When humans burst into laughter together, moods lift almost automatically. New research shows that a similar boost happens in our closest cousins.



An international team led by <a href="https://bloomington.iu.edu/">Indiana University</a> scientists has discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobos-group-cohesion-common-enemy-effect-do-not-kill-inside-their-species/">bonobos</a> become more upbeat after hearing the giggles of their companions. This finding pushes the evolutionary history of positive emotions back millions of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-laughter-changed-ape-choices">Laughter changed ape choices</h2>



To explore laughter’s influence, the researchers designed a cognitive-bias test often used in animal psychology to gauge optimism or pessimism.



First, they trained bonobos at the <a href="https://www.apeinitiative.org/">Ape Initiative</a> in Des Moines, Iowa, to recognize two kinds of boxes: black ones that always contained a delicious snack and white ones that were always empty.



Once the apes consistently chose black and ignored white, the experimenters introduced a third, ambiguous gray box. They then played one of two sounds: recorded bonobo laughter or a neutral control noise.



“We know that other apes, like chimpanzees, have contagious laughter during play," said lead author Sasha Winkler, a primatologist at <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a>. "We were wondering if that behavior could be explained by positive emotions produced from the sound itself.” 



If the bonobos felt a surge of good feeling after hearing laughter, the team expected them to treat the uncertain gray box as if it were the rewarding black one.



That is exactly what happened. “Think of it like the rose-colored glasses effect,” Winkler said. “The bonobos were much more likely to approach the gray boxes after hearing laughter, treating them like the rewarded boxes, and indicating a more optimistic expectation of finding a treat.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-optimism-to-our-ancestors">Tracing optimism to our ancestors</h2>



This study is the first experimental proof that great-ape laughter can shift mood and cognition the way human laughter does.



“The tendency to behave more optimistically after hearing laughter suggests that the sound alone induced a positive emotional state in bonobos,” said senior author Erica Cartmill, the director of Indiana University’s Cognitive Science Program.



“This is the first study of which we're aware to measure a positive affect shift in nonhuman primates from a brief experimental intervention.”



Great apes -&nbsp; bonobos, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-wild-chimpanzees-can-teach-us-about-parenting/">chimpanzees</a>, gorillas, orangutans - all emit play calls that acoustically resemble human chuckles. Earlier work tied those sounds to a common evolutionary origin. The new findings add a cognitive twist.



“Our results suggest that laughter in other apes shares not only phylogenetic and behavioral similarities with human laughter but also perhaps some of the same cognitive-emotional underpinnings,” Winkler noted.



“This emotional contagion appears to have been present in the primate lineage long before the evolution of language.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-laughter-empathy-and-apes">Laughter, empathy, and apes</h2>



Emotional contagion is often described as a foundational element of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/little-benjamina-the-oldest-evidence-of-social-empathy-in-humans/">empathy</a> - the capacity to share another’s feelings. As Winkler put it, “studies like ours can help to untangle the evolutionary building blocks of empathy, communication, and cooperation in humans.”



By revealing that a simple vocal cue can brighten outlooks in bonobos, the research suggests that the mechanisms linking social sound to positive mood were already in place in a common ancestor millions of years ago.



Cartmill added that the work answers a long-standing bias in emotion research. “Our emotions influence many aspects of cognition, including memory, attention, and decision-making, but research has historically focused on negative emotions with clear behavioral correlates, like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-pathway-discovered-that-suppresses-fear/">fear</a> and aggression.”



“We wanted to better understand the relationship between positive affect and cognition in our closest living relatives.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kanzi-and-the-future-of-empathy">Kanzi and the future of empathy</h2>



The experiments involved four bonobos, including the celebrated language-using ape Kanzi, who recently passed away.



“I feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Kanzi while he was still alive,” Winkler said. 



“We hope this brings greater public awareness of the remarkable similarities between us and bonobos, who are an endangered species. We have so much to learn from these incredible animals.”



Future studies will test whether laughter exerts similar cognitive effects in chimpanzees and other primates. They will also explore how social context - for example, hearing laughs from friends versus strangers - modulates optimism.



For now, the discovery that bonobo giggles brighten expectations highlights a shared emotional heritage and hints that a simple laugh has been boosting group spirits since long before humans walked the Earth.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-02594-8">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



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Laughter lifts bonobo moods, offering clues to human emotion

When humans burst into laughter together, moods lift almost automatically. New research shows that a similar boost happens in our closest cousins. An international team led by Indiana University scientists has discovered that bonobos become more upbeat after hearing the giggles of their companions. This finding pushes the evolutionary history of positive emotions back millions of years. Laughter changed ape choices To explore laughter’s influence, the researchers designed a cognitive-bias test often used in animal psychology to gauge optimism or pessimism. First, they trained bonobos at the...

A new investigation into the efficiency of roadkill removal by vultures indicates that the number of wild animals killed by motor vehicles is not very well-documented or understood.

Millions of animals are killed on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-roads-flooding-frequently/">roads</a> in the United Kingdom every year, often as a result of fragmented habitats. The rapid removal of carcasses by vultures is a valuable service, but may cause experts to underestimate the overall impact that roads have on wildlife.

The team set out to estimate the extent of roadkill scavenging by analyzing many factors including which scavenger species are present in urban areas, how the location and time of day can influence scavenging, and the likelihood of roadkill being removed by scavengers.

In the city of Cardiff, the researchers deployed camera traps baited with chicken heads to simulate roadkill corpses in six residential sites and six parkland sites.

Out of 120 corpses, 90 were removed in under 12 hours. The time of day had a significant effect on the rate of roadkill removal, with activity peaking in the first few hours of daylight. For example, the majority of roadkill planted at 9:00 a.m. was removed in just two hours.


Overall, seven species of scavengers removed the roadkill. Members of the crow family called corvids were found to be the most common and were responsible for 42 percent of the cleanups. 

The scavengers also included a red fox, domestic dog, domestic cat, Eurasian magpie, and two species of gull. In addition, several wood mice and a brown rat were observed scavenging on the bait, but did not assist in removing it.

Birds were found to scavenge most frequently, with 51 occurrences of roadkill removal compared to 28 occurrences by mammals. 

The study also revealed that the type of habitat impacted the likelihood of certain animals scavenging. For example, gulls fed predominantly in residential areas, while corvids mostly fed in parkland areas.

The results of the study suggest that the actual number of road deaths is around six times more than what is reported or observed during surveys.

“Removal of animals by scavengers is believed to be the most important factor causing underestimations of roadkill numbers, particularly of small animals such as garden birds and rodents,” said study lead author Amy Williams Schwartz. 

“Our study demonstrates the frequency and speed at which scavengers can remove roadkill, and the extent to which we could underestimate the true number of casualties, but also suggests that many urban scavengers such as crows, gulls, and foxes could be providing an under-appreciated and largely unnoticed carcass removal service in our cities.”

The research is published by Oxford University Press in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jue">Journal of Urban Ecology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Amount of animals killed on roads is heavily underestimated

A new investigation into the efficiency of roadkill removal by...

A recent study could help create new addiction treatments and reduce the potential for relapse after shedding new light on the effects of heroin and cocaine.

It turns out that drug users experience differing levels of pleasure from cocaine and heroin depending on where the drug is taken. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/">University of Sussex</a> in Brighton and<a href="https://www.uniroma1.it/it/"> Sapienza University</a> in Rome. 

Published in the journal JNeurosci, the results show that the substance-specific rewarding effects of heroin and cocaine are dictated by location. 

For the study, the researchers first asked a group of female and male drug users who were receiving treatment at a medical center in Rome to remember a typical drug episode and also how pleasurable taking cocaine or heroin was in or outside the home.

Next, the researchers had another group imagine using the two drugs in different settings. The members of this group had their brain activity measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they pictured taking the drug. 

During the fMRI experiment, the researchers discovered that drug use activated the prefrontal cortex, the caudate and the cerebellum in the brain. These are the regions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-breathing-brain-health/">brain</a> that process reward. 

After analyzing the responses from both groups, the researchers found that at home the participants preferred to take heroin, while cocaine use correlated with more pleasure in the brain's reward center when taken outside the home.

The study provides a new context for examining addiction and relapse and shows how the pleasurable effects of drugs depend on where the drug is used. 

The results could help with drug treatments and make users more aware of what is driving cravings in certain environments.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Heroin and cocaine impact users differently depending on location

A recent study could help create new addiction treatments and...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.dur.ac.uk/">Durham University</a> has analyzed the possibility of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-habits-life-expectancy/">life</a> in a hypothetical Multiverse, or multiple universes including our own. The team found that if separate universes exist, life could be more common throughout them than previously thought.

With the help of the Hubble Space Telescope in the late 1990s, scientists discovered that the expansion of the universe had not been slowing down like they had assumed, but had actually been speeding up. The mysterious force behind this cosmic acceleration is referred to as dark energy.

The Multiverse theory explains that the “luckily small” amount of dark energy in our Universe has enabled it to host life, among many universes that could not. Larger amounts of dark energy would presumably cause such a rapid expansion that it would dilute matter before any stars, planets, or life could form.

“The Multiverse was previously thought to explain the observed value of dark energy as a lottery - we have a lucky ticket and live in the Universe that forms beautiful galaxies which permit life as we know it,” said study co-author Dr. Luke Barnes.

“Our work shows that our ticket seems a little too lucky, so to speak. It's more special than it needs to be for life. This is a problem for the Multiverse; a puzzle remains.”

In the current investigation, the team used vast computer simulations of the cosmos to calculate the potential impact of additional dark energy. They found that even hundreds of times more dark energy would have only a small influence on star and planet formation.

The researchers said that this finding makes it very possible for life to thrive across a wider range of universes, if they exist.

“For many physicists, the unexplained but seemingly special amount of dark energy in our Universe is a frustrating puzzle,” said study co-author Jaime Salcido.

“Our simulations show that even if there was much more dark energy or even very little in the Universe then it would only have a minimal effect on star and planet formation, raising the prospect that life could exist throughout the Multiverse.”

The researchers said that the results of the study were unexpected and that they cast doubt on the ability of the theory of a Multiverse to explain the observed value of dark energy. According to the researchers, there should be much more dark energy in our Universe if we are part of a Multiverse.

“We asked ourselves how much dark energy can there be before life is impossible? Our simulations showed that the accelerated expansion driven by dark energy has hardly any impact on the birth of stars, and hence places for life to arise,” explained co-author Dr. Pascal Elahi. “Even increasing dark energy many hundreds of times might not be enough to make a dead universe.”


While the research does not rule out the possibility of a Multiverse, the small amount of dark energy in our Universe could be better explained by an undiscovered law of nature.

“The formation of stars in a universe is a battle between the attraction of gravity, and the repulsion of dark energy,” said co-author Professor Richard Bower.

“We have found in our simulations that universes with much more dark energy than ours can happily form stars. So why such a paltry amount of dark energy in our Universe?”

“I think we should be looking for a new law of physics to explain this strange property of our Universe, and the Multiverse theory does little to rescue physicists’ discomfort.”

The research is published in two papers in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras">Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New research reveals life is possible throughout other universes

A new study led by Durham University has analyzed the...

A new study by the <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/">Pew Research Center</a> has found that most Americans believe that the federal government is not doing enough to protect air and water quality or to address <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>.

Out of 2,541 survey respondents, 69 percent agree that the United States government could do more to protect the quality of water in lakes, rivers, and streams. In addition, 64 percent feel that stronger measures could be taken to safeguard air quality. 

Six out of ten Americans report that climate change is having at least some effect on their local community, with 45 percent pointing to extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, wildfires, and more frequent severe storms.

According to 67 percent of the study participants, the government is doing too little to reduce the effects of climate change.

Regarding whether or not it is possible to cut back on environmental regulations while still effectively protecting air and water quality, Americans are nearly split down the middle. There is also a political divide on this issue, with around 74 percent of Republicans claiming this is possible while 64 percent of Democrats claim that it is not.

In addition, there are wide political differences over whether policies aimed at reducing the effects of climate change have a positive impact on the environment and the economy. Republicans are skeptical, while Democrats are primarily optimistic.

Political parties are also at odds on the subject of global warming and the influence of human activities. Seventy-five percent of Democrats believe the Earth is warming primarily due to human causes, but only 26 percent of Republicans agree.

"While majorities of Americans believe the government isn't doing enough to protect the environment and reduce the effects of climate change, about half of conservative Republicans see the government as doing about the right amount to protect air and water quality,” said study lead author Cary Funk.

“Republicans and Democrats are largely at odds over how much regulation is needed to safeguard the environment and reduce the effects of climate change.”
--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Most think the govt should do more to protect the environment

A new study by the Pew Research Center has found...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.uab.edu/home/">University of Alabama Birmingham</a> have demonstrated that a restricted eating schedule is much more beneficial than counting calories. Study participants who cut off eating at 3:00 p.m. everyday not only lost weight, but improved nearly every aspect of their health.

Recent studies have shown that fasting diets, cycling between regular food consumption and fasting, can lead to increased metabolism and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/consistent-weight-loss-success/">weight loss</a>. Periodic fasting has also been linked to remarkable health benefits including a lower risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and aging.

In the current study, the researchers wanted to establish whether the benefits of a fasting diet can be attributed to calorie restriction or to a limited eating schedule. They focused their investigation on a type of intermittent fasting known as early time-restricted feeding (eTRF).

For five weeks, men with prediabetes ate breakfast between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m., and ate dinner no later than 3:00 p.m. The participants fasted for the remaining 18 hours. 

The same group also spent five weeks on a typical American diet, consuming food over the course of 12 hours. The researchers controlled the intake of calories, protein, fats, and nutrients so that it was exactly the same for both trials.

The study revealed that the eTRF diet dramatically improved insulin sensitivity and stabilized blood sugar levels among the participants. The periodic fasting also led to lower blood pressure and oxidative stress levels. 

The men reported that their cravings for snacks in the evening were substantially reduced as well.

Study lead author Professor Courtney Peterson explained that the success of eTRF is likely due to the fact that this particular fasting diet follows the body's natural circadian rhythm. By midday, our metabolism is peaking, but it begins to slow down in the afternoon.


“If you eat late at night, it's bad for your metabolism,” said Professor Peterson. “Our bodies are optimized to do certain things at certain times of the day, and eating in sync with our circadian rhythms seem to improve our health in multiple ways.”

“For instance, our body's ability to keep our blood sugar under control is better in the morning than it is in the afternoon and evening, so it makes sense to eat most of our food in the morning and early afternoon.”

Professor Peterson said that the results of the study indicate that timing is more important than calories when it comes to our metabolic health. Furthermore, the research suggests that eating earlier in the day is an exceptionally beneficial fasting strategy.

The findings of the study may ultimately lead to new ways of preventing Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. 


The research was funded by the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a> (NIH).

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fasting after 3pm linked to lower blood pressure, diabetes risk

Researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham have demonstrated that...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> (UEA) are reporting that major changes in the international trade industry could sabotage plans to reduce global carbon emissions. 

As energy-intensive sectors in countries like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/economic-benefits-climate-china/">China</a> relocate manufacturing plants to regions such as Thailand and Vietnam, CO2 emissions are declining in China yet are drastically rising in these developing countries.

International trade grew by more than 50 percent from 2005 to 2015, and around 60 percent of this increase resulted from rising exports in developing countries. Trade among developing countries, which is referred to as South-South trade, more than tripled in the same time frame - totaling $9.3 trillion in 2014 alone.

The study authors are warning that this growing trend may seriously undermine international efforts to reduce harmful global greenhouse emissions.

“The rapid growth in South-South trade reflects a fragmenting of global supply chains whereby early-production stages of many industries have relocated from countries like China and India to lower-wage economies, a trend that has accelerated since the global financial crisis in 2008,” explained study co-author Dabo Guan.

“In addition to their important implications for global economic development, these trends will affect the magnitude and regional distribution of future global CO2 emissions.”


Despite the sense of urgency for countries to help lower their carbon footprints after the Paris Agreement, the economic boom across South-South trade has been relatively ignored. The team found that the emissions embodied in South-South trade increased from 0.47 gigatons in 2004 to 1.1 gigatons in 2011.

“The carbon intensity of the next phase of global economic development will determine whether ambitious climate targets such as stabilizing at 2 °C will be met, and our findings depict the nascent rise of energy-intensive and emissions-intensive production activities in other Asian countries such as Vietnam and Pakistan,” said Professor Guan.

“The success of international climate mitigation efforts may therefore depend on curtailing growth of coal-based energy and emissions in now-industrializing and urbanizing countries.” 

“Otherwise, countries like China and India may meet their nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement by hollowing out low-value, energy-intensive manufacturing, and offshoring those activities to emerging markets elsewhere in Asia with less stringent climate policy measures.”

"Successfully mitigating climate change therefore urgently depends on decarbonizing not only energy systems in developed countries but also the entire process of industrialization."

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

Global trade boom could stifle efforts to reduce CO2 emissions

Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) are reporting...

Exposure to air pollution during the third trimester among pregnant women has been linked to an increased risk of high blood pressure in their children.

Direct exposure to fine air pollution (PM2.5) was associated with high blood pressure in both children and adults in previous studies, and is a serious cause of illness and premature death worldwide.

Dr. Noel T. Mueller is an assistant professor of Epidemiology at the <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/">Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health</a>.

“Ours is one of the first studies to show breathing polluted air during pregnancy may have a direct negative influence on the cardiovascular health of the offspring during childhood,” said Dr. Mueller. 

“High blood pressure during childhood often leads to high blood pressure in adulthood and hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease.”


The study was focused on data from the Boston Birth Cohort study for 1,293 mothers and their children. The children's blood pressure had been recorded at all of their physical examinations from age three to age nine.

After accounting for other contributors to high blood pressure in childhood, the team found that children who were exposed to higher levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-americans-air-pollution/">fine particle pollution</a> were 61 percent more likely to have elevated systolic blood pressure during childhood compared to those exposed to the lowest level of PM2.5.

“These results reinforce the importance of reducing emissions of PM2.5 in the environment,” said Dr. Mueller. 

“Not only does exposure increase the risk of illness and death in those directly exposed, but it may also cross the placental barrier in pregnancy and effect fetal growth and increase future risks for high blood pressure.”

Air pollution levels were calculated for the residential addresses of the mothers using data from the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) air quality monitor for each trimester.

The highest category of PM2.5 concentrations observed in this study were actually lower than the EPA's National Air Quality Standard, which is 12 micrograms per cubic meter.

“The science on the health effects of air pollution is under review by the EPA. The findings of our study provide additional support for maintaining, if not lowering, the standard of 12 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter set in 2012 by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards under the Clean Air Act,” said Dr. Mueller. 

“We need regulations to keep our air clean, not only for the health of our planet but also for the health of our children.”

The study is published in the American Heart Association's journal <a href="http://hyper.ahajournals.org/">Hypertension</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution exposure linked to high blood pressure in kids

Exposure to air pollution during the third trimester among pregnant...

An investigation into the current trend of marijuana and tobacco use has revealed that marijuana use has increased among parents with children in the home. 

While the prevalence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/medical-marijuana-stress-depression/">marijuana</a> use is on the rise in the homes of both tobacco users and non-smokers, cannabis use was found to be almost four times more likely among cigarette smokers.

Study co-author Dr. Renee Goodwin is in the Department of Epidemiology at <a href="https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/">Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health</a>.


“While great strides have been made to reduce children's exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke, those efforts may be undermined by increasing use of cannabis among parents with children living at home,” said Dr. Goodwin.


The researchers analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2002 to 2015. They found that, during these years, cannabis use among parents with children at home increased from five percent to seven percent. Meanwhile, cigarette smoking declined from 28 percent to 20 percent.


Among tobacco users, marijuana use jumped from 11 percent in 2002 to over 17 percent in 2015, and from two percent to four percent across non-cigarette-smoking parents.

Overall, however, there was a drop in the percentage of parents who used cigarettes and/or cannabis from 30 percent in 2002 to 24 percent in 2015.

"While use of either cigarettes or cannabis in homes with children has declined, there was an increase in the percent of homes with both. Therefore, the increase in cannabis use may be compromising progress in curbing exposure to secondhand smoke," explained Dr. Goodwin.

Cannabis use was found to be more prevalent among men and also among younger parents with children in the home. 

The strong link established between current cannabis use and cigarette smoking was similar for all income levels.

“The results of our study support the public health gains in reducing overall child secondhand tobacco smoke but raise other public health concerns about child exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke and especially high risk for combined exposures in certain subpopulations,” said Dr. Goodwin.


One limitation of the study is a lack of information on whether parents are smoking inside or outside. Given the fact that cannabis use is often illegal, it is more likely that marijuana use takes place inside of the home compared to cigarette smoking.

“Efforts to decrease secondhand smoke exposure via cigarette smoking cessation may be complicated by increases in cannabis use,” said Dr. Goodwin. 

“Educating parents about secondhand cannabis smoke exposure should be integrated into public health education programs on secondhand smoke exposure.”

The study is published online in the journal <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/">Pediatrics</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

More parents with children in the house are using marijuana

An investigation into the current trend of marijuana and tobacco...

Sometimes, the person who disappoints you the most is yourself. In a series of new studies, scientists have found that most people list not living their dreams and letting themselves down among their biggest regrets.

“My biggest regret was not going to graduate school when I had the opportunity. I have found success elsewhere and raised my family how I wanted to, but I have always regretted not going,” one 54-year-old study participant told the researchers.

“My biggest regret in life was not pursuing my dream of singing. I followed a traditional route instead and became a teacher,” another study participant, 62, said.

Other regrets shared by study participants included remarrying and moving away from a good job and home, passing on a dream house, declining to go on a research trip, and selling shares in Netflix and Facebook.

The six studies, led by Dr. Shai Davidai of the <a href="https://www.newschool.edu/nssr/">New School for Social Research</a> and Dr. Thomas Gilovich of <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>, sought to explore the differences between people’s “ideal selves” – who people think they should be – and “ought selves” – the persona built out of perceived duties and responsibilities.

Some people’s biggest regrets stem from things they did, such as cheating on a spouse. Other regrets are opportunities passed up because the “ought self” wins out over the “ideal self.” Regrets ranged in intensity from dreams deferred or not visiting a dying relative, to not having more fun in high school.

The researchers found that people were more likely to focus on missed opportunities than past mistakes, however. More participants had resolved their “ought self” regrets than their “ideal self” regrets.

“People are quicker to take steps to cope with failures to live up to their duties and responsibilities (ought-related regrets) than their failures to live up to their goals and aspirations (ideal-related regrets),” Davidai and Gilovich wrote. “As a consequence, ideal-related regrets are more likely to remain unresolved, leaving people more likely to regret not being all they could have been more than all they should have been.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean that people should pursue their dreams at all cost to prevent their biggest regrets, the pair wrote. But the study does show how people’s self-image influences their disappointments.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-21180-001">Emotion</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

What are your biggest regrets? Study looks at disappointment

Sometimes, the person who disappoints you the most is yourself....

Fake news is a problem on Twitter even during the best of times. Now, new research shows how quickly false information can spread during an emergency situation.

The study looked at four false rumors that spread around social media following the Boston Marathon bombing and Superstorm Sandy’s landfall in New York City. One of the included rumors was the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2012/10/31/tech/social-media/sandy-twitter-hoax/index.html">fake news that the New York Stock Exchange had flooded</a> during the monster winter storm-meets-hurricane.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate how apt Twitter users are at debunking falsehoods during disasters. Unfortunately, the results paint a less than flattering picture," said lead author Dr. Jun Zhuang of the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo</a>.

The researchers weren’t able to determine how many people saw the false tweets but chose not to spread them. However, they could look at those who interacted with the tweets and determine whether they spread, questioned or cast doubt on the news. They found that:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">86 to 91 percent of users either “liked” the original tweet or spread it by retweeting it without question.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">5 to 9 percent retweeted or replied with questions about the accuracy of the information.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">1 to 9 percent retweeted or replied and cast doubt on the original tweet, sometimes outright calling it incorrect.</li>
</ul>
Even when false information on Twitter was debunked, less than 10 percent of the users who had retweeted the fake news deleted it, and fewer than 20 percent corrected their mistake with a new tweet.

"These findings are important because they show how easily people are deceived during times when they are most vulnerable and the role social media platforms play in these deceptions," Zhuang said in a press release.

The study, published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-018-3344-6">Natural Hazards</a>, is part of a larger project led by Zhuang and Dr. Janet Yang to study the use of social media during public emergencies and natural disasters. The pair are also studying how false information spreads and what agencies like <a href="https://www.fema.gov/">FEMA</a> are doing to combat fake news.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: PiXXart / <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock.com</a>

Fake news on Twitter causes problems during disasters

Fake news is a problem on Twitter even during the...

If you think your seasonal allergies are worse than usual this year, you may be right – and climate change seems to be behind it.

Climate scientists have been recording earlier starts to spring, warm winters with more rain and snow, and longer growing seasons, which leads to more pollen in the air longer, they said. For the <a href="https://acaai.org/news/facts-statistics/allergies">more than 50 million Americans</a> who struggle with seasonal allergies, that’s bad news.

“Some research has suggested that the warming trend that we have in our environment is causing the pollen seasons to start a little bit earlier, and extend a little bit longer," said Dr. Stanley Fineman, a Georgia allergist and immunologist, told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/">NBC News</a>. 

That longer pollen exposure means allergy sufferers are battling symptoms longer, said Fineman, is is a past president of the <a href="https://acaai.org/">American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology</a>.

The claims are backed by research into seasonal changes in the United States over the past few years. 

Between 1995 and 2011, the pollen season around the U.S. grew longer by 11 to 27 days, according to a report released by the <a href="http://www.aafa.org/page/extreme-allergies-and-climate-change.aspx">Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America</a>. Increased atmospheric carbon encourages plants like ragweed to grow faster and larger, the report noted. Higher carbon levels can actually make pollen that produces a stronger allergic reaction among people who suffer seasonal allergies, the researchers found.

Warming temperatures can affect the protein composition of pollen and fungal spores, the <a href="https://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/allergy-library/climate-change">American Academy of Allergy Asthma &amp; Immunology</a> writes on its website. Changes in weather patterns can also affect how pollen spreads.

Tree pollen is also exploding. A video that captured the massive pollen release of a pine tree in Cumberland County, New Jersey <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/massive-pollen-cloud-released-tree-caught-video/story?id=55040001">went viral this week</a> after it was posted on Facebook.

In 2014, a team of climate experts around the country recorded observations about changing climate conditions all over the country. They found that the rise of average global surface temperatures were having an effect inside the U.S. 

“Summers are longer and hotter, and extended periods of unusual heat last longer than any living American has ever experienced. Winters are generally shorter and warmer. Rain comes in heavier downpours,” the team wrote in their peer-reviewed <a href="https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights">National Climate Assessment</a>. “People are seeing changes in the length and severity of seasonal allergies, the plant varieties that thrive in their gardens, and the kinds of birds they see in any particular month in their neighborhoods.”

And while much of the focus this time of year is on seasonal allergies caused by pollen, warmer and wetter winters can also lead to more fungal growth. Fungal spores are another irritant. 

“Flooding and severe storms can result in damp buildings and resultant mold exposure,” the AAAAI website said. “In addition to triggering allergic reactions, increased mold spore exposures have been linked to other lung diseases.”

This spring, there has been a huge jump in the number of people who are suffering seasonal allergies for the first time, the organization told NBC.

Symptoms of seasonal allergies – also called hay fever or allergic rhinitis – include itchy, burning or watery eyes; itchy, stuffy or runny nose; sneezing; and itching of the roof of the mouth. In some cases, seasonal allergies can lead to allergic asthma, which can cause coughing, wheezing and inflamed airways. Seasonal allergies can also raise the risk of sinus infections, bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of allergies or allergic asthma should consult their doctor about relief strategies, from home treatment to over-the-counter or prescription medications. 

Allergy sufferers should avoid pollen during the growing season, by exercising indoors, closing windows and using an air conditioner as needed.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Seasonal allergies intense? Climate change may be to blame

If you think your seasonal allergies are worse than usual...

The rise of <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/artificial-intelligence-earthquakes/">artificial intelligence</a> has many wondering just how will it impact our society, industries, and the economy. 

The quick-self learning of artificial intelligence using complex algorithms could one day help doctors make accurate diagnoses or reduce the number of accidents on the road with safer self- driving cars. 

However, there are also major concerns that as AI becomes more and more a part of our lives, it could have irreversible consequences. 

According to Elon Musk, the inventor, engineer, and billionaire who wants to colonize Mars, AI is humanity’s “biggest existential threat.” 

“I’m increasingly inclined to think that there should be some regulatory oversight, maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we don’t do something very foolish,” Musk told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/oct/27/elon-musk-artificial-intelligence-ai-biggest-existential-threat">the Guardian</a>. 

Musk isn’t alone in thinking that there need to be serious policies put in place to regulate AI. 

A newly published policy report from the <a href="https://policyatmanchester.shorthandstories.com/on_ai_and_robotics/index.html#group-contributors-sIsC15rVAW">University of Manchester</a>, titled “On AI and Robotics: Developing policy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” discusses the potential bias and marginalization that AI could bring. 

Researchers from the<a href="http://www.research.mbs.ac.uk/innovation"> Manchester Institute of Innovation Research</a> conducted the report. 

One of the main arguments of the report is that investments in AI will mostly be paid by taxpayers and as such, there needs to a significant effort made to ensure that the benefits of Artificial Intelligence are shared equally. 

In other words, as artificial intelligence advances, it must do so in a democratic and socially responsible way. 

“In these 'data-driven' decision-making processes some social groups may be excluded, either because they lack access to devices necessary to participate or because the selected datasets do not consider the needs, preferences, and interests of marginalized and disadvantaged people,” said Barbara Ribeiro,  a contributor of the report. 

The report also emphasizes that people need to be better educated on the differences between robotic technology and artificial intelligence. 

“Although the challenges that companies and policymakers are facing with respect to AI and robotic systems are similar in many ways, these are two entirely separate technologies - something which is often misunderstood, not just by the general public, but policymakers and employers too. This is something that has to be addressed,” said Anna Scaife, Co-Director of the University's Policy@Manchester team, who published the report. 

There are numerous potential and positive advancements that could happen with AI and robotics and experts agree that both technologies will have a serious impact on many different fields in the near future. 

The policy report authors hope that this research will convey the wide spectrum of possibilities with AI and robotics, and demonstrate how vital it is for policymakers, regulators, and researchers to ensure that advancements do not come at the expense of any one group of people. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Alexa, how do we make AI socially responsible?

The rise of artificial intelligence has many wondering just how will...

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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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