Falling asleep and waking up refreshed is something most of us crave. Yet some people appear to thrive on fewer hours, leaving everyone else wondering how they manage it. A new study involving a healthy older adult suggests that a rare gene mutation might be a key to needing fewer hours of sleep.



The research was led by Dr. Hao Chen from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), whose team investigated a "natural short sleeper" <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-night-of-lost-sleep-can-trigger-hidden-health-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trait</a> linked to a genetic variant in the SIK3 gene.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-genetics-influence-sleep-duration">How genetics influence sleep duration</h2>



Scientists who explore patterns of rest have long recognized that people’s genetic makeup can influence how much <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-the-brain-for-the-future-while-protecting-memories-of-the-past/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a> they need. This latest finding highlights how even a slight genetic tweak might reduce the time required for the brain and body to recover.



Those who qualify as short sleepers function at a normal or high level despite clocking fewer hours in bed. Researchers classify them separately from individuals suffering from insomnia, because these short sleepers typically wake up rested and show no health problems tied to exhaustion.



One older participant reported sleeping around 6.3 hours per night yet displayed sharp cognition and good health. Her genetic profile pointed to a single mutation as the possible reason for her efficient slumber.



These individuals, referred to as natural short sleepers, seem wired to operate on less rest. Specialists are intrigued by how they sail through daily life with no visible drawbacks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gene-mutation-and-sleep-patterns">Gene mutation and sleep patterns</h2>



The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/protein-kinases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kinase protein</a> produced by the SIK3 gene relays signals that influence various cellular processes. Scientists suspect that changes in kinase function might play a role in controlling how much time the body devotes to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-can-boost-memory-in-a-surprising-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a>.



When Dr. Chen’s team transferred this mutation to lab mice, the animals spent slightly less time resting each day. This observation hinted at a biological mechanism that could be significant across different species.



“Studying human sleep genes not only expands our knowledge regarding the sleep regulatory network, but also may bring the basic research from mouse models to clinical relevance,” noted the researchers.



Brain scans in the test mice revealed that their <a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/protein-biology/protein-biology-learning-center/protein-biology-resource-library/pierce-protein-methods/phosphorylation.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phosphorylation</a> patterns changed, especially around the areas that oversee rest and wake cycles. This shift aligns with the idea that sleep is coordinated by a web of signals in the brain that might be influenced by tiny chemical tweaks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-mutations-in-short-sleepers">Genetic mutations in short sleepers</h2>



Scientists have now identified at least five distinct genetic mutations linked to the natural short sleep trait. Each one affects different proteins involved in the brain’s signaling and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-quality-could-be-the-key-to-better-metabolic-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a>-wake rhythms, hinting at multiple pathways that might influence rest duration.



The SIK3 variant joins others such as <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1801693115" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DEC2</a>, <a href="https://www.ajmc.com/view/a-rare-gene-mutation-is-associated-with-requiring-less-sleep-researchers-say" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ADRB1</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/387129" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NPSR1</a>, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/14816" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GRM1</a>, each contributing a piece to the sleep efficiency puzzle. Researchers believe that mapping these variants could eventually lead to a full blueprint of how the body regulates its need for sleep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treatments-for-sleep-disorders">Treatments for sleep disorders</h2>



Researchers think there could be important applications for people who struggle with sleep disorders. Adjusting the pathways linked to this genetic variant might shorten the time needed to feel rested, although practical therapies will likely take time to refine.



Still, scientists caution that these insights do not give an excuse to slash nightly rest. They emphasize that ordinary individuals without the mutation may not reap any benefits from copying a short sleeper’s schedule.



Experts see promise in pursuing treatments that enhance the body’s own efficiency. They hope new knowledge of genetic influences will guide strategies to help those who find it difficult to get restorative rest.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-short-sleep-genes">Future research on short-sleep genes </h2>



Short-sleep genes have captured the imagination of specialists for years. There is strong interest in mapping out exactly how the human brain resets itself, and why some people get the same benefits in a compressed timeframe.



“These [NSS] people, all these functions our bodies are doing while we are sleeping, they can just perform at a higher level than we can,” said neuroscientist and geneticist Ying-Hui Fu, from the University of California, San Francisco (<a href="https://www.ucsf.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCSF</a>). 



Scientists aim to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37398097/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">uncover</a> the precise factors that grant this group their resilience. Many research teams intend to investigate how broader networks of genes might interact to influence rest. 



The SIK3 discovery raises big questions about what else might affect daily energy levels and long-term health.



Fascination with short sleepers is unlikely to fade soon. Unlocking the secrets of their genetics could reshape how we view rest, opening a path to solutions for chronic sleep troubles.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2500356122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PNAS</a>.



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Rare gene explains why some people can thrive on less sleep

Falling asleep and waking up refreshed is something most of us crave. Yet some people appear to thrive on fewer hours, leaving everyone else wondering how they manage it. A new study involving a healthy older adult suggests that a rare gene mutation might be a key to needing fewer hours of sleep. The research was led by Dr. Hao Chen from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), whose team investigated a "natural short sleeper" trait linked to a genetic variant in the SIK3 gene. How genetics...

While the holidays are a time of warmth and celebration, they also pose some of the biggest risks for your four-legged friends. From the extra sweets and chocolate around the house to the colorful decorations and ornaments that a cat or dog may try to play with, it’s important to take a few extra precautions to ensure your pet is safe over the holiday season. 

Along with knowing the risks, it’s also important to understand what it is about certain household items, foods, and decorations that causes harm. 

First, there’s the most obvious risk for pets, especially dogs, during the holiday season: the increased risk of eating candies, cookies, or chocolates that are toxic to animals. 

Most pet owners are generally aware that it’s unsafe for their dog to consume chocolate of any kind. However, some chocolate and cocoa products are more dangerous than others and knowing which ones could mean the difference between a puppy with a little tummy trouble or an emergency trip to the vet. 

Chocolate, just like any other sweet, is enticing to dogs, but the cocoa beans used to make chocolate contain compounds called methylxanthines which are toxic to dogs. Coffee beans also contain methylxanthines.

Some chocolate has higher quantities of methylxanthines compared to others. For example, baking chocolate and cocoa powder poses a much higher risk than milk chocolate. 

While a little chocolate may not be deadly to your dog, it’s always a good idea to call your vet if you suspect your dog has eaten any. The size of your dog and the kind of chocolate consumed will factor into the type of treatments your vet may recommend.

Ingesting methylxanthines, even at low doses, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, an elevated heart rate, and seizures, according to the <a href="https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets">American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals</a>. 

During the holidays, the number of chocolate poisonings and trips to the vet increase because there are more chocolate and sweets out in the open. 

Chocolate isn’t the only sweet holiday treat that’s bad for pets. Anything <a href="https://www.wagthedoguk.com/2014/08/22/bad-nuts-for-dogs/">containing nuts </a>should be avoided, as some nuts like <a href="https://www.aspca.org/news/animal-poison-control-alert-macadamia-nuts-are-toxic-dogs">macadamia nuts</a> are poisonous and will cause similar symptoms as chocolate poisoning. 

It’s not known which toxin causes the problem in macadamia nuts, but macadamia nuts are part of the same family as grapes which contain another toxin that can cause kidney failure in dogs. 

In order to avoid unnecessary trips to the vet, always be aware of the food in your pantry and refrigerator, and if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/science-holiday-baking/">you’re baking</a> with nuts, sweeteners like xylitol, or chocolate, keep anything potentially harmful out of reach of your pet. 

Holiday hazards don’t end at food, though, and your pet’s natural tendency to chew on things can make seemingly benign holiday decorations and plants a real danger. 

Chords from lights and batteries are a chewing hazard for dogs and could even cause electrocution or mouth burns. Cats are famous for knocking things off of surfaces, and the colorful glass ornaments on the tree are no exception. 

Fragile glass ornaments also have a tendency to break, and shards could end up in an unsuspecting paw or worse, could cause severe damage to the digestive tract and mouth if eaten. 

When it comes to the Christmas tree itself, many pet owners may not realize just how problematic holiday plants can be as well. 

Christmas trees sometimes tip over and could cause an unfortunate accident if your pet happens to be nearby. Real pine trees also need water which could contain harmful fertilizers and sugar that aren’t good for pets to drink. 

If a cat or dog ends up chewing and swallowing pine needles they may end up damaging the intestines or stomach. 

Holly and mistletoe are two common plants that tend to pop up in abundance during the holidays, and both are poisonous to pets. 

The shiny red berries of holly may be what attracts your pet, but the leaves actually pose a bigger threat. According to the <a href="https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/holly/">Pet Poison Helpline</a>, holly contains the same toxic substance that chocolate does, methylxanthine, and if eaten could cause vomiting, diarrhea, and continued lip smacking. 

The holly plant also has sharp and pointy leaves which could damage the gums, tongue, or throat of your pet. Mistletoe is also toxic to pets, and the risks can vary depending on what type of species your pet comes in contact with. 

Phoranedruon serotinum mistletoe contains a toxin called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/mistletoe">phoratoxin</a> which is known to cause blurred vision, nausea and <a href="https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/mistletoe/">stomach pain in pets</a>. Phoranedruon serotinum is an American mistletoe, but Viscus album, the European variety, is considered more toxic. Mistletoe berries also contain compounds that when ingested could be dangerous for dogs. 

Poinsettias, on the other hand, pose a relatively low risk to pets and have a low level of toxicity, although it’s still not a good idea to leave your pet unsupervised around houseplants no matter how toxic. 

With poinsettias, it’s the sap you need to be concerned about, as the milky, white sap of the plants contain chemicals called <a href="https://csuvth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/Plants/Details/115">diterpenoid euphorbol esters</a> which can cause mild skin irritation or digestive problems if eaten. 

Another major holiday risk that is not often discussed is ensuring that house guests make sure medications are kept out of sight and safely stored away. 

Lastly, while pets are social creatures and a house full of guests may be a wonderful and exciting event for some dogs and cats, it’s always important to make sure your pet has a safe and quiet space they can retreat to if things get overwhelming, or if company induces anxiety.

With just a few extra precautions and an understanding of what the risks are, you can enjoy the holidays hazard-free and keep your pet safe from harm. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How to keep your pets safe during the holidays

While the holidays are a time of warmth and celebration,...

Researchers have collected traces of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/age-related-differences-dna-bloodstream/">DNA</a> from birch bark pitch that was chewed by a woman over 6,000 years ago. The genetic evidence enabled them to learn a lot about her diet, heritage, and even about her appearance. 

According to the researchers, the woman had eaten duck, eel, and hazelnuts before setting out to make stone tools. The experts believe that she put the birch bark pitch in her mouth to make it more pliable and then spat it out without ever using it.

The scientists have named the woman Lola after the island of Lolland in modern-day Denmark where the pitch was recovered. The analysis of the pitch also revealed that Lola had dark skin and dark hair. 

Søren Sørensen at the Lolland-Falster Museum told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>, “It’s amazing - I know what she’s been eating, what color her eyes were, what color her hair was. It’s like standing face to face with a stone age person.”


This is one of the first studies to analyse prehistoric birch bark, which was essentially black tar from tree bark that was used as a glue for tool-making. While chewing the tar would have made it more pliable, the researchers speculate that it could have been used to treat mouth wounds due to its antiseptic properties.

Samples of pitch that have been recovered from several dig sites across Europe often contain clear teeth marks, some of which were made by children. 

“Once you see kids’ teeth imprints you think it’s no different to today when kids go around spitting out chewing gum,’ Natalia Kashuba of the University of Oslo told New Scientist. “I want to believe that it’s also recreational, but there’s no way to know.”

A preprint of the study is available at <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/12/13/493882">BioRxiv</a>.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

6,000 year old chewing gum contains DNA clues from an ancient woman

Researchers have collected traces of DNA from birch bark pitch...

New research led by the <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/">University of Kent</a> has revealed that approximately one-third of all citizens born in the United States are considering making the move to live in a different country. The study expands on previous work that explored why <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/12-percent-americans-metabolically-healthy/">Americans</a> abroad had decided to relocate. 

Study authors Dr. Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels and Dr. Helen Marrow analyzed data collected in 2014, and discovered that the most common reason was for contemplating life outside of the United States was for exploration, followed by retirement. 

In addition, many U.S. citizens reported a desire to leave behind a disappointing situation or a desire to pursue work in another country.

In a previous study, Dr. Klekowski von Koppenfels found that adventure or exploration is the primary reason American migrants have already relocated abroad, followed by a marriage or partnership that led them to a new country.

The current investigation also revealed that the aspiration to live abroad is strongly predicted by national identity. However, there was almost no correlation found between political identity and the desire to live in a new country.

“When we looked at what underlying factors played a role in Americans' thinking about migrating, we found that having a less than ‘very strong’ American national identity was an important factor,” said Dr. Klekowski von Koppenfels. “Others that played a role were knowing other Americans who had lived abroad or having served in the US military, both of which are networks our respondents might tap into.”

“While one might think that ideological orientation plays a role, at least in this pre-Trump survey, we found out that it did not, at least not directly.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/mrx">International Migration Review</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why are one-third of US-born citizens considering moving abroad?

New research led by the University of Kent has revealed...

Confidence and memory play key roles in interpreting emotions – and may skew our judgement, a new study from the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/university/">University of Geneva</a> has found.

The researchers worked with the <a href="https://www.hug-ge.ch/en/">University Hospitals of Geneva</a> to test how confident study participants felt while judging the emotions of others, along with which areas of the brain they used in the process.

The results indicate that confidence plays a role, and that interpreting emotions also relies on our own memory and past experiences. 

“Humans have evolved sophisticated mechanisms for quick and efficient recognition of emotion expression from faces,” the researchers wrote in their paper, published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/scan/advance-article/doi/10.1093/scan/nsy102/5209946">Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience</a>. “However, even though it is vital to swiftly recognize facial expressions, beliefs about how we trust what the face is conveying (‘I am sure he is angry at me’) are also important to adjust behavior, contributing to either provoke or avoid fatal misunderstandings.”

As an example, co-author Dr. Indrit Bègue points to the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, pointing out that it was George Zimmerman’s initial belief that the the teen was a threat – when Martin was simply walking back to his father’s house after a trip to the store – that led to the confrontation that cost the teen his life. The researchers wanted to find out how incorrectly interpreting emotions drove that and similar incidents.

The scientists asked 34 study participants – 15 of them women – to complete one of two tasks: judge the emotion on a series of photos of 128 faces displaying a range of emotions, or report on the thicker of two lines on the top or bottom of those faces. Participants were asked to judge their confidence on each interpretation. 

"The bars were used to evaluate their confidence in visual perception, which has already been studied in depth. Here it served as a control mechanism," co-author Dr. Patrik Vuilleumier said.

The results were surprising. Study participants on average were more confident when interpreting emotions than they were in their visual perception – but made more mistakes in judging emotions than the thickness of the two lines.

An MRI looked at which areas of their brains were active during each interpretation.

"When the participants judged the lines, the perception (visual areas) and attention (frontal areas) zones were activated. But when assessing confidence in recognizing emotions, areas linked to autobiographical and contextual memory lit up," Vuilleumier said.

That may explain why people feel more confident when interpreting emotions – and why they can be wrong.

"The fact that past experiences are so fundamental to govern our confidence may cause problems in our day-to-day life, because they can skew our judgment, as happened in the Trayvon Martin case, when Zimmerman didn't see just an impatient young man waiting outside his home, but an angry black man lurking in front of a house," Bègue said. "That's why it's crucial to give feedback about our emotions early on, so we can teach children to interpret them correctly."

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Memory, confidence make interpreting emotions tricky

Confidence and memory play key roles in interpreting emotions –...

Are greeting cards to celebrate birthdays and holidays unwittingly promoting unsafe drinking? That’s the question British public health officers are asking.

Dr. Virginia Pearson, chief officer for <a href="https://new.devon.gov.uk/leadership-group/chief-officer-communities-public-health-environment-prosperity/">Communities, Public Health, Environment and Prosperity at Devon County Council</a>, and her assistant director, nurse Tracey Polak, worry that depictions of drinking on greeting cards may "reflect and reinforce a social attitude that excess alcohol consumption is acceptable and associated with celebration.”

In an article they penned for the journal <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">BMJ</a>, the pair suggest that depictions of drinking on greeting cards could reinforce drinking as a social norm.

The warning comes at the same time new studies have linked unsafe drinking to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/binge-drinking-social-media-addiction/">social media addiction</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/binge-drinking-alcohol-sleep/">sleep disruption</a>, along with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-years-life/">health issues</a>.

Pearson and Polak cite a 1980 analysis of greeting cards. Back then, cards portrayed drinking as natural, and being drunk as harmless fun. 

Things haven’t changed much, the pair said.

They found that illustrations on cards continue to portray drinking as fun. Accompanying text includes phrases from “Cheers!” to “Let’s Get Wrecked!” Some greeting cards even portrayed people as “clearly drunk” and surrounded by empty bottles, the pair said.

This message is at odds with one that public health organizations have been working to spread for years: drink in moderation, if at all, because alcohol has consequences.

"As cards with alcohol themes become more prevalent then a cultural norm develops where drinking in association with celebration becomes the expected,” they wrote.

Pearson and Polak outlined a few of the issues. For one, more than 10 million people in the United Kingdom alone regularly drink at unsafe levels that put their health at risk. Additionally, alcohol is a leading cause of death and disability among people aged 15 to 49, they said.

Greeting cards aren’t likely to change because of their article, Pearson and Polak acknowledged. As long as people buy cards that depict unsafe drinking, companies will continue to make them. But if the demand goes down, companies are likely to turn to other designs.

"... perhaps it is worth reflecting the next time that you choose one whether the message is one that you condone and wish to pass on," they wrote.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Do greeting cards promote unsafe drinking?

Are greeting cards to celebrate birthdays and holidays unwittingly promoting...

Viewing calorie information alongside pictures of food changes the way we think about what we’re eating, according to a new study from <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/">Dartmouth College</a>, published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/comments?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0204744">PLOS ONE</a>.

The study, which was the first to document how the brain makes <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-structure-determines-whether-you-make-healthy-food-choices/">food choices</a> when presented with a calorie count, revealed that the brain’s reward system becomes less active while the control system becomes more active when food images appear alongside calorie information.

That hamburger all of the sudden looks a lot less appetizing when a high calorie count is displayed next to it.

Researchers asked 42 participants, between the ages of 18 and 22, to look at 180 food images. The first group of images were presented without calorie information and the second group was presented with calorie information. The participants were then asked to rate their desire to eat the food presented in the image while their brain activity was monitored by a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner (fMRI).

Overall, calorie-labelled foods were rated lower in desirability and both the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) areas of the brain decreased in activation. Researchers also found that dieters took caloric value into account even when calorie counts weren’t physically present.

"Our findings suggest that calorie-labeling may alter responses in the brain's reward system when considering food options,” said first author Andrea Courtney, a former graduate student in the department of psychological and brain sciences at Dartmouth and a current postdoctoral student at the <a href="http://ssnl.stanford.edu/">Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab at Stanford University</a>. “Moreover, we believe that nutritional interventions are likely to be more successful if they take into account the motivation of the consumer, including whether or not they diet.”

The researchers conclude that including calorie information on menus can and will help the public make healthier choices and reinforce the benefits of a healthy diet.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://pixabay.com/en/beef-bread-bun-burger-cheese-1239198/">Pixabay</a>

Seeing calorie info affects how we think about our food choices

Viewing calorie information alongside pictures of food changes the way...

A new study highlights the role of Jewish culture in the widespread adoption of citrus fruit by early societies. This finding was discovered when researchers used genetic analysis to trace the acidless mutations in citron, which was the first citrus species to be cultivated in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-forests-destroyed/">Mediterranean</a>.

Dr. Eugenio Butelli of the <a href="https://www.jic.ac.uk/">John Innes Centre</a> is the study's first author.

“Some people thought that this was a recent mutation that originated in Corsica, or somewhere in the Mediterranean, but we have found that this is not new,” said Dr. Butelli. “It's an ancient mutation that is present in Chinese fingered citrons known as Buddha's Hands and those used in the Sukkot Jewish ritual.”

For centuries, the acidless mutations that appear in many citrus varieties have captivated botanists and breeders. Citrus fruit that has no acid has also lost the ability to produce the anthocyanin pigments that add dark red to the leaves, flowers, and flesh of some fruit.

The researchers identified a specific gene that is critical in the regulation of acidity. The experts found that this gene, which they named Noemi, collaborates with another gene named Ruby to control anthocyanin production.

The study identified specific mutations affecting the Noemi gene in several acidless citrus species and hybrids. These acidless fruits are highly prized citrons used in the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot.

One of these mutations matched those found in citron varieties that were first cultivated in China 3,300 years ago - a mutation that originated before the arrival of citron into the Mediterranean.

“Citron was first cultivated for its medicinal properties in China and its rind was used as a medicinal product, not as a food,” explained study co-author Professor Cathie Martin.

“By the time it reached the Mediterranean in Roman times, citron was a luxury item used for its fragrance to keep linen fresh. The presence of white flowers in the acidless mutation seems important because they are a symbol of purity and we speculate that there was a strong selection for the loss of anthocyanins, which normally add colour to leaves and flowers.”

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 

Image Credit: Mathulack Photography

Jewish culture played a big role in the spread of citrus fruit

A new study highlights the role of Jewish culture in...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/">Association for Psychological Science</a> has revealed that the act of giving gifts seems to bring people happiness that can withstand the test of time. Repeating the same activity is known to lose its luster after a while, but giving to others may be an exception to this rule.

Psychology experts conducted two experiments which revealed that people maintained a sense of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experience-happiness-changes-age/">happiness</a> if they gave gifts as opposed to receiving them. 

“If you want to sustain happiness over time, past research tells us that we need to take a break from what we’re currently consuming and experience something new,” said study co-author Ed O’Brien of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. 

“Our research reveals that the kind of thing may matter more than assumed: Repeated giving, even in identical ways to identical others, may continue to feel relatively fresh and relatively pleasurable the more that we do it.”

A total of 96 study participants received $5 every day for five days and were instructed to spend the money on the same thing each time. The individuals were randomly assigned to spend the money either on themselves or on someone else, such as by leaving the money in the same tip jar. 

At the end of each day, the individuals reflected on their spending experience and overall happiness. The study revealed that the participants reported similar levels of contentment when they started off the experiment, but those who spent the money on themselves showed a steady decline in happiness. 


For people who gave their money to someone else, however, happiness did not fade away. These participants reported levels of happiness in the end of the experiment that were just as strong over the course if the five days. 

The research team conducted a second experiment online in which over 500 participants won money during ten rounds of a game. The individuals either kept the money or donated to a charity of their choice. 

Once again, the self-reported happiness of those who gave their winnings to others declined far more slowly than the happiness reported by those who kept their winnings.

The researchers explored many explanations for the higher rates of contentment, such as the possibility that participants who gave to others had to think longer and harder about what to give.

“We considered many such possibilities, and measured over a dozen of them,” said O’Brien. “None of them could explain our results; there were very few incidental differences between ‘get’ and ‘give’ conditions, and the key difference in happiness remained unchanged when controlling for these other variables in the analyses.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/pss">Psychological Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Giving to others brings more joy than receiving, study confirms

A new study published by the Association for Psychological Science...

Friday, December 21st marks the shortest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, which means that going forward, the days will only start getting longer. 

Tonight’s Solstice will include both a full moon and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ursid-meteor-shower-peaks-tonight/">a meteor shower</a>, making it a particularly special evening. 

While the Northern Hemisphere will be ushering in the longest night of the year, those in the Southern Hemisphere will be celebrating the shortest night of the year with their Summer Solstice. 

The tilt of Earth’s axis is what determines Solstice as it orbits around the Sun. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, Winter Solstice occurs when the Earth’s tilt is furthest from the Sun. 

The further north you go, the shorter the days become and in cities like Juneau and Fairbanks in Alaska, the sun sets around <a href="http://www.alaska.org/advice/shortest-day-in-alaska">3:00 in the afternoon on Solstice</a>. 

People in the Northern Hemisphere are in for a treat because tonight’s Solstice sky will be lit up by both a full moon and the Ursid meteor shower. 

December’s full moon will be visible both Friday and Saturday evening. The moon, called a Full Cold Moon, will be at its peak on Saturday night. 

Unfortunately, because the moon will be at its biggest and brightest, it may make the Ursid meteor shower harder to see. 

The Ursid meteor shower gets its name from the Ursa Minor constellation where the meteors are said to originate, and the shower first started on December 17th. 

It’s a yearly meteor shower, so if you don’t see any meteors this year there’s always next, but lucky stargazers may see as many ten meteors per hour at <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/ursids.html">its peak on December 23rd</a>. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A full moon and a meteor shower will light up the solstice sky

Friday, December 21st marks the shortest day of the year...

Mothers pass on many helpful things to their babies in the womb, and the regulated transmission of cells, molecules, and microbes to the fetus is critical for ensuring the healthy development of a baby.

When this transmission of crucial genes is disrupted, it can increase the risk of birth defects, such as congenital rubella and thalidomide exposure. 

Researchers are still learning about how the maternal environment and nursing impacts early development, and a new issue in the journal Birth Defects Research focuses on this complex relationship.

The topics covered in the new issue show how the “dysregulation” of transmitted materials from mother to child in the womb increases the risk of everything from allergies to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wood-coal-cooking-cardiovascular/">cardiovascular disease</a>. 

“The interactions between the maternal environment and offspring genes are hyper-complex, but studying them may suggest incredible opportunities to prevent diseases that are notoriously hard to treat after the fact,” said Patrick Jay, the co-editor of the new Birth Defects issue. “The reviews in the issue present the latest about what scientists and physicians have learned about maternal influences on the baby in utero.” 

One of the articles brings up the possibility that the formation of gut flora, the garden of bacteria that make up the microbiome of our stomach and which are vital for destroying harmful bacteria, starts in the womb. 

It was long thought that gut microbiota were the results of breastmilk consumption. 

Researchers from <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine</a> suggest that disruptions in fetal development can hinder helpful gut formation after birth which increases the risk of allergies and autoimmune problems. 

Another study in the journal examined how dysregulation and maternal diabetes affect cardiac development and the important signaling pathways in an embryo. 

A report conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.chw.org/">Children's Hospital of Wisconsin</a> used mice to show environment and diet can impact offspring. 

In that study, offspring born to mothers who spent their last trimester in a stressful, or “adverse” environment and who consumed a Western diet high in fat and sugar, had increased fibrosis which can increase the risk of heart failure. 

All the articles in the issue all examine how the maternal environment and the underlying mechanisms passed on from mother to child impact development. 

“Simply put - we're at the tip of the iceberg in understanding how the gestational environment established by the mother affects her child's health from birth to adulthood,” said Michiko Watanabe, a fellow co-editor of the special Birth Defects Research issue. “If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure for one disease, targeting adverse maternal effects in the womb could be worth a ton for future public health.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mothers transmit much more than genes to their baby in the womb

Mothers pass on many helpful things to their babies in...

As we age, we begin to lose our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smell-mixtures-scents/">sense of smell</a>, and we can’t always pick up on odors as strongly as we could in our youth. This is something that all mammals experience as part of the aging process, but until now, it was not well-understood why.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/index.html">Helmholtz Zentrum München </a>and the <a href="http://www.unimedizin-mainz.de/international/welcome.html">University Medical Centre Mainz</a> set out to figure out what underlying mechanisms cause mammals to lose some of their sense of smell. The researchers conducted a study examining olfactory neurons and tracking stem cell development in mice. 

The development of new neurons in the brain is called neurogenesis and mainly happens during early childhood. However, some regions experience several stages of neurogenesis including olfactory neurons.

“The production of these neurons diminishes with advancing age. In our recent study we wanted to find out the cellular basis and what role stem cells play in the process,” said Carsten Marr, a co-author of the study which was published in the journal Cell Reports. 

The researchers examined stem cell development in the olfactory region of the brain in mice and used confetti reporters to track the stem cell development.

Confetti reporters trace stem cells and their descendants using different fluorescent colors to highlight which cells belong to which lineage. 

“Our approach utilised what are known as confetti reporters to perform lineage tracing: In mouse brains, we induced individual stem cells and all their descendants - called clones - to light up in a specific colour,” said Filippo Calzolari. “In the next step, we compared clones found in young and older mice to find out what contribution individual stem cells and intermediates make to the neurogenesis of mature olfactory cells.” 

After the researchers traced the lineages of stem cells in the mice, the resulting data from the confetti reporting process was so varied and mixed that it was impossible to perform a systematic analysis of the data to compare young and old mice brains. 

To resolve this problem, a team of mathematicians and specialists in the quantification of single-cell dynamics developed mathematical models and algorithms using artificial intelligence to help analyze the data. 

“We compared the confetti measurements with several mathematical models of neurogenesis,” said Lisa Bast, the lead author of the study. “We found that the ability of self-renewal declines in old age, especially in certain intermediate stages called transit amplifying progenitors.”

The mathematical models also showed that stem cell division increases but does not impact olfactory cells, rather asymmetric cell division increases. 

“That means that fewer cells differentiate into olfactory cells in old age as they tend to remain in the stem cell pool and become less active. Therefore, the production comes to a halt,” said Jovica Ninkovic, a member of the research team.

Not only do the results of the study help explain why sense of smell deteriorates in old age, but it's also the first study of its kind that successfully uses a mathematical model to describe stem cells and quantify neural stem cells in the brains of living mammals. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why people’s sense of smell deteriorates with age

As we age, we begin to lose our sense of...

College binge drinking and social media addiction may be linked, according to a new study that identified some worrying trends among college students.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.txstate.edu/">Texas State University</a> examined the drinking habits of undergraduate students to see if there were any links between binge drinking and posting on social media while intoxicated.

Social media use has skyrocketed and people spend hours every day on popular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/valuable-facebook-users/">platforms like Facebook</a>, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter, and yet social media addiction has yet to recognized as a real psychiatric diagnosis. 

Drinking and posting can be problematic because students might regret what they've posted later on or have past posts come back to haunt them, according to the study which was published in the Journal of the Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. 

Social media is also extremely influential, and other students might be encouraged to take up drinking if they see posts of other people doing it.

“During these times when young students are feeling disinhibited by alcohol, they may be even more likely than usual to post inappropriate material without considering the future impact,” said  Natalie A. Ceballos, the lead researcher for the study. “In some cases, these sorts of mistakes have even influenced college admission and later job applications.”

For the study, the researchers surveyed 425 undergrad students ages 18 through 25 about their alcohol consumption, asking how much each student drank and if they had “binged.” 

Binge drinking was defined as having five drinks at one time for men and four drinks for women. 

The students were also asked to describe their social media use, which platforms they used and how often they posted on social media while intoxicated. 

Binge drinking seemed to have a direct influence on social media posting while drinking as the students who said they had binged were more likely to have posted on social media while intoxicated. 

The students who binge drink were also more emotionally invested in social media platforms compared to the students who didn't engage in heavy drinking. This correlated with a higher risk of social media addiction in the binge drinking students.

“These findings suggest that, in terms of common brain reward mechanisms, perhaps when students get a positive response on social media, this might be ‘rewarding’ to them in a way that is similar to other addictive behaviors, and then over time they get ‘hooked,’” said Ceballos. 

As much as the results point to a link between social media use and binge drinking, the researchers say that social media could be a useful tool for interventions aimed at reducing binge drinking by posting target messages about stopping harmful behaviors at opportune times. 

“While college students’ reliance on social media has been identified as a risk factor for alcohol-related problems, it might also present an opportunity for innovative interventions,” said Ceballos. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

College binge drinking linked to social media addiction

College binge drinking and social media addiction may be linked,...

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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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