Being cool can feel elusive and almost mythic - something we “know when we see it,” yet struggle to define.



A sweeping new investigation led by marketing scholars Todd Pezzuti of <a href="https://www.uai.cl/">Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez</a> and Caleb Warren of the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> argues that the concept is far less mysterious than it seems.



Across twelve nations, nearly 6,000 participants independently picked out the same constellation of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personality-type-can-accurately-predict-your-relationship-status/">personality</a> traits when describing a cool person. 



The findings reveal not only what separates “cool” from “good” but also why cool people tend to become catalysts of social change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-cool-across-12-nations">Mapping cool across 12 nations</h2>



Between 2018 and 2022, the research team collected online responses from adults in the United States, Australia, Chile, mainland China, Hong Kong, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey.



Participants first confirmed that they understood the slang meaning of the word “cool,” then spent a few minutes imagining someone who embodied one of four labels: cool, uncool, good, or not good.



Afterward, volunteers evaluated that imagined person on a battery of personality dimensions drawn from psychology’s “Big Five” model and Schwartz’s theory of universal values.



Because all responses came from internet users in relatively urban settings, the sample leans toward technologically connected citizens. 



Still, it is one of the most culturally diverse datasets ever assembled to study reputational judgments. The result is a uniquely global snapshot of how people assign social prestige.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-cool-and-good-part-ways"><a></a>Where cool and good part ways</h2>



When the investigators compared ratings, they found considerable overlap: both cool and good people scored high on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-with-many-facial-expressions-seem-more-social-and-likeable/">likability</a>. Yet important divergences emerged.



In all the places they studied, people consistently perceived cool individuals as more extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, and autonomous. 



Good people, by contrast, ranked as conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious, and calm.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cool-people-aren-t-always-good">Cool people aren't always "good"</h2>



In Pezzuti’s view, the cool profile evokes a kind of charismatic boundary-pusher: energetic, novelty seeking, and unapologetically self-directed.



That explains why cool individuals can inspire fashion trends or launch creative movements - roles that sometimes require bending social rules rather than following them.



“To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people," said Warren. "However, cool people often have other traits that aren’t necessarily considered ‘good’ in a moral sense, like being hedonistic and powerful.”



The cool persona therefore straddles acceptance and transgression: admired enough to influence peers, rebellious enough to feel fresh.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cool-traits-go-global">Cool traits go global</h2>



In the mid-20th century, “cool” circulated in small countercultures - from Black jazz clubs to Beatnik cafés. Over the decades, fashion labels, record companies and Hollywood studios harnessed the aura of cool, broadcasting certain looks and attitudes to a worldwide audience.



The new study suggests that process may have standardized the meaning of the term. Even participants who live 10,000 miles apart now recognize the same signature <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personality-traits-linked-to-willingness-to-volunteer-or-donate/">traits</a>. As the authors note, the meaning of cool has crystallized on a similar set of traits and values around the world.



Pezzuti does not see commercialization as a death knell. “Coolness has definitely evolved over time, but I don’t think it has lost its edge. It’s just become more functional,” he said.



“The concept of coolness started in small, rebellious sub-cultures, including Black jazz musicians in the 1940s and the beatniks in the 1950s. As society moves faster and puts more value on creativity and change, cool people are more essential than ever.”



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



Because cool people display power and autonomy while earning admiration, the researchers argue that coolness helps establish informal hierarchies. Instead of relying solely on wealth or institutional authority, communities also elevate figures who embody daring and originality.



These individuals, in turn, shape cultural norms by modeling alternative ways to dress, speak, or live. As Pezzuti puts it, “everyone wants to be cool, or at least avoid the stigma of being uncool, and society needs cool people because they challenge norms, inspire change, and advance culture.”



That dual role - both aspirational and disruptive - makes the cool persona uniquely influential. Marketers know this instinctively when they cast charismatic musicians in sneaker ads. Activists harness it when they infuse protest art with edgy style.



The study provides empirical backing for those intuitions: people from Lagos to Los Angeles consistently associate coolness with adventurous independence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coolness-in-the-digital-age">Coolness in the digital age</h2>



The team notes their study excludes rural and offline groups, whose ideas of cool may differ significantly. They also restricted the study to cultures already familiar with the English slang term, potentially narrowing linguistic nuance.



Future projects could test whether the six-trait profile - extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, and autonomous - holds in additional societies or emerges in other languages.



Researchers are likewise curious about how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-pressure-is-straining-teen-friendships/">social media</a> platforms, which accelerate the spread of trends, might further synchronize or fragment global standards of cool. Does TikTok broaden identity through niche subcultures or reinforce the six-trait mold by favoring charismatic risk-takers?



For now, the evidence is striking: when people across five continents imagine someone undeniably cool, they picture remarkably similar qualities. 



Coolness, it turns out, may be one of the few cross-cultural constants - an unwritten code that transcends borders even as it keeps pushing boundaries.



The study is published in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxge0001799">Journal of Experimental Psychology: General</a>.



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What makes people cool? Scientists tracked down the traits

Being cool can feel elusive and almost mythic - something we “know when we see it,” yet struggle to define. A sweeping new investigation led by marketing scholars Todd Pezzuti of Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and Caleb Warren of the University of Arizona argues that the concept is far less mysterious than it seems. Across twelve nations, nearly 6,000 participants independently picked out the same constellation of personality traits when describing a cool person. The findings reveal not only what separates “cool” from “good” but also why cool...

Renewable energy sources, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-power-dominated-investments/">solar and wind power</a>, are becoming increasingly popular and are supplying more electricity to power grids, employing more people, and drawing investors than ever before.

Fossil fuels, specifically natural gas, remain the primary source of energy for the United States and much of the world. Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/">US Energy Information Administration (EIA)</a> has recently published a <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=38053&amp;src=email#">report</a> projecting the continued rise of non-hydroelectric renewable energy. 

For at least the next two years, solar and wind power will be the fastest growing source of generated electricity for the United States, the report found.

Coal is on a downhill slide, despite the Trump administration’s heavy push for fossil fuels and vocal support for the coal industry. 

But the coal industry can’t compete with the boom in natural gas, as natural gas supplied 35 percent of total US electricity generation in 2018 whereas coal provided only 28 percent of US energy needs. This was a stark change from 2010, when coal generated 45 percent of the total power generation. 

“Coal is just an expensive technology that can no longer compete,” Kingsmill Bond, a new energy strategist at Carbon Tracker, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/21/business/solar-wind-coal-power-renewable-energy/index.html">CNN</a>. 

Natural gas continues to race ahead of coal, and 2016 was the first year that natural gas surpassed coal power plants in electricity supply. However, one of the biggest takeaways of the new report by the EIA is the projected growth of renewables. 

According to the report, solar power generated electricity will increase by 10 percent in 2019 and 17 percent in 2020. Wind generation will see a similar boom and electricity produced from wind power will increase by 12 and 14 percent over the next two years. 

Currently, solar power is the third-largest renewable energy source in the US, and the EIA reports that solar, wind and other non-hydroelectric renewable energy sources will generate 13 percent of total electricity in the US in 2020. 

Renewable energy is a booming industry, and the renewable energy sector has one of the fastest growing workforces in the world. This new report shows that renewables are becoming more reliable and could soon compete with fossil fuels in meeting the world’s energy demands.  

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Renewable energy is on the rise while coal lags behind natural gas

Renewable energy sources, including solar and wind power, are becoming...

Petrologists from <a href="https://www.rice.edu/">Rice University</a> believe that Earth received most of its elements essential for life — those being nitrogen, carbon, and other volatile elements — from another planet. More specifically, they believe that the planetary collision that resulted in the moon being created 4.4 billion years ago gave <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/asteroids-hitting-earth/">Earth</a> the elements needed to spark life.

"From the study of primitive meteorites, scientists have long known that Earth and other rocky planets in the inner solar system are volatile-depleted," said Rajdeep Dasgupta, the study’s coauthor. "But the timing and mechanism of volatile delivery has been hotly debated. Ours is the first scenario that can explain the timing and delivery in a way that is consistent with all of the geochemical evidence."

Dasgupta and his team conducted a series of high-temperature, high-pressure experiments to retrieve their theory, published January 23rd in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>. Via these experiments, lead author and graduate student Damanveer Grewal collected enough evidence to test a potential theory that Earth’s volatiles came from a collision with an embryonic planet with a sulfur-rich core. Grewal explains that the planet in question must have had a sulfuric core in order to explain the presence of sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen within Earth’s layers sans the core — known as the bulk silicate.

After several experiments regarding Earth’s core formation and the possible collision of a sulfur-rich planet, Dasgupta, Grewal and Rice postdoctoral researcher Chenguang Sun, designed a computer simulation using the experimental information as well as known ratios and concentrations of elements both on Earth and in non-terrestrial bodies. This simulation calculated the most likely situation — out of about one billion possible situations — during which Earth’s volatiles were formed.

"What we found is that all the evidence — isotopic signatures, the carbon-nitrogen ratio and the overall amounts of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur in the bulk silicate Earth — are consistent with a moon-forming impact involving a volatile-bearing, Mars-sized planet with a sulfur-rich core," Grewal said.

"This study suggests that a rocky, Earth-like planet gets more chances to acquire life-essential elements if it forms and grows from giant impacts with planets that have sampled different building blocks, perhaps from different parts of a protoplanetary disk," Dasgupta said. "This removes some boundary conditions. It shows that life-essential volatiles can arrive at the surface layers of a planet, even if they were produced on planetary bodies that underwent core formation under very different conditions."

Because Dasgupta firmly believes Earth’s bulk silicate could not have attained the life-essential elements on its own, he says researchers can now “ broaden our search for pathways that lead to volatile elements coming together on a planet to support life as we know it."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Life on Earth may have come from another planet, new research shows

Petrologists from Rice University believe that Earth received most of...

A growing collection of research has established a link between higher levels of physical activity and lower rates of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/depression-anxiety-harm-health/">depression</a>, but experts have not been able to determine which is the cause and which is the effect. For example, it is possible that people who are depressed are simply less active. 

But now, a research team led by <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/">Massachusetts General Hospital</a> (MGH) has applied advanced technology and found strong evidence to show that physical activity can actually prevent depression.

“Using genetic data, we found evidence that higher levels of physical activity may causally reduce risk for depression,” said study lead author Dr. Karmel Choi. “Knowing whether an associated factor actually causes an outcome is important, because we want to invest in preventive strategies that really work.”

For the investigation, the researchers used data from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that were conducted for physical activity in the U.K. Biobank. They also identified gene variants for depression by using data from a study involving more than 143,000 participants with and without the condition.

The technique used in the study, known as Mendelian randomization, revealed that physical activity does appear to protect against the risk of depression. However,  no causal relationship was found in the other direction - between depression and physical activity.

“On average, doing more physical activity appears to protect against developing depression,” said Dr. Choi. “Any activity appears to be better than none; our rough calculations suggest that replacing sitting with 15 minutes of a heart-pumping activity like running, or with an hour of moderately vigorous activity, is enough to produce the average increase in accelerometer data that was linked to a lower depression risk.”

Dr. Choi said that it is one thing to know that physical activity could help to prevent depression, but another to actually get people to become physically active. 

“More work needs to be done to figure out how best to tailor recommendations to different kinds of people with different risk profiles. We currently are looking at whether and how much physical activity can benefit different at-risk groups, such as people who are genetically vulnerable to depression or those going through stressful situations and hope to develop a better understanding of physical activity to promote resilience to depression.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry">JAMA Psychiatry</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New evidence confirms that physical activity can prevent depression

A growing collection of research has established a link between...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health</a>, young people living in states with fewer restrictions on cannabis are reporting higher average rates of use in the last year. On the other hand, the rates of cannabis use disorder were significantly lower in states with more liberal policies compared to states with more conservative policies for youths between 12 and 17 years old.

Cannabis use disorder, which involves drug abuse or dependence, was also found to be slightly lower in liberal areas for adults who were 26 and older. 

The analysis is one of the first of its kind to examine the relationship between policy liberalism and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/teens-cannabis-different-types/">cannabis</a> use-related outcomes. Study first author Dr. Morgan Philbin is an assistant professor of Sociomedical Sciences.

“The majority of existing work has explored the relationship between medical cannabis laws and cannabis outcomes, whereas our results identified important relationships between the state-level policy context as a whole, and cannabis use outcomes,” said Dr. Philbin.  “While this research does not suggest that being in a liberal state causes people to use cannabis, or have lower rates of cannabis use disorder, it does highlight how states may differ beyond substance use policies, and how these differences also merit attention.”

The overall prevalence of cannabis use has increased since 2007, raising concerns about potential negative health consequences such as cannabis use disorder. 

“These latest findings could directly inform policymakers and public health practitioners about the degree to which other broader contextual factors also influence cannabis use patterns in the U.S.,” said Dr. Philbin.

Throughout the study period, the average state-level prevalence of past-year cannabis use was found to be lowest for ages 26 and older and highest for ages 18 to 25. By contrast, cannabis use disorder among past-year cannabis users decreased among those aged 18-25 in both conservative and liberal states, with liberal states reporting fewer cases by one percent.

“Our study highlights the need for researchers and public health professionals to distinguish between cannabis use and cannabis use disorder when interacting with patients at the individual level and when developing primary prevention strategies and interventions at the population level,” said study senior author Dr. Silvia Martins. “This line of research not only helps identify how state-level policies as a whole impact cannabis use outcomes, but ultimately supports the development of more health-promoting policies.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-drug-policy">International Journal of Drug Policy</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Cannabis misuse in youth is less prevalent in less restrictive states

According to a new study from the Columbia University Mailman...

New research published in the <a href="https://jech.bmj.com/">Journal of Epidemiology &amp; Community Health</a> suggests body size — consisting of height and weight — could have greater influence on women’s lifespan than men’s.

Previous studies looking into body size in relation to old age have combined sexes or focused predominantly on men. However, this new research proves that women’s hormones, genes, and/or lifestyle may impact <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/happy-marriage-extend-lifespan/">lifespan</a> more so than previously thought.

To come to this conclusion, researchers looked at data from the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS), in which more than 120,000 men and women aged between 55 and 69 participated when it began in 1986. Researchers analyzed the data for links between body size, leisure time, physical activity, and reaching 90 years of age. They also noted differences between men and women.

About 7807 participants (3646 men and 4161 women now aged between 68 and 70) shared detailed information about height, weight, and physical activity levels back in 1986 when they were 20 years old. These participants were monitored until age 90 or death, and researchers also noted influential factors like smoking and drinking habits, diet, and education level.

Researchers found that some 433 men (16.7%) and 944 women (34.4%) survived to the age of 90.

Women who reached age 90 were, on average, taller, had weighed less at the beginning of the study and had put on less weight since age 20 than those who were shorter and heavier. Furthermore, women who were taller than 5’9” were 31% more likely to reach age 90 than women who were shorter than 5’3”.

There was no correlation between height, weight, and old age in men. However, men who participated in over 90 minutes of physical activity each day were 39% more likely to reach 90 than men who did less than 30 minutes of daily physical activity. Every 30 extra minutes of daily physical activity increased men’s chances of living to 90 by 5%.

But women who engaged in 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity per day were only 21% more likely to reach 90 than those who who managed 30 minutes or less. Although, 60 minutes of physical activity seemed to be the magic number for those women who reached 90.

This study is purely observational, and therefore cause cannot be established. And the fact that information was volunteered and not measured could have affected the outcomes. However, because of the large scale of participants, researchers are still comfortable with their findings and do believe lifespan of women and men is reliant on different factors.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Height and weight may influence women’s lifespans more than men’s

New research published in the Journal of Epidemiology &amp; Community...

A study from the <a href="http://www.iiasa.ac.at/">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis</a> (IIASA) has confirmed that there is a causal relationship between climate, conflict, and migration. While there has been plenty of speculation that such a link existed, the scientific evidence was lacking. 

In recent decades, environmental conditions have been blamed for creating political unrest and civil war, followed by waves of migration. One major example is the ongoing Syrian Civil War, which began in 2011. In addition, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/asylum-seekers-dont-burden-economies/">people seeking refuge</a> from conflict in Africa are moving into coastal Mediterranean countries in Europe.

The research team set out to investigate the association between climate change and migration. They found that under certain circumstances, climate conditions do lead to increased migration but that this happens indirectly - as a result of conflict.

“This research touches upon the topic widely covered in the media. We contribute to the debate on climate-induced migration by providing new scientific evidence,” said study co-author Raya Muttarak.

The researchers analyzed migration patterns associated with conflict by collecting data on asylum applications from 157 countries that had been submitted between 2006 and 2015. To examine the climate conditions in the countries the asylum seekers were leaving, the team used a standardized <a href="https://climatedataguide.ucar.edu/climate-data/standardized-precipitation-evapotranspiration-index-spei">index</a> that measures droughts and their intensity based on precipitation, evaporation, transpiration, and temperature. In addition, conflict was assessed through data on battle-related deaths from the <a href="http://ucdp.uu.se/">Uppsala Conflict Data Program</a> (UCDP).

All three datasets were applied to the team's modeling framework, along with additional information such as the distance between country of origin and destination, population size, and the political status of the countries.

The researchers determined that climate change played a substantial role in migration patterns, with more severe droughts worsening conflict.

“Climate change will not cause conflict and subsequent asylum-seeking flows everywhere. But in a context of poor governance and a medium level of democracy, severe climate conditions can create conflict over scarce resources,” said study co-author Crespo Cuaresma.

According to the researchers, concerns relating to climate change-induced conflict and the subsequent migration should be considered in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/global-environmental-change">Global Environmental Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Study reveals causal link between climate, conflict, and migration

A study from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> developed a new “brain training” mobile phone game that actually improves users’ concentration. This is good news for young people who have become more easily <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/digital-media-distract-drain/">distracted</a> due to pinging phones, poor sleep quality, and daily stressors.

“We've all experienced coming home from work feeling that we've been busy all day, but unsure what we actually did," said Professor Barbara Sahakian from Cambridge’s <a href="https://www.psychiatry.cam.ac.uk/">Department of Psychiatry</a>. "Most of us spend our time answering emails, looking at text messages, searching social media, trying to multitask. But instead of getting a lot done, we sometimes struggle to complete even a single task and fail to achieve our goal for the day. Then we go home, and even there we find it difficult to 'switch off' and read a book or watch TV without picking up our smartphones. 

She explained, “For complex tasks we need to get in the 'flow' and stay focused." And that’s exactly what this new app is programmed to help users do.

A research team from Cambridge’s Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute developed a game called “Decoder.” Professor Sahakian and her colleagues have proven that playing Decoder on an iPad for eight hours over the course of a month will improve a user’s attention and concentration.

[caption id="attachment_1865803" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/New-app-helps-users-battle-distraction-and-improve-concentration1.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1865803" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/New-app-helps-users-battle-distraction-and-improve-concentration1.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="700" /></a> Image Credit: Peak[/caption]

To come to this conclusion, Professor Sahakian and team studied 75 young adult participants, each divided and put into one of three groups. The first group was given Decoder, the second was given Bingo, and the third group received no game at all. Those given games were invited to play for one hour at eight different intervals throughout a single month.

All 75 participants were tested with the CANTAB Rapid Visual Information Processing test (RVP), commonly used to measure concentration and attention, both before and after the gaming period, as well as with the Trail Making Test, used to measure attention shifting. Researchers found that those who played Decoder exhibited better attention and concentration than those who played Bingo or no game at all, and their ability to shift attention was not compromised.

In fact, playing Decoder had the same effect on participants as taking a stimulant drug like Ritalin or nicotine. These results were published January 20th in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience">Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience</a>.

"Many people tell me that they have trouble focussing their attention,” Professor Sahakian said. “Decoder should help them improve their ability to do this. In addition to healthy people, we hope that the game will be beneficial for patients who have impairments in attention, including those with ADHD or traumatic brain injury. We plan to start a study with traumatic brain injury patients this year."

Under the app developer Peak, Decoder has become available to those with Apple technologies via the Peak Brain Training app.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Peak

New app helps users battle distraction and improve concentration

Researchers at the University of Cambridge developed a new “brain...

The world’s groundwater reserves, a crucial source of drinking water, are in danger of depletion, according to a new climate change study. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/">Cardiff University</a> say that future generations could be faced with an “environmental time bomb” as it could take 100 years or more to see the full impacts of climate change and drought on groundwater. 

Groundwater refers to a complex system of underground water stored in rocks, soil, and sand and billions of people rely on this large stock of freshwater for drinking water and crop irrigation. 

Rainfall replenishes groundwater resources, but as climate change causes increases in temperatures drought and weather extremes, precipitation could become scarce which could dry up groundwater stores. 

Unlike the visible signs of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-shortages-reservoir-levels/">receding water levels on the surface</a>, groundwater reserves are more difficult to analyze, and the impacts of climate change are not as immediate as they are for lakes, streams, and oceans. 

The researchers used modeling and hydrologic datasets to determine how long it would take for the world’s groundwater reserves to respond to climate change. 

The results were published in the journal Nature Climate Change, and the researchers found that groundwater in humid and wetter regions will react quickly to changes in precipitation. Groundwater in drier areas will take longer to respond to climate change. 

“Our research shows that groundwater systems take a lot longer to respond to climate change than surface water, with only half of the world’s groundwater flows responding fully within ‘human’ timescales of 100 years,” said Mark Cuthbert, a lead author of the research, in a <a href="http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/1421604-warning-for-worlds-groundwater-reserves">Cardiff University news release</a>.

Having a more accurate understanding of how the world’s groundwater reserves will respond to climate change is essential especially for the regions that may not see any impacts for years. 

“It is essential that the potential for these initially hidden impacts is recognized when developing water management policies, or climate change adaptation strategies for future generations,” said Cuthbert. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Groundwater reserves called an environmental “time bomb”

The world’s groundwater reserves, a crucial source of drinking water,...

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)">World Health Organization</a> (WHO). There are, of course, many genetic and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overweight-heart-disease-risk/">lifestyle factors</a> that increase the risk of heart disease including smoking, family history of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and little physical activity. 

Luckily, many of these risk factors can be easily managed and prevented with healthy lifestyle choices. However, a new study has found that complications at birth can increase the risk of heart disease for offspring later in life.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge University</a> conducted the study which indicates that prenatal care and the prenatal environment play an equally important role in determining heart disease risk and future heart health. The study was published in the journal PLOS Biology. 

The researchers found that pregnancies complicated by hypoxia, where the fetus is deprived of sufficient oxygen, produced offspring that had risk factors of heart disease like high blood pressure. Hypoxia is a common complication that can occur because of maternal smoking or gestational diabetes. 

The researchers tested the effectiveness of an antioxidant, vitamin C, in pregnant sheep who showed signs of pregnancy complications. The team wanted to see if an antioxidant treatment would help protect the offspring from developing heart disease later on in life. 

Unfortunately, the treatment was not all that effective because vitamin C doesn't possess very strong antioxidant properties. The researchers say further testing is needed to find alternative antioxidants that could do a better job of preventing heart disease risk. 

The experts also stress that prevention is key in reducing heart disease risks linked to birth complications. 

“Our discoveries emphasize that when considering strategies to reduce the overall burden of heart disease, much greater attention to prevention rather than treatment is required,” said Dino Giussani, the leader of the study. “Treatment should start as early as possible during the developmental trajectory, rather than waiting until adulthood when the disease process has become irreversible.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Complicated pregnancies can raise heart disease risk for offspring

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, according...

China has confirmed that the scientist who oversaw the birth of the world’s first <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/gene-edited-dna-twin-babies/">gene-edited babies</a> acted illegally, according to a report from state-run Xinhua news.

One of the biggest ethical concerns surrounding <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/gene-editing/">gene-editing and CRISPR-Cas9</a> technology is that these advancements could pave the way for “designer babies.”

Chinese authorities are now investigating He Jiankui, a Chinese scientist who shocked the world when he announced the successful births of two gene-edited twin girls, nicknamed Lulu and Nana, whose mother had undergone in-vitro fertilization and whose father had HIV. 

Jiankui explained that Lulu and Nana were perfectly healthy and that he had edited their genes so that they were resistant to HIV and would be unable to contract the disease. 

Gene surgery was performed when the twins were just a single cell to “close the door” to HIV, Jiankui explained in a video interview. 

While the idea that you could eradicate genetic diseases and risk of infection is a noble one, the risks of editing and snipping around the human genome cannot be taken lightly, and Jiankui’s unethical practices which had been shrouded in secrecy to avoid discovery broke every rule in the book.

While working at the <a href="http://www.sustc.edu.cn/en/">Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech)</a>, it’s believed that Jiankui privately funded the research project, hired a team of experts to carry out the work, and forged ethical review papers to recruit eight couples. 

In each couple, the father was HIV-positive and the mother negative. So far Lulu and Nana are the only twins born from the experiments, but another couple is pregnant, according to the team investigating Jiankui and his research. 

The university that Jiankui worked at has publicly condemned his actions and announced that the researcher was fired from his position at the school, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6614607/China-says-doctor-gene-edited-babies-acted-own.html">Daily Mail.</a> Another report argued that Jiankui had only conducted the research for <a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com/local/2019-01/21/c_1124020517.htm">personal gain and notoriety. </a>

Currently, Jiankui is under house arrest as the investigation into his work continues. 

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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

China: Scientist who oversaw first gene-edited babies acted illegally

China has confirmed that the scientist who oversaw the birth...

Most <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/environmentally-responsible-foods-class/">foods</a> that are accessible in the workplace are high in calories, refined grains, added sugars, and sodium. A new study from the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC) has found that around 25 percent of adults employed in the United States obtain food at work at least once per week.

Based on data collected in 2012- 2013 from the Food Acquisition and Purchasing Survey (FoodAPS), CDC investigators determined that 23.4 percent of the 5,222 study participants ate food they acquired at work at least once a week. The average number of calories from workplace food was 1,292, and the products did not typically satisfy the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“Employers can offer appealing and healthy options in cafeterias, vending machines, and at meetings and social events,” said lead CDC investigator Dr. Stephen J. Onufrak. “One way to do this is by incorporating food service guidelines and healthy meeting policies into worksite wellness efforts.”

Improving the nutritional quality of foods available in the workplace could help to combat obesity and low dietary quality, which are important risk factors for chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. These conditions represent seven of the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S., as well as 84 percent of healthcare costs. 

In 2010, nearly 30 percent of employed adults suffered from obesity. These adults also reported lower consumption of fruits and vegetables and less frequent physical activity compared to adults with healthier weight.

More than 150 million adults are employed in the United States, and worksite wellness efforts to prevent chronic disease can reach a large portion of them. These types of programs have been proven effective at changing health behaviors among employees, reducing work absence, and lowering healthcare costs.

“Incorporating food service guidelines into wellness programs can help employers offer appealing and healthy options that give employees a choice,” said Dr. Onufrak.

The study is published in the <a href="https://jandonline.org/">Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics</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

More food is available in US workplaces, but is that a good thing?

Most foods that are accessible in the workplace are high...

A new study led by the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California San Diego</a> has found that general <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fetal-exposure-air-pollution/">cognitive ability</a> (GCA) in early adulthood is a much better predictor of future cognitive function compared to other factors, such as higher education or late-life intellectual activities.

General cognitive ability is a diverse set of thinking skills that are used for reasoning, memory, and perception. Prior research has linked activities such as reading, socializing, solving puzzles, and completing a higher level of education to a reduced risk of dementia, but the current study suggests that a measure of GCA provides a more accurate indication. 


An international team of scientists set out to investigate based on an evaluation of more than 1,000 men participating in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. The participants, who are now in their 50s and 60s, had their GCA measured when they were an average age of 20 years old. 

For the current study, the researchers analyzed the individuals using the same GCA measure. The team also explored seven different cognitive domains, including memory and abstract reasoning.

The study revealed that GCA at age 20 accounted for 40 percent of the variance in the same measure at age 62, and approximately 10 percent of the variance for each of the seven cognitive domains. 

Compared to the GCA score at age 20, other factors had little effect. For example, lifetime education and engagement in intellectual activities each accounted for less than one percent of cognitive variance at the average age of 62.

“The findings suggest that the impact of education, occupational complexity and engagement in cognitive activities on later life cognitive function likely reflects reverse causation,” said study first author Professor William S. Kremen. “In other words, they are largely downstream effects of young adult intellectual capacity.”

Professor Kremen said remaining mentally active in later life is beneficial, but that the “findings suggest we should look at this from a lifespan perspective. Enhancing cognitive reserve and reducing later life cognitive decline may really need to begin with more access to quality childhood and adolescent education.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mental ability in early adulthood can predict later cognitive decline

A new study led by the University of California San...

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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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