Falling asleep and waking up refreshed is something most of us crave. Yet some people appear to thrive on fewer hours, leaving everyone else wondering how they manage it. A new study involving a healthy older adult suggests that a rare gene mutation might be a key to needing fewer hours of sleep.



The research was led by Dr. Hao Chen from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), whose team investigated a "natural short sleeper" <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-night-of-lost-sleep-can-trigger-hidden-health-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trait</a> linked to a genetic variant in the SIK3 gene.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-genetics-influence-sleep-duration">How genetics influence sleep duration</h2>



Scientists who explore patterns of rest have long recognized that people’s genetic makeup can influence how much <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-prepares-the-brain-for-the-future-while-protecting-memories-of-the-past/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a> they need. This latest finding highlights how even a slight genetic tweak might reduce the time required for the brain and body to recover.



Those who qualify as short sleepers function at a normal or high level despite clocking fewer hours in bed. Researchers classify them separately from individuals suffering from insomnia, because these short sleepers typically wake up rested and show no health problems tied to exhaustion.



One older participant reported sleeping around 6.3 hours per night yet displayed sharp cognition and good health. Her genetic profile pointed to a single mutation as the possible reason for her efficient slumber.



These individuals, referred to as natural short sleepers, seem wired to operate on less rest. Specialists are intrigued by how they sail through daily life with no visible drawbacks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gene-mutation-and-sleep-patterns">Gene mutation and sleep patterns</h2>



The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/protein-kinases" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kinase protein</a> produced by the SIK3 gene relays signals that influence various cellular processes. Scientists suspect that changes in kinase function might play a role in controlling how much time the body devotes to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-can-boost-memory-in-a-surprising-way/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a>.



When Dr. Chen’s team transferred this mutation to lab mice, the animals spent slightly less time resting each day. This observation hinted at a biological mechanism that could be significant across different species.



“Studying human sleep genes not only expands our knowledge regarding the sleep regulatory network, but also may bring the basic research from mouse models to clinical relevance,” noted the researchers.



Brain scans in the test mice revealed that their <a href="https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/protein-biology/protein-biology-learning-center/protein-biology-resource-library/pierce-protein-methods/phosphorylation.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phosphorylation</a> patterns changed, especially around the areas that oversee rest and wake cycles. This shift aligns with the idea that sleep is coordinated by a web of signals in the brain that might be influenced by tiny chemical tweaks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-mutations-in-short-sleepers">Genetic mutations in short sleepers</h2>



Scientists have now identified at least five distinct genetic mutations linked to the natural short sleep trait. Each one affects different proteins involved in the brain’s signaling and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-quality-could-be-the-key-to-better-metabolic-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep</a>-wake rhythms, hinting at multiple pathways that might influence rest duration.



The SIK3 variant joins others such as <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1801693115" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DEC2</a>, <a href="https://www.ajmc.com/view/a-rare-gene-mutation-is-associated-with-requiring-less-sleep-researchers-say" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ADRB1</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/387129" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NPSR1</a>, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/14816" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GRM1</a>, each contributing a piece to the sleep efficiency puzzle. Researchers believe that mapping these variants could eventually lead to a full blueprint of how the body regulates its need for sleep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treatments-for-sleep-disorders">Treatments for sleep disorders</h2>



Researchers think there could be important applications for people who struggle with sleep disorders. Adjusting the pathways linked to this genetic variant might shorten the time needed to feel rested, although practical therapies will likely take time to refine.



Still, scientists caution that these insights do not give an excuse to slash nightly rest. They emphasize that ordinary individuals without the mutation may not reap any benefits from copying a short sleeper’s schedule.



Experts see promise in pursuing treatments that enhance the body’s own efficiency. They hope new knowledge of genetic influences will guide strategies to help those who find it difficult to get restorative rest.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-short-sleep-genes">Future research on short-sleep genes </h2>



Short-sleep genes have captured the imagination of specialists for years. There is strong interest in mapping out exactly how the human brain resets itself, and why some people get the same benefits in a compressed timeframe.



“These [NSS] people, all these functions our bodies are doing while we are sleeping, they can just perform at a higher level than we can,” said neuroscientist and geneticist Ying-Hui Fu, from the University of California, San Francisco (<a href="https://www.ucsf.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCSF</a>). 



Scientists aim to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37398097/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">uncover</a> the precise factors that grant this group their resilience. Many research teams intend to investigate how broader networks of genes might interact to influence rest. 



The SIK3 discovery raises big questions about what else might affect daily energy levels and long-term health.



Fascination with short sleepers is unlikely to fade soon. Unlocking the secrets of their genetics could reshape how we view rest, opening a path to solutions for chronic sleep troubles.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2500356122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PNAS</a>.



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Rare gene explains why some people can thrive on less sleep

Falling asleep and waking up refreshed is something most of us crave. Yet some people appear to thrive on fewer hours, leaving everyone else wondering how they manage it. A new study involving a healthy older adult suggests that a rare gene mutation might be a key to needing fewer hours of sleep. The research was led by Dr. Hao Chen from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), whose team investigated a "natural short sleeper" trait linked to a genetic variant in the SIK3 gene. How genetics...

Flu - Full Nose - Human Sinuses Anatomy

Researchers at <a href="https://www.masseyeandear.org/">Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary</a> are explaining how we can inhale bacteria in nearly every breath that we take without getting sick. The experts have discovered that tiny fluid-filled sacs called exosomes are immediately secreted from cells when bacteria is inhaled. These exosomes directly attack the bacteria and protect other cells from infection.

The research provides new insight into our <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fracking-harmful-human-health/">immune systems</a>, and could ultimately lead to the development of new drug delivery techniques that harness this natural transportation process from one group of cells to another.

Study senior author Dr. Benjamin Bleier is a sinus surgeon at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an associate professor of Otolaryngology at <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a>. 

“Similar to kicking a hornet's nest, the nose releases billions of exosomes into the mucus at the first sign bacteria, killing the bacteria and arming cells throughout the airway with a natural, potent defense,” said Dr. Bleier. “It's almost like this swarm of exosomes vaccinates cells further down the airway against a microbe before they even have a chance to see it.”

The study revealed that when cells at the front of the nose detect a bacterial molecule, they trigger a receptor called TLR4, which stimulates the release of exosomes. Within five minutes, an innate immune response doubles the number of exosomes that are released into the nose, and also doubles the amount of the protective enzyme nitric oxide synthase within those exosomes. Nitric oxide is an antimicrobial molecule that equips each exosome to defend against bacteria.

The “swarm” of exosomes is also moved along by another natural mechanism of the nose called the mucociliary clearance, which sweeps the stimulated exosomes - along with information about the presence of bacteria - to the back of the nose. The process prepares the cells in this nasal region to immediately fight off the bacteria before they get very far into the body.

According to the study authors, their findings could lead to more effective ways of administering drugs through the airway. For example, exosomes could be used to transport inhaled medications to cells along the upper airway, and possibly even into the lower airways and lungs.

Dr. Bleier said, “The nose provides a unique opportunity to directly study the immune system of the entire human airway - including the lungs.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jacionline.org/">Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Massachusetts Eye and Ear

How your body protects you from the bacteria you inhale

Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary are explaining how...

When it comes to the effectiveness of echinacea in fighting colds, study outcomes have been very inconsistent. Some trials have found no benefits associated with the herbal supplements, while others have found that echinacea may help to boost immunity and prevent <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/susceptible-common-cold/">colds</a>. 

There are nine different species of echinacea, a flowering plant that can be found in the United States and Canada. The stems, leaves, flowers, and roots are used to make teas and supplements, which have been used as medicine for centuries. 

According to WebMD: “Extracts of echinacea do seem to have an effect on the immune system, your body's defense against germs. Research shows it increases the number of white blood cells, which fight infections.”

A 2015 study by researchers at <a href="https://www.mh-hannover.de/index.php?L=1">Hannover Medical School</a> in Germany found that echinacea could reduce the risk of colds by 35 percent. On the other hand, research from the <a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/">National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine</a> found no evidence that echinacea helps to fight colds in adults or children. 


The inconsistency among echinacea studies is likely due to the fact that there are so many different types and strengths of the supplements. 

Dr. Mark Moyad is the Director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the <a href="http://www.med.umich.edu/">University of Michigan Medical Center</a> in the Department of Urology. He is also one of the world's leading experts on dietary supplements.

Dr. Moyad told <a href="http://time.com/5446498/does-echinacea-work/?utm_source=emailshare&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=email-share-article&amp;utm_content=20181109">TIME</a> that echinacea may reduce the risk of a cold by around 10 to 20 percent. “This may seem underwhelming. But it’s not as if we have a lot of options to prevent colds - especially in people that get a lot of colds during the year.”


Dr. Moyad explained that while regular exercise, hand washing, and sleep are the best ways to prevent getting sick, echinacea may also provide some benefits without any major side effects. He recommends shopping for products that have been certified by quality control companies like NSF or USP to make sure that the supplement will be free of additives or contaminants. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Echinacea gets mixed reviews as a cold prevention therapy

When it comes to the effectiveness of echinacea in fighting...

When people experience major injuries that require hospital admission, such as car accidents or serious falls, their risk of being admitted for mental health disorders is significantly increased, according to a new study. The researchers found that these individuals are also at a much higher risk of suicide. 

The study was led by Dr. Christopher Evans, an expert in the Department of Emergency Medicine at <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/">Queen's University</a>. 

“Major trauma was associated with a 40% increased rate of hospital admission for 1 or more mental health diagnoses,” wrote the researchers. “The most common mental health diagnoses were alcohol abuse, other drug abuse disorders and major depressive disorders.”

There has not been a lot of research to examine the link between major injuries and subsequent <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mental-health-college-campuses/">mental health</a> issues. The current investigation was focused on more than 19,000 patients in Ontario. Most of the participants who had experienced major trauma were male, lived in urban areas, and had accidental rather than intentional injuries.

A higher number of admissions for mental health issues was associated with males, low socioeconomic status, rural residence, accidental injuries, and surgery for these injuries. 

The study revealed that children under 18 years old had the largest increase in admissions for at least one mental health issue after a traumatic injury. In addition, suicide was found to be higher in people with major physical injuries, with a rate of 70 suicides per 100,000 patients per year compared to 11.5 suicides per 100,000 people in the general population.

“Patients who suffer major injuries are at significant risk of admissions to hospital with mental health diagnoses in the years after their injury and of having high suicide rates during this period,” wrote the study authors.

The researchers are urging that mental health support should be offered to all trauma victims, particularly to high-risk patients such as children and youth.

The research is published in the <a href="http://www.cmaj.ca/">Canadian Medical Association Journal</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Traumatic injuries linked to higher risk of mental health issues

When people experience major injuries that require hospital admission, such...

Environmentalists have already called into question the safety of the sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone. Earlier this year, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pacific-island-bans-toxic-sunscreens/">Palau</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hawaii-bans-sunscreens-corals/">Hawaii</a> both banned sunscreens that include the chemical, citing evidence that it can wash off in the ocean water and harm coral. 

Now, scientists are questioning whether the sunscreen ingredient is safe for frequent use.

"What our research shows is that current safety testing procedures may be underestimating the amount of oxybenzone being absorbed into the skin considering heat and reapplication, such as someone sunbathing on the beach," author Paige Zambrana, a pharmacy graduate student at the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>, said in a press release. "Although sunscreens are intended for the entire body under higher temperatures with reapplication every 80 minutes, safety testing for setting UV filter limits only require single dose testing under baseline skin temperature of 32 degrees Celsius."

Tests performed by the researchers found that oxybenzone could permeate human skin. The sunscreen ingredient seemed to absorb more when applied as a lotion than as a spray. 

Adding heat caused the oxybenzone to permeate skin even more. With 24 hours of heat exposure and reapplications at 80 and 160 minutes, oxybenzone permeation increased 2.1-fold compared to a single application. 

Reapplying lotion significantly increased permeation of the sunscreen ingredient compared to reapplying spray-on sunscreen.

"Although sunscreen use is important and generally safe, our work suggests that some additional preclinical and clinical safety testing parameters should be considered before maximum UV filter levels are established," principal investigator Dr. Audra Stinchcomb said. "Also, given oxybenzone's potential environmental hazards and recently being banned in Hawaii, we are focused on how different factors affect people to provide accurate predictions of total oxybenzone absorption."

The researchers will continue to test both oxybenzone and sprays and lotions currently on the market that contain the sunscreen ingredient.

Their research was presented on Nov. 7 at the <a href="https://www.aaps.org/pharmsci/annual-meeting">2018 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists PharmSci 360 Meeting</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Study finds sunscreen ingredient soaks into human skin

Environmentalists have already called into question the safety of the...

A <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/summer-weather-wildfires-flooding/">fire</a> that erupted 90 miles north of Sacramento on Thursday and consumed 70,000 acres of land by 10 a.m. the following morning has now exploded into the most destructive fire in the history of the state. Strong winds had carried the fire to the south and southwest overnight, and it quickly tripled in size.

By Friday, over 6,700 structures had been destroyed, nine people had lost their lives, and 35 people were missing. The Camp Fire, which almost completely wiped out the small town of Paradise, is just one of three major wildfires that are currently burning across the state of California.

The fast-moving wildfires have prompted thousands of residents to leave their homes, and some people were even forced to run on foot to escape the devastation in Paradise, where 80 to 90 percent of homes were destroyed. 

The Butte County Sheriff's Office revealed that four people were found dead in vehicles that had been overwhelmed by flames, and another body was discovered near the vehicles. 

According to <a href="https://cnn.com">CNN</a>, Paradise Mayor Jody Jones said: “There's really not much left. There are very few homes still standing and we've been in multiple different neighborhoods this afternoon.”


Meanwhile, in Southern California, the Woolsey Fire and the Hill Fire are being fueled by howling Santa Ana winds and evacuations have been ordered for thousands of people, including residents of Malibu. 

In a matter of hours, the Woolsey Fire exploded from 2,000 to 8,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, where at least 75,000 homes have been evacuated. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 


Image Credit: <a href="https://twitter.com/LASDHQ/status/1061073827021578240/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1061073827021578240&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.accuweather.com%2Fen%2Fweather-news%2Fevacuations-expand-to-malibu-as-firefighters-battle-growing-woolsey-fire-in-southern-california%2F70006567">LA County Sheriff's Office</a>

California on fire: Three fires destroy homes, force evacuations

A fire that erupted 90 miles north of Sacramento on...

An island nation in the western Pacific Ocean has banned certain types of sunscreen in an effort to protect coral reefs. Palau, which is known as one of the best diving destinations on the planet, is now the first country to outlaw reef-toxic sunscreens. 

The state of Hawaii recently initiated a similar ban on the sale or distribution of any <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sunscreen-chemicals-fish-embryos/">sunscreens</a> containing oxybenzone or octinoxate, which will take effect in January of 2021. Palau’s ban will also prohibit sunscreens that include these two chemicals, as well as eight other harmful substances that are commonly found in the products. 

The legislation follows scientific discoveries that reef-toxic chemicals in sunscreens accelerate coral bleaching, causing damage and ultimately death to corals when they are exposed. 

Sunscreen enters the water after moving through waste treatment facilities, but it is also directly deposited into the ocean when it is washed off swimmers. Overall, an estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen enter the world's oceans each year. 

Due to soaring temperatures in 2016 and 2017, bleaching affected around half of the corals across Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Scientists predict that 90 percent of the world’s coral will be threatened by 2030. 

According to the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund</a> (WWF), an estimated one billion people depend on coral reefs for food and income. “If properly managed, reefs can yield around 15 tons of fish and other seafood per square kilometer each year,” said WWF. Countries like Palau depend on the tourism revenues generated by coral reefs. 

Beginning in 2020, sunscreen products that contain the banned chemicals will be confiscated at airports, and anyone caught selling the illegal sunscreens will be fined $1,000. Palau’s President Tommy Remengesau said the law is designed to “walk a smart balance between educating tourists and scaring them away.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pacific island bans toxic sunscreens to protect coral reefs

An island nation in the western Pacific Ocean has banned...

Melissa G. Hunt, psychologist and associate director of clinical training in the Psychology Department at the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a>, has found a direct connection between the use of social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, to decreased well-being. This study is the most comprehensive look at <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/social-media-beauty-standards/">social media’s</a> effects on mental health to date, and “also more ecologically valid,” Hunt noted.

Hunt and her team of University of Pennsylvania alumni tracked the usage data of the aforementioned three social media apps on 143 undergraduate participant phones. They had the participants take a survey about mood and well-being at the beginning of the study, before assigning participants to the control group, in which participants maintained their current social media usage, or the experimental group, in which participants were limited to spending 10 minutes on each of the three platforms each day.

The team collected data from the participants over a three-week period and used it to trace seven outcome measures, which included fear of missing out, anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

“Here's the bottom line," Hunt said. "Using less social media than you normally would leads to significant decreases in both depression and loneliness. These effects are particularly pronounced for folks who were more depressed when they came into the study."

Hunt noted that stopping the use of social media entirely is not reasonable for young adults aged 18 to 22. However, limiting screen time could result in more positive moods. “It is a little ironic that reducing your use of social media actually makes you feel less lonely," Hunt continued. But, she said that “social comparison” via social media leads us to believe that everyone is living cooler lives than we are. 

Although it’s currently unclear how these findings relate to older age groups or different social media apps, Hunt and her team have found sufficient evidence to suggest cutting down social media usage will lead to a happier life. 

“When you're not busy getting sucked into clickbait social media, you're actually spending more time on things that are more likely to make you feel better about your life," Hunt concludes. “In general, I would say, put your phone down and be with the people in your life."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Direct link found between social media use and depression

Melissa G. Hunt, psychologist and associate director of clinical training...

If you’re a big fan of sushi, it’s likely you know all the different types and styles quite well – but it’s also highly likely that you’ve been served the wrong fish before, probably without even knowing.

In a 2017 study, researchers from the <a href="http://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a>, found through DNA analysis that the fish in 47 percent of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tapeworm-salmon-sushi/">sushi</a> they ordered at 26 Los Angeles sushi restaurants were mislabeled. Other studies have found that this trend is common both nationally and internationally. But why is this the case? Are restaurants trying to trick you?

The same UCLA researchers have now published a study in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersinecology.org/fron/">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a> in which they state that while “sushi mislabeling is pervasive; intentional fraud is much less common.” Their conclusion is due to the discrepancies they found between Food and Drug Administrations regulations and the actual biology of fish species. 

“Yellowtail has six species. The FDA says one can be called yellowtail and the five others have to be called amberjack,” explains Paul Barber, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA and senior author of the study. “In Japan, each of these six species of yellowtail prepared by sushi chefs is sold under a different name. These fishes vary in taste and cost. In the U.S., the FDA says five of these have to be sold under just one name. This is the equivalent of saying we know there are Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, Rolls-Royces, Jaguars and BMWs, but you can call those only Toyotas or BMWs.”

By being only able to use the FDA-recognized names, it’s practically impossible for sushi restaurants to correctly identify what fish they are serving. Luckily, the researchers are working with the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, which manages the FDA’s seafood guidelines that restaurants follow, and they have already drafted recommendations for the labeling of yellowtail.

But until new regulations are passed, how can you know exactly what fish you may be ordering? 

“The best thing consumers can do is care and ask questions,” says Barber. “That will trickle down the entire supply chain. If enough people start asking where the fish is from, the restaurants will ask that of their distributors, and the distributors will ask this of the fishermen. This will work only if the people who pay the bills demand accountability.”

Some local restaurants are taking this study very seriously, and have already begun implementing suggestions from the researchers and identifying fish species’ names based on DNA sequencing. 

“Seafood mislabeling is a global issue, but by banding together, we can do something about it,” says Samantha Cheng, an Arizona State University assistant research professor who worked with Barber. “I’m excited to see how this partnership develops.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fake sushi: The fight against seafood fraud

If you’re a big fan of sushi, it’s likely you...

Arsenic, which is commonly found in well water worldwide, is responsible for one out of every 20 deaths in Bangladesh. Many villagers have now discovered a simple way to overcome this problem. 

“Groundwater is popular as a water source because it is generally free of bacterial pathogens, unlike surface water,” explained Alexander van Geen of <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>'s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

As <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/groundwater-depletion-carbon-dioxide/">groundwater</a> makes its way through rocks and sediments, most harmful bacteria is filtered out. However, the same process adds minerals to the water, including arsenic in some of the shallow wells of Bangladesh.

Sarah Ruth is a director of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18503/nsf18503.htm">Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems</a> program, which funded the research.

“Millions of people rely on water supplies that are contaminated with arsenic,” said Ruth. “Consumption of arsenic-contaminated water, and the rice crops irrigated with it, can have severe health effects, including a variety of cancers and increased child mortality.”

In 2000, van Geen and a team of researchers surveyed 6,000 wells in Bangladesh, and then  conducted a health study of 12,000 people. In 2013, the survey was extended to 50,000 wells that served 350,000 people.

The study revealed that government wells more than 150 meters deep were usually low in arsenic. The researchers also found that wells more than 900 meters deep were not accessible to the wider public, but only to the well-connected or the elite. 


Some villagers have found a way to hack into this clean water. “People in the study area now understand that deeper is better,” said van Geen. They have been drilling deeper wells and finding low-arsenic water above a depth of 150 meters.

A survey of the water in the study area demonstrated a recent jump in the proportion of safe drinking water. While only 25 percent of wells were safe in 2000, a total of 70 percent were deemed safe by World Health Organization standards in 2018.

“That's good news,’ said van Geen. “Arsenic data from urine samples confirm that villagers aren't just telling us what we'd like to hear. Most of the decline is attributed to households reinstalling wells at their own cost.” 

“Some villagers have figured this out, but others still have not. The region's geochemistry causes the problem, but it's also the solution. Arsenic is avoidable without having to resort to water treatment.”

Van Geen will present the research at the 2018 meeting of the <a href="https://www.geosociety.org/">Geological Society of America</a> (GSA). 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Imtiaz Choudhury, University of Dhaka

Villagers in Bangladesh are gaining access to healthier water

Arsenic, which is commonly found in well water worldwide, is...

According to a new study conducted by the <a href="http://www.healthdata.org/">University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation</a> (IHME), 91 nations are not birthing enough children to keep up with their populations, whereas 104 nations are birthing at an increased rate.

Since 1950, total fertility rates (TFR), the average number of children a woman can deliver in her lifetime, have dropped. Even so, current TFR reports show that some nations are having a “baby boom” whereas others are experiencing a “baby bust,” as Dr. Christopher Murray, Director of the IHME, stated.

He continued, “The lower rates of women's fertility clearly reflect not only access to and availability of reproductive health services, but also many women choosing to delay or forgo giving birth, as well as having more opportunities for education and employment."

The study’s findings appear in the annual Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, published on November 8th in the international medical journal The Lancet. This is the first instance where the GBD has produced its own <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/declining-national-populations/">population</a> and fertility estimates, which show that global population has increased 197% since 1950.

“Although total fertility rates are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as death rates decline and because of population 'momentum' in previous decades,” Dr. Murray said.

In 2017, Cyprus was the lowest ranked country in regards to TFR. On average, women in Cyprus only birthed one child in their lifetime. However, in Niger, women would give birth to an average seven children. Other African countries, like Chad, Mali, and South Sudan, also ranked high in TFR, yet low in population. Countries with low birth rates, and higher populations, included Spain, Singapore, Portugal, South Korea, and Norway.

Keeping tabs on TFR throughout the world can aid experts in monitoring their economic and social growth.

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Childbirth rates vary greatly from nation to nation

According to a new study conducted by the University of...

In 1949, Danish archeologists excavated the Trail Creek Caves site on the Seward Peninsula in Alaska. The artifacts uncovered during that first dig have been lying in storage in Denmark for the past 70 years until researchers from the <a href="https://www.uaf.edu/">University of Alaska-Fairbanks</a> pulled the collection out of storage for analysis. 

Among the artifacts was a 9,000-year-old tooth that belonged to a child who was one and a half years of age. 

Further investigation of the tooth and the other artifacts led to new discoveries about Alaska’s earliest inhabitants and their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-human-migration-widespread/">trek across the ancient Bering land bridge</a> that once connected Asia and Alaska. 

A study, detailing the tooth and the genetic analysis of 15 bone samples across North and South America, was published in the journal Science. 

The tooth itself is a goldmine for researchers because it is the third known remnant of the ancient Beringians, an early population of migrants that spread throughout Alaska for thousands of years. 

The researchers also analyzed data from an archeological site in Alaska’s Interior where the first traces of Beringian populations were discovered in 2013.  

Not only were the Beringian populations abundant throughout Alaska, but the researchers also found that the group thrived in Alaska for one thousand years. 

The tooth itself has revealed surprising information about what the Beringian baby ate. 

“This one small tooth is a treasure trove of information about Alaska's early populations, not only their genetic affinities but also their movements, interactions with other people and diet," said Jeff Rasic, an author of the study. 

The researchers analyzed chemical signatures in the tooth and discovered that the child ate only plants and animals found on land. 

This is surprising when you consider how abundant fish and marine wildlife would have been along the Seward Peninsula at that time. 

The researchers also discovered that the tooth belonged to a family who had permanently settled in the Trail Creek Caves and did not come from another part of Alaska. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: NPS photo by Jeff Rasic

What one tooth can teach us about Alaska’s first inhabitants

In 1949, Danish archeologists excavated the Trail Creek Caves site...

Engineers at the <a href="http://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)</a> have created a see-through film that could change the way buildings are cooled. The film reportedly acts as an “autonomous system” that rejects 70% of the sun’s incoming heat, and if placed on exterior building windows, it could ultimately lower a building’s energy costs by an estimated 10%.

Similar in appearance to plastic wrap, the heat-rejecting film contains microparticles made from a phase-changing material that shrinks when exposed to temperatures of 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. When these microparticles shrink to reflect heat, they create a fogged glass-like effect on the film, thus still allowing light into the building while keeping the interior cool.

Nicholas Fang, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, said that this new technology may be a less-costly and more-effective alternative to smart windows. 

“Smart windows on the market currently are either not very efficient in rejecting heat from the sun, or, like some electrochromic windows, they may need more power to drive them, so you would be paying to basically turn windows opaque," Fang explained. "We thought there might be room for new optical materials and coatings, to provide better smart window options.”

Fang worked with other engineers and scientists at the <a href="https://www.hku.hk/">University of Hong Kong</a> to create this new material. Their aim was to find a new way to cool buildings in Hong Kong during the stifling summer months while recognizing the city’s goal to reduce <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/green-energy-create-jobs-coal/">energy</a> usage by 40% by 2025.

[caption id="attachment_1861730" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/185130.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1861730" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/185130-769x1024.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="932" /></a> Image Credit: MIT[/caption]

“It turns out that for every square meter, about 500 watts of energy in the form of heat are brought in by sunlight through a window," Fang said. "That's equivalent to about five light bulbs."

Fang, with experience working with phase-changing materials, experimented and settled on a material containing poly (N-isopropylacrylamide)-2-Aminoethylmethacrylate hydrochloride microparticles, which expand and shrink in response to light and heat.

Experimentation showed that using the film on windows could keep a room almost 10 degrees cooler. Fang and his colleagues plan on continuing their work to see if they can improve their film to be even more effective in shielding heat.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: MIT

New heat-rejecting film could reduce energy costs

Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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