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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Rare gene explains why some people can thrive on less sleep

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

Horse found buried in a ceremonial tomb 3,000 years ago. The remains of an ancient horse recovered along the Nile River Valley is providing scientists with new insight into the relationship between humans and animals over 3,000 years ago. The researchers were amazed to discover that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-horses-western-us/">horse</a> had been given a proper funeral with a burial shroud.

The horse was found in 2011 in Tombos, Sudan, more than 5 feet underground in a tomb. The skeleton was so well-preserved that some chestnut hair still remained on the horse’s legs.

“It was clear that the horse was an intentional burial, which was super fascinating,” said Professor Michele Buzon of <a href="http://www.purdue.edu/">Purdue University</a>. 

“Remnants of fabric on the hooves indicate the presence of a burial shroud. Changes on the bones and iron pieces of a bridle suggest that the horse may have pulled a chariot. We hadn't found anything like this in our previous excavations at Tombos. Animal remains are very rare at the site.”

Professor Buzon has been studying remains at this dig site in Sudan since 2000 with Stuart Tyson Smith, an Anthropology professor at the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California, Santa Barbara</a>.

The team excavates and analyzes artifacts to understand the lives of Nubians and Egyptians during the New Kingdom Empire, which is when Egyptians colonized the area to access to trade routes on the Nile River around 1500 B.C. Hundreds of pieces of cultural evidence recovered at this burial site, such as tools and pottery, have been attributed to around 200 people. 

“Finding the horse was unexpected,” said study lead author Sarah Schrader. “Initially, we weren't sure if it was modern or not. But as we slowly uncovered the remains, we began to find artifacts associated with the horse, such as the scarab, the shroud and the iron cheekpiece. At that point, we realized how significant this find was. Of course, we became even more excited when the carbon-14 dates were assessed and confirmed how old the horse was.”

Radiocarbon dating traced the age of the horse back to the Third Intermediate Period, from 1050-728 B.C.E.

“The horse was treated well in life, seeing as how it lived to a mature age,” said Schrader. “It also was important to the people of ancient Tombos because it was buried - a rite that is usually reserved for humans. Furthermore, the fact that one of the earliest pieces of iron from Africa was found in association with the horse reiterates how special it was to the people. It is also important to assess the context of Tombos with regard to the horse - the horse is an important and rare find. The fact that it is buried at Tombos indicates that this town may have served an important function in the post-colonial Napatan Period.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.antiquity.ac.uk/">Antiquity</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: <a href="http://www.purdue.edu/">Purdue University
</a>

Horse found buried in a ceremonial tomb 3,000 years ago

Horse found buried in a ceremonial tomb 3,000 years ago....

There is a growing collection of evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/regular-exercise-slows-aging/">exercise</a> is greatly beneficial for heart health, but experts have not yet clarified why this is the case. A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> may have now solved part of this mystery with the finding that exercise activates cardiac muscle cell growth in mice, helping the heart to regenerate.

The results of the study have major implications for physical education and for the rehabilitation of patients after heart attacks.

“We wanted to know whether there is a natural way to enhance the regenerative capacity of heart muscle cells,” said co-first author Dr. Ana Vujic. “So we decided to test the one intervention we already know to be safe and inexpensive: exercise.”

The human heart does not have the capability to repair itself beyond the regeneration of one percent of cardiac muscle cells per year in young adults. Identifying a way to replace lost heart cells could prevent chronic illness or death in the 200,000 individuals who are diagnosed with heart failure in the United States every year.

To investigate the impacts of exercise on the heart, the researchers compared a group of healthy mice who ran on a treadmill approximately 5 kilometers each day to another group of healthy mice that were sedentary. The researchers administered a chemical into specific regions of DNA to track where new heart muscle cells were being generated.

The study revealed that the physically active mice produced at least four and a half times the number of new heart muscle cells compared to the sedentary mice.

“We also wanted to test this in the disease setting of a heart attack, because our main interest is healing,” said Dr. Vujic.


Mice that had recently experienced a heart attack were given access to a treadmill and voluntarily ran the same 5 kilometers daily.
As a result, the mice showed a significant increase in the area of heart tissue where new muscle cells were made.

“Maintaining a healthy heart requires balancing the loss of heart muscle cells due to injury or aging with the regeneration or birth of new heart muscle cells,” said co-senior author Dr. Anthony Rosenzweig. “Our study suggests exercise can help tip the balance in favor of regeneration."

Co-senior author Dr. Richard Lee added,  “Our study shows that you might be able to make your heart younger by exercising more every day.”

During their analysis, the researchers identified a biological pathway that was required for exercise to stimulate cardiac cell regeneration in mice. 

“Now we need to find the signals that are sufficient to turn this pathway on,” said Dr. Rosenzweig. “If we can turn on these pathways at just the right time, in the right people, then we can improve recovery after a heart attack.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exercise can actually make the heart younger

There is a growing collection of evidence that exercise is...

As if the growing volume of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-oceans-triple/">plastic polluting</a> the world’s oceans wasn’t enough of a cause for concern, a new study has found that harmful bacteria can quickly grow on plastic bags in the ocean in as little as 40 days. 

The study was conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.nu.edu/">National University in California </a>and the <a href="https://scripps.ucsd.edu/">Scripps Institute of Oceanography</a>.

If plastic surfaces make ideal environments for harmful bacteria to thrive, then the presence of plastics in the ocean could increase the risk of illness in humans as toxins swallowed by fish make their way up the ocean’s food chain. 

The researchers were interested to examine how quickly bacteria colonizes plastic found floating in the ocean, and if different plastics had any effect on the types and rate of bacteria growth. 

The researchers cut plastic bags into squares, put the plastic pieces in steel cages, and submerged the cages in the sea. 

High-density polyethylene bags, the kind often found in stores, and low-density polyethylene plastic bags, as well polypropylene plastic resin were all used in the study. 

After three days, the cages were retrieved and the plastics analyzed before being submerged again. The researchers repeated this three more times at different intervals and stopped testing 40 days after the experiment began. 

The team analyzed both the plastics and water samples taken near the submerged cages and found colonies of harmful bacteria on the plastic.

There were microbes from the group Francisella which can cause high fevers in humans, as well bacteria from the group Rickettsia which can cause spotted fever. One of the strains of bacteria was even similar to the kinds used in biological terrorism. 

The bacteria also grew at a surprisingly speedy rate, according to the study researchers. 

“There was potentially disease-causing bacteria... It is scary because we think about plastic being harmful to fish and sea life but we don't always think about the microbes it attracts and the problems this could cause,” said Anna Maria Barral, the leader of the study, told the <a href="http://dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ocean plastic pollution carries bacteria harmful to humans

As if the growing volume of plastic polluting the world’s...

Both medical and recreational <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/older-americans-medical-marijuana/">marijuana</a> have become increasingly legalized on a state-by-state basis over recent years, making their legal use more prevalent across the United States. As most people know, cannabis can affect memory, reaction time, and attention – but the impairment can be tough to assess in a natural setting. However, a new app may have the solution for helping individuals under the influence of marijuana better understand how the drug is affecting them.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uchicago.edu/">University of Chicago</a> developed a prototype app they appropriately named “Am I Stoned,” which assesses an individual’s impairment through a series of phone-based tasks.

“One of our long-term goals is for the app to improve the safety of cannabis use by making individual users more aware of their impairment,” says Harriet de Wit, a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the <a href="https://www.uchicago.edu/">University of Chicago</a> and research team leader. “By gathering data from users in the field, the app will also contribute to the overall scientific knowledge in terms of how cannabis affects users.”

The researchers developed this app by assessing the usefulness of numerous tasks for analyzing impairment in a controlled laboratory environment. In a double-blind study, they had 24 healthy non-daily cannabis users take a capsule containing either 7.5 milligrams or 15 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – or a placebo. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana that has a psychoactive effect on users. The participants then completed standardized computer-based tasks known to detect impairment, along with app-based tasks on an iPhone.

[caption id="attachment_1213904" align="aligncenter" width="236"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/app.png"><img class="wp-image-1213904 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/app.png" alt="" width="236" height="428" /></a> Image Credit: Harriet de Wit[/caption]

In three of the four computer tasks and one of the iPhone tasks, the researchers were able to successfully detect impairments resulting from THC consumption. The study also found that participants were generally aware of their impairment.

“The effects of THC on performance may be subtle, so we need highly sensitive tasks to detect impairments,” says Pabon. “It is likely that the computer tasks, which took 15 to 20 minutes to complete, were more sensitive to THC impairment because they provided more opportunity to detect a drug effect.”

At this point, the app is not designed to predict an individual’s ability to drive or engage in other activities that could cause harm. But the researchers plan on using what they’ve learned to also develop an app that people can use to assess their own performance. This would involve a person completing tasks while sober in order to provide a baseline that could be used to assess their level of impairment when they are impaired. They also plan on using the findings from this research to improve the sensitivity of the app-based tasks to detect THC-induced impairment so that they can ultimately deploy the app in a more naturalistic setting.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New app “Am I Stoned?” helps make marijuana use safer

Both medical and recreational marijuana have become increasingly legalized on...

Enough time has passed since the 2016 presidential election that researchers are getting a better idea of what drove voters’ choices in this wild election. Many of the talking points thus far have revolved around how the white working class voted for President Donald Trump because they faced a downturn in job opportunities and wages under President Barack Obama. However, a new study published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> has found significant evidence that points to these voters picking President Trump because they felt left behind – but not for financial or economic-related reasons.

The research team analyzed survey data from a nationally representative panel of the same 1,200 American voters polled in 2012 and again in 2016. The results showed that traditionally high-status Americans – mostly caucasians – believe their status in America and around the globe is threatened by America’s growing racial diversity, as well as a perceived loss of U.S. global dominance. These socially dominant groups increased their support in 2016 for the candidate they thought put an emphasis on reestablishing the status hierarchies that had previously been in place.

During the 2016 election, the majority of voters supported the candidate of the same party they voted for in 2012 – which is a typical trend. But what changed between 2012 and 2016 that led to a Republican – and specifically Donald Trump – winning the election? 

While on the campaign trail, President Trump’s messaging focused on acknowledging the fears of Americans who currently hold the dominant status in society. This group is mostly made up of white, Christian, males – or a combination of the three. Diana C. Mutz, the lead researcher from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a>, found that many of those in this group switched from voting Democrat in 2012 to Republican in 2016.

“Political uprisings are often about downtrodden groups rising up to assert their right to better treatment and more equal life conditions relative to high-status groups,” says Mutz. “The 2016 election, in contrast, was an effort by members of already dominant groups to assure their continued dominance and by those in an already powerful and wealthy country to assure its continued dominance.”

Americans’ personal positions on topics such as trade, immigration, and the threat posed by China didn’t experience a dramatic change between 2012 and 2016. Rather, the American public became more open to citizenship for undocumented immigrants than four years prior. However, Americans’ perceptions of where the Republican candidate stood in 2016 compared to 2012 – especially on issues such as free trade and the threat of China – did shift. This contributed significantly to voters switching from voting Democrat in the past, to voting Republican in 2016. 

Contrary to popular talking points, this study found no connection between an individual’s financial hardship and their voting for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-allows-elephant-hunting/">Trump</a>. Furthermore, Trump won the election during a time of economic recovery, with unemployment dropping and economic indicators trending positively.

“The 2016 election was a result of anxiety about dominant groups’ future status rather than a result of being overlooked in the past,” explains Mutz. “In many ways, a sense of group threat is a much tougher opponent than an economic downturn, because it is a psychological mindset rather than an actual event or misfortune. Given current demographic trends within the United States, minority influence will only increase with time, thus heightening this source of perceived status threat.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fear of losing status, not economic hardship, drew votes to Trump

Enough time has passed since the 2016 presidential election that...

A new study led by the <a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a> has revealed a link between physical strength and healthy brain function in middle-aged and older adults. The findings of the study indicate that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seniors-drinking-water-exercise/">exercise</a> may be an effective way of increasing brain power.

The study was focused on data from nearly half a million people. Individuals with better muscle strength and a stronger grip were found to perform better on both problem-solving and memory tests. These adults were also found to have superior reasoning skills and faster reaction times.

“When taking multiple factors into account such as age, gender, bodyweight and education, our study confirms that people who are stronger do indeed tend to have better functioning brains,” said lead author Dr. Joseph Firth.

In the past, researchers have found that people with a weaker hand grip showed more advanced deterioration of white matter, brain tissue that connects neurons across all regions of the brain.

The current study revealed that adults with a stronger grip reacted more quickly to visual stimuli, recalled more numbers from a list, and solved more logic problems in a designated amount of time compared to individuals with a weak grip.

“We can see there is a clear connection between muscular strength and brain health,” said Dr. Firth. “But what we need now are more studies to test if we can actually make our brains healthier by doing things which make our muscles stronger - such as weight-training.”

Although the link between hand grip and brain power has been previously established, most studies were focused on individuals over the age of 55. This research has demonstrated the same link among adults between the ages of 40 and 55 as well.

“Our research has shown that the connections between muscular strength and brain functioning also exist in people experiencing schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder - all of which can interfere with regular brain functioning,” explained Dr. Firth.

“This raises the strong possibility that weight training exercises could actually improve both the physical and mental functioning of people with these conditions."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin">Schizophrenia Bulletin</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A strong grip indicates healthy brain function in adults

A new study led by the University of Manchester has...

Fredrick Law Olmsted was a co-designer of Central Park in New York City, and as the ‘father of American landscape architecture’ he designed many noteworthy parks throughout America.  Olmsted also encouraged Abraham Lincoln to set aside Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove as public land. On June 30, 1864, Lincoln signed legislation giving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-parks-trump-ghost-teddy-roosevelt/">Yosemite</a> and Mariposa to the state of California for public use.

Where Central Park is now, there was once a place called Seneca Village.  The village was founded in the 1820s a few years before slavery was even abolished in New York City.  The village became a haven for African Americans and immigrants from places like Ireland and Germany who were often treated poorly by other Americans at the time.  Seneca was about two-thirds black and one-third immigrants who together created a successful community by many standards. 

By the 1850s In Seneca, African Americans were 39 times more likely to own their own land than their counterparts throughout the city, according to a Daily Mail report.  The town had three churches and a school.  

When the government enacted imminent domain to claim the property of Seneca Village and create Central Park, Andrew Williams owned three blocks of land in Seneca with a home, all valued at $4,000 at the time.  The government claimed they offered Williams $3,500 initially but in the end forced him to take only $2,335 and vacate immediately. Around 300 other people were forced off their land for the creation of Central Park.  

This little known history of Central Park mirrors the less recognized history of Yosemite, another project that also involved Frederick Law Olmsted.  The Ahwahneechee Indians lived in the Yosemite Valley before it became a park. During the Mariposa war, California soldiers evicted the Ahwahneechee from the valley.  Militias burned acorn caches the Awahneechee left as food storage, searching remote parts of the valley to force the Awahneechee out. Lincoln gave the land to the state of California but John Muir convinced Teddy Roosevelt over a camping trip in Yosemite that the land was better used as a national park.  

After eviction the Ahwahneechee returned to Yosemite where they worked as “Indian Performers” for tourists just to remain on their traditional land.  The Ahwahneechee were finally forced out of Yosemite for good in 1969 when the park burned down their homes in a fire fighting drill. 

Parks throughout the United States have a similar history.  Before land could be set aside as ‘parks for all’ it had to be depopulated of native peoples.  Devil’s Tower of Wyoming, made famous from Close Encounters of the Third Kind fame, is sacred to Native Americans but the park has only a voluntary closure to climbers for the most sacred times.  Soldiers were stationed at Yellowstone shortly after its designation as public land to keep Native Americans out. The Everglades, Grand Canyon, Mount Rainier, Zion and Olympic National Park evicted Native Americans.  Even Mesa Verde, a park dedicated to the preservation of Native American cliff dwelling ruins evicted Native peoples from its boundaries. 

Today there are some examples of parks set aside with support by Native Americans, such as Bears Ears National Monument.  There are also parks in Brazil and Peru that are set aside as nature reserves allowing natives to continue living on the land as they have since before recorded history.  Some conservation lands in Brazil are even set aside for tribes that aren’t in contact with the outside world, allowing no one from the outside in. The tribes in these reserves are free to leave as they like.  But these aren’t the whole story of conservation land and native peoples today.

In Africa, there has long been a struggle between conservationists and native peoples.  When I was in Equatorial Guinea, I was saddened to see how native people trapping small animals for food were sometimes treated.  I remember hiking through the forest with a monkey field researcher and coming upon a duiker (miniature antelope) caught dead in a snare along the trail.  The monkey researcher cut the animal out of the snare, destroying the trap and threw the body away from the trail. The explanation for his actions was that he did it so tourists wouldn’t have to see the dead duiker.  We were both angrily confronted by the man who set the snare. It’s not too hard to imagine why such actions can make enemies for conservationists among native populations who often have less money and governmental support.  

In 2013, Al Jazeera reported on nomadic Maasai people forced off land where they traditionally grazed their cattle for a wildlife protection zone.  The same article, quoting a <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin</a> study, estimated that recent expansions of Africa’s conservation lands have displaced 900,000 to 14.4 million people.  Many are critical of these moves as not only for conservation but actually to boost safari revenues.

Survival International tells of Baka Pygmies in Cameroon beaten by governmental eco-guards when they hunt on their traditional lands in Boumba Bek National Park.  This is just one example of how native peoples have been and continue to be treated throughout the world in the name of conservation.

A recent Mother Jones report points out that very few countries keep track of the number of natives displaced by conservation.  India is the exception to this rule, saying that 100,000 people were displaced by conservation. 

Karl Jacoby, author of Crimes Against Nature told the <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/">HuffPost</a>, “Conservation is used as a tool of colonialism,” and I must agree although with sadness.  Many of the projects I was involved with internationally seem to be more about control and management and less about allowing space for human and non-human self-determination.  People, especially native people with deep knowledge of land and wildlife, can be a part of the solution instead of the problem. Academics with large degrees from impressive institutions have, in my experience, a hard time admitting equal validity to traditional knowledge as western science.  Conservation in the mainstream sense of the word is largely controlled by science based approaches, which emphasize empirical knowledge and technical control. Native ways of thinking and doing are often at odds with the western conservationist view. In the end those with money usually win out over those without and conservation, like it or not is big business.  

Environmentalism must change if it is to embrace the world as it is or even as it was, not as we wish it to be.  We need to stop imagining a fantasy world if we claim we are protecting anything. We should all consider the following words of Teddy Roosevelt and ask ourselves if it reflects what environmentalism should be, “The rude, fierce settler who drives the savage from the land lays all civilized mankind under  a debt to hum…should pass out of the hands of their red, black, and yellow aboriginal owners and become the heritage of the dominant world races.”

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

When land conservation displaces native peoples

Fredrick Law Olmsted was a co-designer of Central Park in...

One of the first studies to examine the medicinal potential of hemp has revealed that the fiber has anti-cancer properties. The researchers, who are graduate students in the lab of Wasana Sumanasekera at <a href="https://sullivan.edu/college-of-pharmacy/">Sullivan University College of Pharmacy</a>, found that hemp may have the ability to fight ovarian cancer.

“Hemp, like marijuana, contains therapeutically valuable components such as cannabidiol, cannabinol, and tetrahydrocannabinol,” explained study co-author Sata Biela. “However, unlike marijuana, hemp's therapeutic ability has not been studied in detail.”


The researchers analyzed an extract known as KY hemp, which is produced from hemp grown in Kentucky. The researchers optimized the sample used in the study by controlling growing conditions in order to eliminate any residue that could contaminate the product.

In one experiment, the experts discovered that various amounts of KY-hemp extract slowed the migration of cultured ovarian cells. The rate of decreased migration was directly related to the dose of the extract, which indicates that the substance could be useful for stopping or slowing down the spread of cancer to other parts of the body, or metastasis.

Additional experiments with cultured ovarian cancer cells showed that KY hemp slowed the secretion of the interleukin IL-1 beta, which produces inflammation that has been linked to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cancer-cases-prevented/">cancer</a> progression. The slower rate of interleukin secretion may be the mechanism that underlies the cancer-fighting effects of KY-hemp.

“Our findings from this research as well as prior research show that KY hemp slows ovarian cancer comparable to or even better than the current ovarian cancer drug Cisplatin,” said study co-author Chase Turner. “Since Cisplatin exhibits high toxicity, we anticipate that hemp would carry less side effects. However, that needed to be tested in the future.”

The research will be presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual meeting during <a href="http://experimentalbiology.org/2018/Home.aspx">Experimental Biology 2018</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hemp could one day be used to fight ovarian cancer

One of the first studies to examine the medicinal potential...

The old saying that “money can’t buy happiness” has often been debated. But according to one of the longest studies of adult life ever conducted, the secret to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/economic-growth-happiness/">happiness</a> may come down to having positive relationships and a supportive social circle. 

The research first began with 268 Harvard students during the Great Depression in 1938 and has run for 80 years.

Of the original study participants, 19 are still alive and the researchers have also included 1,200 offspring born during the study. 

President John F. Kennedy was actually one of the original study participants, and the reason no women were included in the study is that at the time Harvard was an all-male school.

Throughout the eight decades, researchers kept track of physical health and the participants’ lives including relationships, careers, successes, and failures.

What the years of data began to show Harvard researchers was that relationships were a key driver of happiness and protected against mental and physical decline. Relationships, more so than any other factor including money and career success, impacted happiness and satisfaction in old age.

“The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health,” said Robert Waldinger, the director of the study in the <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/04/over-nearly-80-years-harvard-study-has-been-showing-how-to-live-a-healthy-and-happy-life/">Harvard Gazette</a>. “Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation.”

The results indicated that our quality of relationships at 50 is a better predictor of physical health than even cholesterol readings.

Researchers also found that happy and supportive marriages reduced the risk of depression, and those who were in happy relationships in their 80s reported less suffering even when they were in physical pain.

Conversely, people who were in unhappy relationships reported more pain and emotional turmoil.

“And those good relationships, they don't have to be smooth all the time,” said Waldinger. “Some of our octogenarian couples could bicker with each other day in and day out, but as long as they felt that they could really count on the other when the going got tough, those arguments didn't take a toll on their memories.”

In 2016, Waldinger and his team connected home life and upbringing to the participants’ happiness and success in their old age, showing that positive childhood experiences help influence happiness and creating strong bonds through the years.

When it comes to the key to happiness, this expansive study shows how vital strong and nurturing relationships are especially in middle and old age.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

80-year study reveals that good friends are the key to happiness

The old saying that “money can’t buy happiness” has often...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> are reporting that technology capable of removing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/goodyear-eco-friendly-tires/">carbon dioxide</a> from the atmosphere already exists in the United States. After analyzing the feasibility of various carbon capture and storage (CCS) techniques, the experts found options that are not only commercially viable but could also generate a profit.

Climate scientists agree that developing ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or negative emissions technology, is needed to help slow climate change. However, the feasibility of such carbon removal strategies has been widely debated.

“There's really no scenario that meets the world's climate goals without negative emissions,” said study co-author Katharine Mach. “But most technologies for carbon removal are immature, largely unavailable or expensive.”


One of the most popular proposed CCS strategies is bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration (BECCS), which involves growing plants to absorb CO2, burning the plant material to produce energy, and then capturing the resulting CO2 emissions for underground storage.

BECCS is not as simple as it seems, however, due primarily to the fact that these technologies have not been fully developed. Implementation of the process is further complicated by the fact that many regions do not have geological features that are suitable for carbon dioxide storage. Scientists also have concerns about how BECCS may impact ecosystems and compete with plants grown for food production.

But now, the Stanford researchers have found one type of BECCS technology that could work right away for ethanol producers in the United States, and the method could even become profitable.

“We found that between tax credits for CCS and upcoming financial incentives from low-carbon fuel standards, CCS is an untapped financial opportunity for ethanol producers across the U.S.,” said lead author Daniel Sanchez.

As the largest producer of ethanol in the world, the United States produced 15.8 billion gallons in 2017 alone. Ethanol is made by fermenting biomass such as corn. This process results in a CO2 by-product that is easier and cheaper to capture and store underground than other emitted sources of CO2.

“Negative emissions at biorefineries is commercially ready and affordable,” said Mach. “It offers a compelling way to build the real-world experience we need to develop future BECCS technologies.”

According to the researchers, 60 percent of all CO2 emitted annually through the production of ethanol could be captured at under $25 per metric ton. They explained that, if credits for captured CO2 were set at $60 per metric ton, this would be incentive for the storage of 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide that would otherwise go straight into the atmosphere.

“This is an opportunity not only for biofuel producers to make profits, but also for CCS technology to be more widely piloted and developed,” said Sanchez. “This is an essential first step if we're going to deploy carbon removal at levels necessary to keep dangerous climate change in check.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Carbon capture and storage could be profitable business in the US

Researchers at Stanford University are reporting that technology capable of...

While many will vouch for the benefits of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-reduce-cravings-food/">mindfulness meditation</a>, scientific studies have only started seriously delving into the practice in the last decade. 

The basic principles of mindfulness meditation are bringing awareness to your thoughts and staying focused on the present. It is known to be especially beneficial as a treatment for anxiety, and now a new study has found that even one session of mindfulness meditation has positive results for patients with anxiety.  

Anxiety is one of the common mental health disorders in the U.S. and affects around 18 percent of the population every year, according to the <a href="https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics">Anxiety and Depression Association of America</a>. 

Anxiety can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and can cause long-term damage to various organs. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.mtu.edu/">Michigan Technological University</a> conducted the study to see how one hour of meditation affected those with anxiety, as better understanding its effectiveness could help create new anxiety therapies. 

“Our results show a clear reduction in anxiety in the first hour after the meditation session, and our preliminary results suggest that anxiety was significantly lower one week after the meditation session,” said John J. Durocher, the study’s lead author. “Participants also had reduced mechanical stress on their arteries an hour after the session. This could help to reduce stress on organs like the brain and kidneys and help prevent conditions such as high blood pressure.”

For the study, Durocher and his colleagues asked 14 participants with normal blood pressure but mild to moderate anxiety to try one hour of mindful meditation. 

The researchers measured heart rate, blood pressure, and arterial stiffness before and after an hour guided introductory mindful meditation session. 

“This study is different because we examined the effect of a single mindfulness meditation session on anxiety and cardiovascular outcomes, while other studies have examined the effect of several days or weeks of mindfulness meditation,” said Durocher. “The results suggest that a single mindfulness meditation session may help to reduce cardiovascular risk in those with moderate anxiety.”

After the session, the researchers saw positive changes in the participants, and even after the study was done, most of the participants continued to try mindfulness meditation and reported measurably reduced anxiety. 

Durocher will present the study’s findings at the <a href="http://www.the-aps.org/">American Physiological Society</a> annual meeting in San Diego.

The results show that mindfulness meditation can help ease anxiety and reduce the risk of anxiety-related cardiovascular diseases. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Even brief exposure to mindfulness meditation helps treat anxiety

While many will vouch for the benefits of mindfulness meditation,...

Under the Paris Accord, most countries in the world have banded together in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stop global temperatures from climbing more than 2 degrees Celsius.

A new study has found that for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollution-sources-china-risen/">China</a>, the worst offender in terms of CO2 emissions, the economic and health benefits of following through with the Paris Accord goals would offset the total cost of any climate policy implemented.

Researchers from the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) conducted the research, which was published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The results show that if China lowers emissions, it would significantly reduce the number of deaths related to air pollution and create $339 billion in savings by 2030, four times the cost of any new climate change measures. 

“The country could actually come out net positive, just based on the health co-benefits associated with air quality improvements, relative to the cost of a climate policy,” said Noelle Eckley Selin, the study’s co-author. “This is a motivating factor for countries to engage in global climate policy.”

The majority of China’s energy is coal-powered, which means that the country emits more greenhouse gases than most other nations in the world.

High levels of air pollution have caused a major public health problem with many facing an increased risk of respiratory issues and cardiovascular disease.

“Air pollution is an immediate problem that is directly linked to many of the economic, energy-related activities that are also responsible for greenhouse gases,” said Valerie Karplus, leader of the research. “We wanted to understand to what extent you could address air quality by targeting carbon dioxide through a representative climate policy, carbon pricing.”

For the study, the researchers created a new framework that combined an energy-economic model, the China Regional Energy Model (C-REM), with an atmospheric chemistry model called GEOS-Chem.

The team was able to model the economic and health benefits of new energy systems at the provincial level with C-Rem and tested four different scenarios to see how policy changes would impact air pollution, economic activity, and energy use.

There was a business-as-usual scenario where no changes were put in place and the remaining three policies reduced emissions by three, four, and five percent per year through 2030.

After testing the different scenarios with the modeling framework, the researchers found that a business-as-usual scenario would result in more than 2.3 million premature, pollution-related deaths by 2030. 

The other three scenarios would save up to 160,000 premature deaths. 

The researchers then took these results and quantified them into a monetary value and found that a 3, 4, or 5 percent per year policy would create savings of $138.4 billion, $339.6 billion, and $534.8 billion, respectively.

The life-saving health benefits would create savings that more than outweigh any costs of implementing climate policies for China.

“This is really a sustainability story,” said Selin. “We have all these policy goals for a transition toward a more sustainable society. Mitigating air pollution, a leading cause of death, is one of them, and avoiding dangerous climate change is another. Thinking about how we might inform policy to address these objectives simultaneously when they actually interact economically and atmospherically, is important to sort out from a science perspective.” 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Economic benefits would outweigh climate policy cost for China

Under the Paris Accord, most countries in the world have...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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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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