Hand,Putting,Out,Cigarette,In,Ashtray.,Glass,Ashtray,With,Cigarette

Cigarette smoking has been on a steady decline across the United States. New research shows that young adults are driving this shift, especially in states where smoking rates were once the highest. However, there is still a long road ahead for older generations, whose slower progress in quitting may delay broader public health improvements. 



Scientists from the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California San Diego</a> published their findings in the journal JAMA Network Open. The study points to major differences in smoking habits depending on age, region, and background.



Although national smoking rates have dropped sharply, adults over 50 are quitting at a much slower pace. This slower change could keep smoking-related diseases like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-may-trigger-lung-cancer-in-non-smokers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lung cancer</a> and heart disease high for years to come.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoking-rates-progress-and-persistence">Smoking rates: Progress and persistence</h2>



The researchers used data from the Tobacco Use Supplements to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey. This large monthly survey gathers information from about 54,000 households across the country. 



The analysis, covering responses from 1.77 million people between June and October 2024, revealed some striking trends. Across the board, smoking has dropped. But the states that once had the highest smoking rates have seen the biggest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neighborhood-green-space-linked-to-lower-rates-of-smoking/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">improvements</a>.



In contrast, places with historically lower rates saw more modest declines. One of the most important findings was the difference between younger and older adults. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cigarette-smoking-among-teens-has-declined-dramatically/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Young people</a> have quit smoking at much faster rates than those over 50.



Dr. Matthew Stone, the study's first author, is an assistant professor at the UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health.



“The rapid decline in smoking among young adults is clear evidence that the smoking epidemic will come to an end in our lifetime,” said Dr. Stone.



“Indeed, we project that the national smoking prevalence will be under 5% by 2035. However, the much slower decline in smokers over the age of 50, particularly in previously high smoking states, will mean that the high rates of lung cancer, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smokers-have-weaker-hearts-that-pump-less-blood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart</a> disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that are caused by lifelong smoking will take longer to decrease.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-far-we-have-come">How far we have come</h2>



Smoking in America has been on a steady decline for decades. In 1955, more than half of U.S. adults - 56.9% - were smokers. 



By 2000, that number had fallen by more than half. It dropped again by 50% by 2022. If current trends continue, smoking rates are expected to fall to under 5% by 2035.



Another important pattern has also emerged. States that cut smoking rates the most have seen the biggest drops in lung cancer deaths - though with a delay of about 16 years. This connection shows how public health efforts, policies, and education campaigns can pay off over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decline-in-smoking-rise-in-vaping">Decline in smoking, rise in vaping</h2>



While cigarette smoking is fading, other problems are taking its place. "The ongoing decline in cigarette smoking is a major public health success story," said study co-author Dr. John P. Pierce, a professor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science and Moores Cancer Center.



"Recent evidence suggests that the tobacco industry has successfully recruited a new generation of teenagers into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/e-cigarettes-linked-to-increased-risk-of-heart-failure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">e-cigarette</a> use and nicotine addiction. Further research is needed to assess the long-term impact of this shift."



As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vaping-epidemic-half-of-students-who-try-e-cigs-get-hooked/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vaping</a> and e-cigarette use grow among teens, public health experts are concerned about what the next chapter in tobacco use might look like. Today's young adults may be turning away from cigarettes, but tomorrow's teenagers could be facing a different kind of addiction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoking-and-public-health-the-future">Smoking and public health: The future</h2>



Public health efforts over the past several decades have made a real difference. Education campaigns, smoking bans, higher tobacco taxes, and smoking cessation programs have all played a role in driving down smoking rates. However, the work isn’t finished.



Addressing the slow decline among older adults will be key to reducing the burden of smoking-related illnesses. At the same time, understanding and managing the rise in e-cigarette use among younger people will be critical. 



As smoking habits shift, researchers and policymakers alike will need to adapt to ensure the next generation stays healthy and smoke free.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2833289" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JAMA Network Open</a>.



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Young adults lead dramatic decline in smoking rates

Cigarette smoking has been on a steady decline across the United States. New research shows that young adults are driving this shift, especially in states where smoking rates were once the highest. However, there is still a long road ahead for older generations, whose slower progress in quitting may delay broader public health improvements. Scientists from the University of California San Diego published their findings in the journal JAMA Network Open. The study points to major differences in smoking habits depending on age, region, and background. Although...

Women typically regret having casual sex or one-night stands, and researchers at the<a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/"> Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a> have identified factors that affect how much remorse they experience. 

According to the study, when a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/women-happier-anxious/">woman</a> initiates a fling, she feels much less regret afterward. Men do not have guilt after casual sex as often as women do, and initiative is not a factor that causes men to feel regret.

“Regret is a highly unpleasant emotion and our findings suggest that having control over their decision to engage in sex buffered women from experiencing regret,” said co-author Joy P. Wyckoff. “These results are another reminder of the importance of women's ability to make autonomous decisions regarding their sexual behaviors.”

“Women who initiate sex are likely to have at least two distinguishing qualities,” said study co-author David Buss. “First, they are likely to have a healthy sexual psychology, being maximally comfortable with their own sexuality. Second, women who initiate have maximum choice of precisely who they want to have sex with. Consequently, they have less reason to feel regret, since they've made their own choice.”

The study also revealed that women experience less regret if their partner was skilled and the sex was satisfying. 

“Women have less regret if the sex was good. For men, this also plays a less important role. The underlying causes are biological,” said Mons Bendixen.

Disgust is another factor that drives how much regret women feel after short-term sexual encounters. The researchers found that the impact of disgust was strong among men as well.

“The feeling of disgust or revulsion is the single factor that best explained why women and men regretted the last time they had casual sex when we controlled for all other factors,” said Bendixen.

Disgust is often felt when people have feelings of moral regret, or when the act was not hygienic or the sex itself was perceived as being repulsive. 

“Sexual disgust is an important adaptive emotion,” said Buss. “It functions to help people avoid, now or in the future, potential sex partners who are either low in mate value or who carry some risk of sexually transmitted infections.”

The study is published in <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/personality-and-individual-differences/">Personality and Individual Differences</a>.

--

By<a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com"> Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Women have less regret after casual sex when they initiate it

Women typically regret having casual sex or one-night stands, and...

Midterms are right around the corner, and then the grind toward finals, summer classes, internships and more begins. Needless to say, it’s stress season for college students. Time to bust out the secret weapon against stress: therapy dogs.

A new study, led by Emma Ward-Griffin, a research assistant at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a>, looked at how spending some facetime with a therapy dog affected students’ stress levels. 

"Therapy dog sessions are becoming more popular on university campuses, but there has been surprisingly little research on how much attending a single drop-in therapy dog session actually helps students," she said in a press release.

The team of psychology researchers surveyed more than 240 students who took advantage of drop-in sessions with therapy dogs. The students filled out questionnaires before, immediate after, and 10 hours after their sessions.

The study participants reported feeling happier and much less stressed after spending time with the therapy dogs, and reported higher levels of energy and happiness than a control group that didn’t visit with the dogs.

"Our findings suggest that therapy dog sessions have a measurable, positive effect on the wellbeing of university students, particularly on stress reduction and feelings of negativity,” Ward-Griffin said. 

The benefits didn’t appear to favor one gender or other group of students. Instead, the positive effects of pup therapy were pretty evenly spread among the participants, the researchers said.

Some effects of the sessions lasted, such as feeling less stress and more supported, but the happiness and life satisfaction faded after several hours.

"These sessions clearly provide benefits for students in the short-term, so we think universities should try to schedule them during particularly stressful times, such as around exam periods," senior author Dr. Frances Chen said. "Even having therapy dogs around while students are working on their out-of-class assignments could be helpful."

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1532-2998">Stress and Health</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx">Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Study: therapy dogs help college students relieve stress

Midterms are right around the corner, and then the grind...

The benefits of a university education go beyond academic knowledge, a new study shows it may also improve “non-cognitive” skills like extraversion, conscientiousness and agreeability. 

The impact of a university education is especially noticeable among students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, the researchers said. 

Researchers who measured the character development of university students believe that the new skills come from being exposed to new peer groups, as well as being encouraged to try new extracurricular activities in sports, the arts and politics.

"We see quite clearly that students' personalities change when they go to university,” lead researcher Dr. Sonja Kassenboehmer said in a press release. "Universities provide an intensive new learning and social environment for adolescents, so it is not surprising that this experience could impact on students' personality.”

The team of researchers led by Kassenboehmer, a senior research fellow at <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a>, used five different personality traits to measure students’ character skills and how they developed: open-minded to new experiences, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. These are traits frequently used by psychologists to describe differences in character skills, and they have been linked to altruism, personal health and well-being, and desirability as a job candidate.

The team followed 575 different Australian young people over a period of eight years, using the <a href="http://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/hilda">Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia</a> survey.

Their analysis found that each year in university brought growth in extraversion and other character traits, particularly for young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. 

“It is good news that universities not only seem to teach subject-specific skills, but also seem to succeed in shaping skills valued by employers and society,” Kassenboehmer said.

The study is the first real look at how a university education can affect the growth and development of important character skills.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/oep">Oxford Economic Papers</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/discovery-program">Australian Research Council’s Early Career Discovery Program</a> and <a href="http://www.lifecoursecentre.org.au/">Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

University education has benefits beyond the degree

The benefits of a university education go beyond academic knowledge,...

Researchers have found that owning a dog can make you appear happier, more attractive, and more approachable to others. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lonely-dogs-anxious-owners-can-help/">Dog owners</a> are also perceived as being more caring and empathetic, according to experts.

In particular, men are viewed by women as being more compassionate when they have a pet. Women take it as a positive sign of how a man would be as a partner when he has made the long-term commitment of caring for a dog.

Dr. Helen Fisher is a senior researcher at the <a href="https://www.kinseyinstitute.org/">Kinsey Institute</a> and a chief adviser to Match.com. She said that men who own dogs come across as more capable of nurturing others.

Dr. Fisher told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>:

“Having a dog really says something about you. It says you can care for a creature, that you can follow a schedule and get home to feed it, that you can walk it and love it and spend time with it.”

“That's the bottom line message that women get when they see a man with a dog: He's capable of nurturing, of giving without receiving a lot, of caring for another. He's made a commitment to this animal.”

Previous studies have revealed that the presence of a dog helps to promote social interactions. In one study, men were shown to be much more successful in getting the attention of women on the street when they had a dog.


Dr. Fisher also told the Times: “One thing women have needed for years and years is a partner who could share the load, be responsible, care for them if they're sick and show up on time.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@gmail.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dog owners perceived as more caring and attractive, study finds

Researchers have found that owning a dog can make you...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.chicagobooth.edu/">The University of Chicago Booth School of Business</a> have found that when people watch video tutorials on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-heal-painful/">social media</a>, they often become overly confident in their own level of skill.

“The more that people watched others, the more they felt they could perform the same skill, too--even when their abilities hadn't actually changed for the better,” says study co-author Michael Kardas. “Our findings suggest that merely watching others could cause people to attempt skills that they might not be ready or able to perform themselves.”

Social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook have made it easy to share and access instructional videos. The researchers conducted a series of experiments to investigate whether watching videos can actually improve an individual's ability at a certain skill without any practice.

In one experiment, over 1,000 participants were instructed to either watch a video, read step-by-step instructions, or simply imagine performing the “tablecloth trick.” To pull off this trick, individuals must yank a tablecloth out from under items on a table without disturbing them.

The study participants who watched the video 20 times were much more confident that they could accomplish this trick compared to those who only saw video one time. On the other hand, individuals who simply read or thought about the trick did not have any improved confidence in their ability to perform the trick.

The results of this initial investigation suggested that repetitively viewing the material led participants to have an inflated sense of competence.

In a second experiment with darts, participants who viewed an instructional video 20 times predicted that they would score more points then those who watched the video once. The high-exposure group also estimated that they would hit more bull's-eyes because they believed their technique had improved from watching the video.

The study revealed that participants who had watched the video many more times scored no higher than those who had only viewed it once.


The researchers tested out other skills such as playing video games and juggling. They consistently found that, the more participants watched others perform these skills, the more they overestimated their own abilities.

“We see this as a potentially widespread phenomenon given that people have daily access to outlets for watching others perform,” said Kardas. 

“Anyone who goes online to look up tips before attempting a skill - from cooking techniques to DIY home repairs to X Games tricks - would benefit from knowing that they might be overconfident in their own abilities after watching, and should exercise caution before attempting similar skills themselves.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/home/pss">Psychological Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Video tutorials make people overconfident in their abilities

Researchers at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business...

Professors at the <a href="http://www.udel.edu/">University of Delaware</a> are tackling the issue of bullying based on stigma, which is when a person is targeted based solely on characteristics such as race or sexual orientation. 

The experts are looking into methods to prevent this type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bullying-mental-health-overcome/">bullying</a> and are also investigating the directions needed for future interventions.

Study lead author Valerie Earnshaw is a professor of Human Development and Family Sciences.

“I became interested in this because we're realizing that being bullied due to a stigmatized characteristic or identity is really harmful,” said Earnshaw. “I started wondering what people are doing about it, and whether they are doing the right things about it.”


The researchers found that, even though there has been an increase in stigma-based bullying interventions, these interventions are not always effective.

“Stigma-based bullying has always been around, but I think that there have been some recent societal shifts that have led people to pay more attention to it,” said Earnshaw.

Earnshaw said that strategies which directly address stigma, such as reducing stereotypes and prejudice, may be necessary to prevent stigma-based bullying. She pointed out that, even though an association between gun violence and stigma-based bullying in schools has not been established, there are some signs of a strong link.

Earnshaw said that the shooter at a school in Parkland, Florida, was found to have connections with a white supremacy group. Many other perpetrators of gun violence were found to have engaged in gender-based violence or harassment.

“Perhaps intervening early on these stigma-related factors could have downstream effects on preventing gun violence,” said Earnshaw.

The professor explained that stigma-based bullying interventions should be thoroughly examined to see how and why these strategies work.


“Overall, stigma-based bullying is a complex phenomenon that takes an 'all hands on deck' approach to address,” said Earnshaw. “Students, teachers, parents, healthcare providers, coaches, religious leaders, and policymakers all have a role to play in ending it and improving the wellbeing of youth who are affected by it.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/developmental-review">Developmental Review</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: Bullying over race or sexual orientation is extra damaging

Professors at the University of Delaware are tackling the issue...

A new study has found that the root of insomnia may actually be in your genes, and that chronic insomnia can increase the risk of diabetes and depression. 

Researchers led by Murray Stein from the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California San Diego</a> conducted several genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of soldiers participating the in <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention/suicide-prevention-studies/army-study-to-assess-risk-and-resilience-in-servicemembers-army-starrs-a-partnership-between-nimh-and-the-us-army.shtml">Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers</a> (STARRS). 

STARRS was chosen for the new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insomnia-biological-psychological/">insomnia</a> study because it’s estimated that 50 percent of veterans and those in the military have problems with sleeping disorders.

The study was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. 

Previous research has found that insomnia is a heritable trait, and Stein’s team wanted to find the specific gene variants that were associated with insomnia to further explore the gene-sleep disorder connection. 

Stein also notes that gaining a better understanding of the gene variants involved with insomnia will help with new treatments down the line. 

For the GWAS studies, blood samples were taken from over 33,000 STARRS participants, and the data from the soldiers was categorized according to heritage. This way the researchers would be able to determine the genetic risks of different ancestral backgrounds. 

The soldiers were also asked questions about their sleep habits, and if their insomnia caused physical distress such as nausea or diarrhea. 

The results showed that insomnia was inheritable through your genes and that the sleep disorder was specifically linked to variations on chromosome 7. For people of European descent, variants on chromosome 9 were also connected to insomnia. 

The researchers found a strong genetic link between insomnia and both type 2 diabetes and depression. 

“The genetic correlation between insomnia disorder and other psychiatric disorders, such as major depression, and physical disorders such as type 2 diabetes suggests a shared genetic diathesis for these commonly co-occurring phenotypes,” said Stein. 

Stein’s work sheds insight on the connection between genetics and detrimental sleep disorders like insomnia. The results of the study may help further research and the development of new insomnia treatments. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Insomnia and depression may be genetic, study finds

A new study has found that the root of insomnia...

Goodyear Oxygene concept

Tire titan Goodyear has announced the company’s new eco-friendly concept tire “Oxygene” at the <a href="https://www.gims.swiss/en/">Geneva International Motor Show</a> in Switzerland. 

Oxygene is a tire with moss embedded in the inside of an open tread outer rubber casing. The open tread will allow the tire to absorb water from the road which will water the moss on the inside of the tire. The moss will then be able to convert <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/co2-emissions-energy-costs/">CO2</a> into oxygen using photosynthesis. 

Goodyear claims that in a city the size of Paris with 2.5 million cars, the new moss tires could remove more than 4,0000 tons of carbon dioxide and produce 3,000 tons of oxygen each year. 

Besides being eco-friendly, Goodyear says the rubber tread casing will have better wear and tear than other tire models on the market today, and the open design will provide better traction on slippery roads. 

The Oxygene tire will also be puncture proof. Other features include electronic sensors powered by photosynthesis that communicate with other cars on the road at the speed of light. The cars and tires would also have smart capabilities. 

Goodyear, like many other companies, is working to find innovative ways to stay ahead of the race to mitigate climate change and combat emissions. 

“Smarter, greener infrastructure and transport will be crucial in addressing the most pressing challenges of urban mobility and development,” said Chris Delaney, the president of Goodyear Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

It may be some time before Oxygene becomes commercially available or even goes into production, but Goodyear’s new tire could motivate other companies to create similar solutions to the world’s emissions and transportation problems. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: PRNewsfoto/Goodyear

Goodyear reveals eco-friendly tires that absorb carbon dioxide

Tire titan Goodyear has announced the company’s new eco-friendly concept...

Smart glass could forever change the way we use windows, potentially eliminating the need for curtains or blinds by allowing us to regulate the amount of sunlight allowed to enter.

This new glass technology has been developed by Keith Goossen, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the <a href="http://www.udel.edu/">University of Delaware</a>, along with colleague Daniel Wolfe.

The new glass created by Goossen can switch between letting light in and blocking it out. The research team’s smart windows would also be an eco-friendly and a cost-effective way to cool and heat buildings. 

Similar efforts have been made with other smart glass, but Goossen’s model is much cheaper to manufacture, and it is more reflective and absorbent of light than other versions out there. In fact, this new type of smart glass is actually one-tenth the price of other smart glass technology. 

The smart glass is made with two sheets of plastic with a small space between. Goosen’s first designs had tiny cube-shaped structures contained within the plastic and these were used to reflect light back to its source. 

The space between the sheets of plastic was then filled with methyl salicylate which is an extract from wintergreen that has optical properties. The methyl salicylate enhanced the reflective capabilities of the plastic sheets. 

Recently, Goossen and Wolfe unveiled a new and improved model at the <a href="http://spie.org/conferences-and-exhibitions/smart-structures/nde?SSO=1">Smart Materials and Nondestructive Evaluation Conference</a> in Denver. The new design used one-dimensional shapes layered perpendicular within the sheets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-deep-sea-fish/">plastic</a> rather than cubes.

The smart glass can switch back and forth from transparent to blocking out light thousands of times without losing any of its reflective strength. 

There is now a good deal of interest and potential with Goossens new technology, and commercialization of the product may happen soon. Meanwhile, Goossen will work to continue to perfect and study the materials used in the glass. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New smart glass technology is cheaper and more reflective

Smart glass could forever change the way we use windows,...

According to research from the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a>, climate change could drive fishery yields down by 20 percent across the world ocean and by 60 percent in the North Atlantic before the year 2300.

The decline is primarily linked to a lack of ocean mixing. When the surface layer of ocean water is warm, it prevents the nutrients that have built up in the deep waters from rising to the surface. 

The study authors explained that significant changes in ocean mixing would ultimately drive a decline in fish populations near the surface.

Many studies have confirmed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-oceans-fisheries-fish/">fisheries</a> will be significantly less productive by the end of this century, but little research has investigated the fate of fisheries beyond 2100.

A team led by J. Keith Moore used modeling to predict the effects of climate change on fisheries under the condition that the rate of carbon emissions remains the same as it is today.

Currently, the Southern Ocean has such a successful amount of mixing that nutrients abundantly flow into other oceans. 

But now, model simulations produced by the current study indicate that changing wind patterns and warmer ocean surface layers will cause an increased portion of nutrients to sink into the deeper layer of the ocean and become trapped there. The model showed that phosphate, for example, will become 41 percent less abundant.

The steep decline of mixing in the Southern Ocean will also be facilitated by a polar shift of nutrient upwelling into the Antarctic. 

The study authors also established that ocean mixing will be particularly reduced in the North Atlantic. They explained that the long-term impact of these changes in ocean mixing will reduce fishery yields for at least a thousand years.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate changes will significantly reduce fishery yields

According to research from the University of California, Irvine, climate...

Since <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/addiction-smartphones-imbalances-brain/">smartphones</a> have reshaped our lives over the past decade, there have been concerns that the gadget’s addictive nature is replacing real social interaction. 

Recently, students from Stanford University even <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stanford-computer-science-students-protest-apple-addictive-devices-2018-3">protested</a> at an Apple Store in Silicon Valley, demanding that the company make changes to the iPhone to make it less addictive. 

The Stanford students aren’t the only ones who have raised issues with smartphone addiction or the idea that the device makes people anti-social. 

However, researchers from <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> in Montreal have offered some perspective on the debate surrounding smartphone addiction. 

The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, show that people with smartphone addictions are actually “hyper-social,” and smartphones have provided an easy outlet to connect with people constantly. 

“There is a lot of panic surrounding this topic,” said Samuel Veissière, the study’s lead author. “We're trying to offer some good news and show that it is our desire for human interaction that is addictive -- and there are fairly simple solutions to deal with this.”

According to the study, humans are extremely social and have evolved to be uniquely so compared to other species. People are constantly looking to others for guidance, approval, and input from others. This is an essential part of our day to day lives and helps shape our sense of identity. 

For the study, Veissière and colleague Moriah Stendel reviewed current studies and literature regarding smartphone addiction and the dysfunctional use of smart technology through an evolutionary lens. 

The researchers found that smartphone addiction is likely rooted in the need to be “hyper-social,” and that just like any other urge, cravings can quickly turn into unhealthy addictions. 

“In post-industrial environments where foods are abundant and readily available, our cravings for fat and sugar sculpted by distant evolutionary pressures can easily go into insatiable overdrive and lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease,” the researchers said. “The pro-social needs and rewards [of smartphone use as a means to connect] can similarly be hijacked to produce a manic theatre of hyper-social monitoring.” 

The team suggests that instead of regulating tech companies or phone use, curbing smartphone addiction starts with the consumers and creating a dialogue about the best ways to use smartphones. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Smartphone addiction rooted in addiction to social connection

Since smartphones have reshaped our lives over the past decade,...

When talking to babies and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pets-harmful-indoor-chemicals/">dogs</a>, we often use a sort of  high pitched rhythmic talking known commonly as “baby talk.”

Scientifically, this is called infant-directed speech and research has shown that using baby talk is actually important for bonding with an infant. 

A new study set out to investigate if infant-directed speech aimed at dogs served the same useful purpose as it does for children. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a> conducted the study and found that “dog-speak,” like baby talk, does improve concentration and bonding with pet dogs. 

“This high-pitched rhythmic speech is common in human interactions with dogs in western cultures, but there isn't a great deal known about whether it benefits a dog in the same way that it does a baby,” said Katie Slocombe, a co-author of the study. "We wanted to look at this question and see whether social bonding between animals and humans was influenced by the type and content of the communication."

Previous research that studied dog-speak found that it was useful for puppies but not adult dogs. However, those experiments involved playing recordings for dogs and not having the dogs interact with a human talking to them. 

For this study, the researchers asked participants to talk to dogs who were in the same room with them.

This way the researchers could determine if dog-speak was a key motivator in who the dog gravitated towards.

Several tests were conducted with an adult dog where the dog listened to two different people. One used dog-related phrases such as “shall we go for a walk?” with dog speak, and the other use adult-directed speech and didn’t use any dog related phases. 

After this, the phrases were mixed and spoken to the dogs in different tones to determine if it was the tone or content of the words that was more appealing. 

The researchers observed the dog’s focus during these experiments and who the dog preferred to interact with after the participants finished talking. 

The dogs preferred those who had spoken to them with dog speak and dog-related phrases. According to the researchers, the results indicate that both tone and content are important for adult dogs. 

“We found that adult dogs were more likely to want to interact and spend time with the speaker that used dog-directed speech with dog-related content, than they did those that used adult-directed speech with no dog-related content,” said Alex Benjamin, the study’s lead author. 

The dogs preferred those who had spoken to them in dog speak and used dog-related phrases. According to the researchers, the results indicate that both tone and content are important for adult dogs. 

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By <a href="mailto:mailtoLkayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Using baby talk with your dog actually found to enhance bonding

When talking to babies and dogs, we often use a...

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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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" 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> 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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