Let's face it: resisting that extra slice of chocolate cake or those tempting cookies can be a real struggle. We've all been there. But have you ever wondered why some people seem to have an easier time making healthy choices than others? New research suggests that our body mass index (BMI) might play a role in our snacking battles. Being <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-now-affects-more-than-a-billion-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">overweight</a> changes brain activity and makes it harder to resist unhealthy foods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-dilemma-of-overweight-individuals">Brain dilemma of overweight individuals </h2>



Canadian scientists from <a href="https://www.queensu.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen's University</a> conducted a study to understand how the brain influences our food choices. They used MRI scans to monitor the brain activity of 123 individuals. Participants were presented with different food choices and asked to make decisions.



The researchers discovered that individuals with a higher BMI experienced significantly more mental effort when choosing healthy foods over preferred snacks.



"We examined how brain states change when making natural and regulated dietary choices in an established food task. Individuals with lower weight status could successfully modify their eating behaviours while maintaining similar modes of brain activity. Individuals with higher <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-can-be-passed-down-from-parents-to-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weight</a> status could not rely on this mechanism," noted the study authors.



The research highlights a concerning prediction: over 18% of the world's adult population will likely be obese by 2025. This statistic emphasizes that many people find it challenging to maintain a healthy diet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-activity-of-overweight-individuals">Brain activity of overweight individuals</h2>



The Canadian study's key takeaway lies in how the brain orchestrates food choices in individuals with varying BMIs. Here's a deeper dive into what the researchers may have observed in the brain scans:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lower-bmi">Lower BMI</h3>



People with lower BMIs likely exhibited a steadier pattern of brain activity during food selection. This stability suggests their brains didn't require a significant shift in function to prioritize healthy options. 



Over time, individuals with lower BMIs might have developed well-defined neural pathways associated with healthy eating behaviors. These pathways act like established highways within the brain, making healthy choices more automatic and requiring less conscious effort. 



Another possibility is that the brains of individuals with lower BMIs might show less activation in areas linked to reward processing when presented with tempting, unhealthy options. Basically, these options might not trigger the same intense pleasure response in the brain, making it easier to resist them. 



For example, for someone with a lower BMI, the brain's reward system might not light up as intensely when presented with a dessert compared to someone with a higher BMI. This dampened pleasure response could translate to a weaker craving and less difficulty in resisting the unhealthy option. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-higher-bmi">Higher BMI</h3>



The study suggests that people with a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/excess-weight-in-middle-age-shortens-life-expectancy-by-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">higher BMI</a> exhibited a more significant shift in brain activity during food choices. This heightened activity indicates their brains had to work considerably harder to overcome the allure of unhealthy options and prioritize healthy ones. 



Individuals with a higher BMI might experience a surge in activity in brain regions associated with cravings and reward seeking when presented with unhealthy foods. This heightened response could be likened to a stronger signal on the brain's reward network, making it much more challenging to resist temptation. To counteract the strong pull of unhealthy options, people with a higher BMI might need to activate areas of the brain responsible for cognitive control and decision-making to a greater degree. This increased mental effort might explain why some people find it so difficult to make healthy choices consistently. 



Think of it like applying the brakes on a speeding car. The greater the temptation (speeding car), the harder the brain (driver) has to press the brakes (cognitive control) to resist the unhealthy option and choose the healthy one.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cause-and-effect-mystery">Cause and effect mystery</h2>



It's crucial to remember that this research is correlational, meaning it shows an association but doesn't prove that one causes the other. The researchers can't definitively say whether difficulty with healthy choices leads to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obese-higher-taste-satisfaction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">weight gain</a>, or whether weight gain changes the brain and makes healthy choices harder. More research is needed to untangle this cause-and-effect mystery.



The study offers a fascinating glimpse into the complex interplay between brain activity and food choices. It opens doors for future research to explore potential interventions that could help people, regardless of their BMI, make healthier choices with less internal struggle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-activity-from-being-overweight">Brain activity from being overweight</h2>



The study proves several key points:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-it-s-not-just-about-willpower">It's not just about willpower</h3>



For years, we've often been told that healthy eating is a simple matter of willpower. However, this study highlights that our biology plays a much larger role than previously understood. The brain's response to food cues, reward signaling, and the effort required for decision-making can significantly impact our choices.



This knowledge is essential because it can help remove the stigma and self-blame that often surrounds difficulty in maintaining a healthy diet. Understanding that there's a strong biological component can encourage a more compassionate approach toward oneself and others.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biological-component">Biological component</h3>



The research doesn't imply that people with high BMIs lack willpower. Rather, it suggests there may be underlying differences in brain wiring affecting how their brains process food choices. This difference makes resisting unhealthy options require significantly greater mental effort.



This understanding removes judgment from the equation. People struggling with their weight aren't "weak-willed" - their brains may simply be working differently. Acknowledging this biological component fosters empathy and moves the focus away from blame.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-solutions-for-brain-activity-in-overweight-individuals">Potential solutions for brain activity in overweight individuals</h3>



This research paves the way for developing effective and personalized strategies to help people manage their weight. Traditional approaches centered purely on willpower often fall short because they ignore this complex biological aspect.



By understanding how the brain influences food choices, scientists and healthcare professionals can develop interventions that address the root causes of the struggle. These interventions might include things like cognitive training, behavioral therapy, or possibly even targeted medications to support brain processes involved in healthy decision-making.



The study offers a beacon of hope, highlighting the potential for science to revolutionize how we approach weight management and improve dietary habits. It's a shift towards a more supportive and solution-focused outlook.



If you find yourself struggling with cravings, don't beat yourself up. Your brain might be working against you. Don't underestimate the power of small changes. 



Even minor shifts in your eating habits can make a long-term difference. Seek support from healthcare professionals and explore resources for healthier eating.



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Being overweight makes it hard for the brain to resist unhealthy food

Let's face it: resisting that extra slice of chocolate cake or those tempting cookies can be a real struggle. We've all been there. But have you ever wondered why some people seem to have an easier time making healthy choices than others? New research suggests that our body mass index (BMI) might play a role in our snacking battles. Being overweight changes brain activity and makes it harder to resist unhealthy foods. Brain dilemma of overweight individuals Canadian scientists from Queen's University conducted a study to understand...

Many studies have been done on the effects that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noise-pollution-heart-disease/">noise pollution</a> from boats and large ships in our ocean may have on marine life. Species ranging from whales and dolphins to small fish can have their hunting abilities and communication patterns disturbed by the noise created underwater by our ocean-faring vessels. But what about the smaller disturbances we may present, such as activities like swimming, scuba diving, and kayaking?

Researcher Christine Erbe, director of the Centre for Marine Science &amp; Technology at <a href="http://www.curtin.edu.au/">Curtin University</a> in Perth, Western Australia, recently presented her work exploring the impact of man-made underwater noise on marine life. 

“Humans generate underwater noise the moment we take to the water,” says Erbe. “Many people don’t realize that sound travels extremely well and far underwater -- we can hear individual ships tens to hundreds of kilometers away. And when we’re out on the ocean, we can hear ships coming long before we finally see them appear on the horizon.”

Marine animals rely on sound for all of their major life functions, such as foraging, mating, and moving from place to place. To study how our activities may appear to animals underwater, Erbe deployed hydrophones – which are underwater microphones – to record the sound of people swimming in a pool.

“Thanks to simultaneous underwater video and audio recordings, we were able to match specific sounds with activities – including different swimming styles, diving, kayaking and scuba diving,” Erbe explains. “It turns out, most of the sound is related to bubbles that we generate at the water's surface. Every time your arms pierce the surface while swimming freestyle, you push a bubble cloud underwater, which vibrates and sends out an acoustic wave.”

The researchers found that swimming breaststroke was the quietest way for participants to move about. After a while, they were even able to tell which participants swam which style – just by listening to the sounds. 

“Some of us use much more force in swimming than others,” says Erbe. “For example, some swimmers exerted more energy vertically downward – pushing huge and noisy bubble clouds underwater, while other swimmers used their energy more in a forward-propelling sense and created much less bubble noise vertically below them.

When determining the noises made by kayaking, they found that the water falling off the edge of each paddle created a high-frequency dripping sound underwater, which was easily recognizable. “Scuba divers also create an alternating pattern of breathing in and out, which is clearly distinguishable underwater,” Erbe says.

Ultimately, the researchers determined that sounds from non-motorized water sports are unlikely to cause any harm to marine animals. But they want you to know that – although you may not be able to see them – marine animals are able to hear you.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human activity creates marine noise pollution animals can hear

Many studies have been done on the effects that noise...

A team at <a href="https://www.csail.mit.edu/">MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory</a> (CSAIL) is developing technology that will allow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-driving-cars-parking/">self-driving cars</a> to navigate new roads without 3D maps. The framework, which is called MapLite, uses GPS data along with sensors that monitor road conditions.

After a woman was struck and killed by a self-driving Uber vehicle in March, it seems clear that autonomous cars are not yet safe enough for widespread adoption. In addition, there are still few places where these vehicles can even operate.

Self-driving cars are being tested in major cities where exhaustive research has been done to meticulously map the exact 3D positions of lanes, curbs, off-ramps, and stop signs.


On the other hand, roads that are unpaved or not very well-lit can be extremely difficult to map, so it could be a long time before 3D maps are designed for them. MapLite may be advanced enough to eliminate this problem.

“The reason this kind of  ‘map-less’ approach hasn't really been done before is because it is generally much harder to reach the same accuracy and reliability as with detailed maps," explained CSAIL graduate student Teddy Ort. 

“A system like this that can navigate just with on-board sensors shows the potential of self-driving cars being able to actually handle roads beyond the small number that tech companies have mapped.”

The MapLite team collaborated with the Toyota Research Institute and equipped a Prius with a range of LIDAR and IMU sensors. These sensors are used for all aspects of navigation - the GPS data is only used to obtain a rough estimate of the car's location. 

A path is generated by the car’s perception sensors to a preset “local navigation goal,” which must be in view of the vehicle, and a final destination. LIDAR is used to detect the road’s edges.

“Our minimalist approach to mapping enables autonomous driving on country roads using local appearance and semantic features such as the presence of a parking spot or a side road,” said study co-author Professor Daniela Rus.

Next, the researchers will expand upon the types of roads MapLite can navigate. For example, the technology is not yet optimized for mountain roads because it is not programmed to account for changes in elevation. 

“I imagine that the self-driving cars of the future will always make some use of 3D maps in urban areas,” said Ort. “But when called upon to take a trip off the beaten path, these vehicles will need to be as good as humans at driving on unfamiliar roads they have never seen before. We hope our work is a step in that direction.”

The research will be presented this month at the <a href="http://www.icra2017.org/">International Conference on Robotics and Automation</a> (ICRA) in Brisbane, Australia.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer

Image Credit: MIT CSAIL

Self-driving cars can now navigate back roads without 3D maps

A team at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory...

A new study may have found what causes low sociability in some monkeys and a biomarker for certain spectrum disorders like autism in humans. 

Currently, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/autism-rates-united-states/">autism</a> is diagnosed through behavior, but finding a measurable biological way to diagnose the disorder has been a goal for many researchers. Unfortunately, previous studies were unable to find any kind of biological signifier. 

However, researchers from <a href="http://www.cnprc.ucdavis.edu/">the California National Primate Research Center</a> at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> and <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> may have possibly found a link between low levels of the hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP) and autism. 

Children with autism often have lower social abilities, and monkeys, although typically known for their social behaviors, exhibit different ranges of social preferences. 

The researchers tested low social and high social macaques in order to see if there were any biological explanations for their difference in social behavior. 

Fifteen percent of the macaques at the California Primate Center are classified as low social and spend less time interacting with others. 

Blood and cerebral fluid samples were taken from both high and low social macaques and analyzed by the researchers. 

The only significant difference between the two social types were the levels of AVP, a hormone found in the cerebral fluid. Further tests confirmed that AVP levels don’t fluctuate over time in monkeys and low levels inhibit social abilities. 

The researchers then examined cerebrospinal fluid samples that had been previously collected from children, seven of whom were diagnosed with autism, for other medical reasons. 

Those who had autism also had lower levels of AVP, similar to the macaques. 

“At this point, we consider vasopressin concentrations to be a biomarker for low sociability,” said John Capitanio, a member of the researcher team.

The researchers say that future studies focusing on boosting AVP levels could pave the way for new treatments for autism.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Scientists may have found the biomarker for diagnosing autism

A new study may have found what causes low sociability...

Stress actually can turn your hair gray, according to researchers at the <a href="http://www.uab.edu/home/">University of Alabama Birmingham</a>. The experts discovered a connection between the genes that trigger immune response and the regulation of hair and skin color.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warmer-temperatures-higher-stress/">Stress</a> or illness causes our bodies to go into defense mode and, as a result, cells release proteins called interferons. These molecules activate genes known as interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) that signal cells to go into an antiviral state.

During experiments with mice, the researchers were surprised to discover a direct link between the expression of antiviral genes and hair graying. Essentially, the scientists found that elevation of innate immune response leads to an increase in gray hair.

Study co-author Dr. William Pavan is a genetic disease expert at the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a> (NIH).

“This new discovery suggests that genes that control pigment in hair and skin also work to control the innate immune system,” said Dr. Pavan. “These results may enhance our understanding of hair graying.”

“More importantly, discovering this connection will help us understand pigmentation diseases with innate immune system involvement like vitiligo.”

Vitiligo is a condition where patches of skin lose their color due to the destruction of pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes, which also produce hair color.

The researchers explained that innate immune activation has a negative effect on melanocytes, which underlies the connection between viral infection and hair graying.

“This finding describes a new mechanism by which melanocytes can intrinsically regulate their innate immune response, the implications of which are relevant to both melanocyte physiology and disease,” wrote the study authors.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals that stress actually does cause gray hair

Stress actually can turn your hair gray, according to researchers...

Researchers are reporting that the poorest countries will be hit the hardest by larger and more frequent thermal fluctuations triggered by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>.

The goal of the investigation was to predict how weather extremes such as heat waves and cold snaps may shift with the changing climate. The team analyzed 37 different climate models that were used for the last report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

According to the study, temperature variability will increase by up to 15 percent in southern Africa and Amazonia for every degree of global warming. In the Sahel, India, and Southeast Asia, this variability will rise by up to 10 percent.

Ironically, many of the wealthier countries that have contributed the most to climate change are predicted to experience a decrease in temperature variability. The experts referred to this trend as an “unfair pattern” that was revealed during their analysis.

“The countries that have contributed least to climate change, and have the least economic potential to cope with the impacts are facing the largest increases in temperature variability,” said lead author Dr. Sebastian Bathiany of <a href="https://www.wur.nl/en/wageningen-university.htm">Wageningen University</a>.

“The countries affected by this dual challenge of poverty and increasing temperature variability already share half of the world's population, and population growth rates are particularly large in these countries,” added co-author Tim Lenton, a professor at the at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. 

“These increases are bad news for tropical societies and ecosystems that are not adapted to fluctuations outside of the typical range.”


The experts also determined that the increased temperature fluctuations in the tropics will primarily coincide with droughts, worsening the strain on food and water supplies in poorer countries.


The study is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Temperature fluctuations to strike the poorest countries the most

Researchers are reporting that the poorest countries will be hit...

A new study from <a href="https://www.qub.ac.uk/">Queen's University Belfast</a> has found that approximately one million less people moved to new homes in the 2000s compared to the 1970s. The new trend is linked to an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cells-resistant-viruses-aging/">aging</a> population, changes in the housing market, and modified behavior patterns.

“There has been a decade-on-decade decrease in people moving home,” said study lead author Dr. Shuttleworth. “Using statistics from the census we measured the proportion of people changing addresses and found that this fell from 55% between 1971 and 1981 and to 45% between 2001 and 2011.”

Dr. Shuttleworth noted that the shift took place before the Great Recession of the late 2000s and early 2010s, so the decrease in migration cannot be fully explained by the economy.

The team spent three years investigating how many people moved to new homes in seven countries. They established that around a third of the internal migration decline in England and Wales could be attributed to changes in the population such as aging, but the remaining two-thirds of the decline correlated with changes in behavior. People are simply moving less than they did in the 1970s.

The study revealed the same trend in many other countries including Australia, Japan, the United States, Germany, and Italy. The only country examined in the study which saw a rise in migration was Sweden.

“The fall in migration has been most significant for moves of under 10 km and it has been experienced by nearly all types of people,” explained Dr. Shuttleworth. “It is not just the elderly who are not moving as much as they did in the 1970s but all age groups, it is not only owner occupiers but also those in social-rented housing and falls are not just concentrated amongst the unemployed but have also been experienced by those in work.”

Dr. Shuttleworth explained some of the dynamics of the changing population in England and Wales that contribute to how many people are moving.

“Some people are more mobile than others, for example, older people tend to change address less than younger people, whereas those with more education tend to move more than those who lack it,” said Dr. Shuttleworth.

“Our analysis also points to extended lives and a delay in people moving from their parent's house to their own home. Workers also are commuting longer distances on a daily or weekly basis instead of moving home, and improved transport and communication technologies mean that there is less need to move."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15448452">Population, Space and Place</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Far fewer people are moving into new homes compared to the 1970s

A new study from Queen's University Belfast has found that...

The saying goes, ‘You are what you eat,’ so where does that leave those who eat trash, or even just plants?  The truth is that all species are connected to each other and the inanimate earth through the simple act of eating; by eating (broadly defined) we are all part of each other.  Consumption of food is one of the most direct impacts we can have on the world around us and it’s easily, even instinctively understood. To live, we must consume the lives of others. 

According to a study from the <a href="http://www.csiro.au/">Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation</a> (CSIRO), it is estimated that the food system creates between 19% and 29% of global greenhouse gas emissions as well as 70% of worldwide fresh water consumption.  According to the same source, larger portions of food contribute to a larger carbon footprint. According to a paper in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition">Frontiers in Nutrition</a>, livestock contribute 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions from human caused sources.  Vegetarians have long touted such statistics, pointing to the environmental benefit of their diet.  Vegans often claim an even lower impact than vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy, but a study on from <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a> found that the environmental impacts between vegetarians and vegans is similar.

The theory behind vegetarianism for the environment is simple.  Most cultivated plants such as corn or hay are grown for animal feed and aren’t very edible for humans.  Cutting out meat takes millions of acres out of production, freeing them up for wild animal habitat. 

Besides less land, plant crops also use less energy to create than animal products.  Animals still eat plants and due to inefficiency in energy transfer, use only some of the plant’s caloric energy to create meat, eggs or dairy.  According to a paper on <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/">iopscience.iop.org</a> by A. Shepon, et al, dairy and eggs are the most energy efficient of animal products at 17%.  Beef production is the least efficient, as only 3% of energy input is recaptured in meat. Chicken is the most efficient meat at 13%.  

Energy use also comes down to greenhouse gas production, and livestock contribute significantly to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-changes-greenhouse-gases/">greenhouse gas</a> production, but plants on the other hand do not on their own.  In fact, plants actually reduce carbon in the atmosphere. In a paper in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/agriculture-ecosystems-and-environment/">Agriculture, Ecosystems &amp; Environment</a>, Isack Mathew, et.al. found that corn is the best crop for carbon sequestration.  

According to <a href="http://theconversation.com/au">The Conversation</a> about 25% of carbon produced by humans is absorbed by plants and about that same amount ends up in the ocean.  In a paper in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn">The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>, David &amp; Marcia Pimentel write that, 2 billion people live on a meat based diet while 4 billion live on a plant based diet globally.  In the United States, about 50% of land use is given over to agriculture, while 80% of water use and 17% of fossil fuel use is from agriculture.  Energy used to produce eggs and dairy for use in a vegetarian diet ends up being about half the energy used to produce meat. In the end though, no diet is without energy cost and in our modern world, that energy is often fossil fuels.  

There is one way out of this, at least for a percentage of people.  According to the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">USDA</a>, food waste in the US is about 30-40% of food supply.  This means that even eating nothing but plants, there is a great deal of waste.  

It’s common knowledge that a lot of useful food ends up in dumpsters across the country.  There are those who eat from the dumpsters, collecting food that would otherwise be wasted.  Many people see collecting food waste from trash as disgusting but I think it’s more palatable when reframed.  It’s good to remember that all food was once part of a life form, valuable in and of itself beyond its usefulness to a human consumer.  

The fact is that agriculture is largely unsustainable and just a small part of a larger unsustainable lifestyle inherit in our civilization at this point.  Freeganism, the act of collecting food from trash, is a response to the unsustainability of our lifestyle. David Emanuel from <a href="https://freegan.info/">freegan.info</a> brought this up in an interview I did with him before for my <a href="http://zachofjungle.com">personal blog</a>:

“What struck me most about their various points of view was the idea that modern, industrial civilization is—by definition—unsustainable and what we perceive as “progress” is an illusion at best and a crime at worst. And they all (authors he was reading), in their own ways, highlighted the fact that all civilizations go through periods of creation, maintenance and decay and ours is no exception. In fact, it was highly likely that The American Way was in a period of decay or collapse.”    

Freeganism offers a chance to use food that’s already been produced, meaning you’re not contributing to any more pollution or energy use than would otherwise occur.  Freeganism even more than vegan or vegetarianism offers a solution, it offers a greater efficiency of consumption, of energy use on a systematic level from the actions of individuals.  It’s like buying clothes from a thrift shop: you’re not contributing directly to child labor or industrial problems, instead you get things at a cheaper price. Freeganism only requires an open mind and a bit of creativity to implement and the world is better for it.

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Whatever you eat impacts the environment and climate change

The saying goes, ‘You are what you eat,’ so where...

DNA analysis by an international research team has revealed new details about the founding population of the Americas. After early Native Americans first migrated to the New World from Siberia over 20,000 years ago, their population exploded from just around 250 individuals to tens of millions in the millenia that followed.

Study co-author Michael Crawford is an anthropological geneticist at the <a href="https://www.ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a>.

“It is difficult to go back in time to follow the populations, but we can characterize contemporary genetic diversity and estimate the mutation rates that have occurred in different regions,” said Crawford.

The research was focused on DNA spanning 15,000 years. The samples represented individuals of different tribes along the path of migration, including China, Siberia, and Central and South America. 

The team used isolation-with-migration computer simulation models to estimate the number of founding Native Americans, and ultimately narrowed this down to 250 individuals.

As the population grew, the indigenous people split off to form new communities, spreading out from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/13000-year-old-footprints/">Canada</a> to Argentina in the 15,000 years after they arrived in the Americas.

“Going from a few hundred founders to around 40 million inhabitants of the Americas, who eventually live under different environmental conditions to which they adapt, is pretty exciting stuff,” said Crawford. “It's about understanding how evolution operates in terms of genetic diversity.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.scielo.br/gmb">Genetics and Molecular Biology</a>,

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

First Native American population began with just 250 people

DNA analysis by an international research team has revealed new...

In the wide world of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/boozing-beetles-alcohol/">alcohol</a>, brewers and distillers can make alcoholic beverages using everything from potatoes to grapes – so why not wood? Researchers at Japan’s <a href="https://www.ffpri.affrc.go.jp/en/">Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute</a> report that lumber-based beverages might soon be the newest member of the alcohol family. Apparently, these beverages have woody qualities that make them similar to alcohol aged in wood barrels.

To make this woody drink, the researchers pulverized wood into a creamy paste, then added yeast and an enzyme to begin the fermentation process. They are able to use different woods – such as cedar, birch, and cherry – and avoid using heat in order to preserve the flavor of each specific food. Using four kilograms of cedar wood gave them almost four liters of liquid, with an alcohol content of about 15 percent.

A similar process of wood fermentation is currently used to produce biofuel, but the final product is flavorless and contains toxins – so it’s not exactly drinkable. “But our method can make it drinkable, and with a wood flavor, because it does not require high heat or sulphuric acid to decompose the wood,” says researcher Kengo Magara.

The Forestry and Forest Products Research in Japan – a government institute – plans on commercializing the venture with a partner in the private sector and have the wood alcohol on shelves within three years. 

“We thought it would be interesting to think that alcohol could be made from something around here like trees,” Magara says. “It’s a dream-inspired project.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lumber liquor: Scientists unveil alcohol that’s made from trees

In the wide world of alcohol, brewers and distillers can...

Ecstasy is best known for being a “party drug,” used to create an intense feeling of euphoria that can last for hours. It also reduces fear and gives the user an overwhelming sense of love and acceptance of themselves and others. Now, scientists may have found another use for the drug – outside of its usual dance parties and raves.

Dr. Allison Feduccia of the <a href="http://www.maps.org/">Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies</a> (MAPS) Public Benefit Corporation in Santa Cruz, California led a study of veterans and emergency service personnel diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through treating this condition with varying doses of MDMA (the more scientific term for ecstasy), the study found that ecstasy could effectively treat or even cure the disorder, as it reduced depression and improved sleep quality.

This illegal drug has been an emerging treatment for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-outdoors-mental-health/">PTSD</a> in recent years, with the US Food and Drug administration already calling the drug a “breakthrough therapy,” putting it on the fast track for review and potential approval. Currently, approved treatments such as counseling and legal prescribed drugs have been shown to be ineffective.

About eight percent of the population suffers from PTSD, with one-in-six military personnel and veterans and as much as a third of emergency service workers affected by the condition. The disorder can appear as insomnia or hyper-alertness, with those who suffer from it being six times more likely to commit suicide and have marital problems.

For her study, Feduccia randomly selected 26 volunteers, including 22 veterans, three firefighters, and one police officer – all who had suffered from PTSD for at least six months. Out of these participants, groups were randomly selected to receive 30, 75, or 125mg doses of MDMA during counselling sessions. 

One month after the second session took place, over half of the 125mg group no longer had PTSD, and almost all of the 75mg group were shown to no longer be suffering from PTSD as well. For the 30mg group, slightly less than 30 percent of the participants no longer showed signs of the condition. On average, the two higher dose groups experienced up to five times greater reductions in symptom severity – including decreases in depression and improvements in sleep. After one year, about 57 percent of the two high dose groups were still clear of PTSD.

“In this environment, our study suggests that MDMA might help augment the psychotherapeutic experiences and may have a role to play in the future treatment of PTSD,” says Feduccia. “However, we would certainly not recommend that individuals try these drugs for the treatment of psychiatric disorders without the support from trained psychotherapists.”

The findings of this study add to two previous studies by MAPS, both of which showed encouraging results as well. While further studies are needed – as well as larger sample sizes – these studies show that there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for those that suffer from this terrible disorder. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ecstasy shows promising results as a potential treatment for PTSD

Ecstasy is best known for being a “party drug,” used...

Eating more fruit and cutting out fast food could help improve fertility in women and reduce the time it takes to get pregnant, according to a new study. 

Fertility studies don’t often examine the impact that diet has on conception beyond those who are in the process of fertility treatments, and the results show that eating fast food multiple times a week reduces the chances of conceiving within a year. 

The study was conducted by research midwives in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland and led by the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide, Australia</a>. The research was published in the journal Human Reproduction. 

For the study, 5598 women were asked about their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-diet-healthier-aging/">diet</a> and how long it took to conceive during their first prenatal or antenatal visit after 14 to 16 weeks of pregnancy. The midwives asked how much fruit, leafy vegetables, fish and fast food each woman consumed the month before getting pregnant. 

The women were part of the multi-center Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) study from 2004 and 2011 and the majority of the participants had not received any fertility treatments before conception. 

“Most of the women did not have a history of infertility. We adjusted the relationships with pre-pregnancy diet to take account of several factors known to increase the risk of infertility, including elevated body mass index [BMI] and maternal age, smoking, and alcohol intake,” said Jessica Grieger, the study’s first author. “As diet is a modifiable factor, our findings underscore the importance of considering preconception diet to support timely conception for women planning pregnancy.”

Fruit and fast food had a major impact on the study’s results and women who ate fruit less than one to three times a month took half a month longer to conceive. 

For those women who frequently ate fast food, the researchers found that it took almost a month longer to conceive compared to those who rarely ate fast food. 

The researchers also found that not eating fruit increased the risk of infertility from 8 percent to 12 percent, and eating fast food four or more times a week increased infertility risk from 8 percent to 16 percent. 

“These findings show that eating a good quality diet that includes fruit and minimizing fast food consumption improves fertility and reduces the time it takes to get pregnant,” said Claire Roberts, the leader of the research. 

There are some limitations to the study as any research that relies on data from recalled information isn’t wholly reliable and there might have been other influencing factors that the researchers didn’t consider. 

However, even with the uncertain variables in the study, the researchers are confident in the results. 

“We recommend that women who want to become pregnant should align their dietary intakes towards national dietary recommendations for pregnancy,” said Grieger. “Our data show that frequent consumption of fast foods delays time to pregnancy.”

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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

Eating more fruit and less fast food can speed up conception

Eating more fruit and cutting out fast food could help...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-lakes-freshwater/">Lakes</a> in the Northern Hemisphere could soon emit substantial levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-methane-bubbles/">methane</a>, a greenhouse gas that’s more potent than CO2, and further drive global warming. 

A new study on methane emissions from lakes found that tree debris like pine needles suppress methane, while debris from plants in wetlands could double methane emissions in lakes over the next 50 years. 

The research was led by Andrew Tanentzap from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge's </a>Department of Plant Sciences and published in the journal Nature Communications.

The results are especially worrying because the world's forests are shrinking but wetland plants that create methane emissions are thriving. 

It’s yet another feedback loop where climate change creates optimal conditions for releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which drives up temperatures in a vicious cycle, according to the researchers. 

“We believe we have discovered a new mechanism that has the potential to cause increasingly more greenhouse gases to be produced by freshwater lakes,” said Tanentzap. “The warming climates that promote the growth of aquatic plants have the potential to trigger a damaging feedback loop in natural ecosystems.”

77 percent of methane emissions in lakes are from microbes that eat organic matter from plants near the water. Matter from the plants gets buried in sediment where it becomes the perfect food source for microbes. 

Tanentzap and his fellow researchers wanted to see if different plants impacted the amount of methane emitted from lakes and tested three different types of plant debris. 

Leaves from deciduous trees, coniferous pine needles, and cat-tails were added to lake sediment and left for 150 days. The researchers then measured the methane produced by each type of plant debris. 

The sediment with the cattails produced over 400 times the amount of methane that the coniferous sediment emitted, and almost 2,800 times the methane the deciduous sediment produced. 

The researchers also added microbes to the three sediment debris samples in order to see how methane-producing microbes would impact the methane emitted. 

With microbes in the mix, the cattail sample produced twice the amount the methane as compared to the other two debris. 

The researchers used a species distribution model to see how climate change would impact the methane-producing plant species near lakes in central and eastern Canada, an area rich with forests and lakes. 

The results show that in that region, the number of lakes with cattails could double in the next fifty years and increase methane emissions from lakes by 73 percent. 

“Accurately predicting methane emissions is vital to the scientific calculations used to try and understand the pace of climate change and the effects of a warmer world,” said Tanentzap. “We still have limited understanding of the fluctuations in methane production from plants and freshwater lakes.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Andrew Tanentzap

Methane emissions from lakes could double over the next 50 years

Lakes in the Northern Hemisphere could soon emit substantial levels...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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