Food allergies have become increasingly common, affecting roughly one in 13 children, as reported by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). With such a rise, scientists continue to explore how maternal diets might influence allergy risk in infants. 



Recent research in Finland sheds light on a surprising connection between avocado consumption during pregnancy and reduced food allergy risk in infants.



A study involving 2,272 mother-child pairs, conducted over nearly a decade, uncovered a striking finding. Infants whose mothers consumed avocados during pregnancy had a 43.6% lower chance of developing food allergies by 12 months. 



The study accounted for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-omega-3-deficiency-is-rising-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">variables</a> such as maternal age, smoking status, and education - yet the link remained consistent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avocados-lower-allergy-risk">Avocados lower allergy risk</h2>



For years, researchers have explored how specific dietary patterns during pregnancy might influence infant allergy risk. However, individual foods like avocados have not received the same level of scrutiny. 



The Finnish study aimed to fill that gap. The team utilized an online food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess maternal avocado intake during the first and third trimesters. 



Participants who reported any avocado <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-production-more-difficult-climate-change-plant-pollinators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consumption</a> were classified as consumers, while those who did not became non-consumers.



The analysis revealed a significant contrast. Among non-consumers, 4.2% of infants developed food allergies. In comparison, only 2.4% of infants whose mothers consumed avocados experienced the same outcome.



The reduction in allergy risk remained significant even after adjusting for various maternal health factors .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-avocado-research-offers-hope">Avocado research offers hope</h2>



“As a caregiver, the growing prevalence of food allergy feels very scary and out of my control,” said Sari Hantunen, senior lecturer at the <a href="https://www.uef.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Eastern Finland</a>.



“There is no cure for food allergy, but promising prevention and therapeutic strategies are in development as well as emerging research such as this."



”Based on these findings, it’s encouraging to know that eating avocados may provide even more value to maternal and children’s health, beyond the benefits that have already been established through scientific research.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-avocado-and-allergy">Tracking avocado and allergy</h2>



The Kuopio Birth Cohort (KuBiCo) provided a rich dataset for analysis. Researchers recruited pregnant women during routine first-trimester appointments at <a href="https://pshyvinvointialue.fi/web/en/kuopio-university-hospital" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kuopio University Hospital</a>. Data collection continued until November 2022, capturing dietary intake throughout the first and third trimesters.



Mothers completed FFQs that detailed food consumption over the past three months. The FFQ specifically assessed avocado intake, classifying participants as consumers or non-consumers.



After birth, researchers tracked infants to assess allergic outcomes, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-therapy-may-help-reduce-peanut-allergies-in-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food</a> allergies, eczema, rhinitis, and wheezing. Even after adjusting for variables like maternal age, smoking, and breastfeeding duration, the data maintained its significance. 



Infants of non-consumers showed a 4.2% allergy rate, while those of avocado consumers showed a 2.4% rate .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-choose-avocados">Who choose avocados?</h2>



Avocado consumers shared common traits that distinguished them from non-consumers. They tended to be older and more educated. They also reported longer breastfeeding durations and higher diet quality scores.



These women generally had lower BMI levels in the first trimester and were less likely to undergo caesarean deliveries. Researchers noted that these trends might reflect broader health-conscious behaviors rather than avocado <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-is-transforming-pollen-science-and-health-planning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consumption</a> alone .



Avocados pack essential nutrients that may benefit both maternal and infant health. Each serving provides 9.25 grams of dietary fiber, supporting gut health and potentially influencing immune responses.



Additionally, avocados contain 2.6 mg of vitamin E, an antioxidant linked to immune function, and 0.93 mg of zinc, which plays a role in immune development. Lutein, a carotenoid crucial for eye health, also features prominently in avocados.



The nutrient profile aligns well with dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet, previously associated with lower allergy risks in offspring. While the study focused solely on avocados, researchers suggest that other nutrient-dense foods may offer similar protective effects .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consuming-avocados-for-allergy-prevention">Consuming avocados for allergy prevention</h2>



The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that pregnant women consume 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups of vegetables daily. Avocados, with their nutrient density, count as a full cup per serving.



For toddlers aged 12-23 months, the guidelines suggest 2/3 to 1 cup of vegetables each day. With its rich nutrient profile, a single avocado serves as a practical choice to meet these recommendations without the need for supplements.



Despite the promising findings, the study did not identify any significant links between avocado consumption and other allergic conditions like rhinitis, eczema, or wheezing. 



The focus on food allergies yielded notable results, but the other conditions showed no significant differences between consumers and non-consumers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-the-research">Expanding the research</h2>



The researchers caution against overgeneralizing the findings. While avocados may contribute to reduced food allergy risk, the mechanisms remain unclear. 



Further studies could clarify whether specific nutrients within avocados influence immune development and whether similar effects extend to other foods .



The study opens doors for future research that could extend beyond infancy. Tracking infants beyond the first year of life may provide insights into how early dietary exposures shape allergy risk throughout childhood.



Additionally, examining other nutrient-dense foods with similar profiles, such as nuts, seeds, or leafy greens, could help determine whether the observed effects result from specific nutrients or broader dietary patterns. 



Understanding these connections could refine dietary recommendations for pregnant women, offering clearer guidance on foods that may reduce allergy risk in infants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-nutritional-choice-with-potential">A nutritional choice with potential</h2>



As food allergies continue to rise, identifying preventive strategies during pregnancy remains a critical focus. This Finnish study suggests that avocados, with their nutrient-rich profile, may play a role in reducing food allergy risk in infants.



While the study does not establish causality, it highlights the potential impact of nutrient-dense foods during pregnancy - a time when maternal diet can leave lasting imprints on infant health. 



Further research will clarify whether these findings hold across diverse populations and whether other foods offer similar benefits.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-025-03968-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pediatric Research</a>.



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Eating avocados during pregnancy reduces baby's allergy risk

Food allergies have become increasingly common, affecting roughly one in 13 children, as reported by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). With such a rise, scientists continue to explore how maternal diets might influence allergy risk in infants. Recent research in Finland sheds light on a surprising connection between avocado consumption during pregnancy and reduced food allergy risk in infants. A study involving 2,272 mother-child pairs, conducted over nearly a decade, uncovered a striking finding. Infants whose mothers consumed avocados during pregnancy had a 43.6% lower chance...

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/statistics/index.htm">Centers for Disease Control</a>, and exposure to harmful UV rays (UVR) from the sun can increase your risk.

Even though a wide range of sunscreens are available that can help guard against sunburn and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/skin-cancer-cases-outdoor-workers/">skin cancer</a>, most people apply layers of sunscreen that are too thin to fully achieve their sun protection factor (SPF) rating. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King's College London</a> conducted a novel study to assess how coverage thickness protects against sun damage to the skin in an effort to show how maximum coverage is necessary to fully guard against UV rays. 

The results were published in the journal Acta Dermato-Venereology.

For the study, 16 participants with fair-skin were split into two groups. One group received a single dose of UVR exposure on areas treated with high SPF sunscreen of varying thickness ranging from .075 milligrams to two milligrams per centimeter squared. 

Two milligrams per centimeter squared is the required amount recommended by manufacturers to get maximum protection. 

The participants in the second group were exposed to UVR for five consecutive days. The amount of exposure varied to replicate conditions one might experience while on vacation in Florida or Brazil. 

After the exposure tests were completed, the researchers took biopsies of the UVR exposed skin.  

The results of the biopsies showed that skin damage was worse on the areas with no skin protection even with a low UVR dose. 

On the patches with a thickness of .75 milligrams, there was less damage but two milligrams produced the least amount of skin damage even with higher UVR exposure. Participants in the second group saw similar results. 

The researchers found that applied normally (thinner than recommended), a sunscreen of SPF 50 will provide 40 percent of its expected protection. 

“There is no dispute that sunscreen provides important protection against the cancer-causing impact of the sun's ultraviolet rays,” said Antony Young, an author of the study. “However, what this research shows is that the way sunscreen is applied plays an important role in determining how effective it is. Given that most people don't use sunscreens as tested as tested by manufacturers, it's better for people to use a much higher SPF than they think is necessary.” 

Wearing protective clothing and staying out of direct sun at the hottest times of the day are two recommended ways to protect against the sun damage, and now this study shows that it's best to reach for the higher SPF as well. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why sunscreen may not provide the protection you might expect

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in...

A survey conducted by researchers at the <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">University of California, San Francisco</a>, has revealed that Americans have a much more favorable view of marijuana than what has been previously understood. Out of over 16,000 study participants, around 81 percent reported that they believe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-users-sex/">marijuana</a> use has at least one benefit.

According to the researchers, the aggressive commercialization of marijuana likely influences the public's opinion of the drug. While the marketing of tobacco and alcohol is heavily regulated, the promotion of marijuana products is not, which makes it important to understand the public's perception of marijuana.

The experts designed the study to investigate how adults in the United States view the risks and benefits of marijuana. They found that most Americans think marijuana is beneficial in some way, despite a lack of evidence to support many of these benefits.

The most common advantage of marijuana use that was agreed upon was pain management, followed by the treatment of diseases like epilepsy and multiple sclerosis. The survey respondents also reported that they felt marijuana was capable of providing relief from anxiety, stress, and depression.

The efficiency and safety of these treatments, however, have not been fully evaluated. There is also no evidence to suggest that marijuana is not addictive, which a sizable number of study participants believed.

Among the respondents, 29.2 percent believed that smoking marijuana can prevent health problems, while about 18 percent believed that exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke is somewhat or completely safe for adults.

The vast majority of respondents felt that marijuana has risks as well, with 91 percent saying that the use of the drug has at least one risk. The risks that were most commonly agreed upon were legal problems, addiction, and impaired memory.

According to the researchers, the gaps in our understanding of the health effects and safety of marijuana use are extensive, and the public may be underestimating the long-term risks of the drug. The study results highlight the need for future research to provide a better understanding of the health impacts of marijuana use.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://annals.org/aim">Annals of Internal Medicine</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Americans have a more positive view of marijuana than was thought

A survey conducted by researchers at the University of California,...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-administration-endangered-species-act/">Trump administration</a> is pushing for major changes to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-species-act-support/">Endangered Species Act</a> (ESA), and claims that the modifications would provide government agencies with less confusion and more consistency while producing the best conservation results. Critics argue, however, that the proposal is a handout to big businesses, making it possible to develop land that is currently protected by the law.

For the last 45 years, the ESA has successfully prevented the extinction of 99 percent of species listed as threatened or endangered in the United States. In 1973, Congress wrote in the introduction to the ESA that plants and wildlife  “are of esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people.”

According to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>, more than two dozen policy initiatives and amendments have been designed to weaken the reach of the ESA in the past two weeks. The news agency reports that these proposed changes include a measure that would lift protection for the gray wolf in Wyoming and along the western Great Lakes, as well as a plan to prevent the sage grouse from becoming a candidate for the endangered species list for ten years.

If the administration’s bill is passed, species that are classified as being “threatened” will no longer receive the same habitat protections as endangered species. In addition, it will become more difficult to get a species on the endangered list, and easier to have a species removed from the list.


One of the most controversial amendments would allow the economic consequences of conserving a plant or animal to be considered before the species could be approved for protection.

Opponents of the ESA believe that the law is in violation of private property rights and restricts economic development, which they say often results in the loss of American jobs and business profits. Big oil and gas companies, farmers, and ranchers in the western United States have pushed for changes to the ESA for years.

Richard Pombo is a former California congressman who helped write a revision of the ESA in 2005 that was rejected, and is now a lobbyist for mining and water management companies. Pombo told the New York Times: “It’s probably the best chance that we have had in 25 years to actually make any substantial changes.”

Dr. Andrew Rosenberg is the director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/">Union of Concerned Scientists</a> (UCS) and a former deputy director of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

“The Endangered Species Act has successfully saved 99 percent of listed species from extinction - and it’s an effective law because it’s grounded in science,” said Dr. Rosenberg. “The Trump administration would weaken that scientific foundation and make it much harder to create robust plans to protect species on the brink of extinction. Make no mistake: this is going to increase the chances that species go extinct.”

“Using short-term economic gain as a justification for not protecting endangered species is part of a pattern with this administration. Their repeated efforts to weaken science-based protections come straight off the wish lists of politically powerful industries like oil and gas extraction.”

“The Trump administration’s proposals to change the Endangered Species Act come at the same time as the President’s allies in Congress are proposing bills that would also undermine the law. These changes are a radical upending of our policy toward plants, animals and ecosystems. If these efforts succeed, we may have a law called the Endangered Species Act, but it won’t be remotely effective at protecting endangered species.”
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

D.C. lawmakers launch major attack on the Endangered Species Act

The Trump administration is pushing for major changes to the...

The bond between humans and dogs goes back <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-dogs-bond/">thousands of years</a>, and there is still much debate surrounding exactly when early dogs were first domesticated.

It’s believed that the evolution from wild dogs to man's best friend occurred over a long span of time leading to the close bond we share with canines today. What started as a mutually beneficial arrangement between wild dogs and humans has turned into a deeply complex relationship. 

“What began as a mutual-services contract between two very different species became something much more like love,” writes <a href="http://time.com/5342964/human-bond-dog-thoughts/?utm_source=time.com&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the-brief&amp;utm_content=2018072010am&amp;xid=newsletter-brief&amp;eminfo=%7b%22EMAIL%22%3a%22px%2fHYSNvxgoLO5vJ%2fVTY2g%3d%3d%22%2c%22BRAND%22%3a%22TD%22%2c%22CONTENT%22%3a%22Newsletter%22%2c%22UID%22%3a%22TD_TBR_8F9DE919-3803-411B-BCC6-AC8D0E75C392%22%2c%22SUBID%22%3a%2224077972%22%2c%22JOBID%22%3a%22830401%22%2c%22NEWSLETTER%22%3a%22THE_BRIEF%22%2c%22ZIP%22%3a%22372154302%22%2c%22COUNTRY%22%3a%22%22%7d">Time</a> editor Jeffrey Kluge as part of a new TIME book titled <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TIME-How-Dogs-Think-Inside/dp/1547844167">How Dogs Think: Inside the Canine Mind</a>.

Dogs provide comfort and companionship, help with important tasks like guarding, hunting, and detecting, and we in turn provide love, attention, and care. 

It’s a bond like no other in the animal kingdom, and even though we have other equally lovable pet animals, there does not exist nearly the same body of research on understanding and interacting with those animals like there does for dogs. 

Our ability to understand the subtle body language of dogs is a product of our thousand years side-by-side evolution with canines. 

According to the <a href="http://time.com/5342964/human-bond-dog-thoughts/?utm_source=time.com&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=the-brief&amp;utm_content=2018072010am&amp;xid=newsletter-brief&amp;eminfo=%7b%22EMAIL%22%3a%22px%2fHYSNvxgoLO5vJ%2fVTY2g%3d%3d%22%2c%22BRAND%22%3a%22TD%22%2c%22CONTENT%22%3a%22Newsletter%22%2c%22UID%22%3a%22TD_TBR_8F9DE919-3803-411B-BCC6-AC8D0E75C392%22%2c%22SUBID%22%3a%2224077972%22%2c%22JOBID%22%3a%22830401%22%2c%22NEWSLETTER%22%3a%22THE_BRIEF%22%2c%22ZIP%22%3a%22372154302%22%2c%22COUNTRY%22%3a%22%22%7d">Time</a> report, dogs and wolves share 99.9 percent of the same DNA, but a few slivers of genetic differences separate wild dogs and wolves from domesticated dogs. One major difference is the sociability of domesticated dogs versus wolves. 

Something must have jump-started the relationship between humans and dogs and it most likely began with dogs genetically geared towards sociability lingering around ancient human settlements. 

Today, dogs are such a central part of our lives, and Time reports that the average dog owner spends around $2,000 a year on their pet. 

It's all thanks to an ancient transaction formed between wild dogs and humans trading food and shelter for protection and love. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How dogs and humans became so close

The bond between humans and dogs goes back thousands of...

Many people think of environmentalists as granola-eating pacifists.  The stereotype is more shrill than hard-edged. The fact is that environmentalism is part of a culture war fighting for a cause that many are deeply passionate about.  There are environmentalists that have risked life, health and reputation to save something greater than themselves, and here are a few examples to prove it. 

In July 1905, America still in the infancy of its conservation movement, Guy Bradley, then only 35 years old, was shot.  Guy Bradley fell back into his small boat and floated away from the coast of Florida, bleeding to death before he was found.  Bradley was one of a new breed of American wildlife law enforcement officers. At the time, birds were being massacred for their feathers, simply to decorate women’s hats.  

Guy Bradley had himself hunted birds for their plumes until it was made illegal, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Bradley">writing</a> to the president of the Audubon Society, “I used to hunt plume birds, but since the game laws were passed, I have not killed a plume bird. For it is a cruel and hard calling not withstanding being unlawful. I make this statement upon honor.”  

Upon receiving his commission as a game warden in Florida, Gut Bradley was paid a monthly stipend of $35, the equivalent of $917 in today’s money.  Bradley was charged with monitoring a long stretch from the Ten Thousand Islands through the Everglades of Florida. Bradley set about educating locals about the new anti-bird hunting laws and setting up spies to inform him of any wrongdoing.  Mostly Bradley worked alone, an easy target for unlawful gangs. 

Bradley had previously arrested his killers, a father and sons for poaching birds for their feathers in the region, fueling a long standing grudge that finally boiled over into murder.  Today, Guy Bradley is memorialized with a <a href="https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/guy-bradley-trail.htm">trail</a> in the Everglades.  The death of Guy Bradley catalyzed the passing of more bird protection laws and better enforcement, perhaps being instrumental in saving some bird species from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lost-extinctions-animals/">extinction</a>.  

When most people think of environmentalism, they think of saving species or stopping climate change.  Few I think consider the saving of indigenous cultures as part of environmentalism. I would argue that saving cultures evolved with a specific environment and part of the greater natural whole is of utmost importance.  

Brazil is a hotspot of cultural diversity; and according to <a href="https://pib.socioambiental.org/en/Languages">Povos Indigenas no Brazil</a>, of the world’s 7,000 languages and dialects, 150 are spoken by native peoples in Brazil.  To differing degrees these languages represent different cultures of people that are at a huge disadvantage compared to the mainstream Portuguese speaking European Brazilians.  Over the years rubber barons have enslaved natives, torturing them physically and threatening death to their children to collect rubber. Missionaries have brought disease that inadvertently devastates native peoples.  Logging, gold prospecting and oil extraction all negatively affect native populations of Brazil. 

Early on, the government of Brazil had a program intent on reaching the tribes of people living in the vast green lowland rainforests.  The program intended to ease transitions of people just coming into contact with the outside world and help them survive in peace with the mainstream culture of Brazil.  It was in this tradition that Sydney Possuelo began working, initially under the Villas Boas brothers, who first succeeded in having large tracts of land set aside for indigenous people in Brazil, creating the Xingu Indigenous Reservation.  In his book, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=SaQukI3z4YUC&amp;q=teeth#v=snippet&amp;q=pistol&amp;f=false">The Unconquered</a>, Scott Wallace vividly recounts some of Sydney Possuelo’s struggles to protect indigenous people:

“After he’d faced down an angry mob eager to invade Kayapó lands along the Xingu.  He was knocked to his knees and had his arms pinned back by two men while a third shoved a loaded pistol in his mouth.  He lost four teeth that night, but he stood his ground…”

Since Possuelo’s early days contacting native peoples in an effort to help them, he’s changed course.  Working as director of FUNAI (Fondaçao Nacional do Indio), Sydney Possuelo was able to double the area of officially designated lands in merely two years during the 90s.  Eventually Possuelo resigned as the director of FUNAI to instead work to protect uncontacted indigenous people, without disturbing them. According to <a href="http://www.korubo.com/AMAZONDOC/possuelo.html">Korubo.com</a>, by 2001, Sydney Possuelo had located 40 tribes, without contacting them, allowing the decision of contact to be theirs.

In 2006, Sydney Possuelo was fired from FUNAI because he contradicted a statement by the FUNAI president who said that there was too much land set aside for very few Indians.  Possuelo continues his crusade to help indigenous people of Brazil working in a non-profit organization. Taken together the land Possuelo has helped set aside is not only land for indigenous people but acts as land for wildlife as well.  Indigenous land is protected from environmentally hazardous extraction industries and even from anthropology which while recording cultures may actually destroy them just by contact. 

In February this year, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/05/leading-ivory-trade-investigator-killed-in-kenya">The Guardian</a> reported that an American man living in Nairobi, Kenya was stabbed to death in his home.  The initial police reports said that the murder was likely part of a botched murder but there were possibly deeper motives at play.  Esmond Bradley Martin had been investigating the illegal ivory trade in Kenya for years and had the year before had success in China making ivory imports illegal.  Others working to stop the illegal trade in elephant ivory and rhino horns have been killed recently, including one man shot point blank in a taxi. 

Esmond Bradley Martin was one of the first to seriously investigate the trade in ivory and horns, getting some of the first solid numbers on the trade.  It seems likely that someone didn’t like the interference into their illegal and immoral trade. From his humble beginnings working largely independently, Esmond Bradley Martin was working for CITES and federal governments by the end of his life, making real impacts by all accounts.  

<a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2017/02/11/why-latin-america-is-the-deadliest-place-for-environmentalists">The Economist</a> reported that Latin America is the deadliest place in the world to be an environmentalist, and it’s been true for many.  Isidro Baldenegro López was murdered in the Sierra Madre last year for standing up against loggers. Isidro’s father was also killed by loggers decades earlier and witnessed by his son.  Both men were Raramuri/Tarahumara Native Americans, defending not only the environment but their traditional lands.

Isidro Baldenegro López organized blockades, marches and protests featuring the wives of murdered activists.  Isidro spent 15 months in prison related to his environmental activism but was acquitted of all charges. In 2003, Isidro Baldenegro López was successful in getting logging banned by a court ruling.  It’s clear that Isidro knew his life could be at stake and fought on against oppression of his people and the land. 

A large chunk of environmentalists killed or threatened are indigenous too.  According to The Economist, one third of environmentalists murdered in 2015 were part of indigenous groups.  Whether someone dies fighting for the survival or a species or for the protection of their people’s own land, it’s not hard to see that often environmentalism is a fight between the haves and the have nots.  For some the land is all there is. For some this is enough to risk their lives for. These are all people who should be remembered, they are true heroes. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Noteworthy heroes of the environment

Many people think of environmentalists as granola-eating pacifists.  The stereotype...

The anti-aging industry is a massive business, with a wide range of products available showing varying degrees of effectiveness. But what if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-reverse-wrinkles-inside/">wrinkles</a> could be truly reversed, hair loss stopped, and skin elasticity restored?

Thanks to new research conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.uab.edu/">University of Alabama at Birmingham</a>, true age reversal at the cellular level may be a reality in the future. 

The study was published in the journal Cell Death and Disease. 

“Wrinkled skin and hair loss are obvious features of skin aging and aging-associated phenotypic changes in humans,” the research team writes. “We discovered that these aging-associated phenotypic changes could be reversed by restoring mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) content to wild-type level. To our knowledge this observation is unprecedented.”

The researchers knew that mitochondrial DNA depletion was associated with aging and age-associated chronic diseases, but were not sure to what extent. 

To test the relationship between aging, genetics, and mtDNA, the researchers depleted mtDNA in mice using a specific gene mutation. The mutated mice quickly exhibited rapid signs of aging including wrinkles and hair loss. 

The mice were given an antibiotic that caused mtDNA depletion and jumpstarted the rapid aging. 

Once the mtDNA depletion was reversed and mitochondrial function restored, within two months the mice had no wrinkles and shiny, thick fur. The mice were indistinguishable from other healthy mice of the same age, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jul/20/genetic-researchers-reverse-wrinkles-gray-hair-and/">Washington Times</a> which reported on the study.

The results of the study were so positive that the researchers have good reason to believe that similar gene therapies could reverse aging in humans. 

“This mouse model should provide an unprecedented opportunity for the development of preventive and therapeutic drug development strategies to augment the mitochondrial functions for the treatment of aging-associated skin and hair pathology and other human diseases in which mitochondrial dysfunction plays a significant role,” said Keshav K. Singh, an author of the study, in a statement. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Researchers discover unprecedented method for reversing wrinkles

The anti-aging industry is a massive business, with a wide...

As humans, certain facial expressions or actions have become synonymous with certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-depression-emotions/">emotions</a>, like crying and sadness or laughing and happiness.

Emotions are hardwired into our brains, and there are several universal emotions that can be recognized across countries and cultures. Scientists argue that anger, disgust, happiness, fear, sadness, and surprise are six universal emotions we all experience. 

Now, a new study found that while emotions themselves may be a universal experience, how people understand and perceive these emotions differs based on preconceived views and beliefs. 

For example, one person may associate a fist slamming with both anger and sadness while another may find anger and sadness to be completely different emotions. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> conducted the study which was published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, and the results provide new insights into how people recognize and link facial expressions to emotions. 

“Perceiving other people's facial emotion expressions often feels as if we are directly reading them out from a face, but these visual perceptions may differ across people depending on the unique conceptual beliefs we bring to the table,” said Jonathan Freeman, the senior author of the study. “Our findings suggest that people vary in the specific facial cues they utilize for perceiving facial emotion expressions.”

The researchers conducted a series of experiments to see how emotions were conceptualized and if certain pairs of emotions like anger and sadness were closely related in the brain. 

First, study participants were shown images of human facial expressions of the six universal emotions and the researchers asked the participants which emotions were being expressed. 

Freeman used mouse-tracking technology to follow the participant’s hand movements as they made decisions about the emotions and expressions they were viewing. 

If a participant felt two emotions were conceptually more similar, the mouse movements showed that they would attempt to identify a single facial expression as two emotions like anger and disgust. 

The last experiment involved a technique called “reverse correlation” and participants were presented with a neutral face that had been overlaid with different patterns of random noise. The noise patterns were linked to subtle differences in expression. 

For example, one noise might show a face that looked like it was smiling more than frowning. Participants were then shown two different versions of the face and had to decide which one more closely represented a specific emotion.

The results varied depending on how closely related different emotions were to each participant, showing that our understanding of emotions and expressions is driven by our own conceptualizations and beliefs. 

“The findings suggest that how we perceive facial expressions may not just reflect what's in the face itself, but also our own conceptual understanding of what the emotion means,” said Freeman.

“For any given pair of emotions, such as fear and anger, the more a subject believes these emotions are more similar, the more these two emotions visually resemble one another on a person's face. The results suggest that we may all slightly differ in the facial cues we use to understand others' emotions because they depend on how we conceptually understand these emotions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Preconceived notions impact our ability to empathize

As humans, certain facial expressions or actions have become synonymous...

A new study from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> has found that suicide rates are likely to rise as the planet continues to grow warmer. The average global temperature <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-warn-global-warming/">increases</a> that are predicted to occur through the year 2050 could result in an additional 21,000 suicides in the United States and Mexico.


Study lead author Marshall Burke is an assistant professor of Earth System Science in the School of Earth, Energy &amp; Environmental Sciences at Stanford.

“When talking about climate change, it's often easy to think in abstractions. But the thousands of additional suicides that are likely to occur as a result of unmitigated climate change are not just a number, they represent tragic losses for families across the country,” said Professor Burke.


A link between suicides and hotter weather has been recognized for centuries, but there are many other factors that contribute to suicide that also vary across the seasons, such as less daylight and lower employment rates.


“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death globally, and suicide rates in the U.S. have risen dramatically over the last 15 years. So better understanding the causes of suicide is a public health priority,” said Professor Burke.

To distinguish between the role of temperatures and other suicide factors, the experts compared historical data across thousands of regions in the United States and Mexico. The team also analyzed the language in over half a billion posts on Twitter to search for evidence of a connection between hotter temperatures and mental well-being.

The researchers found a strong correlation between hotter weather and suicide rates. There was also a substantial increase found in the use of depressive language on social media when the temperatures were hot and oppressive.

“Surprisingly, these effects differ very little based on how rich populations are or if they are used to warm weather,” said Professor Burke.

Using projections from global climate models, the team calculated that a rise in temperature by the year 2050 could increase suicide rates by 1.4 percent in the United States and 2.3 percent in Mexico.

"We've been studying the effects of warming on conflict and violence for years, finding that people fight more when it's hot,” said study co-author Solomon Hsiang. “Now we see that in addition to hurting others, some individuals hurt themselves. It appears that heat profoundly affects the human mind and how we decide to inflict harm.”

The study authors emphasized that rising temperature and climate change should not be viewed as direct motivations for suicide. Instead, the likelihood of situations that can lead to self-harm will increase.

“Hotter temperatures are clearly not the only, nor the most important, risk factor for suicide,” said Professor Burke. “But our findings suggest that warming can have a surprisingly large impact on suicide risk, and this matters for both our understanding of mental health as well as for what we should expect as temperatures continue to warm.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Suicide rates will rise with warming temperatures, study shows

A new study from Stanford University has found that suicide...

Humans and other mammals may be miserable during Britain’s heat wave, but toxic cyanobacteria is enjoying the heat just fine.

Cyanobacteria – also known as blue-green algae – grows when it’s sunny and hot. In fact, new research is finding that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-algae-extinction/">algae populations of all types may explode</a> when temperatures are high as a sort of cooling system for the planet.

But blue-green algae isn’t harmless. Large blooms of the toxic cyanobacteria can be deadly for pets and cause rashes, nausea, fever, headaches and other dangerous symptoms in humans who have been exposed.

Veterinarians warn people not to let their pets splash in ponds or drink the water during walks. Humans, especially children, should also avoid swimming in ponds with algae. The toxic cyanobacteria can also affect livestock.

Algae blooms – including cyanobacteria – have been discovered in four lakes in Cumbria in the recent heat wave, prompting the government to issue a warning. Swimmers should be cautious at the four lakes – Windermere, Ullswater, Coniston Water and Killington Reservoir – and report any sightings of the toxic cyanobacteria, the UK’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/blue-green-algae-remains-present-in-four-lake-district-locations">Environment Agency</a> stated.

“Blue green algae is a completely natural summertime occurrence, however it can be toxic and as such, users of these lakes must remain cautious,” the agency’s Jim Ratcliffe said. “As well as having a negative effect on the appearance, quality and use of the water, it can also move around – you could see it one day, but it may have moved the next.”

The Environment Agency <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/algal-blooms-advice-for-the-public-and-landowners/algal-blooms-advice-for-the-public-and-landowners">published a guide last year</a> on what people should do if they see or are exposed to blue-green algae.

The agency would take samples at affected lakes weekly throughout the summer, Ratcliffe said. Staff will also test the water at any lakes where citizens report seeing the algae.

The algae problem should retreat once Cumbria’s rainy season begins again, the UK government’s statement said.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Toxic cyanobacteria grows in UK ponds during heat wave

Humans and other mammals may be miserable during Britain’s heat...

Scientists are growing an alternative to the bulky plastic carbon monoxide detectors that keep homes safe. Some day in the future, gas-detecting plants that change color to warn us of deadly fumes may be a common add-on in homes.

“Houseplants are ubiquitous in our home environments,” Dr. Neal Stewart of the <a href="https://www.utk.edu/">University of Tennessee</a>, who co-authored the study, told the <a href="http://dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. “They can do a lot more than just sit there and look pretty. They could alert us to the presence of hazards in our environment.”

Plants are already acting as a kind of air filter in many homes. Houseplants have been shown to help <a href="https://www.earth.com/earth-science-slides/10-best-plants-indoor-air-quality/">filter toxins like formaldehyde</a> out of the air. 

But the researchers working on the new study thinks that with a little genetic engineering, they can do a lot more. By adding more stomata – the tiny openings that allow gases like carbon dioxide into plants’ cells – scientists believe they can turn everyday ferns or peace lilies into gas-detecting plants that can change color to alert their owners to carbon monoxide or harmful bacteria. 

They’ve already seen some success in the lab. A few modified plants have been able to detect flu, mold, radon gas and other substances, changing color or fluorescing when they do.

While more research is needed before any of the plants will be ready for public release, Stewart and his colleagues see a future where homes come equipped with wall panels of greenery – the gas-detecting plants would be most effective in dense groupings, the team noted.

“Through the tools of synthetic biology it's possible for us to engineer houseplants that can serve as architectural design elements that are both pleasing to our senses and that function as early sensors of environmental agents that could harm our health, like mold, radon gas or high concentrations of volatile organic compounds,” Stewart told the Mail.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/361/6399/229.full.pdf">Science</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Gas-detecting plants could act as home health monitors

Scientists are growing an alternative to the bulky plastic carbon...

Social media has leveled the playing field on the internet. Platforms like Twitter, Instagram and blogging networks have given everyday people the same opportunity to share opinions and information as experts, journalists, politicians and celebrities.

And it may be doing major damage to democratic institutions, a new study led by <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford University</a> researchers claims.

“The manipulation of public opinion over social media platforms has emerged as a critical threat to public life,” the researchers wrote in their <a href="http://comprop.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/cybertroops2018/">new report</a>. “Around the world, a range of government agencies and political parties are exploiting social media platforms to spread junk news and disinformation, exercise censorship and control, and undermine trust in the media, public institutions, and science.”

The study found that political parties in 48 countries were spreading false or manipulative information through social media, a sharp spike from 28 countries in 2016 and 2017. In many cases, the false information related to elections.

The fake news wasn’t limited to established social media giants like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> or <a href="https://twitter.com/?lang=en">Twitter</a>. In a fifth of the countries, parties were using newer platforms like <a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/">WhatsApp</a>, <a href="https://telegram.org/">Telegram</a> and <a href="https://web.wechat.com/">WeChat</a> to share misinformation. 

In many of the countries where political manipulation of social media is evident, parties have spent quite a bit of money on psychological studies of the effects of social media on people’s opinions.

“Since 2010, political parties and governments have spent more than half a billion dollars on the research, development, and implementation of psychological operations and public opinion manipulation over social Media,” the study said.

And it’s not just a problem in countries with records of human rights issues, like Russia, the Philippines, Cuba and North Korea. The researchers discovered politicians attempting to manipulate social media users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Israel and Germany, as well. 

The study included both a thorough review and analysis of existing studies on social media and bias, and a content analysis of news articles that were found using specific keywords. The researchers created a profile for each country, then asked experts in those countries’ politics and current events to review them.

The researchers were able to point to activity by political parties, often with the help of “cyber troops” recruited from Russia, Turkey, Israel, Azerbaijan and other countries, to spread misinformation.

It’s possible it will get worse.

“There are more political parties learning from the strategies deployed during Brexit and the US 2016 Presidential election: more campaigns are using bots, junk news and disinformation to polarize and manipulate voters,” study co-author Samantha Bradshaw told the <a href="http://dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. 

In other words, don’t trust everything – or maybe anything – you read on social media without verifying it with a trusted source.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Exploring the extent of 'fake news' on social media

Social media has leveled the playing field on the internet....

A peace treaty in Colombia may have ended decades of violence, but scientists are warning that the pact has also led to mass deforestation across some of the most biodiverse regions in the world.

For 52 years, civil war in Colombia displaced more than seven million people and claimed at least 220, 000 lives. This war ended with a peace deal in 2016, which was a formal agreement between the Colombian government and guerrilla groups including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). 

While the war was ongoing, a region of Colombia known as the Andes-Amazon “biodiversity bridge” was controlled by FARC soldiers and was essentially too dangerous to enter.


The region is referred to as a “bridge” because it links the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/taller-older-rainforests-drought/">Amazon rainforest</a> to the Andes and contains hugely significant ecosystems. The area, which spans three national parks, is home to thousands of exotic species. Some of these rare animals have existed here for as long as 22 million years.


After the FARC soldiers were disarmed, large landowners began clearing the forest at an alarming rate to make way for farms and for the illegal growth of coca crops. In 2017 alone, 219,973 hectares of forest were lost from the region, according to official Colombian sources.

Experts and conservationists from Colombia and the UK are urging the new government in Colombia to formally protect the area and to take immediate action to stop the deforestation and development.


Study co-author Chris Jiggins is a professor of Evolutionary Biology at <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/">St John's College</a>,

“This is a critical moment for Colombia - there are new threats to these areas but there's still some forest left,” said Professor Jiggins. 

“The systematic clearance of trees breaks an important link between the Andes and the Amazon that has played a vital role in the evolution of animals and plants. But if action is taken sooner rather than later we could preserve the area and maintain links between these irreplaceable ecosystems."

Study first author Dr. Nicola Clerici is an associate professor at the <a href="http://www.urosario.edu.co/">Universidad del Rosario</a> in Colombia.

“We are appealing for the attention of international conservation organizations and Governments to funnel both research and development funds and resources to promote and nourish projects focused on the preservation and sustainable management of this strategic Andes-Amazon bridge,” said Dr. Clerici.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1755263x">Conservation Letters</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: Chris Jiggins

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Colombian peace treaty ends violence but prompts deforestation

A peace treaty in Colombia may have ended decades of...

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

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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