigers</a> and pets are not often associated with each other. Our pets are cuddly and innocent companions while tigers are majestic, yet fierce wild animals. But right now, the United States has a pet tiger problem that was made all the more apparent by recent news of a tiger left abandoned in a Texas home.

In early February, a person entered an abandoned home in Houston, Texas to smoke pot. Inside, the person found a tiger living in small cage, according to <a href="https://abc13.com/tiger-found-abandoned-at-vacant-home-in-se-houston/5132909/">KTRK</a>. Thankfully, the tiger was able to be relocated to a Texas sanctuary to live out the rest of its life.

While this story is certainly bizarre, it is not uncommon to find tigers living as pets in the US. In 2003, a Congressional report estimated that there are as many as <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CRPT-108hrpt269/html/CRPT-108hrpt269.htm">11,500</a> tigers living in private homes in the US. Other estimates put the US captive tiger population at <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/more-tigers-in-american-backyards-than-in-the-wild">5,000</a>. It is difficult to calculate an exact number of pet tigers as there is no universal database for these pets.

Either way, it is believed that there are now more tigers living in captivity in the US than in the wild throughout the world. The tiger is currently listed as Endangered and its population is estimated to be less than 4,000.

The import, export and sale of pet tigers are regulated by US and international laws when they occur across country and state borders, but the sale of pet tigers can occur within state lines and in the illegal wildlife market. State laws also vary on the private ownership of big cats with some states outright banning it and other states having no laws on the subject.

The private ownership of tigers is a cause for concern for a variety of reasons including public safety risks. Tigers are inherently wild animals, and strong ones at that. They are highly territorial and use their body weight to knock their prey down and bite their neck to kill them. Private owners are unlikely to be able to properly control a pet tiger in the case of an attack. From 1990 to 2006, captive tigers in the US attacked at least 27 people, killing seven people and severely injuring 20, according to<a href="https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/5400/paper-tigers.pdf"> TRAFFIC</a>.

Even police departments are often ill-prepared to handle pet tigers. In 2017, police officers killed a loose tiger that was roaming around Atlanta, Georgia. The local police officers do not carry tranquilizers on hand and officers decided to shot the animal after it began to enter a densely populated area, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/09/06/georgia-tiger-on-loose-killed/637054001/">USA Today</a> reported.

Animal welfare is another concern that comes with the private ownership of tigers. Tigers are not your run-of-the-mill pet. They do not simply require a bowl of food and water to survive. A full grown tiger can consume 20 pounds of meat a day and needs a safe and stimulating environment. Boredom can be very dangerous in predatory animals and tigers without proper enrichment may attack out of agitation. Lack of animal welfare can, therefore, increase concerns about public safety.

Owners may buy a tiger as a pet when it is an adorable and small cub. Once they become fully grown adults, the owner is likely to become overwhelmed with their pet. According to the 2003 Congressional <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CRPT-108hrpt269/html/CRPT-108hrpt269.htm">report</a>, many pet tigers are abandoned after they reach 300 pounds.

The fate of these unwanted tigers is murky. It is unclear what would have happened to the tiger in Houston if someone had not been searching for a spot to smoke pot. The animal could have very likely starved to death.

Advocates of the private ownership of tigers claim that captive tigers can help preserve the species by being reintroduced into the wild, but pet tigers often live in a far different environment than their wild counterparts. The chances of pet tigers surviving in the wild are low. Additionally, many zoos are unwilling to take in pet tigers due to concerns over available space and genetic diversity. It is often up to overburdened wildlife sanctuaries to step up if an owner wants to relinquish a pet.

Recognizing the current pet tiger problem in the US, Congress has previously introduced the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2990/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22big+cat+public+safety+act%22%5D%7D&amp;r=1&amp;s=2">Big Cat Public Safety Act</a> to prohibit the breeding and possession of dangerous big cats including lions, tigers, leopards and cheetahs. 

But this week, it was announced that the Big Cat Public Safety Act was reintroduced in the US House of Representatives, championed by Reps. Michael Quigley (D-IL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) along with 52 bipartisan cosponsors.

“From irresponsible breeding to inhumane living conditions and public exploitation, the mistreatment of big cats comes in a variety of forms,” said Rep. Quigley. “By introducing the Big Cat Public Safety Act, we are working to address a serious issue that causes immeasurable animal suffering and introduces inexcusable threats to human safety. State laws regarding private ownership of big cats are inconsistent or nonexistent, which is why a uniform federal law is necessary to end this dangerous industry once and for all.”

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Recent tiger seizure illustrates pet tiger problem in the US

There’s a reason that tigers and pets are not often...

For new parents, sleep can sometimes feel like a lost luxury quickly replaced by a constant state of sleep deprivation.

You would think that once an infant starts sleeping through the night, sleep patterns should go back to normal for parents. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case, as a new study found that after the birth of a first child, sleep duration and satisfaction for parents don’t recover for six years.

Researchers from the <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk/">University of Warwick</a> in collaboration with researchers from the <a href="https://www.diw.de/en">German Institute for Economic Research</a> and <a href="https://www.wvu.edu/">West Virginia University</a> examined sleep schedules of new parents to see not only how much sleep was lost in the years after childbirth, but also how sleep duration differed between mothers and fathers. 

The researchers detailed their findings in a new study published in the journal Sleep.

4,659 new parents who had a child between 2008 and 2015 took part in the study, and the researchers monitored sleep duration by conducting yearly sleep surveys.

New mothers <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-couples-women-house/">got less sleep overall</a> compared to new fathers, but both parents lost sleep and had less satisfying sleep. In the first three months, mothers slept one hour less than before becoming pregnant, and fathers slept 15 minutes less.

The lost sleep only partially recovered as the child grew, and after six years, mothers still slept 20 minutes less compared to before pregnancy and fathers stayed at 15 fewer minutes of sleep.

First time parents had more exaggerated sleep losses compared to parents with more than one child, and in the first year, breastfeeding mothers had their sleep more impacted than bottle-feeding mothers.

“Women tend to experience more sleep disruption than men after the birth of a child reflecting that mothers are still more often in the role of the primary caregiver than fathers,” said Sakari Lemola, an author of the study.

The researchers made sure to account for any external factors that could influence sleep duration, but income or having two versus one parent in the household didn’t do much to guard against sleep deprivation.

“While having children is a major source of joy for most parents it is possible that increased demands and responsibilities associated with the role as a parent lead to shorter sleep and decreased sleep quality even up to 6 years after birth of the first child,” said Lemola.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New parents experience sleep deprivation for six years after birth

For new parents, sleep can sometimes feel like a lost...

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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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