Coffee is prized for its taste and mental boost. A new study shows that caffeine may also fine‑tune the internal clock that makes cells grow old.



Researchers observed that yeast aged more slowly when caffeine altered the same energy pathways that help human cells <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organ-aging-can-predict-diseases-decades-in-advance/">survive</a> under stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caffeine-slows-aging-in-yeast-cells">Caffeine slows aging in yeast cells</h2>



Dr. Charalampos (Babis) Rallis of <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a> focused on the yeast species Schizosaccharomyces pombe because its DNA repair and growth controls echo our own. 



The team logged changes in <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9139625/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chronological lifespan</a>, the length of time that non‑dividing cells stay viable, then mapped the molecular traffic that caffeine set in motion.



“This is our most exciting find to date,” said Dr. Rallis. The results point to a fuel‑sensing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-aging-how-some-people-live-past-100-years/">pathway</a> that kicks in when nutrients dip, mirroring how people burn stored energy between meals.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yeast-helps-us-understand-aging">Yeast helps us understand aging</h2>



Fission yeast may seem worlds apart from humans, but it shares many core <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4772020/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regulatory pathways</a> found in our cells. Systems like <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2779044/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AMPK</a> and <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3241408/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TOR</a> have been conserved over hundreds of millions of years because they work so well.



This makes yeast an ideal testing ground for decoding how compounds like caffeine affect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-experimenting-with-new-approach-to-fight-and-stop-human-aging-necrosis/">lifespan</a> and stress response. What happens in a petri dish often sparks questions that ripple out to animal models and eventually to people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-caffeine-may-slow-aging">How caffeine may slow aging</h2>



The key player is AMPK, an enzyme that "notices" when the cell’s ATP (energy) balance tilts toward empty and then shifts metabolism to survival mode. 



“Caffeine helps flip that switch,” said <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=913OCBIAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. John‑Patrick Alao</a>, the postdoctoral scientist who ran the experiments.



Earlier <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23551936/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> suggested caffeine blocked <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23551936/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TOR</a>, a growth promoter, but new data reveal the compound reaches TOR indirectly by first waking up AMPK. 



Cells then slow growth, patch damaged DNA, and boost antioxidant defenses, the very responses that lengthen life in many lab organisms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caffeine-and-metformin-use-same-pathway">Caffeine and metformin use same pathway</h2>



<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6779524/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Metformin</a>, the common diabetes drug, also charges AMPK and is being tested as a geroprotector in humans. The overlap hints that coffee’s benefits may parallel those seen in metformin cohorts, though dosage and metabolism differ widely.



Both agents dial back inflammation, clear out faulty proteins through autophagy, and keep insulin signaling from running too hot. 



If future trials confirm safety, researchers may combine low‑dose caffeine with metformin analogs to see whether their effects stack without side effects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-caffeine-helps-manage-cell-stress">Caffeine helps manage cell stress</h2>



The AMPK pathway doesn’t just manage fuel, it also guides how cells respond to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/medgen/222489" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genotoxic stress</a>, such as radiation or chemicals that harm DNA. 



The yeast data showed caffeine increased sensitivity to DNA damage in some mutants, revealing AMPK's role in damage response.



This dual role, energy control and DNA repair, suggests that caffeine tunes both survival and quality control systems. 



It’s part of a wider stress adaptation strategy that has been conserved across <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-protein-that-reverses-cellular-aging/">evolution</a>, and is now offering new angles for anti-aging research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-people-who-drink-coffee-may-live-longer">People who drink coffee may live longer</h2>



Observational work involving hundreds of thousands of adults links two to four cups of coffee daily with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31055709/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lower all‑cause mortality</a>. 



Separate <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34468722/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analyses</a> in Asian populations find similar protection against heart disease and several cancers.



Because these studies track behavior, not biology, confounding factors like diet, exercise, and income can cloud cause and effect. 



The yeast data now give those population numbers a plausible mechanism anchored in cell chemistry, without the noise of other factors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-caffeine-and-aging">Future research on caffeine and aging</h2>



Yeast tolerate caffeine levels far above a latte, so dose matters when translating findings to people. 



Human AMPK is embedded in tissues that react differently, so benefits in muscle may come at a cost elsewhere if DNA repair stalls during caffeine peaks.



High caffeine can raise blood pressure, trigger anxiety, and interfere with sleep - processes that can speed cell aging if left unchecked. 



Clinical trials that track AMPK activation, cardiovascular markers, and cognitive scores together will be needed before doctors advise specific amounts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-diet-and-exercise">The role of diet and exercise </h2>



Exercise is one of the most well-known ways to activate AMPK in humans. When muscles burn through energy during physical activity, this pathway turns on to help cells adapt and recover.



Certain foods, including those high in polyphenols like berries and green tea, may also give AMPK a nudge. 



Understanding how diet and lifestyle naturally influence this system could lead to everyday habits that support healthy aging.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-healthy-lifestyle-matters">A healthy lifestyle matters</h2>



For now, moderate coffee remains a safe pleasure that lines up with epidemiology and basic science. Sleepless nights and energy drinks loaded with sugar still pose risks that no enzyme tweak can erase.



Nutrient‑sensing pathways such as AMPK give researchers a roadmap for therapies, yet lifestyle, steady sleep, balanced diet, and movement, keep the road free of potholes. 



The next wave of studies may explore caffeine analogs that lock onto AMPK with precision, separating the perks from the jitters.



The study is published in <a href="https://microbialcell.com/researcharticles/2025a-alao-microbial-cell/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microbial Cell</a>.



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Scientists learn that caffeine could slow cellular aging under the right conditions

Coffee is prized for its taste and mental boost. A new study shows that caffeine may also fine‑tune the internal clock that makes cells grow old. Researchers observed that yeast aged more slowly when caffeine altered the same energy pathways that help human cells survive under stress. Caffeine slows aging in yeast cells Dr. Charalampos (Babis) Rallis of Queen Mary University of London focused on the yeast species Schizosaccharomyces pombe because its DNA repair and growth controls echo our own. The team logged changes in chronological lifespan,...

Social media addiction can impact decision-making as much as drugs. While the mental and physical effects of drug addiction are well documented, researchers are now working to explore the extent to which social media addiction impacts health and wellbeing. 

A new study conducted by researchers from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> (MSU), the first of its kind, shows that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/attachment-style-social-media-behavior/">heavy social media use</a> impacts decision making in similar ways as drug addiction or gambling. 

The research was published in the Journal of Behavior Addictions and the results help show how damaging excessive social media use can be. 

“Around one-third of humans on the planet are using social media, and some of these people are displaying maladaptive, excessive use of these sites,” said Dar Meshi, lead author of the study and assistant professor at MSU. “Our findings will hopefully motivate the field to take social media overuse seriously.”

For the study, the researchers surveyed 71 participants about their dependence on Facebook, how often they visited the site and how they felt about not being able to use it. The participants also discussed Facebook’s impact on their job or education. 

Next, the researchers asked the participants to complete the Iowa Gambling Task, a psychological experiment that helps measure decision making. 

“Decision making is oftentimes compromised in individuals with substance use disorders,” said Meshi. “But no one previously looked at this behavior as it relates to excessive social media users, so we investigated this possible parallel between excessive social media users and substance abusers."

With the Iowa Gambling Task, participants had to identify patterns in decks of cards and choose the best deck. 

After the task was completed, the researchers found a strong link between poor decision making and excessive social media use. The more a participant admitted to using Facebook in their survey, the worse they performed on the task. 

The impact social media had on decision making for the participants was similar to the impacts of opioids and other drugs.  

“With so many people around the world using social media, it's critical for us to understand its use,” said Meshi. “I believe that social media has tremendous benefits for individuals, but there's also a dark side when people can't pull themselves away. We need to better understand this drive so we can determine if excessive social media use should be considered an addiction.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Social media addiction can impact decision-making as much as drugs

Social media addiction can impact decision-making as much as drugs....

A new study from the <a href="https://www.aera.net/">American Educational Research Association</a> has revealed that, in the spring of 2017, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bullying-race-sexual-orientation/">bullying</a> rates among junior high school students were significantly higher in locations where voters favored Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. In addition, more students reported their peers being teased or put down over their race or ethnicity in predominantly Republican regions.

The investigation was focused on 155,000 seventh- and eighth-grade students across 132 school districts in Virginia. 

The researchers used school climate survey data collected in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Students were asked if they had personally been bullied at school, and were also asked more general questions about bullying and teasing that they had observed at school.

Survey results were then mapped onto presidential election results for the location of each school district.

The study revealed that a 10 percent point increase in Republican voters was associated with a five percent jump in teasing over race or ethnicity and an eight percent increase in middle school bullying.

Study co-author Francis Huang is an associate professor of Statistics, Measurement, and Evaluation in Education at the <a href="https://missouri.edu/">University of Missouri</a>.

“We found consistent differences in teasing and bullying rates that were linked to voting preferences,” said Professor Huang. “While our findings do not indicate that support for Trump caused bullying to increase in Republican districts, they do provide some credence to the widespread perception that some types of teasing and bullying have increased, at least in some localities.”

The researchers pointed out that the findings are consistent with concerns voiced by teachers about bullying following the presidential election.

“While the ways in which the presidential election could have affected students is likely complex, educators and parents should be aware of the potential impact of public events on student behavior,” said study co-author Dewey Cornell. 

“Parents should be mindful of how their reactions to the presidential election, or the reactions of others, could influence their children. And politicians should be mindful of the potential impact of their campaign rhetoric and behavior on their supporters and indirectly on youth.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/edr">Educational Researcher</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>

Higher rate of school bullying found in areas that voted for Trump

A new study from the American Educational Research Association has...

Researchers at <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/">Dartmouth College</a> have found that past issues with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/vaccines-helpful/">vaccinations</a> can cause a phenomenon known as hysteresis, which means that a negative event from the past increases the resistance of the public in the present. The study results explain why some people do not take advantage of vaccines even though they have been proven safe and effective. 

“Given all the benefits of vaccination, it's been a struggle to understand why vaccination rates can remain stubbornly low,” said study lead author Professor Feng Fu. “History matters, and we now know that hysteresis is part of the answer.”

The research is the first of its kind to demonstrate that hysteresis can affect public health.

“Once people question the safety or effectiveness of a vaccine, it can be very difficult to get them to move beyond those negative associations,” said Professor Fu. “Hysteresis is a powerful force that is difficult to break at a societal level.”


When a lot of people refuse to comply with vaccinations, the result may be the loss of “herd immunity” and the spread of infectious diseases. For example, childhood diseases like measles, mumps, and pertussis have returned in regions of Europe and North America as a result of insufficient vaccination coverage.

Researchers have struggled in the past to understand the persistence of low vaccine compliance, but they were not accounting for the influence of past issues on present and future decisions. 

“This study shows why it is so hard to reverse low or declining vaccine levels,” said study first author Xingru Chen. “The sheer force of factual, logical arguments around public health issues is just not enough to overcome hysteresis and human behavior.”

According to the study, the hysteresis loop can be initiated when people question the risk and effectiveness of vaccines. Negative experiences and perceptions impact the trend of uptake over time, or the “vaccination trajectory,” which gets stuck in the hysteresis loop.

“When it comes to vaccination levels, the past predicts the future,” explained Professor Fu. “Unfortunately, this means that a lot of people are going to needlessly suffer unless we find a way to break the negative impact of the hysteresis loop.”

Among people in England and Wales, it took 15 years from 1978 through 1992 for uptake of the whooping cough vaccine to recover from 30 to 91 percent. According to the researchers, this recovery should only take about a year under ideal circumstances.

The study authors also noted that in some countries like France, measles has become an endemic disease despite the availability of an effective vaccine.

“The coverage of measles vaccination has only gradually climbed up, but still remains insufficient, for more than a decade following the infamous MMR vaccination and autism controversy,” said Chen. “Vaccination levels in a population can drop quickly, but, because of hysteresis, the recovery in that same population can take many years.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Negative views of vaccination can have major impact on public health

Researchers at Dartmouth College have found that past issues with...

Researchers from the <a href="https://wp.nyu.edu/smapp/">New York University Social Media and Political Participation (SMaPP) Lab</a> and <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> have found that, of the 9% of social media users who shared <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/people-believe-fake-news/">fake news</a> during the 2016 presidential election, the majority of that group were over the age of 65.

"Despite widespread interest in the fake news phenomenon, we know very little about who actually shares fake news," Joshua Tucker, a professor of politics at <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">NYU</a> and co-director of the SMaPP Lab, said regarding the study, published January 9th in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>. "This study takes a first step towards answering this question. Perhaps most significantly, we find that sharing this type of content on Facebook was a relatively rare activity during the 2016 presidential campaign."

With the help of YouGov, the team surveyed a group of Facebook users to determine how many shared stories from fake news sites. 8.5% of study participants shared fake news. 3% of these participants were between the ages of 18 and 29, whereas 11% of these participants were over 65.

"If seniors are more likely to share fake news than younger people, then there are important implications for how we might design interventions to reduce the spread of fake news," said Andrew Guess, an assistant professor of politics and public affairs at Princeton University.

The team suggests that differences in traits like digital media literacy among age groups may be at play, especially since education, income, and gender were not related to the likelihood of one sharing fake news, as the study found.

Furthermore, the team found that Republicans were four times more likely to share fake news than Democrats, however this is most likely because fake news was mostly aimed at pro-Trump, anti-Clinton voters.

Researchers conclude that, even if digital media literacy is taught in schools, it may not make a difference in thwarting the spread of fake news if older social media users are the ones sharing it. Other methods must be devised and used to stop fake news in its tracks.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People over the age of 65 are more likely to share fake news

Researchers from the New York University Social Media and Political...

Poor sleep quality is a symptom of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-not-one-disease/">Alzheimer's disease</a>, an irreversible disorder that impairs cognitive function and memory and a leading cause of death in the United States, according to the <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet">National Institute on Aging</a>. 

But finding early indicators can help with preventive treatment measures that slow the rates of cognitive decline. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/">Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis</a> offers fresh insight on the links between sleep and Alzheimer's and could pave the way for new methods for identifying early signs of the disease. 

The researchers found that older people who have low qualities of sleep have higher levels of a brain protein called tau. 

“Measuring how people sleep may be a noninvasive way to screen for Alzheimer's disease before or just as people begin to develop problems with memory and thinking,” said Brendan Lucey, the first author of the study.

The study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. 

Brain deterioration due to Alzheimer’s is a slow and silent process, and changes can start years before any visible symptoms of cognitive decline or mental impairment as plaque starts to build up in the brain. Increases in tau and brain atrophy show up during the later stages of the disease. 

The researchers wanted to find out how sleep quality and Alzheimer’s were linked. 119 people aged 60 years or older took part in the study and the researchers measured sleep quality and protein levels in the brain. 

20 percent of the participants had mild signs of mental impairments, and the rest had normal cognitive abilities. 

Participants were asked to record sleep logs and write down how many hours they slept during the day and night. EEG monitors recorded sleep quality at night and sensors also tracked movements while the participants slept. 

The researchers analyzed brain scans and spinal tap fluid to measure amyloid beta and tau levels in the brains of the participants.

The results of the study show that an increase in tau levels correlated with poor sleep quality and fewer hours were spent in slow wave sleep for some of the participants. 

“What's interesting is that we saw this inverse relationship between decreased slow-wave sleep and more tau protein in people who were either cognitively normal or very mildly impaired, meaning that reduced slow-wave activity may be a marker for the transition between normal and impaired,” said Lucey.

The researchers note that the study does not suggest that sleep monitoring replace other methods of detecting Alzheimer’s, but examining sleep quality in older patients could be an easy way to help screen for Alzheimer’s and mental impairment. 

“I don't expect sleep monitoring to replace brain scans or cerebrospinal fluid analysis for identifying early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, but it could supplement them,” said Lucey. “It's something that could be easily followed over time, and if someone’s sleep habits start changing, that could be a sign for doctors to take a closer look at what might be going on in their brains.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Poor sleep quality could be an early indicator of Alzheimer’s

Poor sleep quality is a symptom of Alzheimer's disease, an...

Second Chance is a new smartphone app that could mean the difference between life or death for those addicted to injectable opioids. The app, created by researchers at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>, uses sonar to monitor a user’s breathing rate and detect if an overdose has occurred.

According to the <a href="https://www.drugabuse.gov/">National Institute on Drug Abuse</a>, 115 people die daily from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/young-adult-deaths-opioid-use/">opioid overdose</a> in the United States. With statistics this high, America is currently struggling with a drug-centric epidemic and public health crisis. The hope is that Second Chance will allow opioid users to get access to the life-saving drug naloxone before it’s too late.

"The idea is that people can use the app during opioid use so that if they overdose, the phone can potentially connect them to a friend or emergency services to provide naloxone," co-corresponding author Shyam Gollakota, an associate professor in the <a href="https://www.engr.washington.edu/about/bldgs/cse">UW's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science &amp; Engineering</a>, said. "Here we show that we have created an algorithm for a smartphone that is capable of detecting overdoses by monitoring how someone's breathing changes before and after opioid use."

The team’s report, published January 9th in <a href="http://stm.sciencemag.org/">Science Translational Medicine</a>, notes that the app accurately detects overdose-related symptoms 90% of the time and can measure breathing rate from up to 3 feet away. It does so by sending inaudible sound waves from the phone and to users’ chests. Then, based on how the sound waves return to the phone, it can pinpoint breathing patterns. Second Chance also monitors movement, like head-slumping, which is a sign of overdose.

"We're looking for two main precursors to opioid overdose: when a person stops breathing, or when a person's breathing rate is seven breaths per minute or lower," added co-corresponding author Dr. Jacob Sunshine, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the <a href="https://www.uwmedicine.org/education">UW School of Medicine</a>. "Less than eight breaths per minute is a common cutoff point in a hospital that would trigger people to go to the bedside and make sure a patient is OK."

Researchers tested the app in a study in which they partnered with a supervised injection facility in Vancouver, Canada. “We asked participants to prepare their drugs like they normally would, but then we monitored them for a minute pre-injection so the algorithm could get a baseline value for their breathing rate," said lead author Rajalakshmi Nandakumar, a doctoral student in the Allen School. "After we got a baseline, we continued monitoring during the injection and then for five minutes afterward, because that's the window when overdose symptoms occur."

The team also tested the app on healthy participants who underwent of a simulated overdose via anesthesia. The Second Chance algorithm correctly detected 90% of actual overdose symptoms at the supervised injection site, and 19 out of 20 simulated overdoses.

Ultimately, the team wants the app to be more interactive with the user, asking them to complete a task on the phone is overdose signs are detected. If no interaction happens, then the phone will contact emergency services.

“The goal of this project is to try to connect people who are often experiencing overdoses alone to known therapies that can save their lives,” Sunshine said. “We hope that by keeping people safer, they can eventually access long-term treatment."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image: If a person fails to interact with the app, it will contact someone who can administer naloxone.

Image Credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington

New smartphone app can detect early signs of opioid overdose

Second Chance is a new smartphone app that could mean...

PTSD increases the risk of cancer and heart disease. A new study has identified a link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cardiovascular disease. The researchers also found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mdma-therapy-ptsd/">PTSD</a> was associated with cancer and metabolic syndrome.

The investigation was focused on 84 individuals who were diagnosed with PTSD as a result of terrorist attacks and other traumatic events.

The study revealed that males were more likely to have circulatory and metabolic complications, while females were more prone to benign and malignant cancers.


Individuals who had a longer duration of PTSD were more likely to develop cardiovascular disease, and PTSD following terrorist attacks was linked to a higher cancer prevalence.

Dr. Andrea Pozza of the Scotte University Hospital in Italy is one of the study's authors.

“An explanation of why victims of terrorism may have a higher cancer prevalence than victims of other traumatic events, such as accidents, may be the intentional infliction of harm on the victim causing a more dysregulated stress response. A challenge for the future is monitoring the physical health of victims over time and understanding psychological and neurobiological processes producing this effect,” said Dr. Pozza. PTSD increases the risk of cancer and heart disease 

“Longer untreated PTSD was associated with higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease regardless of the event type: this suggests the importance of early intervention for PTSD and also education programs for the general population to make people aware about PTSD early warning signs and how to recognize them.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10974547">Journal of Neuroscience Research</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

PTSD increases the risk of cancer and heart disease

PTSD increases the risk of cancer and heart disease. A...

The fur-free movement gained significant momentum in 2018. Major retailers such as Coach, Burberry and Versace announced fur-free policies and the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco banned the sale of fur clothing. Internationally, Norway, Luxembourg and Belgium prohibited fur farming. It seems like fur is out and ethical shopping is in. But will this new trend lead to long-term change?

The use of fur in clothing manufacturing has been an animal advocacy issue for years. Previously, the idea of fur-free advocates may have conjured up images of people throwing paint on fur jackets, but the last year illustrates how the movement has picked up mainstream and industry support.

Fur Free Alliance estimates that more than<a href="https://www.furfreealliance.com/fur-farming/"> 100 million animals</a> are killed on fur farms each year. Fur farming currently comprises<a href="https://faunalytics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Fundamentals_Fur.pdf"> 85%</a> of the fur trade. In addition to farming, animals can be trapped in the wild for their pelts. Farmed animals, largely minks, foxes, raccoon dogs, rabbits and chinchillas, may suffer from immense stress and health ailments before being culled through practices such as gassing and electrocution. The industry argues that the animals receive excellent care and that fur farms abide by industry regulations to ensure <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wild-animals-photo-props/">animal welfare</a>.

Regardless of the level of care farmed animals receive, there is a growing sentiment that using fur for clothing is wrong. But this sentiment hasn’t necessarily translated to decreased sales. MarketWatch<a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/san-francisco-banned-fur-sales-but-americans-are-spending-even-more-on-fur-2018-03-22"> reports</a> that the U.S. was forecasted to manufacture over $352 billion in fur apparel and clothing accessories in 2018, up four percent from the previous year.

The momentum of the fur-free movement may simply be taking time to reflect its change in market numbers. Or some consumers may agree with the movement without following through with behavior changes.

A<a href="https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/13612020610679321"> study</a> of European consumers found that ethical issues did not have an effect on the consumers’ fashion purchasing behaviors. It isn’t so difficult to see why when you consider the current scrutiny the fashion industry is receiving for other practices such as environmental damage, poor labor conditions, and burning their unused products. The consumer may feel it is too difficult for them to truly shop ethically.

Our current age of “ethical consumerism” may change this dynamic. Millennials, who are largely driving the ethical consumerism age, overwhelmingly reject fur products. A recent<a href="https://mic.com/articles/131649/here-s-what-young-people-really-think-about-wearing-fur#.kZLifkbma"> poll</a> showed that two-thirds of millennials stated they were not comfortable wearing fur. Fashion companies can appeal to the new generation of consumers and gain some PR points buy implementing fur-free policies.

But fashionistas are not the only buyers of fur products. Fur products are popular with people in cold climates. These consumers could play a large role in continuing fur sales despite bans in warm and temperate areas such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. Faux fur products are currently being sold to resemble fur products for consumers who want fashion without animal welfare concerns. Products that are designed to match fur products in warmth and comfort could gain popularity with this segment of the market.

In 2018, the fur-free movement dominated fashion headlines. This coming year will show the effect the movement has on consumer behavior.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Fur-free is in fashion. But will it lead to lasting change?

The fur-free movement gained significant momentum in 2018. Major retailers...

One of the first and most important discoveries man made was fire. Since then, we’ve done everything in our power to attempt to control it and generally stop it from killing or maiming us. In this effort, we discovered <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wash-hands-unhealthy-chemicals/">flame retardants</a>, which we include in everything from our furniture to our clothing. 

With so many flammable objects being a part of our everyday lives, it’s not surprising that many of the items we come in contact with contain these flame retardants. And despite the good they do, some of these compounds have been found to have harmful effects on the environment, and have been replaced by more eco-friendly alternatives.

A new study published in the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society’s</a> journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a> has found that heat or ultraviolet light may possibly breakdown a “safe” flame retardant into potentially harmful compounds. 

This study found that some brominated flame retardants – such as hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) – are guilty of not only having exceedingly long names, but of persisting and bioaccumulating in the environment. This may lead to toxic effects on organisms that come into contact with the compounds, and has led to some international regulatory bodies banning HBCD, which is commonly used in polystyrene foam insulation.

So what can be used in place of HBCD? A polymeric flame retardant (polyFR) is a large polymer that is much less likely to enter cells or accumulate in the food chain. However, despite polyFR being a more environmentally friendly flame retardant, the long-term effect of the chemical is unknown.

In an effort to determine the behavior of this compound, Christoph Koch, Bernard Sures and colleagues investigated whether heat or ultraviolet light could break down polyFR into smaller, possibly more harmful substances. They exposed this compound to heat and UV light, then analyzed the samples with mass spectrometry. 

Results showed that when the researchers irradiated polyFR with UV light for 3 hours, there were 75 different degradation production – eight of which contained bromine. On the other hand, heat treatment for 36 weeks produced only seven degradation products – one containing bromine. 

Because some of the compounds the researchers found were small and brominated, they believe polyFR has the potential to be harmful under these circumstances. But as of now, they do not know whether or not the compound would behave differently when incorporated with polystyrene in foam insulation. Safe to say, further research will be needed.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The downfalls of “environmentally friendly” flame retardants

One of the first and most important discoveries man made...

They say blondes have more fun, but true blonde hair is rarer than you might think, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/mrc-human-genetics-unit/news-and-events/news-2018/hair-colour-genetics-uk-biobank-2018">University of Edinburgh's MRC Human Genetics Unit. </a>

The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, is the largest genetic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-body-parts-hair/">hair</a> study of its kind as the researchers examined DNA from nearly 35,000 men and women of European descent. 

The DNA data came from the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/">UK Biobank Study</a> and the researchers conducted genome-wide analyses of different hair colors to find any genetic variants. 

Previous genetic research had found that the red hair is determined by one gene, the MC1R gene, but these studies failed to explain the variants in the MC1R gene and external genetic factors that interact the gene.

For example, although most redheads have two copies of the MC1R gene, there are people with two versions of this gene that don’t have red hair. The researchers wanted to find out what other underlying genetic factors drive hair color variation. 

The researchers found eight genetic variants linked to red hair and nearly 200 genetic differences in blondes and brunettes. 

The lighter your hair is, the more genetic variants you have, according to the study.  

True blonde is also a rare hair color, and the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6563471/Not-dumb-Blonds-complex-DNA-study-says.html">Daily Mail</a> reports that only 12.7 percent of women have pure blonde hair, and only 9.9 percent of men do. 

Surprisingly, many of the genetic differences identified by the researchers correlated with factors other than pigmentation like hair texture and growth. 

“In summary, the very large dataset provided by UK Biobank has enabled us to dissect the complex genetic nature of hair colour,” the researchers concluded. “This forms the foundation for functional analysis linking genetic variation to phenotype and exploring the cellular interactions between melanocytes and other cells in the hair follicle.”
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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

True blonde hair requires surprisingly complex genetics

They say blondes have more fun, but true blonde hair...

Every year, insect and mosquito-transmitted diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and Zika are responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. 

Nearly 40 percent of the Earth’s population is at risk of contracting malaria, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/whr/1996/media_centre/executive_summary1/en/index9.html">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), and the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a transmitter of many common insect-transmitted diseases, is one of the deadliest animals in the world. 

Now, a new study could pave the way for the development of a type of mosquito birth control to reduce mortality rates and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dengue-fever-modified-mosquitoes/">prevent insect-transmitted diseases from spreading</a>.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> conducted a study examining mosquito egg formation and identified a gene specific to healthy mosquito larvae development. 

The study was published in the journal PLOS Biology.

“We specifically looked for genes that were unique to mosquitoes and then tested for their functional role in eggshell synthesis,” said Jun Isoe, the leader of the research. “We think there are other discoveries to be made using this same species-directed approach.” 

First, the researchers identified and tested 40 mosquito-specific genes to determine the function of each gene. 

Next, the researchers injected the genes with an RNA molecule that inhibited the protein that each specific gene codes in a process is called RNA interference. 

The team injected the RNA molecules into a female mosquito before she fed on a host. Female mosquitoes need a blood meal to produce eggs. Once a mosquito laid her eggs, the researchers monitored the offspring to see if the RNA molecule had affected the eggs.

Only one of the genes had an impact on embryo development after being injected with the RNA molecule, the EOF-1 gene or Eggshell Organizing Factor protein as the researchers called it. 

Disrupting the EOF-1 protein resulted in the death of an embryo because the female mosquito laid malformed eggshells that were not able to support larvae development. 

Not only is EOF-1 specific to mosquitos, but the researchers also found that the RNA molecule prevented healthy embryo development for the entirety of the mosquito’s lifespan.

“This lasting effect makes the EOF-1 protein a very attractive target for drugs,” said Miesfeld. 

The researchers think that disrupting the EOF-1 protein could be an innovative solution to control mosquito populations in regions where mosquito-transmitted diseases pose major health risks. 

“We think this strategy may have a much lower chance of harming other organisms than what is being used today,” said Miesfeld. “Since the days of DDT, we have known that mosquito population control works to reduce the incidence of human disease. This could be a next-generation tool that could be applied to bed nets and other areas frequented by mosquitoes.”

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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

Image Credit: CDC/Frank Hadley Collins

Mosquito birth control could prevent the spread of deadly diseases

Every year, insect and mosquito-transmitted diseases like malaria, dengue fever,...

According to data from the <a href="https://www.cancer.org/">American Cancer Society</a>, there was a steady decline in the cancer mortality rate among Americans over a period of 25 years. From 1991 to 2016, there were approximately 2.6 million fewer deaths from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cancer-excess-body-weight/">cancer</a>.

The Cancer Statistics 2019 report estimates that this year in the U.S., there will be 1,762,450 new cases diagnosed, and 606,880 patients will lose their lives to cancer.

Since the cancer death rate peaked in 1991, this rate has steadily declined by about 1.5 percent per year - leading to an overall decline of 27 percent by 2016.

The drop in cancer mortality has primarily resulted from a steady decline in smoking and advances in early detection and treatment. These improvements are reflected in the lower death rates from the four major cancers, which include lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer.

By contrast, death rates have slightly increased for liver, pancreatic, and endometrial cancers. Deaths from cancers of the brain, soft tissue, and sites within the oral cavity and pharynx associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV) have also been on the rise. 

Over the last decade, the cancer incidence rate was stable among women and declined by around two percent each year among men. The racial gap in cancer mortality is slowly narrowing, but socioeconomic inequalities are widening. Residents of the poorest counties have experienced an increasingly disproportionate burden of the most preventable cancers. 

For example, women in poor U.S. counties are twice as likely to die from cervical cancer compared to women in affluent counties, while men in poor counties are 40 percent more likely to die from lung or liver cancer.

“These (poor) counties are low-hanging fruit for locally focused cancer control efforts, including increased access to basic health care and interventions for smoking cessation, healthy living, and cancer screening programs,” wrote the study authors. “A broader application of existing cancer control knowledge with an emphasis on disadvantaged groups would undoubtedly accelerate progress against cancer.”

The study is published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15424863">CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians</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

US cancer mortality rates have been declining for the past 25 years

According to data from the American Cancer Society, there was...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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