Isn't it bizarre how many times we've been told that a glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away? Or some variation of that claim on benefits of moderate drinking. 



Well, a new research has come to light, and it might alter the way you perceive that glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or pint of IPA in your hand.



The report is shaking up the conventional wisdom we've heard for years--that moderate drinking could extend lives and decrease our chances of chronic diseases. 



Steering this riveting ship of discovery is lead researcher Tim Stockwell, Ph.D., a scientist affiliated with the <a href="https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/cisur/index.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research</a> at the University of Victoria.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-past-studies-on-moderate-drinking">Past studies on moderate drinking</h2>



Stockwell and his team argue that there are underlying flaws in the way previous researches have been designed. 



They believe that the studies' focus on older adults without considering their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-has-a-hidden-impact-on-heart-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lifetime drinking habits</a> led to skewed results.



"Think about this for a second. When these studies compare moderate drinkers with abstainers, many of the abstainers are older adults who have quit or reduced their drinking due to health conditions," Stockwell remarked. 



"This situation makes the continued drinkers appear healthier, but it's a rigged comparison. It's like comparing apples with oranges."



In other words, things are not what they seem when it comes to these studies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-truth-about-alcohol-consumption">Truth about alcohol consumption</h2>



For this analysis, Stockwell and his team examined 107 published studies that followed individuals over time and explored the relationship between drinking habits and lifespan.



A quick look at the data suggested something that might ring a bell: moderate drinkers (those who drank between one drink per week and two per day) had a 14% lower risk of dying during the study period compared to abstainers. However, a closer examination of the studies told a different story.



Stockwell pointed out that the "higher quality" studies - those that considered younger participants and ensured a clear distinction between former drinkers and lifelong abstainers - showed no link between moderate drinking and longer lives.



The illusion of health benefits came only from the "lower quality" studies. Stockwell quipped, "If you look at the weakest studies, that's where you see supposed health benefits."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-paradox-of-perception">Paradox of perception</h2>



In our social constructs, drinking often takes on an additional layer of meaning, transformed into a communal activity that fosters connection. Yet, this context can also mask the true implications of alcohol consumption on health. 



Many individuals justify their drinking habits with social norms, failing to recognize the potential harm. 



Stockwell's research underscores the importance of examining how societal attitudes towards drinking can buoy the perception of its health benefits, leading to an environment where moderation may not be as beneficial as previously thought. 



We need to reassess not just our protocols for studying alcohol but also the culture around it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-awareness-on-moderate-drinking">Public awareness on moderate drinking</h2>



Given these revelations, there is an urgent need for public health campaigns to rethink their messaging about alcohol consumption. 



Instead of perpetuating the myth that moderate drinking has health benefits, stakeholders should emphasize the risks tied to alcohol and encourage a more informed dialogue around healthy lifestyles. 



By promoting comprehensive education on the potential dangers of drinking, the goal should be to empower individuals to make more educated choices regarding their alcohol consumption. 



It’s time to break away from outdated perceptions and embrace a modern understanding of alcohol’s role in our health, fostering a culture of awareness rather than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/are-zero-alcohol-drinks-a-type-of-gateway-drug-for-teens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complacency</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-busting-myths">Busting myths</h2>



One myth that Stockwell wants to debunk is the decades-old belief in the "French Paradox." This notion suggests that red wine explains why French people have significantly lower rates of heart disease despite having a diet high in fats. 



It's a compelling story, but Stockwell argues that the concept is a mere figment of the public imagination.



According to Stockwell, moderate drinking likely doesn't extend our lives. In fact, it can bring along a suitcase of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-consumption-can-lead-to-chronic-pain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">health risks</a>, such as increased chances of developing certain cancers.



"There is simply no completely 'safe' level of drinking," Stockwell stressed.



So, the next time you hear that familiar saying about a glass of wine a day, remember: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-benefits-of-moderate-drinking-may-be-hidden-in-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">what the doctor ordered</a> has been reconsidered. 



New evidence prompts us to reassess our drinking habits and encourages us towards a more informed and healthier future, even if it's with a little less wining and dining. Cheers to that!



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jsad.com/doi/10.15288/jsad.23-00283" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs</a>. 



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Even moderate drinking severely harms health, despite past studies

Isn't it bizarre how many times we've been told that a glass of wine a day keeps the doctor away? Or some variation of that claim on benefits of moderate drinking. Well, a new research has come to light, and it might alter the way you perceive that glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or pint of IPA in your hand. The report is shaking up the conventional wisdom we've heard for years--that moderate drinking could extend lives and decrease our chances of chronic diseases. Steering this riveting ship...

It seems like people who speak multiple languages have an easier time picking up on additional languages. So researchers at <a href="https://gumc.georgetown.edu/">Georgetown University Medical Center</a> set out to determine whether or not this is the case with the first study to monitor the brains of both bilingual and monolingual individuals as they learn a new language.

Michael T. Ullman is a professor of Neuroscience and the study’s senior author.

"The difference is readily seen in language learners' brain pattern,” said Ullman. “When learning a new language, bilinguals rely more than monolinguals on the brain processes that people naturally use for their native language," Lead author Sarah Grey added, "We also find that bilinguals appear to learn the new language more quickly than monolinguals.”

The study was focused on 13 college students who had learned both English and Mandarin as children and 16 college students who only spoke English fluently.

The researchers chose to teach the volunteers an artificial language so they could completely control the participants’ exposure to the language. They produced a version of a Romance language, Brocanto2, which they taught the students over the course of a week.

The research team examined the brain patterns of the volunteers who wore electroencephalogram (EEG) caps while they listened to Brocanto2 sentences. This monitoring was performed both early in training and during later phases of training to capture neural activity as the new language was processed.

The study revealed pronounced differences in the brainwave activity of the monolingual students and the bilingual students. The bilingual brains showed a specific brainwave pattern known as P600, which is commonly found when native speakers process their language, by the end of the first day of training. The monolinguals, however, only began to display P600 brainwave activity on the last day of training.

In addition, the monolingual students exhibited a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-organizes-memories-category/">brain</a> wave pattern that is not typically found in speakers of native languages.

"There has been a lot of debate about the value of early bilingual language education," said Grey. "Now, with this small study, we have novel brain-based data that points towards a distinct language-learning benefit for people who grow up bilingual."

This breakthrough study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bilingualism-language-and-cognition">Bilingualism: Language and Cognition</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bilingual children learn new languages faster than others

It seems like people who speak multiple languages have an...

Ever wonder why your boss might go out of their way to be a jerk? According to new research, abusive bosses get a boost to their well-being by behaving badly – but it will come back to haunt them.

An international team of researchers saw that study after study documented the negative effects of abusive behavior among those in supervisory positions. However, some managers continue to act badly toward their employees, indicating that they must get something out of it, the team reasoned. 

So they decided to explore that idea further. They conducted a number of field studies and other experiments with managers in the U.S. and China, with the goal of discovering why some bosses are cruel to their employees.

They found that abusive bosses get a boost to their mental energy by letting loose instead of repressing bad behavior – but that boost rarely lasts. Instead, employees who have been mistreated lose faith in their supervisors, leading them to offer less support and be less productive.

"The moral of the story is that although abuse may be helpful and even mentally restorative for supervisors in the short-term, over the long haul it will come back to haunt them," said Dr. Russell Johnson of <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>, a co-author of the study.

The researchers gathered data over a four-week period, studying both workers and supervisors in a wide variety of industries. They found that the positive effects of abusive behavior often last less than a week. 

Workers who are mistreated may act in ways that counter the progress of projects or even quit, leaving abusive bosses in the lurch, they found.

Instead of abusive behavior, the researchers suggest that bosses in need of a mental boost take a break, reduce their workloads, and spend more time communicating with employees. 

The study has been published in the <a href="http://aom.org/amj/">Academy of Management Journal</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Abusive bosses get a thrill – but it doesn't last

Ever wonder why your boss might go out of their...

Have you ever wondered why some people are pet people, while others don’t understand the appeal of owning animals? The answer could be in our genes. 

John Bradshaw, an expert on anthrozoology (the study of human-animal interactions) and a visiting fellow at the<a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/"> University of Bristol</a>, as well as a member of the <a href="http://www.asab.org/">Council of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour</a>, has devoted much of his work to helping pet owners better understand animal behavior. 

In an article written for <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-behind-why-some-people-love-animals-and-others-couldnt-care-less-84138">The Conversation</a>, Bradshaw explains some fundamentals about domestic animals and why certain people are predisposed to pet ownership. 

According to the <a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopulation/facts/pet_ownership_statistics.html??referrer=https://www.google.com/">Humane Society of the United States</a>, 65 percent of households own a pet, and Bradshaw notes that around 50 percent of households in Britain have a pet. These statistics suggest that pet ownership is a relatively Western phenomenon. 

“Indeed, it is often assumed that pets are a Western affectation, a weird relic of the working animals kept by communities of the past,” writes Bradshaw. 

There have been many claims that owning a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/easiest-pets-care/">pet</a> is good for your health, with studies showing that dogs and cats can lower blood pressure and improve quality of life. 

However, there isn’t much hard proof to corroborate these claims, and so the answer to why some like having a pet around and some don’t must date back further in history. 

According to Bradshaw, pet ownership is likely genetic, ranging back as far as when animals were first domesticated hundreds of thousands of years ago. Hunter-gatherers who found that domesticating animals was beneficial to survival laid the foundation for a symbiotic relationship between dogs and humans. 

“Kept isolated in these ways, the new semi-domesticated animals would have been able to evolve away from their ancestors’ wild ways, and become the pliable beasts we know today,” says Bradshaw. 

Those people who “couldn’t care less” about owning a pet may have inherited genes from groups who were not dependent on animals or didn’t need to form any bonds or relationships with animals to thrive. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Your love for animals may actually be genetic

Have you ever wondered why some people are pet people,...

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/">University of Tsukuba</a> have produced scientific evidence that may explain why we fall asleep when we get bored. The study revealed that a region of the brain linked to motivation and pleasure, the nucleus accumbens, is also responsible for sleep.

It is generally easy for people to stay awake and alert when their attention is required. In boring situations, on the other hand, it can become very difficult to stay awake. The cognitive-emotional mechanisms involved in sleep-related arousal are not well understood. 

The research team used chemo-genetic and optical techniques to remotely control the activities of neurons located in the nucleus accumbens. They also controlled the behaviors that these neurons oversee. The scientists found that neurons in the nucleus accumbens have a powerful ability to induce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-sleep-users/">sleep</a> that is indistinguishable from a key element of natural sleep known as slow-wave sleep.

"The classic somnogen adenosine is a strong candidate for evoking the sleep effect in the nucleus accumbens," said lead author Yo Oishi. 

Adenosine represents a state of relative energy deficiency and induces sleep through adenosine receptors. The A2A receptors, a subtype of adenosine receptors, are heavily populated in the nucleus accumbens. Caffeine triggers arousal in the nucleus accumbens by blocking A2A receptors, for example. 

The research, which is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>, may lead to the development of ways to activate A2A receptors in the nucleus accumbens. This could be a safe way of treating insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders. Insomnia is found in as much as 15 percent of the general population and up to 60 percent of the older population.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why we fall asleep when we get bored

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have produced scientific evidence...

Lower fuel prices and super low-cost airline carriers like Spirit Airlines have made travel more affordable, but one major drawback has been a corresponding surge in bed bug infestations worldwide. 

Bed bugs, known by their scientific name Cimicidae, are parasites that are attracted to humans. Bed bugs are easily caught but incredibly difficult to eradicate, causing major trouble for many hotel owners.

The EPA has provided useful tips for<a href="https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/protecting-your-home-bed-bugs"> avoiding bedbugs</a>, such as keeping your suitcase off the floor of a hotel room while traveling and using plastic bins instead of hotel furniture. But new research suggests that keeping your dirty laundry sealed away so odors can’t escape can also keep the bed bugs at bay. 

A study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/">University of Sheffield</a> examined bed bugs in controlled experiments with dirty and clean laundry to see if bed bugs, attracted to the odors in dirty laundry, made their way into suitcases. 

For the experiments, the researchers placed four bags of laundry (two dirty, two clean) in two identical rooms with controlled air pressure.

The researchers increased the levels of carbon dioxide in one of the rooms to simulate human breathing. 

In the room with open dirty laundry and low levels of carbon dioxide, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strong-feelings-knowledge-bed-bugs/">bed bugs</a> were twice as likely to gravitate toward the laundry. 

In the rooms with high levels of carbon dioxide, the bed bugs tried to find human hosts. 

The results of the study show that leaving out dirty laundry, on the floor or in an open suitcase, attracts bedbugs, which means you’ll be bringing back more than souvenirs and memories from your travels. 

“Our study suggests that keeping dirty laundry in a sealed bag, particularly when staying in a hotel, could reduce the chances of people taking bed bugs home with them, which may reduce the spread of infestations,” said Dr. William Hentley, leader of the study.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Study: Leaving out your dirty laundry attracts bed bugs

Lower fuel prices and super low-cost airline carriers like Spirit...

As fans waited for the release of Finding Dory, biologists pleaded to keep the Blue Tang (Dory) <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/biologists-are-urging-finding-dory-fans-not-to-buy-blue-tang-fish-2016-6">out of pet stores,</a> homes, and captivity. This trend builds on the “Nemo effect,” when the release of the 2003 hit film caused an uptick in clownfish conservation efforts. 

As it turns out, these weren’t isolated incidents. Hollywood has time and time again proven it can influence the public’s attitudes toward <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-turtles-comeback-conservation/">conservation</a>. 

Researchers from the<a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/"> University of Exeter</a> recently compiled a list of films that either promoted conservation or propagated misinformation that could have adversely harmed certain species. 

The objective was to demonstrate that conservationists and filmmakers should collaborate to use the “Hollywood effect” to best boost conservation, awareness, and activism. 

The researchers also point out that the “Hollywood effect” can also have a downside. For instance, the Thai island made famous by the movie The Beach featured an overwhelming whiplash of mass tourism following the film’s release. And even “the Nemo effect” had a dark side: increased clownfish captivity rates.

“Movies could be used by conservationists to highlight issues of concern, much as product placement is currently used for advertising,” said Dr. Matthew Silk, from the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/esi/">Environment and Sustainability Institute at the University of Exeter's</a> Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

The movies cited by the Exeter team range from Happy Feet, which had an important message about the dangers of overfishing, to Jaws, which exaggerated the threat posed by sharks. 

The researchers note that locations and animals can become extremely popular and raise the public’s interest, but further studies will need to be done to show what the implications of that piqued interest are. 

Hollywood has many opportunities to portray the threats involved with certain habitats and species accurately, and this research could pave the way to encouraging filmmakers and conservationists to work hand in hand to promote conservation awareness.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hollywood has the power to boost conservation efforts

As fans waited for the release of Finding Dory, biologists...

Why is it so much fun to hang out with friends? And is there really such a thing as a love hormone? New research from the <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford University School of Medicine</a> explains why it is pleasurable to socialize. The scientists identified processes in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-organizes-memories-category/">brain</a> that promote friendly behavior by producing gratifying sensations during social interactions. 

"Our study reveals new insights about the brain circuitry behind social reward, the positive experience you often get when you run into an old friend or meet somebody you like," said senior author Robert Malenka.

Dr. Malenka has focused much of his research on the brain's reward circuitry, an assembly of interacting nerve tracts that motivate humans toward incentives.

"The reward circuitry is crucial to our survival because it rewards us for doing things that have, during our evolutionary history, tended to enhance our survival, our reproduction and the survival of our resulting offspring," said Malenka. "It tells us what's good by making us feel good. When you're hungry, food tastes great. When you're thirsty, water is refreshing.”

Dr. Malenka explained that the most critical component of the brain's reward circuitry is a nerve tract that runs from the ventral tegmental area deep in the brain to a midbrain structure called the nucleus accumbens. Neurons in the ventral tegmental area signal the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. Dopamine produces a wave of pleasure and informs the brain that the event going on is helpful for survival.

Although the researchers established that reward circuitry plays a role in social interactions, they still needed to determine how extra dopamine is released during socialization. The researchers discovered that another chemical called oxytocin is responsible.

Oxytocin is also known as the "love hormone" because it's thought to be involved in falling in love, sexual arousal, and mating. The primary source of oxytocin is the paraventricular nucleus, which resides in the hypothalamus. The team developed tests to identify oxytocin's role in social behavior. 

The researchers found that a tract running from the paraventricular nucleus to the ventral tegmental area carries oxytocin. They demonstrated that activity in this tract's oxytocin-secreting neurons increased during mice's social interactions and that this neuronal activity was required for their normal social behavior.

The study revealed that oxytocin released in the ventral tegmental area by neurons originating in the paraventricular nucleus promotes sociability by binding to receptors on the dopamine-secreting neurons. This triggers the reward-circuit tract.

Dr. Malenka said that the results of this study  may be able to help researchers develop  medications for individuals with neurological disorders that prevent them from experiencing pleasure through connecting with other people.

Dr. Malenka also hopes the research will foster a kinder global society. "With so much hatred and anger in the world," he said, "what could possibly be more important than understanding the mechanisms in the brain that make us want to be friendly with other people?"

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Love hormone responsible for why socializing is satisfying

Why is it so much fun to hang out with...

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychological condition characterized by repeated behaviors, such as constant washing of the hands or repeated thoughts, that the individual has little control over. These repeated behaviors – also known as “rituals” – are a result of an underlying brain dysfunction that is not yet understood.

Now, a recent study from scientists in the UK has reported the use of a mathematical model that they think helps get to the root cause of OCD. Their findings suggest that people with OCD develop an internal, accurate sense of how things work – but they do not use this knowledge to guide their behavior.

“This study shows that the actions of people with OCD often don’t take into account what they’ve already learned,” says senior author Benedetto De Martino, principal investigator of the Brain Decision Modeling Lab at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>.

The study involved almost 50 volunteers – roughly half with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coping-skills-alleviate-anxiety/">OCD</a> and half without – playing a video game in which they had to catch coin-like objects in a bucket. The important factor was that the coins only came from one area on the screen. Although both groups stated they were confident they knew where the coins were coming from, the participants with OCD would second-guess themselves and constantly move the bucket around. 

These findings show the dissociation between beliefs and actions in individuals with OCD. Through measuring this degree of “uncoupling,” the researchers found that the severity of OCD symptoms can be predicted as well. “This was very surprising to me,” De Martino says. “It’s the first time anyone has been able to calculate the degree of dissociation and show that it correlates with the severity of the disease.”

De Martino’s research is focused on determining the mechanism responsible for the connection between confidence and action. His lab studies how certainty guides decision-making. For example, if you just washed your hands thoroughly, you’ll likely believe that your hands are clean. “But we suspect that in people with OCD, this link is broken,” De Martino explains. “Someone with OCD will tell you that they know their hands are clean, but nevertheless they can't stop washing them. Two things that are normally linked together – confidence and action – have become uncoupled.”

Understanding the mechanism behind this disorder is imperative to helping those that suffer from it. This research may help lead to better diagnosis of OCD and possibly more effective treatments down the road as well. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People with OCD have a disconnect between knowledge and action

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychological condition characterized by repeated...

A surprising new study has revealed that individuals who are aware they are taking placebos experience the same healing effects as those who are unaware. The findings suggest that it unnecessary to lead patients to believe they are taking medicine when they are actually taking placebos, and demonstrates that placebos may be a powerful aid in treating sickness.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> and the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html">University of Basel</a> recruited 160 healthy individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 for the analysis. The volunteers placed their forearms on a heated device that is intended to measure a patient's pain tolerance level and received slight burns. They were then divided into four groups for therapy.

The first group of volunteers received no treatment. The second group was given a placebo but they were told it was a topical cream containing lidocaine, a pain reliever that numbs the skin. 

The remaining two groups were given the placebo and were made aware that it was a placebo. The researchers told one of the groups, however, that the effect of the non-medicinal treatment has been proven to ease pain, depression, migraines, asthma, and even symptoms of Parkinson's disease. This group was also told that they would experience immediate relief.

Once the topical cream was applied, members of the groups were asked to report how they were feeling. They also answered questions about the pain and discomfort they experienced from the burns.

The results of the study showed that individuals who were told they were given lidocaine had the same response to treatment as the group who knew they were given a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/placebo-effect-broken-heart/">placebo</a> but were also were informed of its healing abilities. Members of both groups said they had less discomfort once the cream was applied to their burns.

The authors say that the study's findings indicate that “the necessity of deception in placebo application - at least in healthy participants - needs to be reconsidered.”
The research is published in the <a href="https://www.iasp-pain.org/">Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain</a>.

--

By <a href="http://caexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Placebos can work even when patients know they aren’t real

A surprising new study has revealed that individuals who are...

It’s no secret that as you get older, belly fat becomes increasingly difficult to get rid of. Not only is belly fat problematic for clothing and bathing suit season, but it can also lead to chronic diseases and cardiovascular issues. For years, scientists have struggled to determine why this specific type of fat seems to accumulate as we age.

But now, a new study from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale</a> has identified how the nervous and immune systems controlling inflammation and metabolism cause belly fat. 

The results help explain why belly fat isn’t burned off as efficiently in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/men-fathers-older-ages/">older adults</a> and could lead to new therapies for targeting harmful belly fat stores. 

The study was led by Vishwa Deep Dixit, a professor of Comparative Medicine and Immunobiology, and was published in the journal Nature. 

Dixit and his team first looked at immune cells known as macrophages, which are helpful in fighting infections, and found a new type of macrophage located in nerves in belly fat. 

These new macrophages become inflamed over time and hinder the proper function of the neurotransmitters. 

The researchers then studied immune cells from fat tissue in mice to further understand how the macrophages increase belly fat storage. 

“We discovered that the aged macrophages can break down the neurotransmitters called catecholamines, and thus do not allow fat cells to supply the fuel when demand arises,” said Dixit.

Dixit and his team were able to successfully target specific receptors that control inflammation and lower them in the older mice. This receptor is known as the NLRP3 inflammasome, and by lowering it, fats were broken down more efficiently, like in the younger mice.

In another experiment, Dixit blocked an enzyme that increased in the aged macrophages and this also helped enhance metabolic breakdown of fat.

Certain drugs that currently treat depression also inhibit this enzyme. But further studies will have to be done to see if results can be replicated in humans to reduce belly fat, and if using enzyme inhibiting drugs like the ones used for depression would be safe and effective. 

The researchers gained a better understanding of why belly fat stores do not burn off in older adults and could potentially help create new therapies for targeting and reducing harmful belly fat. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why it’s harder to burn off belly fat as you get older

It’s no secret that as you get older, belly fat...

A diet high in salt may be most commonly associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, but the reality is that the body needs salt to balance its water content, control blood pressure, and regulate cellular function. As the body loses salt, hormones are released in response to sodium deficiency. New research is unraveling the mystery of how these hormones influence the brain, causing increased salt cravings and consumption.

A team of scientists at the <a href="http://www.bidmc.org/">Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center</a> (BIDMC) have  identified neurons that respond to the body's sodium deficiency. As a result, they managed to map the brain circuitry that drives salt-seeking behavior.

"We identified a specific circuit in the brain that detects sodium deficiency and drives an appetite specific for sodium to correct the deficiency," said co-author Jon M. Resch. "In addition, this work establishes that sodium ingestion is tightly regulated by the brain, and dysfunction in these neurons could lead to over- or under consumption of sodium, which could lead to stress on the cardiovascular system over time."

The team focused on a subset of neurons known as NTSHSD2. Through a series of experiments on sodium-deficient mice, the researchers managed to show that sodium deficiency activates these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chocolate-improve-brain-power/">neurons</a>. They also found that the presence of aldosterone, the hormone which is released during sodium deficiency, increases the response of these neurons.

"These neurons appear to be highly influenced by these hormones and less so by inputs from other neurons - though further study is warranted," said Resch. "This is a unique and very unexpected feature of these NTSHSD2 neurons."

Further evaluation of mice that were not deficient in sodium showed that the activation of NTSHSD2 neurons only triggered sodium consumption when there was a simultaneous signaling by another hormone released during sodium deficiency, angiotensin II. Because of this, the team established that NTSHSD2 neurons are not solely responsible for driving the sodium appetite. This second set of neurons, which have not yet been identified, most likely play a role in the drive for salt consumption as well.

"Several questions remain with regard to how sodium appetite works, but a major one is where ATII is acting in the brain and how the signal works in concert with NTSHSD2 neurons that respond to aldosterone," said Resch. "We have already begun work to help us close these gaps in our knowledge."

The research is published today in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Finally some answers about where your salt cravings come from

A diet high in salt may be most commonly associated...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/help-victims-hurricane-harvey/">Hurricanes Harvey</a>, Irma, and Maria have consecutively devastated regions of the United States and other countries, displacing many children and families indefinitely. Stress-inducing experiences in childhood can lead to emotional instability and, in some cases, even lay the groundwork for mental health issues. Researchers set out to find a method of identifying which children need more attention and support after a natural disaster.

Annette M. La Greca is a renowned professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at the <a href="http://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a>. La Greca teamed up with graduate student BreAnne Danzi to determine the best way of defining post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children. This interpretation could make it easier to recognize which children most urgently need support services in the aftermath of a weather catastrophe.

For their study, the researchers looked into how accurately the "preschool" definition of PTSD describes school-aged children who have survived a natural disaster. 327 children between the ages of 7 and 11 participated in the study. The children were all students from elementary schools in Galveston, Texas, that were in the direct path of Hurricane Ike in 2008. 

The research team found that the preschool definition of PTSD better described the stress experienced by children after a hurricane than the typical adult definition. Therefore, it should be used when screening elementary school-aged children for PTSD.

The study, which is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-clinical-and-health-psychology/">International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology</a>, also revealed that two-thirds of children who are distressed after a disaster recover naturally over the course of the school year. These children reported having more support from friends and family, fewer life stressors after the storm, and more positive coping skills than the children who were chronically distressed.

"We now know from research that some children who endured a stressful evacuation or experienced scary or life-threatening events during the storm are at risk for a poor recovery over time," said La Greca. "Children who need extra support include those who report feeling anxious or depressed, as well as stressed, and who lack social support from friends and family.”

La Greca and colleagues have developed a guide called “After the Storm,” which is available for parents to help their children recover after a hurricane. The workbook points out that resuming normal activities such as exercise, a good sleep schedule, and a healthy diet can help speed up the recovery process. La Greca added that helping others in need and identifying things to be grateful for can also help children regain a healthy perspective on life.

"The good news is that most children are resilient, even after a very devastating storm," said La Greca. 

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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

How do children recover from the trauma of a natural disaster?

Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have consecutively devastated regions of...

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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



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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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[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



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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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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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



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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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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...