In kitchens around the world, cinnamon weaves its aromatic magic through cakes, lattes, and curries. Yet beyond its culinary allure, the spice has morphed into a coveted dietary supplement. 



Cinnamon now appears in capsules, oils, and extracts, each claiming to stabilize blood sugar, reduce inflammation, or even promote weight loss.



But as consumers rush to harness cinnamon’s supposed health benefits, new research casts a shadow over its glowing reputation. 



A study published in Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences urges caution. Concentrated cinnamon <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-coffee-is-missing-these-five-brain-boosting-spices/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">products</a>, particularly those consumed long-term, may carry risks for those on prescription medications or with chronic health conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cinnamon-supplement-market">The cinnamon supplement market</h2>



Cinnamon isn’t just a spice; it’s a promise. A sprinkle here, a pinch there - harmless, right? But the cinnamon in your kitchen cupboard is worlds apart from the concentrated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/herbal-supplements-often-contain-hidden-ingredients/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supplements</a> flooding health stores. 



Cassia cinnamon, the type most commonly sold in the United States, harbors high levels of coumarin, a natural blood thinner that can pose serious health risks in excessive amounts.



“Ceylon cinnamon may also have trace amounts of coumarin,” noted Dr. Leana Wen from <a href="https://washu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Washington University</a>. "If someone who is already on anticoagulant medications ingests a large amount of coumarin, this could increase their bleeding risk.”



Despite these warnings, the supplement market thrives. Labels scream of miraculous health benefits, while research lags behind. The <a href="https://www.fda.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA</a> has yet to approve cinnamon as a treatment for any medical condition, leaving consumers to navigate a maze of unregulated claims.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cinnamon-supplements-and-liver-metabolism">Cinnamon supplements and liver metabolism </h2>



The latest study doesn’t just scratch the surface - it dives deep into the metabolic fate of cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its signature scent. 



The researchers tracked cinnamaldehyde from ingestion to metabolism, uncovering a complex cascade of biochemical events.



The compound absorbs swiftly in the gastrointestinal tract, whether the stomach is full or empty. But the real transformation takes place in the liver, where cinnamaldehyde rapidly oxidizes into cinnamic acid. The process isn’t benign. 



Cinnamic acid can interact with enzymes critical to drug <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthier-dna-thanks-to-an-inexpensive-over-the-counter-supplement/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metabolism</a>, potentially altering how the body processes medications.



For those taking liver-metabolized drugs, these interactions could spell trouble. Prolonged consumption of cinnamon supplements may unwittingly disrupt the body’s natural rhythm of drug clearance, increasing the risk of adverse effects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cinnamon-s-impact-on-receptors">Cinnamon’s impact on receptors</h2>



Cinnamaldehyde doesn’t just pass through the body unnoticed; it has a way of knocking on cellular doors. The study explored how cinnamon compounds activate two critical receptors: the Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) and the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR).



In intestinal cells, cinnamic acid and cinnamon oil turned PXR into overdrive, increasing enzyme activity that affects drug metabolism. Cinnamaldehyde, however, stayed relatively quiet, suggesting that the real risk lies in its metabolite and oil form.



AhR, on the other hand, was not so easily subdued. Cinnamon oil sent AhR activation soaring, increasing enzyme production by over twelve-fold. The implications? Faster drug clearance, diminished therapeutic effects, and a body struggling to keep up with its metabolic demands.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-target-for-cinnamon">A new target for cinnamon</h2>



CYP enzymes, the body’s metabolic workhorses, usually keep drugs and toxins in check. But cinnamon disrupts their rhythm. 



The researchers found that concentrated cinnamon oil and cinnamaldehyde inhibited CYP2C9 and CYP1A2, two enzymes responsible for processing a host of common medications.



What happens when these enzymes slow down? Blood thinners may linger longer in the bloodstream, increasing bleeding risks. Anti-inflammatory drugs could accumulate, raising toxicity levels. The impact ripples outward, affecting not just one drug but potentially the entire metabolic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/turmeric-supplements-provide-yet-another-health-benefit-according-to-study/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">process</a>.



Even cinnamic acid, cinnamaldehyde’s less volatile counterpart, displayed mild but notable inhibitory effects on CYP2C9. The study’s findings challenge the notion that natural always means harmless.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cinnamon-supplements-and-chronic-illness">Cinnamon supplements and chronic illness</h2>



For those with chronic health conditions, the cinnamon paradox intensifies. Dr. Wen’s list of health conditions that may exacerbate with cinnamon supplements includes hypertension, diabetes, liver disease, cancer, asthma, obesity, HIV/AIDS, and depression.



“I would add to that list anyone using blood thinner medications. For example, someone who has a history of heart disease and stroke, any medications that are cleared through the liver, and other dietary supplements that may interact with cinnamon, including turmeric, ginseng and gingko biloba," said Dr. Wen.



Here, the combination of cinnamon and prescription drugs becomes a potential minefield. The body’s enzyme systems, already burdened by chronic illness, may struggle to cope with the additional load imposed by concentrated cinnamon products.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-everyday-cinnamon-safe">Is everyday cinnamon safe?</h2>



The study doesn’t call for a moratorium on cinnamon spice racks. Sprinkling a bit on oatmeal or in coffee likely poses little risk. But concentrated extracts? That’s another story.



The researchers identified a tipping point: doses exceeding 50 micrograms per milliliter significantly impacted enzyme activity.



Your morning latte won’t reach these levels, but daily use of cinnamon oil capsules might. The concern lies not in occasional use but in sustained consumption, where the cumulative effects may silently accumulate.



“Individuals who are thinking of taking cinnamon supplements should be sure to consult their health care providers to check for possible medication interactions,” said Dr. Wen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fda-blind-spot-dietary-supplements">FDA blind spot: Dietary supplements</h2>



Unlike prescription drugs, dietary supplements float in regulatory limbo. The FDA does not test for efficacy or safety before supplements hit the market. Products like cinnamon oil can land on shelves with scant evidence of their benefits or risks.



The study highlights the consequences of this oversight. With cinnamon’s potential to influence enzyme systems and drug metabolism, the lack of regulation leaves consumers exposed to unknown risks.



“Just because something is marketed as being ‘natural’ doesn’t mean that it is safe,” noted Dr. Wen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cinnamon-s-new-reputation">Cinnamon’s new reputation</h2>



Once an ancient healer’s go-to spice, cinnamon now wears a more complicated identity. 



The research suggests that while small doses in food remain relatively benign, concentrated supplements open the door to unexpected metabolic consequences.



The study’s revelations challenge the perception of cinnamon as a simple, harmless addition to the diet. 



For those with underlying health conditions or those taking prescription drugs, cinnamon may act as a metabolic wildcard, altering drug efficacy and increasing side effects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-should-you-use-cinnamon-supplements">Should you use cinnamon supplements?</h2>



Cinnamon’s rise from spice rack to supplement aisle highlights the demand for natural remedies. Yet the study serves as a sobering reminder that more isn’t always better. A sprinkle in coffee or a dash on toast may add flavor without consequence.



But for those tempted by cinnamon’s concentrated forms, caution becomes the guiding principle. Consulting healthcare providers before starting a supplement regimen can prevent unintended interactions and mitigate potential risks.



In a world eager to embrace nature’s cures, cinnamon’s story offers a critical lesson: Natural doesn’t mean neutral. In the quest for health, a spice as innocent as cinnamon may carry a hidden cost.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666566224000443?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food Chemistry</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Eating cinnamon may disrupt how your medications work

In kitchens around the world, cinnamon weaves its aromatic magic through cakes, lattes, and curries. Yet beyond its culinary allure, the spice has morphed into a coveted dietary supplement. Cinnamon now appears in capsules, oils, and extracts, each claiming to stabilize blood sugar, reduce inflammation, or even promote weight loss. But as consumers rush to harness cinnamon’s supposed health benefits, new research casts a shadow over its glowing reputation. A study published in Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences urges caution. Concentrated cinnamon products, particularly those consumed long-term, may...

After yet another school shooting, debate has again erupted over what can be done to improve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gun-owners-store-guns/">gun</a> laws in the United States. 

Although many calls have been made for firmer policies and sensible gun control, the realities of implementing such policies have been a complex struggle. 

Studies that examine the effects of potential gun laws are actually few and far between, which means that policymakers have little evidence to offer when it comes to the advantages of implementing firmer gun laws.

A new study by the <a href="https://www.rand.org/">RAND Corporation’s</a> Gun Policy in America initiative found that there has been a surprisingly small amount of research on the effectiveness of gun laws, but that several common gun policies have been shown to work.

The goal of the Gun Policy in America initiative is to help bridge this gap and provide nonpartisan data that could inform discussions about gun policy.

Researchers from RAND collected and reviewed thousands of studies to find any available evidence that the effect of 13 common gun policies would have on gun violence and gun owners.

Of those, there were 62 studies that investigated the causal effects of gun policies on different outcomes that the RAND researchers included in their assessment.

“While science can teach us a lot about gun policy, research in this area is generally far behind where it is for most other causes of death that claim similar numbers of lives in the U.S. each year,” Said Andrew Morral, the project's leader. “This does not mean that gun policies have no effects. Most laws probably have some effect, however small or intended. Instead, the limited evidence base reflects shortcomings in the contributions that scientific study has made to the policy debate.”

95 gun policy experts were also interviewed representing a wide range of views, with some aligning with the NRA and others in favor of stricter gun control.

For the study, these views were grouped into two different sets with opposing ideologies. The researchers wanted to see if there was any overlapping consensus or agreement between the two different groups.

The two groups disagreed about the merits and impact of different gun laws, but both wanted to reduce instances of gun fatalities.

“Both groups overwhelmingly favored policies they believed would reduce firearm homicides and suicides, but there is disagreement about which laws would have these effects,” said Morral. “Collecting more and stronger evidence about the true effects of laws is a necessary and promising step toward building greater consensus around the effective gun policy.”

After evaluating both the studies and the interviews, the results showed that policies designed to limit firearm self-injuries, suicides, and unintended injuries to children by keeping guns away from children would have the most positive impact.

There was also moderate evidence that supported the positive impact that background checks would have on reducing suicides and homicides by firearm.

The RAND researchers say their study emphasizes the need for funding for research on the effects of gun control laws.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Study reveals gaps in gun law research, offers possible solutions

After yet another school shooting, debate has again erupted over...

As the GOP continues to neglect the issue of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/land-partnerships-protect-biodiversity/">climate change</a>, Republican college students who feel estranged by their party leaders have decided to take the matter of climate mitigation into their own hands. 

According to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/28/harvard-and-yale-young-republicans-gop-is-losing-us-over-climate-change-commentary.html">CNBC</a> report, in the past two years, 23 percent of Republicans under 30 have left for the Democratic Party.

College Republican groups from across the country have united to form the <a href="https://www.s4cd.org">Students for Carbon Dividends</a>, the first-ever student coalition to publicly support a national climate solution.

The group is backing a strategy called the Baker-Shultz carbon dividends plan. This climate solution promotes economic growth in a socially responsible way by issuing a carbon pollution tax that would not be paid to government agencies, but to Americans as monthly dividends.

Kiera O'Brien of <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> and Ben Zollinger of <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> are among the 21  co-founders of Students for Carbon Dividends. Democratic and environmental groups have also join the coalition, which aims to motivate the GOP to restore its legacy of land and nature conservation and to become a world leader in climate mitigation.

In an article contributed to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/">CNBC</a> by O'Brien and Zollinger, they wrote: 

“Unfortunately, today's GOP forces its members to make a false choice between party and planet, to the detriment of both.” 

“President Donald Trump is absolutely right about the need to create jobs, drive economic growth and promote competitiveness. But on climate, he is missing an opportunity to position America as the world leader for the next generation of energy technologies.”

O'Brien and Zollinger also wrote that Republicans “risk driving away the millennial generation that is the future of both parties.” 

The Baker-Shultz plan is also supported by the Climate Leadership Council, which was co-founded by Fortune 500 companies such as fossil fuel organizations and environmental nonprofits. The Students for Carbon Dividends coalition expects to add tens of thousands more students to help strengthen its demand for national legislation to fight climate change.

Organizations can join the student coalition or endorse the carbon dividends solution <a href="https://www.s4cd.org/joinus">here</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:chrissydsexton@gmail.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Young Republicans leaving GOP over lack of climate change action

As the GOP continues to neglect the issue of climate...

“It’s no secret that we derive pleasure from doing things we enjoy, such as playing our favorite video game,” says Rui Costa, the associate director and CEO of <a href="https://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/">Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute</a> and senior author of a paper published today in <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>. His research reveals how brain activity is shaped and refined as mice learn to repeat behaviors that result in a feeling of pleasure. 

But how does this relate to playing video games? 

“When you move the game controller in exactly the right way to earn that high score, your brain remembers how it executed that action – which neurons get switched on, and in what pattern – so your brain can recreate that same move the next time you play,” says Costa, who is also a professor of neuroscience and neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. “After repeated attempts, your brain gets better at recreating that pattern of neural activity, and you get better at the game.”

When we do something we enjoy, our neurons are triggered to release dopamine, resulting in a feel-good sensation and creating a desire to repeat that action again and again. The researchers wanted to determine if the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greener-neighborhood-brain-development/">brain</a> could be trained to learn the right pattern of neural activity involved in experiencing something enjoyable, and then repeat that pattern to trigger a dopamine release at will.

Using mice as test subjects, the researchers developed a computer program that connected the neural activity in the brains of mice to musical notes. When one group of neurons switched on, a corresponding musical note played. Varying patterns of neural activity resulted in different combinations of notes. When neural activity patterns triggered the right arrangement of musical notes – determined by the computer program – the scientists manually released dopamine into the animals’ brains.

Through this process, the mice learned which musical arrangement would result in a dopamine release. Their brains then began to rewire themselves to play that song more often, thus triggering dopamine release more often as well. This means that through hearing these musical notes, the mice learned to repeat the pattern of corresponding brain activity that they had previously evoked dopamine release and pleasure.

“In some ways, these results are entirely expected,” says Costa. “It makes sense that the brain would mimic the feeling of reward it gets from an enjoyable experience by producing the corresponding pattern of neural activity. But it had never been tested.”

This study may be able to help us learn more about disorders such as addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). “If the brain’s neural-activity patterns are in overdrive, as is often the case for people with addiction or OCD, could we create a computer program that can help to retrain their brains and downshift this activity?” Costa wonders. “This is something we’re actively exploring.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The brain learns to repeat actions that bring pleasure

“It’s no secret that we derive pleasure from doing things...

A new report released by the <a href="https://www.smmt.co.uk/reports/co2-report/">UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders</a> (SMMT) shows that CO2 emissions from new cars have risen for the first time since 2000. 

The cause, according to the SMMT, is the country’s aim to do away with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diesel-vehicles-deaths-europe/">diesel</a>. 

The UK allows taxes to be implemented on new diesel car owners, but rather than buying zero emission and electric cars, consumers are simply purchasing traditional gas-fueled models.

Diesel models are said to have better mileage, which may be another reason why the efforts to ban diesel appear to have slightly backfired. 

Greg Archer, a director of the <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/about-us">Transport &amp; Environment Organization,</a> an association whose mission is cleaner transportation and sustainable development in the EU, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/27/co2-emissions-from-average-uk-new-car-rise-for-first-time-since-2000">the Guardian</a> that blaming diesel is just a convenient way to avoid the real issues. 

“The principal reason CO2 emissions are rising is that carmakers are selling more gas-guzzling SUVs,” said Archer. “Blaming the slump in diesel sales is a smokescreen that hides their failure to fit fuel efficiency technologies to the new cars they are selling.”

The new report states that in 2017, CO2 emissions rose by 8 percent. This is the first recorded rise in emissions in two decades, and there are concerns that now the UK will not be able to meet the goals set by the Paris Accord. 

Even though the SMMT points to declines in diesel sales as one of the main drivers behind the rise in emissions, the report also notes that consumers opting away from zero emission electric, or hybrid models is another important factor. 

Electric models and hybrids are just too expensive for consumers at this point, and there are no tax incentives to make zero-emission cars more affordable in the United Kingdom. 

The chief executive of the SMMT, Mike Hawes, commented on the report saying that in order to keep emissions down and keep up with Paris Climate Agreement, electric and hybrid car sales would have to increase. 

“The industry shares government’s vision of a low carbon future and is investing to get us there – but we can’t do it overnight; nor can we do it alone,” Hawes said. 

“The anti-diesel agenda has set back progress on climate change, while electric vehicle demand remains disappointingly low amid consumer concerns around charging infrastructure availability and affordability.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

CO2 emissions from cars on the rise again in the UK

A new report released by the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/">George Washington University</a> have found that recent changes in America's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/immigration-detention-centers-prisons/">immigration</a> policy have caused psychological distress among many Latino parents - even those who are legal citizens. 

Dr. Kathleen Roche is an associate professor of Prevention and Community Health and the lead author of study.

“A substantial proportion of Latino parents reported that they are avoiding authorities, warning their children to change their routines and worrying about the future due to recent U.S. immigration policies and news,” said Dr. Roche. 

“Parents experiencing these kinds of immigration-related consequences also appear to be at a very high risk of anxiety, depression, and other forms of distress.”

The investigation is one of the first to assess the impact of recent immigration policies on Latino parents and teenagers in the United States. The research was focused on 213 Latino parents with adolescent children.

While some of the parents participating in the study did not have documentation, over two-thirds were in the United States legally. They were asked questions regarding how immigration policies had affected them in recent months.


The study revealed that 64 percent of Latino parents reported being worried about family members getting separated either very often or all the time.

In addition, 40 percent of the study participants said that they typically avoid seeking medical care, help from police, or support from social services due to immigration news and actions.

Nearly half of the parents surveyed said that recent immigration laws have led them to tell teenagers to change their behaviors and steer clear of authorities.

The researchers also conducted a survey to assess various symptoms of depression and anxiety among the Latino parents.

According to Dr. Roche, parents who frequently worried about immigration news and policies had at least a 300 percent higher risk of serious psychological distress, including symptoms of anxiety and depression.

“Such high levels of distress among parents raise concerns about immigration impacts on the entire family, including among teenagers,” said Dr. Roche. 

“Studies show that adolescents whose parents are anxious or depressed are at elevated risk of doing poorly in school, adopting risky behaviors, and developing lifelong health and mental health problems.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.jahonline.org/">Journal of Adolescent Health</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New immigration policies cause high stress for Latino parents

Researchers at George Washington University have found that recent changes...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.acc.org/">American College of Cardiology</a> have found a link between fluctuating temperatures and cardiovascular health. Major temperature changes are associated with an increased number of heart attacks, according to the study.

Lead author Hedvig Andersson is a cardiology researcher at the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a>.

“Global warming is expected to cause extreme weather events, which may, in turn, result in large day-to-day fluctuations in temperature,” said Andersson. 

“Our study suggests that such fluctuations in outdoor temperature could potentially lead to an increased number of heart attacks and affect global cardiac health in the future.”


Previous studies on the health effects of extreme temperature changes have shown that outdoor temperature has a significant influence on the rate of heart attacks, with cold weather imposing the highest risk.

“While the body has effective systems for responding to changes in temperature, it might be that more rapid and extreme fluctuations create more stress on those systems, which could contribute to health problems,” said Andersson.

The investigation was focused on over 30,000 patients who had received coronary intervention treatments at 45 Michigan hospitals between 2010 and 2016. The researchers examined the daily temperature fluctuations that correlated with these heart attacks.


The study revealed that, for every nine-degree rise in temperature, the risk of a heart attack increased by around 5 percent. 

In the summer, nearly twice as many heart attacks were predicted with a 63-degree shift between the highest and lowest daily temperature.

“Generally, we think of heart attack risk factors as those that apply to individual patients and we have, consequently, identified lifestyle changes or medications to modify them. Population-level risk factors need a similar approach,” said senior author Hitinder Gurm.

“Temperature fluctuations are common and [often] predictable. More research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms for how temperature fluctuations increase the risk of heart attacks, which would allow us to perhaps devise a successful prevention approach.”

The experts pointed out that sudden temperature changes are not necessarily the cause of more heart attacks, and that other factors may have contributed to the results of the study. 

Dr. Gurm emphasized that it is still important to focus on cardiovascular risk factors that can be modified, such as smoking and high blood pressure.

The study is being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Can abrupt temperature changes trigger heart attacks?

Researchers at the American College of Cardiology have found a...

One of the inevitable consequences of aging is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-slow-memory-loss/">memory loss</a> and inability to think as quickly and clearly. For some people, this problem occurs faster and more drastically than others. Now, scientists believe they have a new way to determine who is more likely to develop thinking and memory problems as they age.

A recent study in the journal <a href="http://www.neurology.org/">Neurology</a> has found that people whose eyes show signs of small changes in blood vessels at age 60 may be more likely to develop thinking and memory problems by the time they are 80 than people with healthy eyes.

The researchers had 12,317 participants take memory tests and assess their thinking skills at the beginning of the study. They then did follow-up tests six years later and a third time 20 years later. Using a special retinal camera, they also took photos of the back of the participants’ eyes about three years after the study began. At this point in time, the participants were an average age of 60.  Of the participants studied, 11,692 had no signs of retinopathy – damage to the blood vessels in the retina – while 365 people had mild retinopathy and 256 people had moderate to severe damage. 

“Problems with the small blood vessels in the brain are likely as important a factor in cognitive decline as problems with larger arteries, but we don’t have the ability to take pictures of these small vessels with brain imaging,” says Jennifer A. Deal, of <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> and one of the study’s authors. 
“Because the blood vessels in the eye and the brain are so similar anatomically, we hypothesized that looking at the blood vessels in the eye would help us understand what was happening in the brain.”

The results showed that people who had moderate to severe retinopathy were more likely to have larger declines in their scores on the memory and thinking tests over time than those who had healthy eyes. “If our study results can be confirmed, differences in retinal integrity could provide reasonable estimates of how much small blood vessel damage in the brain is contributing to cognitive decline,” says Deal. Further study could increase our understanding of the factors behind cognitive decline, and possibly help us combat the condition in the future.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Future memory loss can be detected in our eyes today

One of the inevitable consequences of aging is memory loss...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.acc.org/">American College of Cardiology</a> are reporting that football players develop structural changes in the heart which cause an increased risk of heart rhythm disorders later in life. 

One study revealed that former NFL players are more than five times as likely to have a heart rhythm disorder, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib).

In a separate study, college <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/youth-football-alter-brain/">football</a> players showed notable changes to the structure of the heart after just one season of play. 

Dr. Dermot Phelan is the director of the sports cardiology center at <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/">Cleveland Clinic</a> and the lead author of the study focused on former NFL players.

“We know that sporting activity increases longevity and has multiple benefits for the cardiovascular system, but our findings seem to suggest that perhaps when you get to the extreme ends that we see in these elite athletes, there may be a negative impact on the heart,” said Dr. Phelan.

“Players should not assume that leading a healthy lifestyle in terms of regular exercise means that they're immune from developing cardiac problems and, in fact, they may be at higher risk for things like atrial fibrillation.”

Dr. Phelan’s team conducted a cardiovascular screening of 460 former NFL players that included an electrocardiogram, blood tests, and a survey on cardiovascular history. The experts compared the results to a sample of 925 people from the general public with similarities to the athletes such as age and race.

The risk of AFib and other abnormal electrical impulses in the heart among NFL players was found to be 5.5-times higher compared with non-athletes. The football players also tended to have a lower resting heart rate.

“Because they had a low resting heart rate, most of them did not get the rapid heart rate that typically warns people that they have atrial fibrillation,” said Dr. Phelan. 

“Most were unaware of it until our screening study. The message is that they need to get regular checkups to be sure they are maintaining a proper heart rhythm.”

In the analysis of college football players, which was conducted by researchers at <a href="http://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a>, the football players showed significant enlargement of the aortic root. 

Furthermore, the athletes tended to develop higher systolic blood pressure and increases in vascular stiffening and thickening of the left ventricle. These changes were particularly noted in the larger lineman position players and appeared to be beyond the effects of normal exercise training.

“We often think of football players, like all athletes, as the picture of health, but we're gaining this body of knowledge that signals some maladaptive cardiovascular changes and potentially even early cardiac risk in some of these players," said lead author Dr. Jonathan Kim.

“It suggests we need to pay close attention to the heart health of young football players. Also, future studies will need to focus on understanding the clinical significance of our findings.”

The research will be presented at the 67th Annual Scientific Session of the <a href="http://www.acc.org/">American College of Cardiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Football players face increased risk of cardiovascular problems

Researchers at the American College of Cardiology are reporting that...

A recent investigation into individual happiness and well-being has revealed that women are both happier and more satisfied than men, but women also admit to being more anxious. The results of the study indicate that there is a gender gap when it comes to life satisfaction.

The <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/">Office for National Statistics</a> (ONS) has been gauging the happiness of British residents for the last six years, ever since former Prime Minister David Cameron said that data was needed on the emotional state of the nation.

The study was focused on the responses of over 300,000 individuals to the ONS Annual Population Survey. Participants were asked to report on four aspects of well-being including whether they were satisfied with their lives, whether they were happy, whether they felt their lives were worthwhile, and how anxious they felt on the previous day.

The results of the ONS survey suggest that women are benefiting more from the recovery of the economy. However, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-women-drivers/">women</a> are also experiencing more anxiety than men.

The report from ONS said: “Over time, women have consistently reported higher levels of life satisfaction and worthwhile every year, but have also reported higher levels of anxiety since we first began collecting data in 2011.”

The statisticians have found that, over the course of six years, British citizens have become generally happier. The statistics show an overall increase in happiness by more than 3 percent.

The researchers attribute this rise in happiness to an improving economy, but do not provide an explanation for why women seem to be happier than men. The experts also do not give a reason for why overall well-being improved in Britain, but there were no significant changes found in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Women found to be happier than men, but also more anxious

A recent investigation into individual happiness and well-being has revealed...

Researchers at the <a href="http://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter Medical School</a> have conducted the first large-scale analysis to determine whether swimming in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/previously-hidden-sources-of-ocean-pollution-discovered/">ocean</a> is associated with an increased risk of certain ailments. The study revealed that people who swim or bathe in the sea are significantly more prone to stomach bugs, earaches, and other illnesses.

“We don't want to deter people from going into the sea, which has many health benefits such as improving physical fitness, well-being and connecting with nature,” said lead author Dr. Will Gaze. 

“However, it is important that people are aware of the risks so they can make informed decisions. Although most people will recover from infections with no medical treatment, they can prove more serious for vulnerable people, such as the very old or very young, or those with pre-existing health conditions.”

The researchers found that exposure to ocean water doubled the risk of general ear ailments. In particular, the odds of an earache increased by 77 percent. In addition, the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses was found to increase by 29 percent for those who swim in ocean water.

“In high-income countries like the UK, there is a perception that there is little risk to health of spending time in the sea,” said study co-author Dr. Anne Leonard.

“However, our paper shows that spending time in the sea does increase the probability of developing illnesses, such as ear ailments and problems involving the digestive system, such as stomach ache and diarrhoea. We think that this indicates that pollution is still an issue affecting swimmers in some of the world's richest countries.”

Despite significant improvements in the quality of ocean water in recent years, there is still pollution present from industrial waste, sewage, and other sources.

The team based its analysis on 19 previous studies that involved thousands of participants. The research provided the experts with information on links between sea bathing and the incidence of illness in high-income countries including the United States, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, and Norway.

“We have come a long way in terms of cleaning up our waters, but our evidence shows there is still work to be done,” said Dr. Gaze. “We hope this research will contribute to further efforts to clean up our coastal waters.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije">International Journal of Epidemiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Swimming in the ocean linked to certain illnesses

Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School have conducted...

Age really may be nothin’ but a number, as a new study found that our perception of different ages changes as we get older.

Researchers from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> discovered that understandings of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/positive-attitude-dementia-risk/">age</a> are largely skewed among younger generations. 

Their new study was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology and is the largest of its kind. 

The researchers collected responses from 502,548 survey participants online, with ages ranging from 10 to 89. 

Some of the major takeaways from the study were that 30,000 people thought middle age started at 30 and that perception of age changes more the older we get. The researchers found that the older a person was, the younger they actually felt. 

The responses also revealed that younger people largely had a negative opinion of aging. 

“I find it interesting that there's a ton of people who have skewed perceptions about aging - mostly young adults,” said William Chopik, a lead researcher of the study. “I think the most interesting finding of this study is that our perceptions of aging aren't static - they change as we change ourselves," Chopik said. "What you consider to be old changes as you become old yourself.” 

Chopik went on to explain that the reason younger people may have a hard time with the realities of aging is that adulthood is often looked on negatively, but the older a person gets, the more positive their experience is in dealing with aging. 

Study participants were also asked about optimal life expectancy and how long they wanted to live. Not surprisingly, the answer varied based on current age. 

Younger and older age groups wanted to live longer, into their early 90s, but those participants in their 30s and 40s said they would prefer to live to see their late 80s. 

The researchers say their study highlights some important factors about perceptions of aging, and the results coincide with theories about how people psychologically distance themselves from old age and older people.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Our perception of age changes over time, study finds

Age really may be nothin’ but a number, as a...

The North Pole nearly reached its melting point over the weekend after a massive storm generated a heat surge in the Greenland Sea. During what should be the coldest part of the year, experts have estimated that the temperature reached over 50 degrees warmer than usual in some regions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctics-mammal-global-warming/">Arctic</a>.

According to the U.S. Global Forecast System model, the temperature spiked as high as 35 degrees Fahrenheit at the North Pole. Zack Labe, a climate scientist and PhD student at the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California at Irvine</a>, said that the warm air intrusion penetrated right through the heart of the Central Arctic.

Warm air intrusions, which occur when relatively mild air is carried north by mid-latitude storms, were once a rare event in the Arctic. An <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318328090_Increasing_frequency_and_duration_of_Arctic_winter_warming_events">investigation</a> led by Robert Graham at the <a href="http://www.npolar.no/en/">Norwegian Polar Institute</a> found that Arctic warming has become much more frequent and intense in the last few decades.

Graham pointed out that extreme warming events have now occurred four out of the last five winters in the Arctic. He explained that this heightened frequency is directly related to thinning sea ice.

“As the sea ice is melting and thinning, it is becoming more vulnerable to these winter storms,” said Graham. “The thinner ice drifts more quickly and can break up into smaller pieces. The strong winds from the south can push the ice further north into the Central Arctic, exposing the open water and releasing heat to the atmosphere from the ocean.”

Scientists were recently shocked to find an area of open water north of Greenland where the some of the oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice used to be.

In the Arctic, temperatures are rising twice as fast as the global average. The entire area of the globe north of 80 degrees latitude reached an average of 36 degrees hotter than usual this month - the highest mean temperature ever recorded in the Arctic region.

In an interview, Zack Labe referenced a dataset from the Danish Meteorological Institute that dates back to 1958. “No other warm intrusions were very close to this,” he said. “I was taken by surprise how expansive this warm intrusion was.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

North Pole temps rise above freezing in the middle of winter

The North Pole nearly reached its melting point over the...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

News coming your way