A massive new analysis suggests Americans don’t just differ in what they earn or how long they live - they also differ in how they experience wellness. 



Drawing on more than 325,000 survey responses collected over eight years, researchers found clear regional differences in wellness.



People in the Northeastern and Midwestern regions tend to score higher on “traditional” wellness, which includes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fitness-focused-medicine-physical-activity-reduces-chronic-disease-risk/">physical health,</a> finances, and social support.



Many Southern regions, by contrast, rank higher on “existential” wellness, such as purpose, meaning, and a strong sense of community identity. The pattern lines up with centuries-old settlement histories that still shape local norms today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-wellness-two-ways">Measuring wellness two ways</h2>



The team worked with data from the <a href="https://news.gallup.com/topic/well-being-index.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index</a> spanning 2009–2016 and grouped responses into two broader composites.



“Traditional” wellness bundles tangible aspects of life - physical and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mental-health-crisis-half-of-the-worlds-population-will-be-affected-by-age-75/">mental health</a>, financial security, and day-to-day social support. 



“Existential” wellness captures the less tangible side - purpose, personal growth, community belonging, and living in line with one’s values.



Separating the two helps explain why some places thrive on paper (jobs, hospitals, income) yet still report a thinner sense of meaning - or the reverse.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-old-map-explains-modern-feelings"><a></a>An old map explains modern feelings</h2>



To test whether regional culture matters in wellness, the researchers turned to the American Nations Model. 



This framework divides the U.S. into historical “nations” based on who settled there first. Think Yankeedom, the Deep South, Greater Appalachia, El Norte, and others.



Each region inherited durable folkways about trust, autonomy, community, and authority. Even after accounting for education and income, these cultural footprints predicted distinctive wellness profiles where people live.



The headline split was clear. Northeastern and Midwestern regions, including Yankeedom, leaned higher on traditional wellness. 



Several Southern and frontier-legacy regions - such as the Deep South, Greater Appalachia, El Norte, and parts of the Far West - leaned higher on existential wellness.



In other words, the balance of “health and money” versus “purpose and belonging” shifts in systematic ways across the cultural map.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wellness-differences-stand-out">Wellness differences stand out</h2>



Statistically, the contrasts weren’t subtle. In within-region comparisons, traditional wellness significantly exceeded existential wellness in Yankeedom.



Existential wellness was higher in the Deep South and especially Greater Appalachia - the largest reversal in the set.



Several other regions showed smaller or no gaps, demonstrating that not every place fits a single mold.



These effects held in mixed-effects models that controlled for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-education-matters-for-healthy-aging-and-longevity/">education</a> and income and accounted for clustering within metropolitan areas.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/existential-wellness_american-nations-settlements_PLOS-One_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/existential-wellness_american-nations-settlements_PLOS-One_1s.webp" alt="Wellbeing across the American Nations: First Settler Effects influence traditional and existential wellness. Credit: David R. Samson, Nathan Oesch, Colin Woodard" class="wp-image-1985865"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Wellbeing across the American Nations: First Settler Effects influence traditional and existential wellness. Click image to enlarge. Credit: David R. Samson, Nathan Oesch, Colin Woodard</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture-race-and-wellness">Culture, race, and wellness</h2>



The study also looked at Black and Hispanic residents across regions. Patterns generally echoed the broader map. 



Black and Hispanic respondents tended to show higher traditional wellness in Northeastern and Midwestern regions. They also reported higher existential wellness in Southern regions.



Notably, Black respondents showed consistently lower traditional wellness than white respondents across regions. In the Northeast and Midwest, they also fared worse on existential wellness. 



Together, these patterns suggest that material constraints and structural disparities remain powerful drivers.



At the same time, the relatively stronger existential scores in many Southern contexts may reflect the buffering role of community networks and cultural identity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cultural-roots-of-wellness">Cultural roots of wellness</h2>



Culture shapes where institutions flourish (hospitals, schools, civic groups), how people relate to one another (trust, norms of reciprocity), and what counts as a good life (autonomy vs. solidarity, achievement vs. belonging).



Those long-running preferences influence migration, policy choices, and investments that, over time, help set the table for different “flavors” of well-being.



The authors found the pattern persisted even after adjusting for education and income, and they reported model checks to reduce issues like multicollinearity among predictors.



That suggests the American Nations framework isn’t just a clever historical story - it adds real explanatory power to why wellness feels different in different parts of the country.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wellness-policy-must-fit-culture">Wellness policy must fit culture</h2>



If you want to boost <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/simply-looking-at-art-can-improve-your-well-being/">well-being</a>, focusing only on income or clinics may miss what makes people feel whole in a given place.



In regions that already score high on traditional metrics, investing in community identity, public spaces, and opportunities for contribution might move the needle on meaning and purpose.



In places rich in existential wellness but poorer on traditional metrics, policies that improve access to preventive care, stable work, and safety nets could pay outsized dividends.



Put simply, the study argues that wellness strategies work best when they respect the cultural ecologies where people live - strengthening what’s already strong while shoring up what’s thin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limits-and-a-next-step"><a></a>Limits - and a next step</h2>



This is an observational study using self-reported survey data; it can’t prove cause and effect. The American Nations borders blur in real life, people move, and city-level differences within regions can be large.



Still, with more than 325,000 respondents across 110 metro areas and eight years of data, the signal is hard to ignore. 



The authors call for digging into mechanisms: Which specific institutions or community practices best translate cultural inheritance into day-to-day well-being? 



And which levers - health infrastructure, schooling, neighborhood design, civic organizations - offer the highest return in each region?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-place-and-culture-shape-wellness">Place and culture shape wellness</h2>



Where you live doesn’t just shape your paycheck and your hospital bill. It also shapes how you experience a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/creativity-improves-life-satisfaction-and-overall-well-being/">good life</a> - whether that’s feeling financially secure and physically well, or feeling rooted in purpose and community.



The United States’ oldest settlement patterns still echo in those experiences today. 



They remind policymakers that the most effective pathways to human flourishing may look different from Boston to Birmingham to El Paso.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0327972" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Wellness in America depends on culture and where you live

A massive new analysis suggests Americans don’t just differ in what they earn or how long they live - they also differ in how they experience wellness. Drawing on more than 325,000 survey responses collected over eight years, researchers found clear regional differences in wellness. People in the Northeastern and Midwestern regions tend to score higher on “traditional” wellness, which includes physical health, finances, and social support. Many Southern regions, by contrast, rank higher on “existential” wellness, such as purpose, meaning, and a strong sense of community...

The protection of rare species and the illegal drug trade may at first seem entirely unrelated. However, the environmental impacts of illicit drug production are very real. Because these markets remain underground, they cannot be held accountable for their disastrous impacts on our planet. Currently, one tropical plant is being decimated to produce the illicit drug MDMA.
<h2>What is MDMA?</h2>
MDMA is an illicit drug also called ecstasy, E, or molly. It is a substituted amphetamine that acts as a stimulant and produces “empathogenic” effects. It is one of the most common illegal drugs with an estimated <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2009-08-30/harvested-make-ecstasy-cambodias-trees-are-felled-one-one">12-24 million users yearly</a>.
<h3>The backstory</h3>
MDMA is a psychoactive compound that was first synthesized in 1912, but its effects in humans were not observed until much later. Sometime in the 1970s, the drug <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/aug/18/topstories3.drugsandalcohol">began to appear in recreational tablets</a>. 

Soon after, chemist Alexander “Sasha” Shulgin began researching the compound. Shulgin believed the drug had great potential for the <a href="https://erowid.org/library/books_online/pihkal/pihkal.shtml">treatment of mental health disorders.</a> Around this time, MDMA was also gaining popularity as a party drug. As a result it was classified as a Schedule I substance by the DEA.
<h3>What is MDMA used for?</h3>
The effects of MDMA include stimulation, euphoria, and feelings of empathy and compassion. MDMA is known <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mdma-makes-people-cooperative/">to make users more social and trusting</a>, even if the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/octopuses-social-mdma/">user is an octopus</a>! MDMA causes these effects by inducing the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This is the same system targeted by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychedelic-drugs-healing-powers/">psychedelics </a>as well as some antidepressants (SSRIs).

MDMA is best known as an illegal drug used at raves, festivals, and clubs. In these settings, MDMA can pose health risks to users. The illegal production and distribution of MDMA allow criminals to substitute drugs such as crystal meth and bath salts for MDMA. These drugs are often far more dangerous than pure MDMA. This <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/10/ecstasy-molly-purity-us-synthetic-drugs-mdma">risk is worse</a> in the US where drug laws are stricter.

Real MDMA can still pose health risks. Increased body temperature, dehydration, and depletion of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine can cause long term damage. Repeated use has been shown to <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a1f0/d7715c44a567db34f65034f6ed9ac5ee8f04.pdf">produce neurotoxicity in primates</a>. Unlabeled products of varying potency make overdose a significant risk. Addiction and dependence are also risks associated with MDMA. Visit the non-profit <a href="https://dancesafe.org/">Dancesafe</a> if you are interested in learning about reducing harms of MDMA use.

In recent years <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ecstasy-potential-treatment-ptsd/">research on MDMA</a> has experienced a resurrection. Initial studies indicate that MDMA has great promise for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mdma-therapy-ptsd/">treating psychological disorders</a> including PTSD and depression.  MDMA is used as an adjunct to therapy to increase openness. In a controlled setting with pharmaceutical grade MDMA, these treatments are very safe. 
<h2>How is MDMA produced?</h2>
There is a huge international market for MDMA. 17 million Americans (6%) report having tried MDMA. It is estimated that 100-125 metric tons of MDMA are consumed each year. This is the equivalent of over 1 billion doses. Though estimates vary, the MDMA market is definitely in <a href="https://www.tni.org/files/download/crime1.pdf">the billions of dollars.</a> The existence of this black market helps fund and empower dangerous criminal organizations globally.

Like most illicit drugs, MDMA is produced in clandestine labs with no regulation or oversight. These labs exist all around the world. They rely on heavily controlled compounds as the building blocks for MDMA synthesis. The production of these precursors is threatening a rare Cambodian tree and the wildlife refuge in which it is found.
<h3>Turning root beer into MDMA</h3>
The most common MDMA precursor is safrole. This oily chemical is produced by various plants including Sassafras (the traditional flavoring for root beer.) Sassafras and other safrole containing plant extracts have been used in traditional medicine as well. 

Sassafras oil was banned for consumption in the US in 1960 <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=189.180">by the FDA</a> due to mounting evidence that it is carcinogenic. This compound is produced by a handful of other plants as well.

The forests of Southeast Asia are home to many unique and rare species. Cambodia has vast protected forests that are home to many species seen nowhere else in the world. The Cardamom Mountains of western Cambodia are no exception. 

To preserve the natural resources of this region, the Cambodian Ministry of Environment and Forestry has protected the 1,300 square miles of Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary. This wildlife sanctuary is home to 62 threatened animal species and 17 threatened tree species. In addition, <a href="https://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/project/cambodia/safrole.html#1">30,000 indigenous people </a>live within the sanctuary and rely on the forest for their livelihoods. 
<h3>Mreah Prew Phnom</h3>
Amongst this treasure trove of diversity is a tree called Mreah Prew Phnom (<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia/plant/en/cinnamomum-parthenoxylon/">Cinnamomum parthenoxylon</a>). This tree is endemic (found nowhere else) to these forests. Nearly all of them grow within the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary. This species has not been well researched, and the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/33198/9760889">IUCN has too little data to determine it’s population status</a>.  

What is known is that Mreah Prew Phnom is disappearing at an alarming rate. This Cambodian tree shares something with American Sassafras. The roots of this tree contain safrole. Because of this, the tree is being dug up and harvested to produce safrole oil for the illegal manufacture of MDMA.

Though it has been illegal to harvest this plant in Cambodia since 2004, the practice continues. Illegal factories operate within the forest. Trees are uprooted, and their roots are shredded. These safrole containing roots are extracted and then the safrole is distilled. Distilled safrole is then smuggled out of the country to laboratories that produce MDMA. 
<h3>Environmental destruction on a massive scale</h3>
In order to produce a barrel of safrole, four Mreah Prew Phnom trees are killed. In addition, each tree harvested <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2009-08-30/harvested-make-ecstasy-cambodias-trees-are-felled-one-one">requires six more trees </a>to be felled for firewood to power the extraction. 

The scale of this deforestation is revealed by the amount of safrole seized by authorities. In one bust in 2008 <a href="https://www.fauna-flora.org/news/huge-seizure-of-ecstasy-oil-in-cardamom-mountains">1,278 barrels were seized</a>. This equates to over 5,000 Mreah Prew Phnom trees and 7,000 other trees burned for fuel. The rate of destruction could wipe out the rare Mreah Prew Phnom trees <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/feb/25/ecstasy-cambodia">in as little as 5 years</a>.

This industry harms the environment in many ways. Operating unregulated, clandestine factories in the middle of a protected wildlife reserve has dire consequences. Dead fish and frogs float in the rivers downstream from these factories. The distillation of the oil requires cool water to condense the final product. The makeshift distillation equipment in these facilities <a href="http://www.irinnews.org/report/79340/cambodia-ecstasy-tabs-destroying-forest-wilderness">leaks the carcinogenic safrole into the water</a>. The pollution of these factories threatens the <a href="https://www.unodc.org/southeastasiaandpacific/en/project/cambodia/safrole.html#1">many rare and endangered species</a> in these forests.
<h3>Human Impacts</h3>
These practices also affect the indigenous residents of this Wildlife Sanctuary. Poisoned water sources, damaged ecosystems, and risks of violence all threaten these people. 

The safrole extraction industry is run by large criminal organizations. These groups are associated with human trafficking and wildlife poaching. Because of their unregulated, illegal nature, these facilities are heavily guarded. <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2009-08-30/harvested-make-ecstasy-cambodias-trees-are-felled-one-one">Land mines are even used </a>to deter unwanted attention.

The Cambodian Ministry of Environment and Forestry has a 50 ranger patrol for this wildlife sanctuary. Though they have had many successful busts of clandestine factories, it is a very dangerous job. Multiple rangers have been <a href="https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/10973/Statement-from-WCS-on-the-Killing-of-Three-Conservation-Heroes-in-Cambodia.aspx">murdered in Cambodia</a> after encountering illegal activity.

The international war on drugs has created this illegal industry, and its operation is in the hand of criminals. These organizations operate outside of international regulations and protect their interests with violence. The illicit and underground nature of these groups prevents any accountability for their actions.

This story raises an important question. Who is benefiting from the prohibition of these drugs? Natural resources and disadvantaged people are exploited. Extreme violence is used to protect profit. Governments spend massive amounts of money attempting to fight these organizations. Street drugs are more dangerous. Treatment is less accessible to those in need.

Kingpins, human traffickers, poachers, and other criminals profit, while violent criminal organizations are the actual winners in the war on drugs.

--

By <a href="mailto:casey.hofford@gmail.com">Casey Hofford</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

The environmental impacts of MDMA production warrant consideration

The protection of rare species and the illegal drug trade...

Babies know the difference between laughing friends and strangers. According to a new study by <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> (NYU), infants as young as five months old can recognize the difference between laughter shared among friends or among strangers. The researchers believe that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bilingual-babies-cognitive-advantages/">babies</a> may use vocal cues to determine the nature of social relationships.

Study co-author Athena Vouloumanos is an associate professor in NYU's Department of Psychology.

“Infants' sensitivity to different kinds of laughter might be one of the early emerging tools they use to understand and navigate the complex social world,” said Professor Vouloumanos. Babies know the difference between laughing friends and strangers

Study co-author Professor Gregory Bryant from UCLA's Department of Communication added: “Very brief instances of shared laughter can reveal rich information about people's relationships, detectable in infants as young as five months of age and universally by adults around the world.”

Recent studies have demonstrated that adults are able to quickly determine the nature of a relationship between two or more individuals based on simultaneous laughter, and the researchers wanted to investigate whether this ability was present during infancy. The results would potentially reveal how early in life we can use vocalizations as important social cues.

It has been long established that infants indicate their preferences by listening to them or looking at them for longer. By measuring how long the babies paid attention, the experts could examine how five-month-olds interpreted exchanges of mutual laughter among adults. 

In one experiment, the researchers found that children listened longer to simultaneous laughter when it was shared among friends. In another experiment, the team used video clips that showed either friends facing each other or strangers with their backs to each other while sound clips of mutual laughter were played. 

The researchers predicted that if infants recognized the social context that was appropriate to each type of laughter, they would look longer when the laughter and social context were mismatched. As predicted, the babies gazed for longer time periods when the laughter did not match the type of relationship that was being portrayed in the video clip.

“The ability to rapidly evaluate acoustic features in colaughter that reveal social relationships between individuals appears early in human infancy and might be the product of an adaptive affiliation detection system that uses vocal cues,” wrote the study authors.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Babies know the difference between laughing friends and strangers

Babies know the difference between laughing friends and strangers. According...

New research from the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society of Cardiology</a> has found a link between the health of our blood vessels and our brains. The study suggests that the same factors which negatively impact the blood vessels such as smoking, high blood pressure, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-habits-obesity/">obesity</a>, and diabetes are also responsible for damaging the structure of the brain.

The researchers investigated the correlation between seven vascular risk factors and differences in the structures of various parts of the brain. The strongest links were found in areas of the brain that are known to be responsible for more complex thinking skills.

The investigation was focused on the brain images of nearly 10,000 individuals between the ages of 44 and 79. The study revealed that, with the exception of high cholesterol, all of the vascular risk factors were linked to greater brain shrinkage, less grey matter, and less healthy white matter. 

The experts noted that brain health was even poorer when more vascular risk factors were present. Study lead author Dr. Simon Cox is a senior research associate at the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> (UK),

“The large UK Biobank sample allowed us to take a comprehensive look at how each factor was related to many aspects of brain structure,” said Dr. Cox. “We found that higher vascular risk is linked to worse brain structure, even in adults who were otherwise healthy. These links were just as strong for people in middle-age as they were for those in later life, and the addition of each risk factor increased the size of the association with worse brain health.”

"Importantly, the associations between risk factors and brain health and structure were not evenly spread across the whole brain; rather, the areas affected were mainly those known to be linked to our more complex thinking skills and to those areas that show changes in dementia and 'typical' Alzheimer's disease. Although the differences in brain structure were generally quite small, these are only a few possible factors of a potentially huge number of things that might affect brain aging."

Smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes were found to most consistently affect every brain tissue type that was measured. The findings highlight the potential for lifestyle changes to improve cognitive performance and slow the aging process in the brain. 

“Lifestyle factors are much easier to change than things like your genetic code - both of which seem to affect susceptibility to worse brain and cognitive aging,” said Dr. Cox. “Because we found the associations were just as strong in mid-life as they were in later life, it suggests that addressing these factors early might mitigate future negative effects. These findings might provide an additional motivation to improve vascular health beyond respiratory and cardiovascular benefits.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/">Earth, Planets and Space</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts have found a link between vascular health and brain health

New research from the European Society of Cardiology has found...

If you’ve ever been at a concert and felt like you’re perfectly in tune with the rest of the audience, there may be a good reason. It turns out that music really is captivating, with the ability to sync listeners’ brainwaves.

A study by researchers from the <a href="https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/">City College of New York</a> and the <a href="https://www.uark.edu/">University of Arkansas</a> took a new look at neural responses to music.  

According to their research, when people are engaged in listening to music – especially unfamiliar musical styles – their neural responses line up with other listeners. 

"Across repeated exposures to instrumental music, inter-subject correlation decreased for music written in a familiar style," researchers Drs. Jens Madsen, Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis, Rhimmon Simchy-Gross and Lucas C. Parra wrote in their report.

Unfamiliar musical styles were especially good at holding an audience’s interests and syncing listeners’ brainwaves, especially among those with musical training, the researchers found.

Repetition led to less engagement with a piece of music, they wrote.

To reach their conclusions, the team measured neural activity via EEG as their study participants listened to a selection of instrumental classical music. In two of the study groups, participants listened to certain selections three times each. Researchers also asked some of the groups to distract themselves by counting backwards while listening.

The experiments allowed the researchers to see how music affects listeners, as well as how it can sync listeners’ brainwaves. 

"What is so cool about this, is that by measuring people's brainwaves we can study how people feel about music and what makes it so special,” Madsen said in a press release.

The participants were undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas and undergraduate and graduate students at the City College of New York. They were not music majors, though some had received musical training.

The study adds some important evidence to research on how people engage with music, which has mostly been self-reported. It may also add a new perspective to research on how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-influences-social-connections/">music helps people form connections</a>.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40254-w">Scientific Reports</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Music can synchronize listeners' brainwaves

If you’ve ever been at a concert and felt like...

Have you ever wondered which countries are leading the way in scientific innovations? The UK engineering firm <a href="https://uk.rs-online.com/web/">RS Components</a> has, and a team set out to rank them all. 

The company used four benchmarks to evaluate each country: percentage of its GDP spent on scientific research, the number of scientific papers published, the number of patents registered, and the number of researchers per 1,000 people. Each benchmark had an associated score, and the final rankings were based on each country’s total score.

At the top of the list is the United States, followed by Israel and South Korea. Aside from Japan, the rest of the top 10 countries in scientific innovations are all members of the European Union: Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Switzerland and Austria. 

The U.S. led the pack when it came to the number of research papers published and the number of patents granted, followed by China and Japan respectively. But Israel topped the amount spent on research – as a percentage of the GDP – and in the number of researchers per 1,000 people.

“Although there is no single measure that helps us capture scientific progress in one metric, there are a few ways to discover how certain countries are doing in regard to leadership within the scientific sector,” an RS Components spokesperson told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. 

The rankings did show some areas where countries could improve. For example, the U.S. led in scientific innovations due to its runaway leads in papers and patents, but it came in 10th as far as spending, and had only 9 researchers per 1,000 people compared to Israel’s 17 and Denmark’s 15.

It also showed which countries were struggling to keep up in scientific innovations. Europe was well represented among the top countries, and Japan, South Korea, Singapore and China were in the top 20, Latin America and Africa don’t make appearances until far down the list.

“Science is constantly adapting and aiming to help cure and combat diseases worldwide and it is clear to see that as a human race we prioritize its success and funding,’ RS Components told the Mail.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Which countries rank highest when it comes to scientific innovation?

Have you ever wondered which countries are leading the way...

A new study has found that people who live through the traumas of war and see their loved ones killed or injured in conflict are more likely to turn to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eligious-people-happier/">religion</a>.

The research was conducted by Joseph Henrich, the chair of the Department of Human and Evolutionary Biology at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>, and was published in the journal Nature Human Behavior. 

Henrich has previously studied the link between conflict and how it can prompt cooperation within a group. 

“The idea is that if you can expand the sphere of cooperation, then that group can more successfully compete against others, sometimes even through violent conflict,” Henrich told the <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/03/study-shows-that-many-who-experience-trauma-of-war-become-increasingly-religious/">Harvard Gazette</a>.

Expanding on his previous work, Henrich wanted to explore the links between conflict and religiosity and surveyed people who had lived through armed conflicts. 

As part of the study, researchers interviewed 1,700 people in villages in Sierra Leone, which was devastated by an eleven-year armed conflict from 1991 until 2002, Tajikistan, which is still struggling years after a civil war that amassed a huge number of casualties, and Uganda. 

“In places like Sierra Leone, both the rebels and the government would go into villages and fire indiscriminately,” said Henrich. “Some people would be killed or injured and others wouldn’t. That creates a natural experiment — some people are more exposed to the war, and some people are less exposed, and then we were able to look at the effect of having this shock on their religiosity.”

In Sierra Leone, exposure to war traumas coincided with a 12 percent increase in membership to a religious group. 

In Tajikistan, 14 percent of people who lived through war traumas sought out religion, and in Uganda, 41 percent of people most exposed to war traumas joined a religious group. 

Experiencing a war trauma was also associated with a higher likelihood of attending services and emphasizing the importance of religion in one’s daily life. 

“One of the more interesting findings was that in some cases we found the effect endures,” said Henrich. “In Tajikistan we find the effect even 13 years post-conflict, and there’s no sense in which it declines.”

According to Henrich, the research shows that the shock and trauma a nation faces during a conflict or war can be a powerful instigator for social change. 

“Because it has this psychological effect, when you shock a population … new institutions that were impossible previously are more likely to emerge,” said Henrich. “So these war shocks may redirect history in different directions by reshaping institutions and influencing how people think.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

People who live through war are more likely to turn to religion

A new study has found that people who live through...

A new study shows that those who watch less television and eat energy-rich breakfasts often exhibit less plaque and stiffness in their arteries, and are therefore at a lower risk of developing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/healthy-plant-based-foods-heart-disease/">heart disease</a> or suffering a stroke. 

"Environmental and lifestyle factors are important but underestimated risk factors for cardiovascular diseases," said lead author Sotirios Tsalamandris, MD, a cardiologist at the First Cardiology Clinic at <a href="https://en.uoa.gr/">National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece</a>. "These two studies emphasize the many factors that impact heart disease and the need for holistic preventive approaches."

The study encompassed 2,000 participants living in Corinthia, Greece. The participant pool included healthy adults, those at risk for cardiovascular issues, and those already experiencing heart disease. All ranged in age between 40 and 99 with an average age of 63.

Researchers gave the participants detailed questionnaires that outlined physical activity and eating habits. Participants then underwent two non-invasive artery tests — carotid femoral pulse wave velocity, used to detect artery stiffening (atherosclerosis) by measuring the speed of pressure waves that move along the arteries, and ultrasound imaging, which measures the thickness of the inner part of the arterial wall, thus detecting plaque buildup.

The participants were then divided into three groups based on the number of hours they spent watching television per week: a low amount (seven hours or less), a moderate amount (seven to 21 hours), and a high amount (21 plus hours). 

Those in the “high amount” group were twice as likely to have plaque buildup in their arteries than those watching the least amount of television.

"Our results emphasize the importance of avoiding prolonged periods of sedentary behavior," Tsalamandris explained. "These findings suggest a clear message to hit the 'off' button on your TV and abandon your sofa. Even activities of low energy expenditure, such as socializing with friends or housekeeping activities, may have a substantial benefit to your health compared to time spent sitting and watching TV."

Furthermore, 68% of those who watched more than 21 hours of television per week were more likely to have high blood pressure and 50% more likely to have diabetes. Tsalamandris recommends engaging in light activity while watching television to lower these risks.

The participants were then divided into three separate groups based on how many calories they eat at breakfast: high-energy (breakfast containing more than 20% of daily calories), low-energy (5-20% of daily calories) or skipped breakfast (less than 5% of daily calories). The majority of participants ate a low-energy daily breakfast, such as coffee with low-fat milk, bread with butter, honey, fruit, or olives.

The research team found that those in the high-energy group, who ate a daily breakfast of milk, cheese, cereals, bread, and honey, displayed healthier arteries than those who skipped breakfast.

"A high-energy breakfast should be part of a healthy lifestyle," Tsalamandris continued. "Eating a breakfast constituting more than 20 percent of the total daily caloric intake may be of equal or even greater importance than a person's specific dietary pattern, such as whether they follow the Mediterranean diet, a low-fat diet or other dietary pattern."

It is believed that those who have breakfast tend to eat healthier throughout the day, and that specific breakfast items like dairy and milk could contribute to a healthy heart. However, it should be noted that the Mediterranean-diet aspect of the study may have an influence on the results.

The evidence will be presented at the <a href="https://www.acc.org/education-and-meetings/meetings/meeting-items/2018/03/12/13/48/acc19-68th-annual-scientific-session-and-expo">American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session</a>, taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana between March 16th and 18th.

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Less TV and energy-rich breakfasts make for a healthy heart

A new study shows that those who watch less television...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> has found that smoking tobacco in water pipes, also known as hookahs, can cause damage to the heart and blood vessels. The toxic chemicals that are inhaled during a hookah session often exceed those found in cigarette smoke.

Hookah tobacco is a combination of dried fruit, flavored tobacco, and substances that are intended to keep the tobacco moist. During a hookah session, which typically lasts for at least 30 minutes, users inhale many liters of smoke that is filled with high concentrations of particulate matter.

Hookah smoke contains carbon monoxide and other chemicals that can damage the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/eatings-nuts-lower-cardiovascular-risk/">cardiovascular system</a>, such as nicotine, air pollutants, particulate matter, volatile organic chemicals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, acrolein, lead, cadmium, and arsenic.

“Hookah smoke contains harmful substances and the American Heart Association strongly recommends avoiding the use of tobacco in any form,” said Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar.

“Many young people mistakenly believe that smoking tobacco from a hookah is less harmful than cigarette smoking because the tobacco if filtered through water, but there is no scientific evidence that supports that claim. However, there is evidence to suggest that hookah smoking is addictive and can lead to the use of other tobacco products such as cigarettes.”

Hookah tobacco appeals to younger audiences with colorful packaging and candy and fruit flavors. Sweeteners are added to the tobacco which mask the harshness of the smoke.

According to recent surveys, hookah usage in the United States ranges from 4.8 percent among high school students to 13.6 percent among young adults. People between the ages of 18 and 24 account for 55 percent of hookah smokers nationwide. Furthermore, individuals who smoke hookah are more likely to start smoking cigarettes.

There is growing evidence that hookah usage acutely impacts heart rate and blood pressure, and chronic hookah use is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/circ">Circulation</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hookah smoke can cause damage to the heart and blood vessels

A new study published by the American Heart Association has...

A team of researchers set out to investigate the driving force behind prosocial behavior across large societies throughout history and how <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/religion-shaped-environment-views/">religion</a> may have influenced this behavior. The experts determined that the belief in a god that was capable of punishment played an important role in cooperation.

“The emergence of large-scale cooperation during the Holocene remains a central problem in the evolutionary literature,” wrote the study authors. 

“One hypothesis points to culturally evolved beliefs in punishing, interventionist gods that facilitate the extension of cooperative behavior toward geographically distant co-religionists. Furthermore, another hypothesis points to such mechanisms being constrained to the religious ingroup, possibly at the expense of religious outgroups.”

The study was focused on 2,228 participants from 15 diverse groups such as pastoralists, horticulturalists, Buddhists, and Christians. The volunteers participated in the Random Allocation Game (RAG) and the Dictator Game (DG), during which the individuals distributed coins among themselves, co-religionists, and religious outgroups.

In one experiment, the participants anonymously chose two recipients and placed coins in cups that had been designated for them. In another experiment, the participants used dice to determine where their coins would be placed. 

“Since the allocations were made in private, only the participants knew their decisions and they could distribute the endowment according to their preferences (rather than die rolls).” The researchers explained that this would show individual biases.

The study revealed that people were more likely to allocate a bigger share of coins to themselves or to others members of their own religion. However, individuals who strongly believed in a punitive god made much more equitable decisions. The researchers said this also represents interactions that have taken place on a societal scale throughout history.

“These results provide support for the hypothesis that beliefs in monitoring and punitive gods help expand the circle of sustainable social interaction, and open questions about the treatment of religious outgroups,” wrote the study authors. 

The research 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

Belief in a god capable of punishment helped human cooperation evolve

A team of researchers set out to investigate the driving...

A new study led by the National Food Institute at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english">Technical University of Denmark</a> has produced the first dataset that can be used to compare the levels and types of antimicrobial resistant bacteria present in people across the globe. The researchers analyzed sewage that was collected in 74 cities across 60 different countries.

After mapping all the DNA material in the sewage samples, the team found that antimicrobial resistance fell into two distinct groups. The lowest levels of antimicrobial resistance were found in North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and the highest levels were found in Asia, Africa, and South America.

The use of antimicrobials only accounts for a small part of antimicrobial resistance, so the researchers looked for other contributing factors and for characteristics that could be indicative of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistant-organisms-dust/">resistance</a>. They found that most of the associated factors are related to a population's general state of health and the sanitary conditions in the country.

[caption id="attachment_1869321" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/antimicrobial-resistance.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869321" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/antimicrobial-resistance.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="324" /></a> Image Credit: Frank Aarestrup[/caption]

“In the fight against antimicrobial resistance, our findings suggest that it would be a very effective strategy if concerted efforts were made to improve sanitary conditions in countries with high levels of antimicrobial resistance,” said study lead author Professor Frank Aarestrup

Using data from the World Bank, the researchers have predicted the levels of antimicrobial resistance in 259 countries and have created a global map of resistance in healthy populations.

“Analyzing sewage can quickly and relatively cheaply show exactly which bacteria abound in an area - and collecting and analyzing sewage doesn't require ethical approval, as the material cannot be traced back to individuals. Both parameters help to make a surveillance system via sewage a viable option - also in developing countries,” explained Professor Aarestrup.

The researchers hope to develop a system that makes it possible to exchange and interpret information in real time, which would make it possible to manage diseases that threaten to develop into pandemics.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts have mapped levels of antimicrobial resistance worldwide

A new study led by the National Food Institute at...

Hydroponic growing is very different from traditional agriculture.  The basics of hydroponics are simple – instead of growing a plant in soil, the roots of the plant are immersed in an oxygen and nutrient rich water.  

There are many benefits of growing hydroponically. Hydroponic plants grow faster and create higher yields, while pests, nutrients, and other factors are more easily controlled.  Hydroponic growing is also often carried out in a greenhouse, where growing conditions can be controlled to an even greater degree. Hydroponic systems are efficient in their use of land; small sized hydroponic growers can produce profitable crops in buildings inside cities.  For proponents, hydroponic growing systems are the forerunners of the future of localized, community based agriculture. 

According to <a href="https://www.agrilyst.com/stateofindoorfarming2017/">agrilyst</a>, the average yield of tomatoes from conventional growers in 2016 was 1.85 pounds per square foot. Indoor hydroponic growers on the other hand reported average yields of 10.59 pounds per square foot.  Other crops show similarly greater yields from hydroponic growing systems. Hydroponic growers claim to use water and land more efficiently but electricity can be costly, especially for crops grown inside under artificial lighting.

Hydroponics seems futuristic, but in some ways, hydroponics is quite ancient.  Photosynthetic algae and bacteria predate terrestrial plants as the first plants as we know them.  These early plants grew hydroponically in nature, bobbing in the nutrient stew of the ocean as their growing medium.  There is evidence of crops being grown in ancient Egypt, Babylon and in floating gardens in China thousands of years ago.  The Aztec empire fostered floating rafts of gardens on lakes. 

I’ve visited small scale hydroponics systems and even worked on one in an agriculture science class in high school.  The systems can amount to what is essentially a very simple ecosystem. Often in small scale home operations, fish are raised in a small pond; fish waste supply <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/organic-farming-high-yield/">organic</a> nutrients for the plants.  The plants in turn help clean the water for the fish, absorbing waste as the water is pumped past their roots.  In these systems, fish as well as plants can be harvested and eaten. 

There’s only one problem; the word organic used with hydroponics is controversial.  

In Europe, crops grown hydroponically cannot be labeled as organic and critics of hydroponics say it’s with good reason.  The US is different; here crops grown hydroponically can be labeled as organic as long as they meet other criteria for USDA certification.  

According to some, even plants grown with only organic fertilizers and no pesticides inside a greenhouse, roots set in gravel pumped full of organic compound rich water are missing one essential component.  Many American organic growers feel that the heart and soul of organic agriculture is being a part of the ecosystem. Traditional organic agriculture nurtures healthy soils and all of the bacteria, fungi and invertebrates that go along with it.  Native pollinators can alight on an organic crop without being poisoned and perhaps marginal habitat is provided for other wild animals. All of this connection to the ecosystem happens because the plants are grown in soil, out under the sun, as most plants do naturally.  In turn, all the organisms in the soil and the messy organic fertilizers supply more micro-nutrients to the plant and eventually, the person who eats the plant. Traditional organic farmers in the US are trying to make a distinction between themselves and hydroponic growers working under the USDA organic label.    

From the perspective of traditional organic growers, hydroponics gets some things wrong.  Artificial lighting from indoor hydroponic farms has a greater impact on the environment, since the lights are powered by electricity.  Greenhouse walls keep out insects, birds and other animals. Making the distinction between hydroponically grown crops and traditional organic crops clear to the public and the opinions of that public, is a matter of billions of dollars as well as the place of agriculture in the ecosystem.  

<a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-trends/specialized-market-research-reports/life-sciences/food-science/hydroponic-crop-farming.html">IBISWorld</a> reports that hydroponic agriculture has grown 1.2% over the last five years, reaching $891 million in revenue for 2018.  Crops grown under the USDA organic label now have an economic value of $40 billion a year, according to the <a href="https://www.cornucopia.org/2015/09/is-the-organic-label-worth-saving/">Cornucopia Institute</a>.  With numbers like this, it’s easy to see how invested farmers hydroponic or otherwise can be heavily invested in their methods of cultivation.  Amidst the tension over differing definitions of what’s organic, traditional organic farmers are planning a new organic label. 

A symposium of organic farmers called the Real Organic Project Symposium met on Saturday March 2nd at Dartmouth College.  The goal of <a href="https://www.realorganicproject.org/">The Real Organic Project</a> is as follows:

“Our mission is to grow people’s understanding of foundational organic values and practices. Our first goal is to create an add-on label to USDA certified organic to provide more transparency on organic farming practices.”

That boils down to the creation of a new label for USDA organic products that would clarify how organic the organic product is.  Under this new system, there would be a new real organic label setting traditional organic foods apart from hydroponically grown organic crops.  The group also touts the importance of healthy soil, something not involved in hydroponic agriculture.  

Another important point the group makes is one about animal welfare.  Apart from the debate over hydroponic growing, the USDA recently dropped a proposed rule on animal welfare.  According to the <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/organic-livestock-poultry-practices-proposed-rule">USDA</a>, the proposed rule would have enforced higher standards for the health and wellbeing of organic livestock.  In my mind this is an issue of a different quality than that of hydroponic agriculture. 

The issue really is one of definitions and trust.  How much do we trust how the government defines organic and what do we want that to embody?  In some places, hydroponic agriculture with its efficient scientific methods might become necessary for survival and if done right could be a good thing.  On the other hand, the wellbeing of livestock does contribute to a better world in a real way and I feel that’s what some farmers are arguing an organic label should mean.  

When we think of organic, we think of health.  Health doesn’t stop at the skin, without a healthy world to live in, the body withers and dies.  How do indoor farms fit into the health of the planet? It’s not a question we’ve had to ask until recently.  Many farmers and organic advocates seem to be painting the fight as small scale organic farmers versus large, industrial agriculture using a label to maximize profit by bending the rules. Can one label encompass both?  It’s important we get definitions right. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Organic growers and the controversy over hydroponics

Hydroponic growing is very different from traditional agriculture.  The basics...

By now, everyone’s heard of the threats facing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fungicide-honey-bees-death/">honey bees</a> these days in the United States, from pesticides to the steady invasive creep of urbanization.  But few people think about the native bee species and how these interact with the non-native European honey bee or the ‘Africanized’ hybrid that so many people fear.  Native bees are victims to human activity just as the loyal pollinating honey bees we so love.

According to the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/past_speeches/2015_Speeches/SDroege.pdf">USDA</a>, there are 20,000 named species of bees worldwide.  There are estimated to be another 20,000 species of bees left to describe.  In the US, there are approximately 4,000 species of described bees and an estimated 400 species left to describe.  The highest diversity of bees here is in the Southwest. With overlapping populations, there are 100+ species at any given location in the US.  Only about 1% of the bees in the US are non-native. Of the native bees in the US, most are incapable of stinging. Mexico also has a large amount of bee diversity.

According to <a href="https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/protecting-native-bee-populations-in-mexico">UN University</a>, there are 2,000 species of bees native to Mexico.  Beekeeping in Mexico is a big business, with 41,000 honey producers raising 2 million hives with a profit in exports of about US $56 million per year.  Honey production includes both European Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and native species.  The honey produced by each species of bee differs in its flavor as well as the amount produced.  Colony sizes in European and native bees also differ greatly. European honeybee colonies range in size from 30,000 to 50,000, while native colonies are usually much smaller from 1,000 to 5,000 worker bees.  Interestingly, native apiculture still remains in Mexico.

Native American communities in Mexico sometimes use pre-Columbian techniques in raising bees, such as using clay pots instead of more modern containers.  Sometimes native bees are used as well, contributing to the natural biodiversity of bees in Mexico. There is also one big advantage to raising native bees, unlike their European relatives, native bees don’t sting.  Being stingless, native bees are much easier to handle than the European Honeybee. There is also an ecological advantage – native bee species pollinate higher up in the colony of native tropical forests than do the introduced European bees.  Despite the benefit of not being attacked by a bee and the benefit to tropical forests, native bees are usually less profitable because they produce smaller volumes of honey per colony. 

When Native Americans encountered European Honey bees in North America, they often called them the ‘white man’s fly’.  Seeing large numbers of honey bees meant European settlers were nearby, while Native Americans had already been collecting honey from native bee colonies they found in the wild.  In Mexico, the Maya had long been practicing bee husbandry when Europeans first arrived in their land.

In 2005, the <a href="https://stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a> reported that the main native species propagated by the Maya was Melipona beecheii, one of about 500 species of stingless bees found in the tropics.  16 species of stingless bees are native to the Yucatan region. The bee’s name in Yucatec Mayan is ‘Xunan-Kab’ which translates into, ‘royal lady bee’.  Traditionally colonies of these stingless bees were reared by a Mayan priest and honey was harvested only twice a year, to avoid damage from over harvesting.  

Researchers from the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research then decried the decline of native bee husbandry among the Mayan people of Mexico.  The decline is connected to a loss of cultural knowledge – the majority of Mayan bee keepers in Mexico are old men who aren’t passing there knowledge on.  Decline of bees as with the decline of all native species is also connected to a decline in habitat. Melipona beecheii depends on tropical forests for their survival and production of honey.  Given the threats to native honey bees, despite the 3,000 year history of beekeeping in Mexico, many Mayans are turning to European bees for beekeeping.  

By 2005, there had already been a 93% decline in native bee keeping.  1,000 native bee colonies were known in 1981 but only 90 remained in 2004.  At the time, biologist Rogel Villanueva Gutiérrez predicted that native bee production would be completely gone by 2008.  <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/01/house-of-the-royal-lady-bee-maya-revive-native-bees-and-ancient-beekeeping/">Mongabay</a> reported in 2018 that these predictions didn’t turn out to be entirely accurate.  

Villanueva himself brought together 50 local people in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo and taught them native bee husbandry in an attempt to save the tradition, the bee itself and contribute to forest health.  From these modest beginnings, native bee keeping has grown and the state government has taken on financing some beekeepers. One family in the agricultural community of La Pantera has 98 bee colonies, more than all the native bee colonies being kept in Quintana Roo in 2004.  

An agroecological School in Yucatán state, founded in 1992 by a Catholic priest is also part of the renewal in native bee keeping.  The school has trained 300 Mayan students in native bee keeping and even more in agroecology. This training is spreading the renewal in native bee keeping to  Yucatán as well as Quintana Roo. Some are concerned with possible bad actors in native bee keeping.

Wild bee hives are sometimes raided to create a new colony of native bees for a quick profit, hurting wild populations.  Older people also sometimes sell their bee colonies for a profit without passing down their deep, traditional knowledge to younger generations.  There are also concerns about those who start in the business without a good grounding in apiculture training and end up killing or hurting colonies by their ineptitude.  Still, a revival in traditional knowledge and connection to native wildlife is a good thing. 

Beekeeping in the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico shows a way that agriculture and wild ecology can coexist, a way humans have discovered of being comfortable as part of a greater environmental whole.  Yucatán state has a history of colonial violence and oppression of Mayans, greater than in Quintana Roo. Revival of native beekeeping can be seen as a small revival of a culture long persecuted by colonists.           

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Mexican beekeepers help native bees come back from the brink

By now, everyone’s heard of the threats facing honey bees...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-astrobiology">Implications for astrobiology</h2>



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
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</div></figure>







Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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> (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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" 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> 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



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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?

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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

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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"

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