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...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a> have found that artificial light is not just causing issues for humans at night, but is also having an impact on animals. This is particularly true for animals that live in and around streams and wetlands that are exposed to streetlights and other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-sleep-problems/">light sources</a> after the sun goes down. 

Study lead author Maleika Sullivan is the director of Ohio State's Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park and an associate professor of Environment and Natural Resources.

“This is among the first studies to show that light at night has detrimental effects not just on individual organisms in the environment, but also on communities and ecosystems,” said Professor Sullivan. “Nighttime light is having profound impacts that extend to the entire ecosystem.”

Artificial light is essentially a type of pollution that changes the natural course of life for people, animals, and plants.

“We are experiencing this pollution that we don't think about, but it's all around us and it's chronic and it's happening everywhere - from newly lit villages in rural Africa to streams alongside the highway in Columbus, Ohio,” said Professor Sullivan. “It's also unprecedented in Earth's history.”

The investigation was focused on the effects of light pollution on streams and wetlands in and around Columbus. The researchers collected a variety of ubiquitous water-dwelling and land-dwelling invertebrate species, including mayflies, water bugs, ants and spiders from the various sites. 

The analysis revealed that species composition changed with increases in light intensity. The experts also found that the food chain length of the invertebrate communities shortened with more light.

“Decreases in food chain length are a pretty big deal, as it reflects not just changes in the architecture of an ecosystem - the numbers of various species - but also shifts in ecosystem stability and nutrient flows,” said Professor Sullivan. “Artificial light decreased food chain length in this study, which means the ecosystem is less complex.”

The researchers noted detrimental changes in how the nutrients cycled between aquatic and nearby ecosystems. In particular, invertebrates exposed to moderate light levels  became less reliant on food sources that originate in the water.

Previous studies have clearly demonstrated that individual species are impacted by artificial light.

“The classic example is hatchling sea turtles that became disoriented and instead of going toward the moonlit ocean at night, they were headed inland, toward coastal lighting,” said Professor Sullivan. “In that case, light-management tactics have helped address the problem.”

Until now, however, scientists have not fully explored the broader implications such as how light might affect species interactions, communities, and important ecosystem functions.

“One of the neatest parts about this research is that we scaled up and said, ‘What does it mean for the entire community and ecosystem?’” said Professor Sullivan.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19395582">Ecological Applications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The negative impacts of light pollution on streams and wetlands

Researchers at The Ohio State University have found that artificial...

China has some of the highest numbers of smokers compared to any other country and accounts for over 40 percent of total cigarette consumption worldwide. 

Quitting smoking is the best way to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quitting-smoking-improves-lungs/">reduce the health risks</a> associated with smoking including lung cancer and heart disease. 

But in China, programs and services that provide help with quitting are not readily available even with the proven success of smoking cessation programs in other areas of the world. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.xyeyy.com/">Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University</a> in China conducted a study to test the effectiveness of an inexpensive cessation intervention program using text messages. 

The study was published in the journal PLOS Medicine, and the results show that mobile phone interventions could be an effective method to help smokers quit. 

1,369 smokers across 30 cities and provinces in China took part in a text-based intervention program. 

The participants were randomly split into groups, and either received a high-frequency of messages, low-frequency text-messages, or text messages entirely unrelated to smoking or quitting.

For 12 weeks, participants in the high and low-frequency groups received text messages that encouraged self-efficacy or the belief in the ability to stop smoking and provided support for the quitting process. 

After the text message program was done, 6.5 percent of the participants in the high-frequency messaging group successfully quit smoking along with six percent of the participants in the low-frequency group. 

Even though the percentages of quitters were low, the results of the study are encouraging.

The researchers dubbed their cessation method the “Happy Quit” intervention and said that wide-scale use of the program in China could have great potential for reducing smoking and health risks.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Text messaging program in China helps smokers quit

China has some of the highest numbers of smokers compared...

Criminologists from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> found that, when visibly armed with Tasers, London police are more likely to be assaulted, and therefore, use force 48% more than unarmed officers. However, during the year-long study, the findings of which have been published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/cjb">Criminal Justice and Behaviour,</a> of those carrying Tasers, only two officers ever used them, each only once. 

“We found that officers are more likely to be assaulted when carrying electroshock weaponry, and more likely to apply force," said the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Barak Ariel from <a href="https://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge's Institute of Criminology.</a> He continued, “There was no increase in injury of suspects or complaints, suggesting it was not the police instigating hostilities. The presence of Tasers appears to provoke a pattern where suspects become more aggressive toward officers, who in turn respond more forcefully.”

Cambridge criminologists believe that Tasers may trigger a “weapons effect,” a psychological event where the sight of a weapon sparks aggressive behavior.

“It is well established that the visual cue of a weapon can stimulate aggression,” Dr. Ariel continued. “While our research does not pierce the 'black box' of decision-making, the only difference between our two study conditions was the presence of a Taser device."

The researchers studied 800 London frontline officer shifts between June 2016 and June 2017. During 400 of these shifts, at least one frontline <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/militarization-police-harm/">officers</a> carried a Taser. In the other 400, all officers were unarmed. Throughout the year-long study, 5,981 incidents occurred.

As stated, those carrying Tasers exerted force 48% more than the unarmed officers. However, even unarmed officers accompanying Taser-armed officers exerted 19% more force than those on Taser-free shifts. Researchers call this a “contagion effect.” Furthermore, six physical assaults were perpetrated against Taser-carrying officers during the study, whereas Taser-free officers were only assaulted three times.

“The City of London police rarely discharged Tasers during the study. Yet the very presence of the weapon led to increased hostility between the police and public," Dr. Ariel said. Of the weapons effect, he added, “For many, a weapon is a deterrence. However, some individuals interpret the sight of a weapon as an aggressive cue — a threat that creates a hostile environment.”

Those “threatened” are then faced with a fight or flight dilemma, Dr. Ariel explains, which can lead to an assault on an officer. To counter this is simple — just have officers conceal their Tasers.

“This conclusion could be generalised to all types of police armoury, including the lethal firearms carried by police officers,” Dr. Ariel said. “If the presence of weapons can lead to aggression by suspects, so its concealment should be able to reduce aggression and increase officer safety.”

In light of the study, the City of London Police are now exploring different holstering locations or position move to nullify the violence toward officers.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Weapons effect: Police armed with Tasers are more likely to use force

Criminologists from the University of Cambridge found that, when visibly...

A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health has revealed new details about just how bad too much <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/unlimited-screen-time-depression/">screen time</a> can be for children. According to an article in <a href="http://theconversation.com/au">The Conversation</a> by psychologist Jean Twenge, the experts found structural brain changes among kids using screens in excess of seven hours a day and found lower cognitive skills among those who stared at screens more than two hours a day. 

“It almost goes without saying that today's portable devices - including smartphones and tablets - are fundamentally different than the living room television sets and rotary phones of the past,” writes Dr. Twenge. 

“Since researchers have been tracking TV watching habits, the average US teen has never spent more than two-and-a-half hours a day watching TV. Yet as of 2016, the average teen spent about six hours a day immersed in digital media - more than twice as much time.”

This amount of screen time is distracting kids from other activities such as interacting with friends face-to-face and playing outside. Dr. Twenge pointed out that digital media apps are designed to get kids hooked.

Not only does an individual's social life suffer, but many kids that are glued to smartphones and other devices are getting much less sleep. 


“That could be because they spend so much time engaged with their devices that it's coming at the expense of sleep,” writes Dr. Twenge. “But there's also a physiological reason: The blue light emitted by electronic screens tricks our brains into thinking it's still daytime, and then we don't produce enough of the sleep hormone melatonin to fall asleep quickly and get high-quality sleep.”

Research by Dr. Twenge and her colleagues was focused on a large survey of parents from the US Census Bureau. The data revealed that children between the ages if 2 and 10 who spent at least four hours a day on screen time were twice as likely to be sleep deprived. Among teenagers, four or more hours of screen time led to a 44 percent higher risk of sleep deprivation.

“Smartphones have also become a huge part of social life, whether it's texting with friends or interacting with them on social media,” Dr. Twenge writes in The Conversation. “And unlike TV, smartphones and tablets can be silently carried into the bedroom or even the bed, resulting in some teens using them throughout the night - what some call vamping.”

“That might explain why sleep deprivation among teens spiked after 2012 - just as smartphone use became common.”

Dr. Twenge recommends keeping smartphones and other devices out of the bedroom when it is time for sleep. Furthermore, the devices should not be used within an hour of bedtime because of the effect of the blue light. She concludes that two hours or less of screen time seems to be a good guideline.“These rules apply to parents, too - not only kids.”
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Smartphones and other devices are causing sleep deprivation in kids

A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health...

A little over one billion people use Facebook every day, according to <a href="https://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/">Facebook’s company statistics</a>, and around two billion people are active on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/materialistic-people-facebook/">Facebook</a> worldwide. 

With millions of users spending a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/business/facebook-bends-the-rules-of-audience-engagement-to-its-advantage.html">little under an hour</a> on average on Facebook and Instagram every day, it is a wonder that the company can sustain the massive profits it does on advertisement revenue alone while continuing to keep the platforms free. 

But exactly how valuable is Facebook to its users and how you do measure its worth when the service is free.

Researchers from <a href="https://umich.edu/">Michigan University</a>, <a href="https://www.kenyon.edu/">Kenyon College,</a> <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a> and <a href="https://www.susqu.edu/">Susquehanna University</a> conducted a study to find out. 

“Social media, and the internet more broadly, have changed the way we live and the way we keep in touch with friends and family, but it's hard to find evidence that the internet has made us richer or more productive at work,” said Jay Corrigan, a first author of the study. “We know people must derive tremendous value from Facebook or they wouldn't spend millions of hours on the site every day. The challenge is how to put a dollar value on a service people don't pay for.” 

Rather than look at the company and figure out the price of Facebook’s products in terms of value to its users, the researchers took a different approach and asked users how much it would cost to deactivate their accounts.

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE, and the results show that people would require over $1,000 as incentive to deactivate their Facebook for a year. 

The researchers set up three auctions and paid people to close their accounts for one day, one week, and one year. College students, a larger community-based sample, and a group of online participants took part in different auctions. 

For the first auction, 122 college students were asked to bid on deactivating their Facebook. On average, the students said would it take $4.17 to deactivate their account for one day, $13.89 for three days, $37 for a week.

The researchers then used these totals to calculate the yearly costs which were around $1,511 to $1,908 per year. 

For the second auction, 133 students along with 138 community members were asked to bid on deactivating Facebook. After calculating the yearly costs, the researchers found that the average price would be $2,076 for the students and $1,139 for the community members. 

In the third auction, which took place online, 931 adults had an average bid of $1,921 to deactivate their Facebook. 

At the end of the auctions, winners were paid if they could provide proof that their account had been deactivated for the required amount of time. 

“Auction participants faced real financial consequences, so had an incentive to seriously consider what compensation they would want to close their accounts for a set period of time and to bid truthfully,” said Sean B. Cash, a corresponding author for the study. “Students placed a higher value on Facebook than community members. A number of participants refused to bid at all, suggesting that deactivating Facebook for a year was not a welcome possibility.”

The researchers compared their auction results with the actual market value of Facebook which works out be around $190 per user. 

“While the measurable impact Facebook and other free online services have on the economy may be small, our results show that the benefits these services provide for their users are large," wrote the authors,” wrote the authors in the study.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How valuable is Facebook to its users?

A little over one billion people use Facebook every day,...

The <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)</a> has announced plans to launch another <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-to-return-humans-to-the-moon">human-crewed lunar mission</a> as well as several other ambitious deep space explorations sometime in the future. 

While the hazards of space travel and the risks of space itself have been the subject of much research, less focus has been paid to the dangers of interplanetary exploration. 

A new study has found that dust on the surface of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/frozen-water-discovered-moon/">moon</a> is so toxic it can damage cells and is extremely hazardous when inhaled. 

The Apollo Astronauts encountered “lunar dust” and found that the electrostatically charged soil particles that are bombarded daily by solar radiation clung to space suits and, if inhaled, caused eye, nose, and throat irritation. 

But now, researchers from <a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/">Stony Brook University</a> have discovered that compounds in lunar soil react with human cells and can generate extremely toxic hydroxyl radicals which are known to increase the risk of lung cancer, according to <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2188164-breathing-in-moon-dust-could-release-toxins-in-astronauts-lungs/">New Scientist</a> which reported on the study. 

The researchers presented their findings at the <a href="https://sites.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a> meeting in Washington D.C.

“Lunar dust represents one of the many hazards that humans will have to contend with when conducting missions on its surface,” the researchers wrote.

The team set out to determine how many hydroxyl radicals were produced in someone inhaled lunar dust. 

For the study, the researchers analyzed lunar dust samples and submerged two-iron based compounds, olivine and augite (both found in the moon in abundance), in a liquid meant to simulate the fluid found in human lungs. 

After just 15 minutes, the olivine and augite generated nine times more hydroxyl radicals per liter of the simulated lung fluid than quartz, which is also a highly toxic compound. 

“The fine metallic iron is extremely hazardous to human health,” Donald Hendrix, a member of the research team, told New Scientist.   

The results of the research indicate that there could be long-term health implications for 
astronauts exposed to lunar dust because inhaled particles can stay in the lungs for a long time.

If a human-crewed lunar mission is to become a reality, studies like this will be crucial for understanding how long-term exploration and exposure to harsh conditions on the surface of the moon will impact astronauts.  

“It is important to understand what effects lunar dust may have on astronauts if dust mitigation methods prove to be inadequate on future missions,” the researchers concluded. “Our work furthers understanding of the chemical properties of lunar dust reactivity, which could lead to medical advancements in treating those exposed to lunar dust.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Moon dust is extremely toxic and poses health hazards for astronauts

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced plans...

High blood pressure, often called “the silent killer,” is especially dangerous because many people may not have any symptoms indicating a problem, according to the <a href="http://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/why-high-blood-pressure-is-a-silent-killer">American Heart Association</a>. 

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, has become increasingly common, and the number of prescriptions for blood pressure medication has also risen drastically in many parts of the world. 

In England, for example, the number of adults given blood pressure medication rose by 50 percent between 2006 and 2016.

But now, a new study has found that exercise may be just as effective as blood pressure medication in lowering high blood pressure, although there are limitations to the study’s conclusions. 

The study was led by researchers from the <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/">London School of Economics and Political Science </a>who are quick to caution that the results, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, do not mean patients should stop taking blood pressure medication.

Instead, people with high blood pressure may want to increase their physical activity given the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-reduces-cancer-risk/">many proven benefits of exercise</a> beyond lowering blood pressure. 

To date, there have been no direct comparative trials that look at the impacts of exercise versus blood pressure medication in lowering high blood pressure, although it’s been shown that exercise can reduce systolic blood pressure. 

To compare medication to exercise, the researchers reviewed 194 trials that examined the impacts of drugs on systolic blood pressure and 197 trials involving exercise and its effect on blood pressure. Overall, the researchers collected data on 39,742 people across the different trials. 

Next, the team organized exercises into several categories which were endurance, high-intensity interval training, dynamic resistance, isometric resistance and a combination of endurance and resistance training. 

The researchers conducted three sets of analyses to compare the trials. One analysis compared all categories of exercise to all the different classes of blood pressure medication. 

Another analysis focused on different types of exercise and various drugs. The third analysis examined how intensity levels of exercise compared to varying doses of medication in lowering blood pressure. 

The researchers repeated the analyses using exercise trials that only had participants with high blood pressure.

At first, the results showed that blood pressure medication was more effective in lowering blood pressure. But when the researchers repeated their analyses with high blood pressure patients, exercise was just as effective as most of the blood pressure medications examined in the study. 

“We don't think, on the basis of our study, that patients should stop taking their antihypertensive medications,” said Huseyin Naci, the lead author of the study. “But we hope that our findings will inform evidence based discussions between clinicians and their patients.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exercise can help lower blood pressure as effectively as medication

High blood pressure, often called “the silent killer,” is especially...

As wildlife continues to dwindle across the world at alarming rates, social marketing campaigns are increasingly being used to help wild species. While these campaigns are a common tool for wildlife groups, there has been little research into their effectiveness. But now, a newly published study examines the effects of a social marketing campaign on human behavior and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bird-migration-forecasts-conservation/">conservation outcomes</a>.

Social marketing is generally thought of as the use of commercial marketing concepts to promote positive behavior changes. Social marketing campaigns are all around us, from billboard ads encouraging us to stop smoking to commercials pleading drivers not to drive drunk.

Wildlife social marketing campaigns seek to address the connection between consumer behavior and wildlife conservation. Consumers can play a huge role in wildlife protection efforts by simply choosing to reject products or activities that result in negative outcomes for wild animals.

Campaigns to educate consumers on wildlife attractions such as circuses and marine mammal shows have already resulted in steep drops in attendance to these events. Similarly, a<a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/press-releases/consumers-in-china-widely-support-upcoming-ivory-ban-but-awareness-is-low-largest-ever-ivory-consumer-survey-finds"> survey</a> of Chinese consumers found that half of past ivory buyers have stopped buying the product. The survey also found that 62% of persistent buyers of ivory were willing to reconsider their future purchases, suggesting that future social change campaigns in China have the potential to change consumer behavior.

The new<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30178894"> study</a>, entitled Qualitative impact evaluation of a social marketing campaign for conservation and published in Conservation Biology, examined the long-term effects of a 1998 campaign on the Caribbean island of Bonaire that aimed to increase the population of the Yellow-shouldered amazon, a threatened parrot species.

According to the<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22686325/110628721#threats"> International Union for the Conservation of Nature</a>, the main threat to the species is poaching for the pet trade where the species is “widely exploited”. Before the “Rare Pride” campaign there were more Yellow-shouldered amazons in captivity than in the wild in Bonaire. The population has since<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181204095414.htm"> increased</a> from 294 individuals in 1998 to 1,023 in 2018.

The organization Rare has implemented “Rare Pride” campaigns in over 30 countries. The “Rare Pride” campaigns use a variety of marketing tools such as posters, songs, fact sheets and church sermons. These campaigns work by not only educating the consumers about the issue but also by turning flagship species into a symbol of local pride. This connects the consumers directly to the issue and provides them a reason to change their behaviors.

According to<a href="https://www.rare.org/about"> Rare</a>, “Human behavior is the root cause of every major conservation and development challenge. Therefore, changing how people behave is the single most important thing we can do to ensure nature’s survival. Since people are emotional beings, we can leverage emotions—such as pride—to drive people toward action and unleash transformative change.”

The researchers found decreases in poaching and demand for the Yellow-shouldered Amazon with an associated increase in population after the Rare Pride campaign.

“Decreases in poaching and demand were likely driven by a combination of law enforcement, social marketing (including the Rare campaign), and environmental education in schools,” the researchers state.

Social marketing campaigns have also been effective in other countries such as Australia. A 2014<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/zoo.21120"> study</a> examined the conservation impact of a Melbourne zoo-based education campaign aimed at addressing the palm oil industry’s effect on orangutans and creating public support for mandatory labeling of palm oil on food products. 

Zoo visitors who had seen the orangutan exhibit showed a significant increase in palm oil awareness, concern about orangutans and support for palm oil labeling. Further, follow-up interviews showed that visitors changed their conservation behaviors by choosing palm oil free products.

Social marketing campaigns have the potential to create wide-scale consumer behavior change. These campaigns can be especially useful in areas where legislative change is unlikely to occur or legislative changes make a limited impact, such as with the elephant ivory trade.

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By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Behavior change campaigns found to be an effective conservation tool

As wildlife continues to dwindle across the world at alarming...

Anxiety and depression can be as hard on your health as smoking and obesity, according to a new study by researchers at <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">UC San Francisco</a>. These mental health disorders are largely overlooked as risk factors for many different conditions such as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sleep-heart-disease/">heart disease</a>, high blood pressure, arthritis, headaches, and back pain.

The investigation was focused on the health data of more than 15,000 older adults over a four-year period. The researchers found that 16 percent of the individuals suffered from high levels of anxiety and depression, 31 percent were obese, and 14 percent were current smokers.

The study revealed that participants with high levels of anxiety and depression were 65 percent more likely to develop a heart condition, 64 percent more likely to have a stroke, 50 percent more prone to high blood pressure, and had an 87 percent higher risk for arthritis compared to participants without anxiety and depression.

“These increased odds are similar to those of participants who are smokers or are obese,” said study senior author Dr. Aoife O'Donovan. “However, for arthritis, high anxiety and depression seem to confer higher risks than smoking and obesity.”

Out of all the health complications that were examined, the study authors found that high levels of depression and anxiety were not associated with a greater risk of developing cancer. 

“Our findings are in line with a lot of other studies showing that psychological distress is not a strong predictor of many types of cancer,” said Dr. O'Donovan. “On top of highlighting that mental health matters for a whole host of medical illnesses, it is important that we promote these null findings. We need to stop attributing cancer diagnoses to histories of stress, depression and anxiety.”

The team noted that symptoms such as headache, upset stomach, back pain, and shortness of breath were substantially increased by stress and depression. For example, the chance of a headache was 161 percent higher among individuals suffering from anxiety and depression compared with no increase among the participants who were obese and smokers.

“Anxiety and depression symptoms are strongly linked to poor physical health, yet these conditions continue to receive limited attention in primary care settings, compared to smoking and obesity,” said study first author Dr. Andrea Niles. “To our knowledge this is the first study that directly compared anxiety and depression to obesity and smoking as prospective risk factors for disease onset in long-term studies.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/hea/index.aspx">Health Psychology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Depression, anxiety can harm your health as much as smoking, obesity

Anxiety and depression can be as hard on your health...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> has found that couples who argue with the same level of intensity have a lower risk of premature death. 

Arguments can be very stressful and some partners go to great lengths to avoid a confrontation. However, bottled up emotions can have some serious consequences.

According to the researchers, if one partner holds back anger while the other partner aggressively discloses their feelings, it could almost double the risk of an early death.

The groundbreaking investigation was focused on 192 couples over the course of 32 years. The study revealed that those <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/couples-together-share-microbes/">couples</a> with compatible fighting styles tended to live longer.

Kyle Bourassa is a graduate student of Psychology at the University of Arizona. He explained: “The greater the mismatch between spouses’ anger-coping response style, the greater the risk of early death.”

“If spouses’ responses to conflict differ, this could translate into more daily conflict over time. One may want more heated disagreements, whereas another partner might not, leaving both partners dissatisfied with how their conflicts are handled.”

“This could result in more daily stress that would damage people’s health over the long-term. Couples whose interpersonal styles better match might have less conflict and maintain better health as a result.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.lww.com/psychosomaticmedicine/pages/default.aspx">Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Couples who have healthy arguments end up living longer, study finds

A new study from the University of Arizona has found...

A new study from <a href="https://www.dukehealth.org/locations/duke-university-medical-center">Duke University Medical Center</a> has revealed that the psychoactive ingredient in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/medical-marijuana-chronic-nerve-pain/">marijuana</a> known as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can have a major impact on sperm. The researchers found that THC triggers structural and regulatory changes in sperm that could possibly affect any children that are conceived.

“In terms of what it means for the developing child, we just don't know,” said study lead author Susan K. Murphy. She explained that it is unknown whether sperm affected by THC could be healthy enough to even fertilize an egg and continue its development into an embryo.

A study focused on 24 men along with experiments in rats demonstrated that THC targets genes in two major cellular pathways and alters DNA methylation, a process essential to normal development.

“What we have found is that the effects of cannabis use on males and their reproductive health are not completely null, in that there's something about cannabis use that affects the genetic profile in sperm,” said study senior author Dr. Scott Kollins.

“We don't yet know what that means, but the fact that more and more young males of child-bearing age have legal access to cannabis is something we should be thinking about.”

The study defined regular marijuana users as those who had smoked at least once per week for the last six months. The researchers compared the sperm of regular users to those who had not used marijuana in the last six months and who had not smoked more than 10 times ever. 

The experts found that as the concentration of THC in the men's urine increased, the genetic changes to their sperm became more pronounced. 

While the THC affected hundreds of different genes in rats and humans, the same two major cellular pathways were involved. One of the pathways helps the body's organs reach their full size, and the other pathway regulates a large number of genes that are needed for other types of growth and development.

The study is limited by the relatively small number of men involved in the trial, and the findings could be influenced by other factors such as their nutrition, sleep, alcohol use, and other lifestyle habits.

The Duke team will continue the research with larger groups, and will study whether changes in sperm are reversed when men stop using marijuana. The researchers also plan to test the umbilical cord blood of babies born to fathers with THC-altered sperm to determine if any epigenetic changes are passed down to the child.

“We know that there are effects of cannabis use on the regulatory mechanisms in sperm DNA, but we don't know whether they can be transmitted to the next generation,” said Murphy.

“In the absence of a larger, definitive study, the best advice would be to assume these changes are going to be there. We don't know whether they are going to be permanent. I would say, as a precaution, stop using cannabis for at least six months before trying to conceive."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/kepi20">Epigenetics</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marijuana use can cause major changes in men’s sperm

A new study from Duke University Medical Center has revealed...

Interventions are often thought of as dramatic and emotional in-person scenarios that place pressure on an addict to get help. But what if modern technology could offer alternative methods of achieving the same goal with perhaps even a better success rate?

Researcher Heleen Riper and her colleagues from the <a href="https://www.vu.nl/en">Vrije University in Amsterdam</a> believe that internet-based interventions could reduce adult <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/binge-drinking-alcohol-sleep/">problem drinking</a> within both community and health care settings. 

Their study, published December 18th in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</a>, states that interventions for adult problem drinking (iAIs) could be the catalyst for changing problem-drinking behaviors and seeking further treatment. 

Riper and her team analyzed patient data for 14,198 adults who exhibited problem drinking within 19 randomized controlled iAIs trials, as well as post-treatment data from 8,095 patients.

The data showed the researchers that iAIs in both community and health care settings adequately reduced alcohol consumption in the majority of participants, dropping the mean consumption from 381 grams of ethanol to 392 grams. They also found that participants who took part in iAIs were more likely to achieve adherence to low-risk drinking limits than the controls.

Furthermore, people above age 55 were more like to follow post-intervention low-risk drinking recommendations than younger people, and men showed a greater drop in weekly alcohol consumption than women, by about 20 grams of ethanol.

Although face-to-face interventions are effective, iAIs are more accessible and acceptable to problem drinkers. They can also reach a wider audience and encourage change before further treatment is sought out.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Internet-based drinking interventions found to be effective

Interventions are often thought of as dramatic and emotional in-person...

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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> 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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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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