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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Rare gene explains why some people can thrive on less sleep

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

Experts at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> are reporting that alcohol causes more damage to the brain than marijuana. Alcohol use was linked to structural changes in brain matter, while marijuana use was not linked to long-term mental consequences.

Marijuana is being legalized for both medicinal and recreational use in states across America, and researchers are working to learn more about its potential health benefits as well as any harmful impacts that may be caused by the drug.

The CU Boulder team set out to examine how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-battle-opioid-crisis/">marijuana</a> affects the brain. The experts analyzed MRI scans from over 1,200 participants between the ages of 14 and 55 after determining patterns of alcohol and cannabis use among the individuals.

The study revealed that marijuana does not significantly affect grey or white matter in the brain. Alcohol use, on the other hand, was found to reduce the size of grey matter and the integrity of white matter - particularly in adults who had used alcohol for many years.

Grey matter enables brain function such as speech, muscle control, decision making, and memory, while white matter connects areas of grey matter together. The researchers explained that any reduction in the size or integrity of brain matter can lead to impairments in brain functioning.

“With alcohol, we've known it's bad for the brain for decades,” said study co-author Kent Hutchison. “But for cannabis, we know so little.”

Hutchison pointed out that the results of previous studies on how marijuana affects the brain are inconsistent.

“When you look at the research much more closely, you see that a lot of it is probably not accurate,” said Hutchison.

“When you look at these studies going back years, you see that one study will report that marijuana use is related to a reduction in the volume of the hippocampus. The next study then comes around, and they say that marijuana use is related to changes in the cerebellum...The point is that there's no consistency across all of these studies in terms of the actual brain structures.”

Based on the findings of the current study, the researchers believe that alcohol consumption is much more harmful to brain health than marijuana use.

“While marijuana may also have some negative consequences, it definitely is nowhere near the negative consequences of alcohol,” said Hutchison.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction">Addiction</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marijuana is much less damaging to the brain than alcohol

Experts at the University of Colorado Boulder are reporting that...

The idea of “yo-yo dieting” refers to weight fluctuations that typically follow a period of dieting. A person may successfully lose <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/standing-lose-weight/">weight</a> on a diet but then gain, or yo-yo, back to their pre-diet weight. 

The reason for this gain is simple, when we diet our bodies burn more fat in order to provide enough energy. During this period, the brain is in famine mode trying to conserve energy. When the diet is over, the body goes back to storing fat as normal and tries to make up for the lost calories. 

Besides seeming like a waste of time and energy, yo-yo dieting can also be harmful to your health. <a href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1606148">One study</a> found in that patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease, weight fluctuations doubled their risk of mortality. 

But now, researchers from the <a href="https://www.monash.edu/discovery-institute">Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute</a> have discovered a molecular switch in the brain that regulates fat burning. Their findings could help control post-diet weight gain and provide treatments for metabolic disorders and obesity. 

The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, identified a protein called carnitine acetyltransferase (Crat) in mice that regulates the body’s fat storage after a famine or diet. 

The researchers then modified a group of mice to have this fat storage protein genetically switched off, and after a diet, they continued to burn fat. Post-diet, the mice with the protein switched off burned through fat reserves at a greater than average rate. 

The results show that it may be possible to regulate fat storage after a diet in humans by “tricking” the brain to stay out of famine mode. 

“Manipulating this protein offers the opportunity to trick the brain and not replace the lost weight through increased appetite and storage of fat,” said Zane Andrews, an Associate Professor and member of the research team. “By regulating this protein, we can ensure that diet-induced weight loss stays off rather than sneaking back on.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists identify brain switch that could control weight gain

The idea of “yo-yo dieting” refers to weight fluctuations that...

Doctors are exploring the possibility that a cold water plunge may be more effective than strong painkillers in relieving persistent pain after surgery. The experts reached this conclusion after a 28-year-old patient reported that a swim in cold water provided him with instant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/opioid-deaths-chronic-pain/">pain relief</a>.

The patient had recently undergone surgery  which involved cutting nerves inside of his chest. Despite a successful procedure, the man remained in severe pain for the next ten weeks that could not be relieved using strong painkillers or therapy.

The patient explained that the constant amount of pain he was enduring was completely ruining his quality of life. Prior to surgery, the man had been a triathlete and swam competitively in open water. He decided to find out if a cold water swim may at least distract him from his unbearable pain.

After the young man plunged into the ocean from some rocks, he discovered that he felt no pain. Incredibly, the pain has not returned since, and the patient's quality of life has been restored without a need for painkillers.

The study authors acknowledge the fact that this is only an isolated case at this point.

“Due to the nature of retrospective case reports, it is unclear, without further evidence, whether the exposure to forced cold water swimming is causally and specifically related to pain remission,” the researchers wrote.

Without any alternative explanations of how the patient was completely alleviated of pain, however, it seems that the cold water plunge may have done the trick.

The doctors theorize that the shock of the sudden cold water immersion may have induced a wave of sympathetic nervous system activity, which would have altered the patient's pain perception. They also speculate that diving into the water may have broken a cycle of immobility that was causing the pain to persist.

Nerve pain can be very difficult to treat and can cause psychological problems if it does not respond to conventional treatment. The doctors will seek out more evidence to determine if a cold water plunge may succeed where painkillers fail.

"Further prospective [exploratory] investigation is needed to assess the replicability and feasibility of forced cold water swimming as a potentially effective, natural intervention to enhance recovery outcomes from common postoperative complications.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://casereports.bmj.com/">BMJ Case Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A cold water swim can provide incredible pain relief

Doctors are exploring the possibility that a cold water plunge...

Generations ago, many medical maladies were treated using natural methods. As technology and medical knowledge improved, pharmaceuticals were invented and refined, and some of those natural methods became clinically-proven medications. 

But now it seems that many people are looking to go back to more natural remedies for their medical issues, creating a growing demand for “nutraceuticals.” The term is a broad category that lives in a grey area between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-reduce-cravings-food/">food</a> and pharmaceuticals, describing foods that possess a medicinal benefit. The products are thought to provide medical and health benefits “beyond the diet, but before the drugs.”

Now, a review published in the <a href="http://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2125/">British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology</a> analyzes the potential of nutraceuticals, and stresses the need for a proper definition of nutraceuticals and necessary regulations to ensure their safety. The researchers state in their review that nutraceuticals with proven efficacy and health benefits proven by clinical data could be powerful tools to treat and prevent some medical conditions, especially for patients that are not yet eligible for some conventional pharmaceutical drugs.

Getting to this point would require a proper definition of nutraceuticals, clinical studies on their safety and efficacy, and standardized regulations for their use. 

According to the authors, nutraceuticals also require a specific classification separate from food supplements and pharmaceuticals. They propose the following definition for nutraceuticals: “the phytocomplex of a vegetable or the pool of secondary metabolites from an animal. Both are concentrated and administered in a pharmaceutical form and are capable of providing beneficial health effects, including the prevention and/or treatment of a disease.”

The growing demand for nutraceuticals makes a need for more efficient classification more necessary than ever.

“We propose a regulatory system that is similar to the one used for drugs, which is more rigorous and more complex than the one commonly accepted for food supplements,” says Dr. Ettore Novellino of the <a href="http://www.unina.it/unina-international">University of Napoli Federico II</a> in Italy, an author on the study. “It is important for consumer protection that national authorities and regulatory agencies require manufacturers to provide data to support any claim in the labels of products when the term nutraceutical is used.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Are trendy nutraceuticals actually effective or dangerous?

Generations ago, many medical maladies were treated using natural methods....

In an effort to combat <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/china-air-pollution-years/">air pollution</a> and climate change, China is planning to construct the world's first city that is made up of vertical forests. Every building in the Liuzhou Forest City including houses and schools will be covered entirely in plants and trees.

The forest will include almost a million plants of 100 species and tens of thousands of trees. Nearly 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 57 tons of pollutants will be absorbed by the massive collection of greenery, while approximately 900 tons of oxygen will be generated.

The city will be north of Liuzhou in a mountainous region of southern China along the Liujiang river. It will cover around 342 acres with over 70 buildings. 

Around 30,000 residents will have electricity provided by solar panels and air conditioning powered by geothermal energy. Forest City will also have a fast rail line that connects to Liuzhou for electric cars.

The green city was designed at <a href="https://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/">Stefano Boeri Architetti</a>, a Milan-based studio of architecture founded by Stefano Boeri. In addition to curbing air pollution, the abundant vegetation is expected to reduce noise pollution, promote cooler temperatures, and improve biodiversity in the region.

Stefano Boeri explained: “For the first time in China and in the world, an innovative urban settlement will combine the challenge for energy self-sufficiency and for the use of renewable energy with the challenge to increase biodiversity and to effectively reduce air pollution in urban areas - which is really critical for present-day China - thanks to the multiplication of vegetable and biological urban surfaces.”

The Liuzhou Municipality Urban Planning Bureau has approved the plan, and construction will begin in the year 2020.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Stefano Boeri Architetti

China is set to construct the world’s greenest city

In an effort to combat air pollution and climate change,...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a> have identified certain factors which lead to infidelity, and also ways that people prevent themselves from being unfaithful. The study is the first of its kind to provide evidence of psychological responses that help an individual avoid cheating. 

The research team set out to examine how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/couples-sexting-insecure-relationship/">couples</a> can cultivate a successful long-term intimate relationship. Throughout their investigation, the experts also documented clear indicators that a relationship is on a downward trajectory.

The team surveyed 233 newlywed couples and tracked details of the relationships including marital satisfaction and any occurrences of infidelity for up to 3.5 years.

The researchers focused on two psychological processes that we all experience to different degrees known as attentional disengagement and evaluative devaluation. Disengagement is the ability to turn one's attention away from potential partners, while devaluation is a tendency to downgrade the attractiveness of possible partners.

The experts presented the study participants with images of highly attractive men and women as well as average-looking individuals. 

The study revealed that newlyweds who practiced disengagement were less likely to cheat. Furthermore, those individuals who looked away a few hundred milliseconds faster than average were found to be 50 percent less likely to have an affair. 

On the other hand, those who took a longer time to disengage from the photographs were found to be more likely to cheat.

The study also demonstrated that individuals who used the tactic of devaluation were less prone to infidelity and were more likely to have a successful relationship.

Study lead author Jim McNulty explained that these responses are automatic.

“People are not necessarily aware of what they're doing or why they're doing it,” said McNulty. “These processes are largely spontaneous and effortless, and they may be somewhat shaped by biology and/or early childhood experiences.”

The researchers identified some of the strongest predictors of infidelity, including age, marriage satisfaction, attractiveness, and history of short-term relationships. 

Both younger people and those less satisfied with their relationships were more likely to be unfaithful, according to the study. Men who reported having more short-term sexual partners prior to marriage were also more likely to have an affair, but the opposite was true for women.

Attractiveness was found to be another strong predictor of infidelity. Less attractive women were more prone to cheating, while men with less attractive partners were also more likely to be unfaithful.

The study authors explained that it is more important now than ever before to develop methods to help people have lasting intimate relationships.


“With the advent of social media, and thus the increased availability of and access to alternative partners, understanding how people avoid the temptation posed by alternative partners may be more relevant than ever to understanding relationships,” said the researchers.

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/psp/">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts identify factors that predict cheating, marriage failure

Researchers from Florida State University have identified certain factors which...

Just as the citrus industry in Florida was expected to recover from years of serious disease, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americans-climate-change-hurricanes/">Hurricane Irma</a> struck and further devastated crops. The disaster turned 2017 into the worst year for Florida orange production since 1945, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

Florida's first orange trees were planted by early Spanish explorers in the 1500s in St. Augustine, and Florida citrus was first commercially farmed in the mid-1800s. Florida ultimately became the global leader in grapefruit production and the world's second largest producer of orange juice.

Beginning in 2005, Florida's citrus production became critically threatened by a bacterial disease known as citrus greening. The disease, which is transmitted by tiny flying insects, can weaken and kill infected trees.

According to the <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/">Orlando Sentinel</a>, citrus greening reduced orange and grapefruit revenue by $4.64 billion over just ten seasons. Greening also wiped out 30 percent of citrus industry employment between 2012 and 2015.

Citrus growers anticipated substantial production gains in 2017, until Hurricane Irma made matters much worse. According to the <a href="http://www.freshfromflorida.com/">Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services</a>, damage from the hurricane cost the citrus industry $760 million in damages and production was lowered by 30 percent.

A disaster relief package that was passed by the Senate Friday and will now be sent on to the House includes $2.36 billion in aid for Florida citrus growers and other farmers. Senator Bill Nelson is hoping the funding will help people who are still trying to recover from the devastating hurricane season of 2017.

“The people of Florida and Puerto Rico are still struggling to recover from last year's devastating storms and the disaster funding in this bill will help provide them some much-needed relief,” said Nelson. “The disaster funding in this bill will not only help provide Florida's schools and citrus growers the help they need, it will also help Puerto Rico rebuild its power grid and avoid an even greater healthcare crisis.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Florida’s citrus trees struggle to recover from disaster, disease

Just as the citrus industry in Florida was expected to...

In recent years, it’s become more accepted that pets may have a positive impact on people with mental health conditions. However, an analysis of research around the therapeutic benefits of pets has been lacking.

So Dr. Helen Brooks of the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a> put together a team to look at the evidence. The researchers – from the <a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a> and the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a> as well as Liverpool – searched nine databases and looked at 17 studies from around the world about the effects of pet ownership on people with chronic mental health conditions.

“To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to be published in English and report on primary data related to the relationship between domestic animal ownership and the management of diagnosable mental health conditions,” the researchers wrote.

The research team looked at the results of each study, both positive and negative, and split them into quantitative and qualitative research.

“Qualitative studies illuminated the intensiveness of connectivity people with companion animals reported, and the multi-faceted ways in which pets contributed to the work associated with managing a mental health condition, particularly in times of crisis,” they wrote.

Some of the themes the team spotted in the studies:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">While petting an animal companion had mixed immediate results, some positive and some negative, pets could provide profound emotional support to people with mental health difficulties. In some cases, pets were a more comforting presence than human friends or family members. This was especially true in times of crisis, the studies showed.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">People could tell their pets things that they were unwilling to voice aloud to a therapist or human loved one.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The need to feed, walk and otherwise care for pets helped provide a distraction and a routine when people had a spike in symptoms or went into crisis. Pets could also help disrupt symptoms such as panic attacks or auditory hallucinations. “They encouraged their owners to stay in the present avoiding worry and ruminations about past behaviours or concerns about the future,” Brooks’ team wrote.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">In one study, patients self-reported needing less medication due to the presence of their pet.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Pet owners also reported that their pets pushed them to interact with others more, both with friends and family, and with strangers or acquaintances. “Interestingly, one study found that dogs increased social interactions that would not have been possible without their pet (e.g. other dog walkers),” the team wrote. However, this benefit varied by pet and number of pets.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Two quantitative studies found that pet owners scored higher on meaningful activity scales and that they felt better about themselves than those without pets.</li>
</ul>
The researchers did note some negatives: poorly behaved pets could add stress to people already dealing with the stress of a mental health condition, and they were an added financial burden. Pets should be carefully matched to the person, several of the studies warned.

They could also be an obstacle to some of the goals patients set for their own recovery. And losing a pet could – unsurprisingly – have a negative effect on mental health, the studies showed.

Overall, though, the research analysis seems to show that pets bring more positives than negatives with them. 

“Despite the mixed evidence from the quantitative data, the participants included in the review enjoyed keeping their animals and believed that they gained psychological benefit from these relationships as demonstrated by the thick descriptions derived from the qualitative data,” the researchers wrote. “The review demonstrated that those with diagnosable mental health problems can infer the same benefits from pet ownership as the general population and pets may have a particular role in terms of enhancing quality of life given that levels of social exclusion and stigma are likely to be greater for this population.”

That said, most of the existing research is focused on anecdotes and self-reporting. More quantitative research is needed, the team wrote.

The new review of evidence has been published in the journal <a href="https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-018-1613-2">BMC Psychiatry</a>. Funding was provided by the National Institute for Health Research's <a href="https://www.nihr.ac.uk/research-and-impact/research/nihr-studies/programme-grants-for-applied-research.htm">Programme Grants for Applied Research Programme</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

When it comes to mental health, pets may help more than harm

In recent years, it’s become more accepted that pets may...

Working inside in a quiet lab may lead to better brain function than going outside, but the difference could come down to traffic.

In a new study, led by Dr. Kyle Mathewson and graduate student Joanna Scanlon of the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/">University of Alberta</a>, 12 participants were tested to see how well they could recognize two out of a series of tones. They were tested in a quiet lab and while riding a bike outdoors, and in both locations an EEG recorded their brain waves. 

The study made use of new, portable EEG technology.

The results seemed to show that participants’ brains were working harder but were less accurate while outdoors, surprising the researchers – especially since a collection of studies show that spending time outside may improve mental health.

“Unexpectedly, when biking outside significantly decreased P2 and increased N1 amplitude [brain waves] were observed when evoked by both standards and targets compared with sitting in the lab,” the researchers wrote in their study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899317305449?via%3Dihub">Brain Research</a>.

The scientists admitted that the difference may be due to the distractions participants cycling outdoors faced compared to while they were in the lab.

 “This may be due to attentional processes filtering the overlapping sounds between the tones used and similar environmental frequencies,” they wrote.

Mathewson doesn’t believe the cycling itself played a role in the decreased efficiency of participants’ brain function while outdoors. 

In a previous experiment, he told <a href="http://time.com/">Time magazine</a>, people rode a stationary bike indoors and showed little change in their brain activity compared to sitting quietly. And in another study, he and his research team played traffic noises while participants were in the lab; in that case, they showed reduced brain function, indicating that traffic may play a role.

More research is needed, Mathewson admitted, especially since his team’s research seems like a departure from other studies showing the positive effects of outdoors time.

“Going outside in this case might have appeared bad because we went outside beside busy traffic, but if we went outside into nature, we might have found different effects,” he told Time.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Could spending time outdoors dampen brain function?

Working inside in a quiet lab may lead to better...

The opioid epidemic in America has reached a new high, with over 40,00 deaths related to opioid overdoses in 2016. According to a new <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/21/health/drug-overdoses-2016-final-numbers/index.html">CNN</a> report, the rate of heroin overdose-related deaths has increased 19 percent each year. 

The current wave of opioid addiction in America got its start in the late 1990s. Pharmaceutical companies touting the miracle pain-relieving benefits of opioid drugs purposely mislead patients and doctors about the addictive effects of the drugs. 

Since then, millions of people continue to misuse prescription opioids, and although treatments are available and some medications have been successful, it can be difficult for patients to get appropriate and effective treatment for their addiction. 

But now, a surprising alternative has been suggested to help battle opioids, as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/legal-recreational-marijuana-california/">marijuana</a> has been shown to be effective at reducing and treating pain. 

According to a new report from <a href="https://www.livescience.com/61700-can-marijuana-curb-opioid-epidemic.html">Live Science</a>, marijuana could be a viable treatment for opioid addiction, as studies have shown that cannabinoids could help with chronic pain, the pain caused from some cancers, neuropathic pain, and pain from multiple sclerosis. 

Even though cannabis can be somewhat addictive, it is far easier to quit and doesn’t elicit the terrible withdrawal symptoms associated with opioid dependence. 

The report also highlighted a survey published in the Journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, where patients who used opioids and cannabis for pain relief reported that cannabis was more successful at reducing pain. 

Marijuana, like any other drug, is not without its risk and patients should consider carefully before making any drastic changes. However, based on previous studies, it could be a safer and even more effective treatment than current prescription opioids on the market today. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette, Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marijuana could actually help battle the opioid crisis

The opioid epidemic in America has reached a new high,...

The earliest known evidence of canine domestication was discovered in 1914 when workers happened upon the buried remains of ancient humans and a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/game-dogs-cognitive-decline/">dog</a>. 

Now, a new study estimates the remains to be 14,000 years old and has provided clues about the relationship between dogs and humans that date back as far back as the Paleolithic period.  

The domestication of dogs likely happened 20,000 to 40,000 years ago, when humans and dogs entered a symbiotic relationship. This led to a gradual evolution in which dogs became companions and protectors living with humans rather than in wild packs. 

Luc Janssens, a veterinarian and archaeologist from <a href="https://www.ugent.be/en">Ghent University</a>, examined the 1914 remains and realized that the dog was sick before it died and that the animal could not have survived as long as it did without the care of humans.

Janssens’ research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, shows that in the early years of domesticated dogs, they were cared for, fed, and kept safe by people.  

For the study, Janssens closely examined the dog’s remains, specifically the teeth, and found that the dog was 27 to 28 weeks old when it died of distemper. Distemper is a viral illness that still affects animals today, and it’s often fatal. 

“Without adequate care, a dog with a serious case of distemper will die in less than three weeks,” said Janssens. “That would mean keeping it warm and clean and giving it food and water, even though, while it was sick, the dog would not have been of any practical use as a working animal.”

Janssens cannot conclusively prove what killed the dog, but the damage to the teeth points to distemper.  

The fact that the animal was buried with people and lived so long is convincing evidence that domesticated dogs were an important part of people’s lives even as far back as the Paleolithic period. 

The study sheds light on the bond between early humans and canines and the gradual domestication of dogs through the years.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The bond between humans and dogs dates back 20,000 years

The earliest known evidence of canine domestication was discovered in...

A recent investigation into the environmental impact of different diets has revealed that eating fruit and vegetables is much healthier for the planet than diets consisting of animal products.

The experts also determined that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organic-food-sales-soared/">organic food</a> contributes to the green benefits of plant-based diets, but does not have the same influence with diets which are only moderately plant-based.

The Food and Agriculture Organization is just one of many groups that are emphasizing an urgent need for sustainable diets, including reduced consumption of animal products. 

Livestock farming has a high energy demand and largely contributes to harmful greenhouse gas emissions while also posing a significant threat to the planet's biodiversity.

Organic food production is considered to be much more eco-friendly than other methods. This study is the first to investigate the environmental impacts of both dietary choices and farm production systems.

“We wanted to provide a more comprehensive picture of how different diets impact the environment,” said co-author Louise Seconda. “In particular, it is of considerable interest to consider the impacts of both plant-based foods and organic foods.”

The research team analyzed data on the organic food consumption and food intake of over 34,000 French adults. The experts estimated the environmental impact of both farm-based and plant-based food production,  and then compared this data to the dietary preferences derived from the surveys.

“Combining consumption and farm production data we found that across the board, diet-related environmental impacts were reduced with a plant-based diet - particularly greenhouse gas emissions,” said Seconda. 

“The consumption of organic food added even more environmental benefits for a plant-based diet. In contrast, consumption of organic food did not add significant benefits to diets with high contribution from animal products and only moderate contribution from plant products.”

The study authors pointed out that production systems may be impacted by other influences besides the environment, such as climate, farm management, and soil types.

“We didn't look at other indicators such as pesticide use, leaching and soil quality which are relevant to the environmental impacts of productions systems,” explained Seconda. “Therefore future studies could also consider these as well as supply chain and distribution impacts of food production.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition">Frontiers in Nutrition</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Organic plant-based diets are also beneficial to the environment

A recent investigation into the environmental impact of different diets...

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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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

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

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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

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

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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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