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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Eating avocados during pregnancy reduces baby's allergy risk

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

I’ve always been fascinated by ethnobotany, although as a kid, I didn’t know it by that name.  In Boy Scouts, I took great pride in learning that rose hips were edible, and despite being far from the most appetizing snack, I’ll still occasionally eat one on the trail.  I remember in literature class in high school reading a translation of a Native American poem about Yucca, it’s sacred nature and many uses. Yucca is a beautiful plant and it happens that I’ve lived almost all my life within the range of one species of Yucca or other.  Yucca is a plant resembling an agave or an aloe vera but with thinner, pointed leaves giving it another common name: Spanish Bayonet. Long flower stalks form on yucca in the fall, decorated with large waxy, white blossoms that attract nocturnal yucca moths to help in pollination.  Separate yucca species sometimes have separate species of yucca moth adapted to visit them.

The root of yucca can be cut up very fine and mixed with a little water to create suds, it’s said to be a wonderful shampoo that some swear will give you luscious locks of shiny hair.  I’ve also learned to make cordage from yucca leaves, although this is a bit harder, requiring some experience in twisting ropes. The green flesh is cleaned off leaves by boiling and pounding or less thoroughly with a knife.  The fibers can be then twisted to make almost any length or diameter of rope. There are pieces of yucca rope left by Anasazi people and still relatively intact in cliff dwellings after hundreds of years. 

Closer to home the roots of dandelions, the yellow flowers many consider yard pests, are actually useful.  Dry dandelion roots make delicious tea. The leaves and flowers of dandelions are also delicious and can make a salad a little bit prettier.  A pet turtle I had once loved eating dandelions I picked in the yard or let her find herself on her wanders. 

Prickly pears are edible and have been eaten in the southwestern United States and Mexico for time out of mind.  You can by nopales (diced prickly pear) in many grocery stores in the US. If you want to be adventurous, don’t eat an entire plant, leave enough for it to continue to grow and be careful.  Cactus pads are perilous foods and it’s easy to get a needle in the mouth. Fruits are even more delicious but also covered in fine glochids (tiny hair-like needles) that are even easier to miss.  Other animals seem to have little problems eating cacti. 

On hikes in the Sonoran desert, it’s easy to see bites taken from prickly pear pads by javelina and tortoises.  There are also plenty of bites taken by insects. The cactus that seemed to be one of the more important in the southwestern US is also perhaps the most famous.  <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cacti-birds-sonoran-desert/">Saguaro cactus</a> was the center of the Tohono O’odham traditional calendar. The season for Saguaro cactus fruit was a time of celebration, a time to make wine and syrup a time of feasting in a land that was often a place of harsh famine.  In the southwest, you can still find cactus seasoning everything from syrup to margaritas. 

A handy trick to know on the trail is how to use aspen trees.  Aspen trees are beautiful, their leaves flutter and dance and throw light and shadow in a way uniquely theirs.  Aspen trees are also useful. The fine, white powder covering an aspen tree bark can be applied to exposed skin as an emergency sunblock.  It’s not rated by SPF but if you have nothing else, run yourself thoroughly on an aspen tree to prevent sunburn.

Willow bark tastes horrible.  Actually willow bark tastes like aspirin, which if you allow it to linger on your tongue, you’ll agree tastes horrible.  The same active ingredient is in aspirin and willow bark. You can chew a small amount of willow bark to relieve a headache but it’s hard to gauge dosages in the same way you would with a controlled substance like aspirin tablets.  

Plants have long been used by humans for food, medicine, shelter, clothing, tools and anything else you can think of.  Interacting with plants directly for your needs or wants is a way to connect to the planet, to other species and your species history.  What’s especially great is how omnipresent plants are. You can have a small herb garden in your window sill, or collect flowers from a city park.  The woods, deserts, farms, orchards and even empty lots are full of plants. There are edible plant walks in New York City’s Central Park and botany classes in local community colleges.  There are books and websites and videos to help anyone learn about plants. With a little bit of caution and care, anyone can identify a few edible or useful plants. There are so many more useful plants all over the world than those I discussed.  There are plants better for starting fires, there are leaves useful for weaving hats, there are botanical sunburn ointments. Maybe someday, using wild plants will again become common place in North America. 

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Practical ethnobotany: the many uses of local plants

I’ve always been fascinated by ethnobotany, although as a kid,...

Experts are reporting that reflecting on failures in your past can actually be quite beneficial. Researchers have found that insights from previous setbacks can help to boost future performance.

When individuals write critically about disappointments in their past, levels of the stress hormone cortisol are lowered. These individuals make better choices when taking on the next challenging task and show improved performance as a result.

Brynne DiMenichi, a doctoral candidate from <a href="https://www.newark.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University-Newark</a>, teamed up with experts from the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University to investigate why focusing on negative feelings or events can have positive outcomes.

For the study, the team examined this effect in two groups of participants. One group was instructed to write about past <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hitting-rock-bottom-opportunities/">failures</a>, while a control group was asked to write about a random topic.

Saliva tests conducted before the study showed comparable levels of cortisol across all of the volunteers. When presented with a task to perform after the writing exercise, however,  the test group showed much lower levels of cortisol than the control group.

“We didn't find that writing itself had a direct relationship on the body's stress responses,” said DiMenichi. “Instead, our results suggest that, in a future stressful situation, having previously written about a past failure causes the body's stress response to look more similar to someone who isn't exposed to stress at all.”

The researchers also found that the study participants who had written about a past failure made more careful choices on a new task and performed better overall.

“Together, these findings indicate that writing and thinking critically about a past failure can prepare an individual both physiologically and cognitively for new challenges,” said DiMenichi.

The study provides insight into how negative experiences can be used to boost future performance.

“It provides anyone who wants to utilize this technique in an educational, sports, or even therapeutic setting with clear-cut evidence of expressive writing's effectiveness,” said DiMenichi. 

“However, it is difficult to compare laboratory measures of cognitive performance to performance on say, the Olympic track. Future research can examine the effect of writing manipulation on actual athletic performance.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience">Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience</a>.

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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

Reflecting on failure can reduce stress and boost performance

Experts are reporting that reflecting on failures in your past...

One the of the biggest threats of climate change is the rise in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-displace/">sea level</a> due to melting ice sheets and climate variations in the Earth’s oceans. Sea level rise will impact coastal cities and important ecosystems, and the economic and environmental toll would be catastrophic.

Now, a new study has measured the impact that reducing greenhouse gas emissions would have on specific coastal cities around the world.

Researchers are adamantly working to pose solutions and model scenarios in order to project likely sea level rise outcomes so islands, cities, and nations can be better prepared.

“Mitigating greenhouse gases will reduce sea level rise later this century, with some regions seeing especially significant benefits,” said Aixue Hu, the lead author of the study. “As city officials prepare for sea level rise, they can factor in the compounding effect of local conditions, which are due to the winds and currents that cause internal variability in the oceans.”

Researchers from the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a> created a powerful computer model that estimated the impact two different emissions scenarios would have on winds, currents, and sea level rise.

The results, published in the journal Nature Communications, highlight the need for a speedy reduction of carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses as sea level rise would be significantly less rather than waiting to curb emissions later on.

The research found that cities on the coast of the Atlantic and Indian oceans would benefit the most from emission reduction policies.

The model does not factor in the impact of runoff from melting ice sheets on sea-level rise, so the study does not show a complete picture. The researchers instead focused on climate and the changes in currents and wind patterns that would cause sea level rise.

The team used two sets of computer simulations based on either a business-as-usual emissions scenario or a reduced emissions scenario.

Even if emissions were reduced, it would not mitigate sea level rise for the next two decades. However, from 2061 to 2080 the benefits of reducing emissions would be felt around the world.

In the reduced emissions scenario, the model predicted a reduced sea level rise of 25 percent, lowering the projected rise of seven inches in a business-as-usual scenario to 5.2 inches.

Some of the biggest factors influencing projected sea level rise in the study are winds and currents.

Climate change would cause certain currents like the Gulf Stream to weaken, which would increase sea level rise in the North Atlantic. However, currents in much of the Pacific Ocean seem much less sensitive to climate changes.

This is why some cities like New York City, Boston, and London would see greater benefits if emissions were reduced immediately.  

Even though this new research excluded the impact of melting ice sheet runoff on sea level rise, the results show how sea level rise is affected by climate change and the increased risk that certain coastal cities face unless emissions are reduced.

[caption id="attachment_1166691" align="aligncenter" width="812"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/165976.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1166691 size-large" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/165976-812x1024.jpg" alt="" width="812" height="1024" /></a> Sea level rise for major cities worldwide will vary depending on whether society continues to increase emissions of greenhouse gases at the current rate (a scenario known as RCP 8.5) or begins to reduce them (RCP 4.5). Some cities like New York and London will see significant benefits if emissions are reduced. Image Credit: Simmi Sinha, UCAR[/caption]

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

U.S. east coast cities would benefit most from reduced emissions

One the of the biggest threats of climate change is...

A groundbreaking new study from <a href="https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/">Cancer Research UK</a> has revealed that at least 135,500 cases of cancer diagnosed in the UK each year could be prevented through simple lifestyle changes. This is the equivalent of more than 37 percent of all cancer cases diagnosed in the United Kingdom.

The study, which was based on data from 2015, has found that smoking remains the biggest preventable cause of cancer. According to research in the British Journal of Cancer, tobacco smoke was the cause of cancer in around 32,000 men and 22,000 women.

The second biggest preventable cause of cancer is excess weight. An estimated 22,800 cases of cancer result from obesity and excess weight every year in the UK. There are 13 types of cancer caused by obesity, including bowel and breast cancer.

According to the research, at least one out of every 20 cases of cancer could be prevented by weight loss.

Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation is the third biggest preventable cause of cancer, resulting in 13,600 cases of melanoma every year.

Drinking alcohol, exposure to outdoor air pollution, and a lack of fiber are also primary causes of cancer that could be prevented. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-crime-behavior/">Air pollution</a> causes 3,600 cases of lung cancer annually, which is still far less than what is caused by tobacco smoking.

“These new figures show that the battle to conquer smoking-related cancer is far from over. But the declining numbers of smokers show that prevention strategies are working,” said Cancer Research UK's prevention expert Linda Bauld.

“Obesity is a huge health threat right now, and it will only get worse if nothing is done. The UK Government must build on the successes of smoking prevention to reduce the number of weight-related cancers. Banning junk food TV adverts before the 9pm watershed is an important part of the comprehensive approach needed.”

Sir Harpal Kumar is the Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK.

“Leading a healthy life doesn't guarantee that a person won't get cancer, but it can stack the odds in your favor,” said Kumar. “These figures show that we each can take positive steps to help reduce our individual risk of the disease.” 

“This research clearly demonstrates the impact of smoking and obesity on cancer risk. Prevention is the most cost-effective way of beating cancer and the UK Government could do much more to help people by making a healthy choice the easy choice.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.nature.com/bjc">British Journal of Cancer</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

37 percent of cancer cases could be prevented, study finds

A groundbreaking new study from Cancer Research UK has revealed...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/">University of Surrey</a> have revealed how widespread drugs have become in our environment. More than one-tenth of individuals they observed in a study had traces of drugs they had never used on their fingerprints.

As a result of their investigation, the experts developed a method of determining the difference between people who have used <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-susceptible-cocaine-use/">cocaine</a> or heroin and those who have simply been exposed to the drugs somewhere in their surroundings. The technique works even if individuals have washed their hands.

The research team tested the fingerprints of 50 drug-free individuals and 15 participants who had used either cocaine or heroin in the previous 24 hours.


Even though they had no history of drug use, cocaine was found on 13 percent of the drug-free individuals and heroine was detected on one percent.

“Believe it or not, cocaine is a very common environmental contaminant - it is well known that it is present on many bank notes. Even so, we were surprised that it was detected in so many of our fingerprint samples,” said study co-author Dr. Melanie Bailey.

The researchers found that cocaine and heroin can be transferred through a handshake. This experiment enabled the experts to identify a cut-off level that can be used to accurately distinguish between drug use and secondary transfer.

“By establishing a threshold for significance on a fingerprint test, we can give those tested the piece-of-mind of knowing that whatever the result of the test may be, it was not affected by their everyday activities or shaking hands with someone that had taken drugs,” said Dr. Bailey.

“It's clear that fingerprint testing is the future of drug-testing,” said lead author Mahado Ismail. “There are many factors that set fingerprint testing apart - it's non-invasive, easy to collect and you have the ability to identify the donor by using the sample. Our study will help to add another robust layer to fingerprint drug testing.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://clinchem.aaccjnls.org/">Clinical Chemistry</a>.

--

By <a href="http://caexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Heroin and cocaine commonly found on fingerprints of non-users

Researchers from the University of Surrey have revealed how widespread...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.city.ac.uk/">City University London</a> have discovered that approximately 20 percent of people have the ability to hear sounds associated with silent light flashes and inaudible movements.

Synaesthesia is a mysterious condition in which sensations that are typically experienced separately occur at the same time. For example, the most common type of synaesthesia called vEAR causes people to hear sounds when they see motion or flashing lights.

“The survival of this association may explain links between sound and vision, such as why we like to listen to music synchronized with flashing lights or dance,” said the study authors.

“The effect also provides a good way to learn about what's happening in the brain in people with synaesthesia, with vEAR's high prevalence making it easier to investigate the mechanisms behind such cross-sensory perception.”

The research team conducted an online survey with over 4,000 participants. More than 20 percent of the individuals reported that they had experienced vEAR prior to the study.

The participants were instructed to watch video clips that featured people engaging in different types of movement, ranging from slow and smooth to fast and sudden.

The researchers found that meaningless visual stimuli often caused the subjects to hear sounds.

“It was seen that correspondents who had answered ‘yes’ to experiencing vEAR were specifically sensitive to the pure motion energy present in videos such as swirling or patterns that were not predictive of sounds.” 

An association was also noted between vEAR and musical imagery, suggesting that the effect may be a natural physiological response that occurs when certain areas of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-memories-lost-brain/">brain</a> are stimulated.

“Some people hear what they see. Car indicator lights, flashing neon shop signs and people's movements as they walk may all trigger an auditory sensation,” said study co-author Dr. Elliot Freeman.

“Ours is the first large-scale survey of this ability. We found that as many as 21 percent of people may experience forms of this phenomenon, which makes it considerably more prevalent than other synaesthesias.”

According to the researchers, the cross-sensory phenomena may also be caused by a “leakage” of information from visual regions of the brain into areas that regulate hearing.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cortex">Cortex</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some people can detect silent sounds through visual stimulation

Researchers at City University London have discovered that approximately 20...

The idea of nature vs. nurture has been the subject of much discussion and research within the scientific community for centuries. How do they influence growth and development, and is there an ideal combination of the two that provides the greatest benefit in raising offspring? A new study from Tracy Bedrosian and colleagues has produced some interesting results that may move us further down the path to answering these questions.

Bedrosian and her team set out to explore the influence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mothers-immune-system-brain/">maternal care</a> in mice on the prevalence of transposons in their offspring. Transposons are repeated genetic sequences that can spontaneously replicate within the genome. Their study focused on L1 retrotransposons, over 3,000 of which reside in the mouse genome. 

The researchers monitored mother mice and their newborn pups for two weeks, then categorized them into two different groups based on low and high levels of maternal care. Maternal care was defined by the amount of licking and grooming that a pup received from its mother.

Pups that received less maternal care were observed to have significantly more transposon replication in the neurons of the hippocampus. However, this difference in replication was not observed in the heart or the frontal cortex of the brain. This indicates that it is unlikely the observed difference is a result of inherited differences in the number of L1 copies, meaning that it were ultimately influenced by maternal care. Further analysis shows that methylation of transposons may be behind this phenomenon. Methylation is where methyl groups are attached to a DNA molecule, typically acting to repress gene transcription (when DNA is copied into mRNA).

The study’s authors highlight the findings of a recent report that childhood stress and adversity lead to hypomethylation of retrotransposons in humans. However, the average human genome has only about 100 active copies compared to the 3,000 active copies in the mouse genome. Although the implications of these findings are currently unknown, revealing that maternal care can influence the brain’s genetic code in mice may lead to greater discoveries down the road.

The full results were published by the <a href="http://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Love and attention from a mom impacts genetic code of offspring

The idea of nature vs. nurture has been the subject...

In the past, scientists have thought that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ochre-used-tool-stone-age/">Stone Age</a> people depended mainly on land mammals for food. However, although these people did eat some mammals, new research finds that more than half of their diet was fish. 

Researchers from Lund University in Sweden studied human bounds from thousands of years ago in order to determine the diet of the Stone Age people. The report from Lund University is part of a doctoral thesis that analyzes the importance of fishing for settlers in southern Scandinavia after the last ice age. These findings emphasize the importance of fishing to the prehistoric Scandinavian people.

The research team assessed the remains of 82 of the oldest humans ever found in Denmark and Sweden. They combined chemical analysis of the bones of the humans studied with osteological analysis of the bones of different animals. From these analyses, they were able to determine that fish were elemental to the diets of these individuals. 

“At the Norje Sunnansund settlement outside Sölvesborg in Sweden you can see that just over half of the protein intake has come from fish, 10 percent from seals, and around 37 percent from land mammals - such as wild boar and red deer - and scarcely three percent from plants such as mushrooms, berries and nuts,” says Adam Boethius, an osteologist. “On the island of Gotland, which did not have any land mammals apart from hares, the percentage of fish in total protein consumption was even higher at just under 60 percent. Here, seals have replaced the land mammals and account for almost 40 percent of the protein intake, whereas hares and vegetables account for a negligible proportion.”

Researchers found that the first pioneers in these settlements mainly hunted aquatic mammals – like dolphins and seals – before they switched to fishing as their best source of protein. Previously, scientists had believed that Stone Age humans were big-game hunters whose main protein intake came from large herbivores. The researchers believe that this misunderstanding is due to a number of factors, including the frailty of fish bones. Since these bones are smaller and weaker than mammal bones, they are not as well preserved as the bones of other animals. They are also almost impossible to find during excavation, the team in this study had to use fine-mesh sieves in order to find them. 

For the study, the researchers divided the remains studied into two categories: those that came from individuals who lived in freshwater environments, and those that came from individuals who lived in marine environments. 

“In freshwater environments the protein intake is dominated by different types of carp fish species, perch, pike and burbot,” the authors say. “Cod dominates in marine environments, but herring, saithe, haddock, spiny dogfish and plaice are also important species. On the other hand, migratory fish, such as eel and salmon, did not account for a large proportion of food intake.”

So why are these findings important? The results of this study show that people’s dependence on fish developed over time, and changes how we perceive the way these people lived. 

“The dominance of fishing is a discovery that has an enormous significance for our understanding of how people lived,” explains Boethius. “Fishing is relatively stationary compared to the hunting of land mammals, which provides clear indications that settlements appeared in Scandinavia much earlier than researchers previously believed.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fish was a major food source for humans in the Stone Age

In the past, scientists have thought that Stone Age people...

New breakthrough paves the way for bee-friendly pesticides. Neonicotinoid pesticides have been the subject of much debate and controversy, with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/european-union-ban-pesticides/">numerous studies</a> showing the debilitating effects that neonicotinoids have on honeybees and bumblebees. 

The European Union has officially banned three neonicotinoid pesticides that were confirmed as harmful to bees from being used on crops outside. 

Even though the adverse effects have been established, it was not well understood why honeybees and bumblebees reacted differently when exposed to harmful pesticides. 

A collaborative effort among researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>, <a href="https://www.rothamsted.ac.uk/">Rothamsted Research, </a>and <a href="https://www.bayer.com/">Bayer AG</a> discovered the enzymes at play in bees that ultimately determine sensitivity to different neonicotinoid pesticides. 

The study represents an important breakthrough that could help in the creation of pesticides that are not toxic to bees. 

Toxins in organisms are broken down by enzymes called cytochrome P450s, and the researchers wanted to investigate what specific enzymes were responsible for breaking down pesticides in bees.

Identifying these enzymes could also shed insight on why honeybees and bumblebees have such different ranges of sensitivity to the neonicotinoids compared to other similar insect species. 

The researchers discovered a subfamily of cytochrome P450s called CYP9Q that was responsible for the rapid breakdown of some pesticides.

Next, the researchers tested how efficiently bees metabolized certain neonicotinoids and found that bees metabolize some more much better than others. 

“Knowing the mechanisms contributing to inherent tolerance helps us and regulators to better understand why certain insecticides have a high margin of safety to bees,” said Ralf Nauen, insect toxicologist and the lead investigator of the study at Bayer. 

Now the researchers say that developing new non-toxic pesticides will be much easier. 

Creating a pesticide is a lengthy and costly process, so having a solid foundation of what factors impact the bee’s sensitivity will ensure that no time is wasted on pesticides that will be harmful. 

“Identifying these key enzymes provides valuable tools to screen new pesticides early in their development to see if bees can break them down,” said Chris Bass, the leader of the team at the University of Exeter.

According to the research team, pesticides should be judged on an individual basis and this study will help create non-toxic pesticides that could safely be used on crops without affecting a bee’s health or abilities. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New breakthrough paves the way for bee-friendly pesticides

New breakthrough paves the way for bee-friendly pesticides. Neonicotinoid pesticides...

The ability to communicate or even form friendships with wild animals is the secret dream of many humans.  Upon looking at our literature and movies, animal-human partnerships become an a common theme. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling is perhaps the most obvious example, unless it’s Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  Of course, both pieces of literature have been adapted to film numerous times and take their place next to parodies such as George of the Jungle.  Less related to wild creatures but no less symptomatic to a desire for closeness to animals are classics such as Dr. Doolittle and Mr. Popper’s Penguins, again both as literature and film.  

Is there some reality behind these pieces of pop-culture or is it all just so much fantasy?  We all know of the strong bond that can be formed between people and domestic animals such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pets-harmful-indoor-chemicals/">cats and dogs</a>.  Many people are quick to cite examples of cats rescuing family members by waking them to a fire or dogs that mourned the death of owners for years.  Are there clear examples of humans forming lasting partnerships with wild animals that remain wild though? Actually, there are a few examples of humans partnering with wild creatures for the mutual benefit of both. 

There are legends in South America among natives and persisting among Caboclos about river dolphins becoming human, eerily similar to Celtic myths of Selkies, seals who could transform into humans.  In the dolphin myths sometimes, mysterious pregnancies are explained by dolphins, in cases where a woman’s husband has been away. Some Amazon rainforest natives play games with river dolphins, tagging them with canoe paddles.  The games are interesting in that both dolphins and humans seem to understand and cooperate for nothing more than amusement. Amazon River dolphins, locally called Botos, are also considered guardians of river manatees and can whisk swimmers away to magical underwater realms.  It’s not surprising that many groups consider eating dolphins or killing them to be taboo. 

The relationship between dolphins and humans in South America is surpassed by the cooperation between traditional fishermen in Myanmar and the Irrawaddy dolphins.  Irrawaddy dolphins aren’t strictly river dolphins but evolved to tolerate a wide range of salinity from the ocean along the coast to farther up brackish rivers. The Irrawaddy dolphin is represented by several sub-species scattered throughout southeast Asia as far as the northern coast of Australia.  

Fishermen in Myanmar tap sticks in rhythm along the sides of their canoes and mimic the sounds dolphins themselves make.  The dolphins take note and cooperate by herding fish into the fishermen’s waiting nets. Without the nets to push prey into, the dolphins may not be able to catch fish as efficiently, conversely the dolphin’s help significantly increases the success of fishermen.  When the fish are hauled into boats, the dolphins are rewarded with some of the fish they helped catch being tossed back by fishermen. There are stories of dolphins waking fishermen that fell asleep in their boats, encouraging them to help fish. Irrawaddy dolphins are in decline though, and so is asking their help in fishing.  

In an article in <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</a> last year, a fisherman told a reporter that all the dolphins he and others named are now dead.  Part of the cause of decline is the illegal practice of electrocuting fish with car batteries for a quick return.  Growing populations, increased overall strain on ocean habitats and pollution don’t do Irrawaddy dolphins any favors either.

There are unconfirmed reports of bottlenose dolphins in Laguna Brazil helping fishermen in much the same way as the Irrawaddy dolphins, perhaps the phenomena is more widespread than believed.   

In Africa, a different search for food takes place.  A bird called the Greater Honey Guide is keenly efficient at finding wild honey.  The Yao culture of Northern Mozambique among other peoples has taken notice of the bird’s ability.  The Honey Guide itself is happy to share the honey as the bird is really interested in eating bee larvae and in getting help to open hives and sedate angry bees with smoke.  The Yao people make a buzzing noise to call in the Greater Honey Guide, indicating they are ready to hunt for honey and the bird appears (most of the time) to help. Sometimes birds also seek out people, with specific flight pattern and call behavior indicating honey is nearby.  The relationship between different groups of Africans and honey guides was first documented in the 1500’s but it’s likely much older, a mutualism imbedded in the genes of Honey Guides. 

 A loss of the honey guide-human interaction is slowly occurring as more people turn to agricultural lifestyles and raise their own bees.  National parks in Africa have also excluded native peoples, where Honey Guides sometimes try to enlist the help of unwitting tourists. Honey guides at least haven’t put all their eggs in one basket; Honey Badgers (famous on Youtube) also work with honey guides, following the birds to rich hives and breaking into them.  

With our history of domestication and close contact with many other animals, it wouldn’t be surprising if there were many more relationships like these buried in the history of humanity.  Maybe even now, ‘uncontacted’ tribes in South America or Asia have other animals helping them. Maybe we could learn to reach out to other species as true partners not just competitors or slaves.  After all, we are but one species and we need all the friends we can get. 

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human-animal partnerships can be mutually beneficial in the wild

The ability to communicate or even form friendships with wild...

Puberty and adolescence often represent a volatile time for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-ridden-impaired-driver/">young people</a>, and changes in social behavior are usually blamed on “raging” hormones. 

However, a new study has found that this common belief is actually inaccurate, and that hormones are not the real culprit behind these changes.

Researchers led by the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University of Buffalo</a> conducted a study that examined differences in social behavior that come with adolescence to see if these were the result of puberty.

“Changes in social behavior during adolescence appear to be independent of pubertal hormones. They are not triggered by puberty, so we can't blame the hormones,” said Matthew Paul, the lead author of the study. 

The findings were published in the journal Current Biology. 

Puberty and adolescence are often used interchangeably, but this is inaccurate as puberty and adolescence describe two different simultaneous stages in a person’s development. 

Puberty describes the biological process when a person develops the ability to reproduce. Adolescence has a much more wide-reaching definition and involves the changes in cognitive, social, and emotional behavior that occurs alongside puberty during a person’s teen years. 

In order to understand the full effects of puberty versus adolescents on social behavior, the researchers had to find a way to study the two developmental stages isolated from one another. 

This is impossible with humans, so the researchers turned to a species of seasonal breeding hamsters. 

“Puberty and adolescence are happening at the same time. So if you want to know if one causes the other, one of the elements must be moved,” said Paul.“We have no way of doing that in a human, but we have found a way to do it using Siberian hamsters.” 

Siberian hamsters go through puberty dependent on when they are born in the in the breeding season. Hamsters born at the beginning of the breeding season go through puberty quickly in order to reproduce that year. 

Hamsters born later in the season go through puberty much later in order to reproduce during the next breeding season and not in winter. 

The researchers conducted a lab experiment that controlled the amount of light the Siberian hamsters received in order to delay and control the onset of puberty. 

Using this method, the researchers had two groups of hamsters go through puberty at differing times which allowed the researchers to observe if behavioral changes were dependent on puberty. 

The researchers found that no matter when each group was expected to go through puberty, they both experienced adolescence at the same time. 

A shift from play-fighting to social dominance occurred at the same time for all the hamsters. If these changes were hormonal than the groups of hamsters would have experienced the shift at different times. 

The results of the study prove that hormonal changes during puberty are not linked to the social changes of adolescence. 

“This is a surprising finding because we tend to think that pubertal hormones are responsible for the changes we see during adolescence. But our research suggests otherwise,” said Paul. “These findings are also important for adolescent mental health - understanding the underlying mechanisms responsible for adolescent development will provide insight into why so many mental health disorders arise during this time in life.”

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By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Hormones don’t drive changes in teenage behavior, study finds

Puberty and adolescence often represent a volatile time for young...

Nice guys may not always finish last, but a new study suggests that they are at a pretty big disadvantage in the workplace. Research led by the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> has revealed that intelligence is a greater predictor of success than other qualities such as kindness, generosity, or conscientiousness.

In fact, the experts found that intelligent people who tend to be less nice to co-workers are likely to have the greatest career <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/behavior-high-school-success/">success</a> in the long term. While kind and generous individuals do good for others, the benefits are short-lived, according to the study.

The research team developed games in order to identify what makes people more cooperative at work. The experts discovered that individuals with higher intelligence also showed superior levels of cooperation, which hypothetically led to higher earnings.

“We wanted to explore what factors make us effective social animals,” said study co-author Professor Eugenio Proto. “In other words, what enables us to behave optimally in situations when cooperation is potentially beneficial not only to us, but to our neighbors, people in the same country or who share the same planet.”

“People might naturally presume that people who are nice, conscientious and generous are automatically more co-operative,” he said.

The researchers were surprised to find that individuals who were less kind and generous were the drivers of better cooperation in the group.

 “Through our research, we find overwhelming support for the idea that intelligence is the primary condition for a socially cohesive, co-operative society,” said Professor Proto.

“A good heart and good behavior have an effect too but it's transitory and small. An additional benefit of higher intelligence in our experiment, and likely in real life, is the ability to process information faster, hence to accumulate more extensive experience, and to learn from it.”

Professor Proto explained that, when applied to the workplace, intelligent people are more aware of the bigger picture and act accordingly. He said that these individuals “will ultimately be promoted and financially rewarded.”

The research suggests that intelligent people can better anticipate the effects that their actions will have on others, and this ability leads to more success.


The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/jpe/current">Journal of Political Economy</a>.

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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

Intelligence is more key to success than kindness, study finds

Nice guys may not always finish last, but a new...

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



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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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