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...

A collection of studies has revealed that the subject of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-risk-death/">air pollution</a> has a negative impact on people's conduct. The findings indicate that exposure to pollution, or even just the thought of it, may lead to unethical behavior such as crime and cheating. 

“This research reveals that air pollution may have potential ethical costs that go beyond its well-known toll on health and the environment,” said first author Jackson G. Lu. 

“This is important because air pollution is a serious global issue that affects billions of people - even in the United States, about 142 million people still reside in counties with dangerously polluted air.”

The findings of the analysis suggest that this association between pollution and misconduct could be caused by increased anxiety. Researchers have previously found that air pollution elevates feelings of anxiety, which is known to correspond with various unethical behaviors.

The research team analyzed air pollution and crime data for over 9,000 cities in the United States over a 9-year time frame. Pollution data from the Environmental Protection Agency included information about six major pollutants such as carbon dioxide and fine particulate matter. Crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) contained information on seven major offenses including murder and robbery.

The study revealed that cities with higher air pollution levels were more likely to have higher rates of crime. Researchers also developed a series of experiments to further establish this correlation in which they manipulated participants to imagine air pollution.

The results of the first experiment showed that participants who were shown images of a polluted area cheated more often on an assigned task than those who were presented with an image of a clean area.

Participants were also shown images of either a polluted or a clean scene in another experiment, and were instructed to write an essay about what it would be like to live there. 

Independent experts rated the essays to measure how much anxiety was expressed, and they detected higher levels of anxiety in the individuals who had written about living in a polluted area.

The study authors acknowledged that anxiety may not be the only mechanism linking air pollution and unethical behavior. 

“Our findings suggest that air pollution not only corrupts people's health, but also can contaminate their morality,” said Lu.

The study is published in <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/home/pss">Psychological Science</a>, a journal of the <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/">Association for Psychological Science</a>.

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution may actually cause crime and unethical behavior

A collection of studies has revealed that the subject of...

In recent years, it seems like expressions of hate have gotten more airtime than ever – whether through social media platforms or disputes between countries. America in particular has seen animosity and discrimination become further integrated into the public discourse throughout the last presidential election and ensuing events. According to the SPLC, the number of hate groups in the United States hit a near-high in 2016.

As researchers from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> attempted to better understand the factors fueling hate across regions of America, they found a rather grim outlook. By mapping the patterns of active <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hypocrisy-change-prejudiced-attitudes/">hate</a> groups in every U.S. county in 2014, these geographers could further analyze potential socioeconomic and ideological drivers.

Their findings showed that across all regions, less education, population change, and ethnic diversity were linked to more hate groups. This was also the case for areas with higher poverty rates and more conservative political affiliation. However, the significance of these drivers had regional differences. The study’s authors believe that the regional variation of the proposed drivers of hate may be a result of diverse ethnic and cultural histories. A surprising finding for the researchers was that the geographical region appeared to determine whether religion has a positive or negative relative effect on the number of hate groups in a county.

The scientists express that organized hate is motivated by the desire to protect a place from perceived threats that “outsiders” pose to identity and socioeconomic security (i.e. “they’re stealing our jobs”). According to the authors, the contemporary expression of “hate” is shaped by the history and current conditions of a region.

“There is a lot of uncertainty in the country today, and a lot of change,” says Richard Medina, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography at the Utah, and senior author of the study. “For those involved in hate group activities, they see their actions as a way to secure the future of their people. Unfortunately, that fear turns to hate, and in the worst case, violence.” 

Medina further explains that “hate is a geographic problem,” as the hate that individuals feel is based on a number of factors that include cultures, ethnicities, and histories. “When thinking about hate and place, it really boils down to thinking about identity,” explains Emily Nicolosi, co-author and a doctoral student at Utah. “Some people have strong feelings about who belongs, and who doesn’t belong in ‘their’ place. When they see people coming in that they think don’t belong, their very identity feels threatened.”

Although this isn’t the first study to quantify hate groups at the county level in the U.S., it is the first to look more regionally and analyze variations in space explicitly. In other analyses on why people hate, populations are typically grouped together and drivers of hate have never been differentiated for specific places. 

“First and foremost, I want our paper to help people understand how much we don't know about hate – hate is not a uniform phenomenon. Hopefully this study motivates people to start asking more questions, especially right now,” said Medina. “We have a long way to go before we really understand the drivers and patterns of hate in this country.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hate patterns across the U.S. have distinct regional differences

In recent years, it seems like expressions of hate have...

Scientists at <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> have found compounds in beer that may help prevent diabetes, promote weight loss, and lower blood pressure. Xanthohumol (XN), a flavonoid found in hops, may be particularly beneficial for people with metabolic syndrome, according to the study.

Diets high in fat content can lead to metabolic syndrome. A person is diagnosed with metabolic syndrome when they have two or more metabolic disorders such as high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, and high blood sugar.

Metabolic syndrome is considered to be very common in the United States, with over 3 million cases every year. According to a study from the University of California in San Francisco, more than one third of American adults suffer from this condition.

People with metabolic syndrome are at a much higher risk for heart disease and diabetes, but proper lifestyle changes such as a healthier diet and exercise can reverse the condition.

The research team conducted experiments on mice that had been exposed to high-fat foods. The study revealed that xanthohumol was able to combat some of the issues that lead to metabolic syndrome.

For example, one derivative of xanthohumol was exceptionally effective in reducing insulin resistance, which is the primary cause of type 2 diabetes. The flavonoid was also found to help mice to retain their learning ability despite the fact that high-fat diets can lead to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-stimulation-revive-memory/">memory impairment</a>.

Xanthohumol changes into an estrogenic metabolite in the body 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN). In a previous study, the research team had found xanthohumol to be a potential treatment for metabolic syndrome, but they  were strongly criticized due to the fact that 8-PN is known to promote breast cancer.

But now, the team has had a breakthrough. They have discovered that they can prevent xanthohumol from transforming into 8-PN simply by adding water. Tests on mice showed the the derivatives of the hydrogenated xanthohumol were even more effective than the original compounds in treating metabolic disorders.

“Probably the bioavailability of the hydrogenated derivatives is better than for XN itself - that would explain why they work better,” explained lead author Fred Stevens.

“Now we have compounds that still have the original beneficial effects but not the side effects. There are no adverse estrogenic effects, and the liver toxicity induced by the high-fat diet is mitigated.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific 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 key ingredient in beer may help with digestive health

Scientists at Oregon State University have found compounds in beer...

Sexual health is an important and under-discussed topic for much of the sexually active population, especially young adults. Studies have shown that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-sleep-social-media/">young adults</a> are at the greatest risk for contracting STIs, and young women have the highest rates of unintended pregnancy. The discussions that need to take place in order for a couple to prevent these life-changing occurrences can sometimes be awkward and unnatural, but they are necessary for the continued health of the individuals involved.

New research from <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> has found that the dynamics of a couple’s relationship, including exclusivity of the partnership, level of commitment to the partnership, and participation in sexual decision-making, impact young adults’ decisions about contraceptive use.

The researchers analyzed data from a longitudinal study of 470 at-risk young adults, tracking their relationships for a year through interviews every four months. Participants answered questions about their sexual activity, contraceptive use, partners, and relationship factors such as duration of sexual relationship, frequency of sex, and perceived exclusivity with a partner. The researchers also measured relationship commitment levels and sexual-decision making. 

They found that young adults who reported greater exclusivity with a partner and great relationship commitment were less likely to use condoms, and more likely to use hormonal or long-acting methods of birth control, or less effective or no birth control. Participants who said they had played a strong role in sexual decision-making in their relationships were more likely to use condoms alone, or condoms along with a hormonal or long-acting birth control method.

Overall, these findings show that the qualities and dynamics of a relationship are significant predictors of contraceptive use. “Decisions regarding whether to use any contraceptive method, as well as the use of specific methods, are influenced by an individual's perceived risk of pregnancy and risk of acquiring a sexually-transmitted infection,” says S. Marie Harvey, associate dean and a professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>. “These perceptions likely differ depending on how individuals feel about a particular partner.”

An individual’s choice was influenced by their perceived vulnerability to pregnancy and STIs, along with the qualities and dynamics of their relationship. “It has to do with how much you trust your partner and how committed you feel in that relationship,” Harvey explains. “As relationships become more trusting and committed, individuals may be less likely to protect themselves from disease transmission and condom use will decline. As commitment develops between sexual partners, trust in one's partner may become a substitute for safer sex behavior for both disease and pregnancy prevention.”

The authors of this study believe that gaining a better understanding of how young adults make decisions about birth control can help health care providers structure more effective conversations about birth control with their patients. In this case, a provider may benefit from understanding their patient’s relationship status and their role in decision-making, as well as perceived levels of commitment with their partner. “If it is a committed relationship and the couple is sharing in decision-making about birth control, it may be wise to involve the partner in those discussions,” says Harvey. “If it’s not a committed relationship, then it’s really important to talk to the patient about being proactive in protecting themselves from unintended pregnancy or STIs.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Contraceptive use in young adults determined by relationship type

Sexual health is an important and under-discussed topic for much...

Having a positive attitude about old age could significantly reduce a person’s risk of getting dementia, according to new research. 

The <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs362/en/">World Health Organization</a> reports that nearly 50 million people worldwide have dementia, with almost 10 million new cases reported each year.

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="https://publichealth.yale.edu/">Yale School of Public Health</a> and the <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/">National Institute on Aging</a> found that culture-based age beliefs affect the risk of developing dementia, even in those who have a gene variant that increases the risk of getting the disease. 

In cultures with positive attitudes toward old age, with people carrying the variant ε4 of the APOE gene, there was a 50 percent less chance of developing dementia compared to people from cultures with negative beliefs about aging. 

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE and is the first of its kind to examine cultural influences on aging and dementia. 

For the study, the researchers had a participating group of 4,756 people with an average age of 72. The researchers surveyed the group and controlled for certain risk factors like age and health. Twenty-six percent of the studied group had the ε4 gene variant. 

The results showed that those with the high risk gene variation had a 2.7 percent risk of developing <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/sleep-apnea-dementia/">dementia</a> if they they had positive beliefs about aging, but those with negative beliefs about aging had a 6.1 percent risk. 

This study shows how influential cultural based attitudes on aging can be, and could have important implications in reducing the risk of dementia worldwide.

“We found that positive age beliefs can reduce the risk of one of the most established genetic risk factors of dementia,” said Becca Levy, the lead author. “This makes a case for implementing a public health campaign against ageism, which is a source of negative age beliefs.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Having a positive attitude about aging can reduce dementia risk

Having a positive attitude about old age could significantly reduce...

Research from the <a href="https://rio.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/organisations/ministry-cultural-heritage-and-activities-and-tourism-mibac">Ministry of Heritage and Cultural Activities</a> in Florence is giving scientists a new perspective on the cognitive ability and behavior of early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/raven-bone-neanderthals-cognitive/">Neanderthals</a>. Experts have discovered that hunter-gatherers in central Italy had a sophisticated method of making tools using wood and fire.

The analysis revealed that the early humans had the knowledge of which type of timber to select for wooden tool production using pyrotechnology as early as 171,000 years ago.

The study authors wrote: “Wood is a widely available and versatile material, which has admittedly played a fundamental role in all human history. Wood, however, is most vulnerable to decomposition. Hence, its use is very rarely documented during prehistory.”

In 2012, archaeologists came across 39 fragments of wooden tools while excavating a site in Tuscany called Poggetti Vecchi. The broken tools included rounded handles, pointed tips, and pieces of shafts.

A research team led by archaeologist Biancamaria Aranguren used radiometric dating to establish the age of the tools, along with some fossils which were also recovered from the site. Most of the fossils belonged to the straight-tusked elephant Paleoloxodon antiquus.

The experts determined that the remains originated in the late Middle Pleistocene, when Neanderthals were present in southern Tuscany. The study authors explained that the wooden instruments have the same features of tools known as ‘digging sticks,’ which were commonly used in hunter-gatherer societies.

The sticks, which measured about one meter in length, were made from boxwood with a pointed at end and a rounded end. According to the researchers, the tools had been “partially charred, possibly to lessen the labor of scraping boxwood, using a technique so far not documented at the time.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>

Neanderthals made wooden tools using fire

Research from the Ministry of Heritage and Cultural Activities in...

Memory loss, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blueberry-vinegar-battle-dementia/">dementia</a>, and Alzheimer’s disease are all interconnected cognitive problems that plague many people as they age. Traumatic brain injuries can also result in similar symptoms, which are largely irreversible. Now, a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> highlights a promising new treatment for these conditions.

Research led by a team of neuroscientists from the University of Pennsylvania has found that precisely timed electrical stimulation to the left side of the brain can consistently and significantly enhance learning and memory performance by as much as 15 percent. This is the first time this connection has been made.

“Our study has two novel aspects,” says Youssef Ezzyat, a senior data scientist in Penn’s psychology department and lead author on the paper. “We developed a system to monitor brain activity and trigger stimulation responsively based on the subject’s brain activity. We also identified a novel target for applying stimulation, the left lateral temporal cortex.”

The study involved 25 neurosurgical patients across a number of clinical sites around the U.S., who were receiving treatment for epilepsy. All participants already had electrodes implanted in their brains as part of routine clinical treatment for epilepsy.

In this study, the researchers monitored patients’ brain activity in real time while they performed a task. The patient would watch and attempt to absorb a list of words while a computer tracking and recording brain signals would make predictions based on those signals, and then prompt an electrical pulse (at a level not able to be felt by the participants) when they were least likely to remember new information. After stimulation was turned off, the system would still listen to the patient’s brain activity, waiting for the next appropriate opportunity to generate the pulse.

“During each new word the patient viewed, the system would record and analyze brain activity to predict whether the patient had learned it effectively. When the system detected ineffective learning, that triggered stimulation, closing the loop,” Ezzyat explains.

The models used for the computer to make predictions based off brain activity were designed after each participant performed the free-recall memory task before the research team introduced any closed-loop stimulation. “By developing patient-specific, personalized, machine-learning models,” Kahana said, “we could program our stimulator to deliver pulses only when memory was predicted to fail, giving this technology the best chance of restoring memory function. This was important because we knew from earlier work that stimulating the brain during periods of good function was likely to make memory worse.”

These findings are a major advance toward the goal of Restoring Active Memory, a U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored project with the goal of developing next-generation technologies to improve memory function in veterans with memory loss. The researchers believe there is great potential for the therapeutic benefits of this stimulation, especially for people with traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Precisely timed brain stimulation can revive memory

Memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease are all interconnected cognitive...

In September 2017, Mexico experienced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/severe-earthquake-mexico-city/">two major earthquakes</a> about two weeks and several hundred miles apart. Now, new research has found that Mexico’s early earthquake warning system gave residents almost 2 minutes of advance warning.

On September 7th, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck with an epicenter near the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, with tremors that were felt as far as Mexico City. 

A little over a week later on September 20th, Mexico City experienced a 7.1 magnitude quake, and both earthquakes were the result of movement along the Cocos Plate. 

The strong earthquakes show how important early warning systems can be to saving lives.

Mexico’s early warning system, SASMEX, gave almost two minutes of warning before the September 7th quake tremors reached Mexico city, according to a report published in the journal Seismological Research Letters. 

However, the system only offered a few seconds of warning before the second quake.

The report details how SASMEX consists of a expensive connection of networks along with checks and balances that ensure that warnings can be broadcast, even if one communications system is affected by a quake. 

SASMEX also decreases the time needed to receive and broadcast alerts but the system, is by no means perfect. 

The early warning system focuses on the subduction zone off the southern coast of Mexico. 97 seismic monitoring stations constantly track the plate movement and send information to data collection centers where SASMEX alerts are received through an insured system of satellite links, internet links, and radio. 

According to Gerardo Suárez, the lead author of the Seismological Research Letters paper, researchers at the <a href="http://www.cires.org.mx/">Centro de Instrumentación y Registro Sísmico</a> are working on a new algorithm that could provide even more warning time by speeding up seismic data processing.

Suárez notes that the new algorithm could have warned Mexico City of the second quake eight to ten seconds earlier, which is still very little time for government agencies to respond, but earlier than the warning SASMEX did give. 

For Suárez, the new algorithm could be helpful for early earthquake warning and detection, but he says that caution should be exercised. 

“To me, this shows that we should not enamored of the technology and simply install seismic early warning systems without thinking of the social issue,” said Suárez. “Any early warning system should have a clearly thought-out strategy as to who will be warned. After more than 25 years, the Mexican seismic early warning system is still lacking these procedures that I believe should be a governmental responsibility."

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mexico’s earthquake warning system gave residents advance notice

In September 2017, Mexico experienced two major earthquakes about two...

Experts are reporting that environmental noise may damage the body on a cellular level, increasing the risk of common heart disease factors. This research supports a growing collection of evidence that links <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noise-pollution-reproduction-birds/">noise pollution</a> to heart disease. 

Many studies have established an association between traffic noise and a higher risk of heart disease factors such as coronary artery disease, arterial hypertension, stroke and heart failure. However, the specific underlying mechanisms which lead to noise-induced heart disease remain unidentified. 


The research team examined a collection of noise studies which focused on related topics such as which molecular mechanisms impair vascular function, the non-auditory effects of noise and how they can damage the cardiovascular system, and evidence of noise-induced cardiovascular disease.


Based on their collaboration, the researchers theorize that noise induces a physiological reaction which is characterized by activation of the sympathetic nervous system and increased hormone levels. They believe this stress response initiates abnormalities which ultimately cause cardiovascular damage. 

The results of this study substantiate the idea that traffic noise leads to the development of heart disease risk factors such as hypertension.

Due to the adverse effects of environmental noise on the health of both humans and animals, the experts also concentrated on mitigation strategies that are currently being used like traffic management and regulation. 

The team found that the development of low-noise tires and air traffic curfews could help reduce hazardous noise, but also determined that more strategies are needed.

Lead author Dr. Thomas Munzel said that “as the percentage of the population exposed to detrimental levels of transportation noise are rising, new developments and legislation to reduce noise are important for public health.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.onlinejacc.org/">Journal of the 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

New research links noise pollution to heart disease

Experts are reporting that environmental noise may damage the body...

Nearly 6 percent of married women in the United States ages 15 to 44  are unable to conceive after one year of attempting, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/index.htm">Centers for Disease Control</a>. In cases where couples are unable to conceive, 15 percent of the time doctors are unable to discover the cause of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/infertility-treatments-middle-ages/">infertility</a>. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California San Diego</a> discovered an important protein that may be affecting female infertility when there’s no other explanation for it. 

The study was published in the journal Developmental Cell and revolves around the protein  ZFP36L2, or L2 for short, which in mice was found necessary for eggs to develop normally and be fertilized. 

The researchers hypothesized that L2 could explain infertility in humans in some cases because humans also have the L2 protein. 

L2 activates mRNA decay in cells, which turns off gene expression where proteins are already encoded. 

In order to establish a link between L2 and fertility, the researchers conducted a lab experiment with two groups of male and female mice. 

In one group, ten fertile males were paired with ten perfectly healthy fertile female mice. In the other group, ten fertile males were paired with healthy females who had been engineered without L2 in their eggs. 

The mice were monitored for a period of six months. The fertile male and female control group gave birth to normal litter sizes almost every month for a total of 60 baby mice. 

The group with the female mice who were lacking L2 produced no offspring. This was because the eggs without L2 were not able to go through a vital process known as global transcriptional silencing, which happens at the final stages of egg growth. 

It’s a process all egg-bearing females go through, from worms to humans. The silencing keeps the eggs in a “quiet” state until fertilization can begin. Without L2, fertilization can’t be carried out as normal. 

“Many research groups are looking at how genes are regulated from the perspective of which genes need to be turned 'on' for a cell to advance to the next stage of development, but now we see that it's just as important to know which genes need to be turned 'off,’” said  Heidi Cook-Andersen, the senior author of the study. 

The results give a clear indication that L2 is an important protein in the fertilization process in mice and could pave the way for pinpointing unexplainable infertility in humans. 

The researchers plan to continue studying mice and L2’s importance in fertility and creating a “good egg.”  

“In my clinical practice, I work with couples struggling with infertility," said Cook-Andersen. “It's frustrating that for many of them, we have no idea why it's difficult for them to conceive. All of their tests come back normal, but there are many things important for fertility that we still haven't discovered. And we can't test what we don't know. That's why this study is so exciting to us. It's another clue.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Identifying the cause of unexplained infertility in women

Nearly 6 percent of married women in the United States...

When a team of researchers estimated the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cowspiracy-film-review/">sustainability</a> of resources in 151 countries, they found that no nation is capable of meeting the basic human needs of its population. 

The unprecedented analysis revealed that human needs are not being met when social and global requirements are both taken into consideration.

Dr. Daniel O'Neill from the Sustainability Research Institute at the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> is the study's lead author.

“Almost everything we do, from having dinner to surfing the Internet, uses resources in some way, but the connections between resource use and human well-being are not always visible to us,” said Dr. O'Neill.

“We examined international relationships between the sustainability of resource use and the achievement of social goals, and found that basic needs, such as nutrition, sanitation, and the elimination of extreme poverty, could most likely be achieved in all countries without exceeding global environmental limits.”

Dr. O'Neill explained that other social goals, such as secondary education and life satisfaction, are not as clearly attainable. 

The current study expands upon previous research by the <a href="http://www.stockholmresilience.org/">Stockholm Resilience Centre</a>, which identified nine crucial environmental processes as being “planetary boundaries.” Crossing these limits, such as freshwater and land use, could lead to devastating climate change.

“Meeting these goals could require a level of resource use that is two to six times the sustainable level,” said Dr. O’Neill.

The research team developed an evaluation based on each country's resource use and well-being achievements.

“Our results suggest that some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as combating climate change and its impacts, could be undermined by the pursuit of other goals, particularly those focused on growth or high levels of human well-being,” said study co-author Dr. Andrew Fanning.

The researchers examined seven planetary boundaries as they related to each country's population, and then compared these limits to resource consumption while accounting for international trade.

The experts also rated countries on 11 social objectives that represented a “safe and just” level of development. Life expectancy and democratic quality were observed, among other objectives.

Ultimately, the researchers found that no country performed well under the conditions of both planetary boundaries and social indicators.

“In general, the more social thresholds a country achieves, the more planetary boundaries it exceeds, and vice versa,” said co-author Dr. William Lamb.

“Although wealthy nations like the US and UK satisfy the basic needs of their citizens, they do so at a level of resource use that is far beyond what is globally sustainable. In contrast, countries that are using resources at a sustainable level, such as Sri Lanka, fail to meet the basic needs of their people.”

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain">Nature Sustainability</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

No country is meeting its sustainability needs, says new study

When a team of researchers estimated the sustainability of resources...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/couples-together-share-microbes/">Couples</a> who regularly send sexual images and suggestive texts via phone, also known as sexting, may have higher reports of sexual satisfaction than non-sexting couples. 

However, a new study found that frequent sexting could also be indicative of an insecure and unhealthy relationship. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/">University of Alberta Canada</a> whose aim was to examine sexting to see if it presented a strain on the relationship or strengthened intimacy.

Their results show that regular sexters are insecure, less likely to see a relationship as ongoing, and are more likely to cheat. 

For the study, the researchers surveyed 615 Canadian and American adults who were in committed heterosexual or same-sex relationships. 

The study participants were of different ages, ethnicities and education levels. According to the researchers, the group represents a much broader sample than those in other sexting studies, which typically focus on young adults or teenagers. 

The researchers then categorized the survey responses by splitting the participants into groups based on how frequently they sexted. 

Non-sexters made up 72 percent of the group and never sent suggestive text messages. Word-only sexters reported sending sexual messages but never pictures. Frequent sexters sent several sexts a week, and hyper-sexters participated in the activity at least once a day. 

Both frequent and hyper sexters reported more feelings of insecurity in their relationships, unhappiness in their relationships, and were more likely to cheat than non-sexters. 

“This does not seem to be something that's part of a normal, healthy adult relationship,” said  Michelle Drouin,  a psychology professor who oversaw the study. “They had low levels of commitment to their partner, more insecure attachment to the partner — maybe fearing the partner would leave, or not feeling very connected.”

The results show that hyper-sexters may be insecure in their relationships. Dr. Adam Galovan, lead author of the study, says it’s because those partners are focusing too much on one aspect of the relationship and letting others suffer. 

“My interpretation is that the sexters are focusing more on the sexual part of their relationship and may be neglecting other areas,” Dr. Galovan said. “They need to put the phone down and have a good old-fashioned conversation - spend some time together nurturing the relationship - instead of shortcutting with sexting to try to get a quality relationship.”

Dr. Galovan and his research team make a point to say that their results do not prove that sexting is unhealthy or leads to cheating in all relationships, and that in their research they found sexting was not as widespread or common as some media outlets make it out to be. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Couples who sext may actually be insecure about their relationship

Couples who regularly send sexual images and suggestive texts via...

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;



---



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...

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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;



---



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...

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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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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> 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

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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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"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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