Drunk,Men,Deny,Drinking,More,Glass,Of,Whisky,By,Pushing

Weight loss drugs are grabbing headlines for their unintended alcohol-related side effects, but not in the way you’d expect. GLP-1 analogues, medications developed to treat obesity, are showing unexpected promise in helping people drink less alcohol.



Imagine shedding pounds and losing the urge to pour another <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alcohols-hidden-toll-on-the-brain-revealed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drink</a> - all from the same prescription.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-toll-of-alcohol-use-disorder">Global toll of alcohol use disorder</h2>



Alcohol use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-alcohol-in-moderation-does-not-prolong-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">disorder</a> isn’t just about heavy drinking. It’s a relentless cycle, consuming lives and claiming 2.6 million victims annually. That’s 4.7% of global deaths. 



Despite a lineup of treatments - cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational counseling, medications like disulfiram and naltrexone - the odds are grim. Within a year, 70% of those who seek treatment relapse.



Enter GLP-1 analogues. Originally designed to regulate blood sugar and promote weight loss, these medications are now in the spotlight for another reason. Researchers have begun to notice an unexpected side effect: a significant drop in alcohol <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-americans-now-link-alcohol-consumption-to-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consumption</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weight-loss-drugs-and-alcohol-cravings">Weight loss drugs and alcohol cravings</h2>



In a world where cravings often overpower intentions, GLP-1 analogues may offer a way to dial down the desire to drink. These drugs target the mesolimbic dopamine pathway - the brain’s reward circuit. 



By reducing dopamine release in response to alcohol, they may dampen the motivation to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-related-deaths-have-doubled-over-the-past-two-decades/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drink</a>, steering behavior away from the bottle. Curious about this potential dual effect, Professor Carel le Roux and his team from <a href="https://www.ucd.ie" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College Dublin</a> set out to investigate. 



The study involved 262 adults with a BMI over 27 kg/m² (over 59 lbs/ft²), primarily women, with an average age of 46. Participants were grouped based on their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alcohol-has-a-hidden-impact-on-heart-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drinking</a> habits: non-drinkers, rare drinkers, and regular drinkers. Then came the GLP-1 analogue intervention.



Four months later, the findings were clear. Among the 188 participants who completed the follow-up, none reported drinking more than before. But their average alcohol intake plummeted from 11.3 units per week to just 4.3 units.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-regular-drinkers-see-biggest-drop">Regular drinkers see biggest drop</h2>



For those who drank regularly, the results were even more dramatic. Their alcohol intake dropped by a staggering 68%, falling from 23.2 units per week to 7.8. 



“This reduction of 68% is comparable to that achieved by nalmefene, a drug used to treat alcohol use disorder in Europe,” noted Professor le Roux.



The findings echoed those in a broader 15-month study led by Maurice O’Farrell, Faisal I. Almohaileb, and Carel le Roux. Their research, spanning January 2023 to March 2024, followed patients treated with GLP-1 analogues in real-world settings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-alcohol-intake-drops-weight-loss-increases">Alcohol intake drops, weight loss increases</h2>



The numbers tell a compelling story. Before the intervention, average alcohol intake hovered at 11.8 units per week. By the end, it had fallen to 4.3 units – a dramatic reduction mirrored across all drinking categories. 



Among those who drank less than 11 units per week, consumption decreased from 5.5 to 2.5 units. High consumers saw their weekly intake slashed from 23.2 to 7.8 units.



Both men and women showed significant drops in alcohol consumption. Women’s intake fell from 10.3 units per week to 3.9, while men reduced theirs from 13.4 to 5.8 units. The researchers found no significant difference in percentage reduction between the sexes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-link-between-alcohol-and-weight-loss">Link between alcohol and weight loss</h2>



As for weight loss, the study recorded a mean reduction of 7.7 kg over the four months. That’s impressive - but the correlation between alcohol reduction and weight loss was surprisingly weak (r = 0.24). 



In other words, dropping pounds and drinking less don’t necessarily go hand in hand. However, given the caloric load of alcohol, some degree of weight loss is to be expected. So, what’s the secret?



“The exact mechanism of how GLP-1 analogues reduce alcohol intake is still being investigated but it is thought to involve curbing cravings for alcohol that arise in subcortical areas of the brain that are not under conscious control. Thus, patients report the effects are ‘effortless’,” noted Professor le Roux.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



The study had its limitations. Nearly one-third of participants dropped out before the follow-up. Data relied on self-reported alcohol intake, raising the spectre of recall bias. And without a control group, establishing causality remains tricky. 



The short study duration further complicates efforts to assess long-term effects. Yet, despite the limitations, the potential implications are hard to ignore. Imagine a single treatment that curbs both weight and alcohol cravings.



Ongoing clinical trials are already probing this dual effect, with early findings suggesting that GLP-1 analogues may indeed reduce alcohol cravings. The next step? Larger, longer-term studies with more diverse populations.



“GLP-1 analogues have been shown to treat obesity and reduce the risk of multiple obesity-related complications. Now, the beneficial effects beyond obesity, such as on alcohol intake, are being actively studied, with some promising results,” noted Professor le Roux.



If these findings hold, GLP-1 analogues could become a game-changer in treating both obesity and alcohol use disorder. Instead of separate treatment plans, patients may benefit from an integrated approach that targets metabolic health and addiction simultaneously.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-hope-for-a-healthier-life">New hope for a healthier life</h2>



The study opens a fascinating window into the broader potential of GLP-1 analogues. Could a medication originally designed to combat obesity also disrupt the cycle of alcohol use disorder?



If so, the implications could ripple across clinics, reshaping how we approach co-occurring metabolic and psychiatric conditions. 



While the data are promising, the road ahead is long. More research is needed to clarify the mechanisms at play, assess long-term effects, and explore optimal dosing strategies.



But one thing is certain - GLP-1 analogues are no longer just about weight loss. They may just be the unexpected key to a healthier, more balanced life.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dom-pubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dom.16152" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism</a>.



-----



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



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



-----

Weight loss drugs unexpectedly help people drink less alcohol

Weight loss drugs are grabbing headlines for their unintended alcohol-related side effects, but not in the way you’d expect. GLP-1 analogues, medications developed to treat obesity, are showing unexpected promise in helping people drink less alcohol. Imagine shedding pounds and losing the urge to pour another drink - all from the same prescription. Global toll of alcohol use disorder Alcohol use disorder isn’t just about heavy drinking. It’s a relentless cycle, consuming lives and claiming 2.6 million victims annually. That’s 4.7% of global deaths. Despite a lineup...

Inspiration can come from the most random of sources. For Howard Stone, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at <a href="https://engineering.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a>, the inspiration for his new research project on the layered structure of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-nuts-heart-health/">coffee</a> came from an emailed picture of a layered coffee drink he received unsolicited. Small details can also have big implications, and Stone’s research that followed may help explain the heat- and salinity-dependent flows of Earth’s oceans.

Nan Xue, a graduate student and lead author of the paper, began investigating these coffee layers by preparing lattes in the lab using store-bought coffee and milk. After much trial and error, he found that he was only able to achieve the characteristic café latte layering by staying within certain parameters, such as temperatures and pour rates. This showed that there must be underlying, quantifiable physics that are involved in this liquid structure formation.

“The structure formation in a latte is surprising because it evolves from the chaotic, initial pouring and mixing of fluids into a very organized, distinct arrangement of layers,” says Nan Xue.

Using a panel of light-emitting diodes and a camera – as well as a coffee and milk substitute (dyed water for coffee and salty, denser water for milk) – the researchers captured the movement of fluids within the mixture. They also seeded the concoction with tracer particles, which scattered light from a green laser beam, allowing them to further track the drink’s internal dynamics. 

The results showed that that primary mechanism behind layering is a phenomenon called double-diffusive convection. This occurs when stacked-up fluids of different densities are made to mix their contents, and exchange heat through the movement of their constituent materials. Within a given mixture, lighter, hotter liquids rise, while cooler, denser liquids sink. When the local density in a region within the mixture approaches equilibrium, the sinking and rising stops. Thus, the fluid in that region flows horizontally, rather than vertically. This creates distinct bands, or layers.

Perfecting techniques for creating sought-after layers of liquids flowing into each other has implications that stretch beyond simply pouring coffee. Improving our understanding of the mechanics of this process could reduce costs and complexity in a wide range of applications.

“From a manufacturing perspective, a single pouring process is much simpler than the traditional sequential stacking of layers in a stratified product,” explains Stone. “In one application of this study, we are exploring the physics behind making a whole layered structure with one step, rather than one-by-one stacking of the layers.”

Detlef Lohse, a professor of fluid mechanics at the University of Twente in the Netherlands who was not involved in this study, believes that the results of this research are quite significant. “I think it will have bearing on various industrial flows and mixing procedures in so-called process technology, in which mixing of fluids with different densities by the injection of one into the other is omnipresent,” he explains.

Furthermore, Lohse points out that this study may help better explain the heat- and salinity-dependent flows of water in Earth’s oceans. This may have major implications in climatology and ecology. “The most awesome finding may be that there is perfect analogy between the layering in a cafe latte,” says Lohse, “and the known and extremely relevant layering of water with different temperatures and salt concentrations in the ocean.” 

Who knew? The physics and fluid mechanics of your morning cup of coffee could be deeply connected to the phenomena occurring in our vast oceans.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mixing a coffee drink is a surprisingly complicated science

Inspiration can come from the most random of sources. For...

There are many people who swear that their sore or achy joints are a sure sign that rainy weather is on its way. But a new study from <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School</a> has found that the weather has no bearing on joint pain whatsoever. 

The research was published in the journal BMJ.

The researchers, led by Anupam Jena of <a href="https://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/">Harvard Medical School's Department of Health Care Policy</a>, examined a wide-reaching collection of Medicare records to see if any connection could be found between joint pain and inclement weather. 

Data was gathered from more than 11 million primary care office visits between 2008 and 2012, and this information was grouped with daily rainfall totals from <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration</a> weather stations. 

Jena and the researchers looked for patterns in the data including an increase in clinic visits during rainy weather, and if patients seeking care for an unrelated issue asked for help with aching joints if it had rained during their appointment. 

After a thorough analysis, the researchers couldn’t find any link between joint pain and rainy weather.

“No matter how we looked at the data, we didn't see any correlation between rainfall and physician visits for joint pain or back pain,” said Jena. “The bottom line is: Painful joints and sore backs may very well be unreliable forecasters.” 

Jena notes that given how much data the researchers combed over, if there were any indication of joint pain related to weather, it would have been apparent in the numbers, but it wasn’t.

Even if it’s scientifically unfounded, the researchers say the reason people claim to experience more pain during bad weather is that humans are wired to look for patterns. If someone’s knee unexpectedly starts hurting during a rainy day, it’s easy to blame the weather. 

Jena proves that rain has no effect on joint pain, but also makes a point to say that for physician’s, treatment of pain should be the only priority. 

“Pain is pain, with or without rain,” Jena said. “But it's important to know that, at the clinical level, joint pain does not appear to ebb and flow with the weather.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: Achy joints can’t actually predict rainy weather

There are many people who swear that their sore or...

If you aren’t getting enough <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-deprivation-depression-teens/">sleep</a>, it can have a huge impact on your cognitive function, mood, behavior, and health and wellbeing. But interestingly enough, different people vary in how much sleep they need to be at their best. 

Now, a new study has found that genetic differences could explain why some people need much more sleep than others to function at peak levels. 

The research was performed by scientists from the <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/">National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute</a>, who used fruit flies that were bred to model the natural variations in human sleep patterns. 

The results show how genes related to sleep variation are also connected to many other biological processes. 

“The involvement of highly diverse biological processes in sleep duration may help explain why the purpose of sleep has been so elusive,” said Susan Harbison, the leader of the study. 

The study was published in the journal PLOS Genetics.

The researchers bred 13 generations of fruit flies, purposely creating flies that slept for 18 hours a day or 3 hours a day. 

“What is particularly interesting about this study is that we created long- and short-sleeping flies using the genetic material present in nature, as opposed to the engineered mutations or transgenic flies that many researchers in this field are using,” Harbison said. 

The researchers then analyzed genetic data from the fruit flies, comparing the long and short sleepers to see if there were any differences between the two. 

After comparing the data, the research team identified 126 differences within 80 genes that were directly associated with sleep duration. 

The differences were connected to developmental and cell signaling pathways, and some of the genes identified were vital to brain development, learning, and memory. 

The results also show that both groups of fruit flies had similar life spans, meaning that there weren’t any extra adverse effects with sleeping for shorter or longer periods.

This study shows why some people may need more or less sleep than others and could help with creating new treatments and therapies for sleep disorders. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Your genes determine how long your body stays asleep

If you aren’t getting enough sleep, it can have a...

Traffic jams in major cities can be brutal. In one extreme case in 2010, a 62-mile traffic jam in Beijing lasted a grueling <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2013/05/21/the-worst-traffic-jams-in-history/#722bc923e1aa">12 whole days</a>. 

Too many cars, not enough road, construction, accidents, and inclement weather all contribute traffic congestion, leading to an uptick in road rage and angry driving.

However, a new study suggests that traffic jams could be solved with a simple change in how drivers and car sensors perceive the other cars around them. 

The study, conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>, shows that traffic congestion can be solved if all drivers adhered to one new rule: no more tailgating or driving as close as you can to the person in front of you. 

The researchers found that keeping an equal distance between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electric-cars-dangerously-quiet/">cars</a>, both front and back, would drastically reduce congestion and speed up commutes. 

This method is called bilateral control and was first introduced by MIT professor Berthold Horn in 2013. In this most recent study, Horn examined not just the cars and drivers themselves, but entire highway systems and traffic patterns. 

For Horn, the answer is simple. Car manufacturers need to outfit cars with electronic sensors that monitor cruise control to keep equal distances to cars on the road. This would be far easier than trying to change the driver’s deeply ingrained habits. 

“We humans tend to view the world regarding what's ahead of us, both literally and conceptually, so it might seem counter-intuitive to look backwards,” said Horn. “But driving like this could have a dramatic effect in reducing travel time and fuel consumption without having to build more roads or make other changes to infrastructure.” 

Building cars with cruise control sensors in both the front and back of the car would easily make tailgating a thing of the past, even if only a small percent of all cars had such systems installed. 

Horn and his colleagues examined the patterns of starling birds as they move in tandem, or as it’s called a murmuration. Thousands of starlings can come together in a flock and their flight patterns are mesmerizing. 

These murmurations are only possible because each bird is connected, fully aware of the birds around it so that when one bird moves, everyone moves. 

Horn suggests outfitting cars with front and rear cruise control so that they are similarly connected to other cars on the road. 

“Birds have been doing this for centuries,” said Horn. “To program this behavior, you'd want to look at the birds all around you and not just the ones in front of you.” 

Horn, with funding from Toyota, plans to conduct future studies that include simulations to see if the bilateral control method is both safer and faster for drivers.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

One simple solution could alleviate major traffic jams

Traffic jams in major cities can be brutal. In one...

When you think about the greenest places on Earth, you might think of lush <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-wildfires-climate-change/">forests</a> in northern California or Alaska. Vast stretches of forest cover both the east and west coasts, with particularly dense forests along the Great Lakes region.

The Eastern Deciduous Forest stretches from Florida to Canada, covers 26 states and spans ten different forest regions. On the west coast, there are similar vast stretches of forest that run from California to Canada.

The Earth is packed with dense greenery, but this isn’t readily apparent without a topographic map that highlights forest cover. 

But now, a geographer has turned U.S. topography into works of art with forest cover maps showcasing the rich, green forests spanning the country.

Robert Szucs is a geographer and Geographic Information System (GIS) analyst with a love of maps who was inspired to showcase his work and studies by transforming it into posters. Szucs sells his work on his <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/grasshoppergeography">Etsy page</a>.  

One of Szucs’ creations shows long stretches of forest cover both on the East and West coast, with dense forests along the Great Lakes region. Running down the middle of the states is a black blank slate where desert and plains make up most of the land.

Szucs also has maps of the intricate river basins in the US and maps from all over the world including Germany, Italy, Sweden (one of the greenest in the collection), and population density heat maps of Europe and the US. 

To create the forest cover maps and photographs, Szucs uses an open-source Geographic Information System (GIS). GIS is a computer system designed to show the spatial relations of objects and formations on the Earth’s surface. GIS can show multiple layers like road maps and forests on a single layer. 

Scuzs then uses specific editing software to manipulate the images to create a specific effect or highlight particular layers. His work shows how varied and vast the Earth’s topographic natural makeup is, with swaths of forest and desert and rich veiny river systems. 

The crossover between geography and art makes Szucs’ work accessible to a wide audience and beautifully displays the ingenuity of the artist. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://imgur.com/gallery/npcjr">Robert Szucs </a>

Geographer creates stunning map of U.S. forests

When you think about the greenest places on Earth, you...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/online-food-shopping-healthy/">Healthy eating</a> may have more benefits for kids than just improved physical health, according to a new study published in the journal BMC Public Health. According to researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, healthy eating is linked to kids having better self-esteem and fewer emotional and peer problems. Furthermore, the inverse is true as well, when individuals have higher self-esteem they also adhere more closely to healthy eating guidelines.

In this study, researchers examined 7,675 children from age two to nine years and across eight European countries. At the beginning of the study, parents were asked to report how often per week their children consumed food from a list of 43 items. Depending on which foods they ate, children were assigned an Healthy Dietary Adherence Score (HDAS), which aims to capture adherence to healthy dietary guidelines. These guidelines include limiting refined sugars, reducing fat intake, and eating fruits and vegetables.

A higher – and thus healthier – HDAS at the beginning of the study period was associated with better self-esteem and fewer emotional and peer problems two years down the road. They also found that associations between HDAS and wellbeing were similar for both children of normal weight and children who were overweight.

“It was somewhat surprising to find that the association between baseline diet and better well-being two years later was independent of children’s socioeconomic position and their body weight,” says Dr. Louise Arvidsson, the corresponding author of the study. Assessment of psychosocial well-being was based on self-esteem, parent relations, as well as emotional and peer problems reported by the parents in response to validated questionnaires. 

This study is the first to analyze the individual components included in the HDAS and their connection to children’s well-being. However, the authors do caution that children with poor diet and poor wellbeing were more likely to drop out of the study and as a result were underrepresented at the two-year follow-up. This factor may complicated any conclusions about the true rates of poor diet and poor wellbeing. Furthermore, no conclusions on cause and effect can be made, as the study was purely observation and relied on self-reported data from parents. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Kids who eat healthy found to have higher self-esteem

Healthy eating may have more benefits for kids than just...

In the coming weeks, people will be consuming more alcohol while celebrating the holidays, but researchers have now identified an unexpected cause of heavier drinking year-round. The scientists have found that the growing size of wine glasses has contributed to rising levels of drinking, particularly over the past two decades.

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> have determined that the capacity of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chocolate-red-wine-wrinkles/">wine</a> glasses in England increased from an average of 66 milliliters in 1700 to 449 milliliters in 2017.

Alcohol consumption has increased sharply since the 1960s. By 1980, nearly four times as much wine was being consumed compared to 1960, and that number almost doubled again by 2004.

Larger plates have been linked to increased food consumption, but less is known about the association between glassware and alcohol consumption. The research team set out to investigate if the growing size of wine glasses contributed to the rapid growth of wine drinking over the last few decades. 

Using data gathered from antique glassware experts and internet searches, the researchers collected measurements for 411 wine glasses in England between 1700 to 2017. 

The results of the study showed that the capacity of wine glasses in England gradually increased over the past 300 years, with a notable increase after the 1990s. At the beginning of this century, the average wine glass was 417 millimeters, and it jumped to 449 millimeters by 2016.

The researchers identified many potential explanations for the increase in glass size since 1990. They explained that a demand for larger wine glasses by the U.S. market was met by an increase in the size of glasses manufactured in England. The team also found that the glass sizes were influenced by bar and restaurant owners attempting to increase wine sales.


The experts ultimately concluded that lower prices, increased availability, marketing, and larger wine glasses all played a role in higher levels of wine consumption.

The study is published in the Christmas issue of <a href="http://www.bmj.com/">The BMJ</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wine glasses have gotten bigger, prompting more drinking

In the coming weeks, people will be consuming more alcohol...

A new study links higher levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-birth-defects/">air pollution</a> to bad behavior in teenagers. Researchers say that this serves as a reminder of the importance of clean air and the need for more plants and trees in urban areas.

Diana Younan from the <a href="https://keck.usc.edu/">Keck School of Medicine of USC</a> is the lead author of the study. She explains that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can be extremely harmful to health.

"These tiny, toxic particles creep into your body, affecting your lungs and your heart," said Younan. "Studies are beginning to show exposure to various air pollutants also causes inflammation in the brain. PM2.5 is particularly harmful to developing brains because it can damage brain structure and neural networks and, as our study suggests, influence adolescent behaviors."

The study, which was focused on 682 children in Los Angeles, followed the subjects for nine years beginning when they were 9 years old. Parents reported every few years regarding if their child had engaged in various delinquent behaviors, including lying, cheating, truancy, stealing, vandalism, arson, or substance abuse. 
The research team used 25 air quality monitors to measure daily air pollution in Southern California from 2000 to 2014. Mathematical models enabled the team to calculate the ambient PM2.5 levels outside of the home of each participant. 

Overall, 75 percent of the individuals examined for the study breathed ambient air pollution that exceeded the federal recommended levels. Some areas had nearly double the levels of PM2.5 which are deemed safe.

The results of the study indicated that ambient air pollution increased delinquent behavior among the young adults. The negative effects were found to be worsened by poor parent-child relationships and also by mental stress among the parents.

"Previous studies by others have shown that early exposure to lead disrupts brain development and increases aggressive behavior and juvenile delinquency," explained Younan. "It's possible that growing up in places with unhealthy levels of small particles outdoors may have similar negative behavioral outcomes, though more research is needed to confirm this.”


The researchers determined that neighborhoods near freeways and those lacking in foliage experience higher levels of ambient air pollution. 

"Poor people, unfortunately, are more likely to live in urban areas in less than ideal neighborhoods," said Younan. "Many affordable housing developments are built near freeways. Living so close to freeways causes health problems such as asthma and, perhaps, alters teenagers' brain structures so that they are more likely to engage in delinquent behavior."

The study, which is published in the <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/abn/">Journal of Abnormal Psychology</a>, also revealed that PM2.5 pollution and crime rates in Southern California have both been on the decline. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution linked the bad behavior in teens

A new study links higher levels of air pollution to...

As hydraulic fracturing, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/links-fracking-drinking-water-pollution/">fracking</a>, becomes more widely used across the United States, concerns are growing about the potential health and environmental consequences that may follow. New research reveals that there are health risks for babies born to mothers living within 2 miles of a hydraulic fracturing site.

The researchers found that mothers living within half of a mile from a drilling site were 25 percent more likely to give birth to an infant born at a low birth weight. This condition leaves babies at a greater risk of infant mortality, ADHD, asthma, lower test scores, and lower lifetime earnings.

Study co-author Janet M. Currie is a professor of Economics and Public Affairs at the <a href="http://wws.princeton.edu/">Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs</a>.

"Given the growing evidence that pollution affects babies in utero, it should not be surprising that fracking, which is a heavy industrial activity, has negative effects on infants," said Currie. 

The research team analyzed records from over 1.1 million births in Pennsylvania between 2004 and 2013. They compared the outcomes of babies born to mothers living near a hydraulic fracturing site to those living farther away, taking into account when fracking began at specific sites.

The study revealed that mothers living within .6 miles of a fracking site were 25 percent more likely to have babies born under 5.5 pounds, which is considered low birth weight. This risk decreased by about half to one-third for women who resided between half a mile and 2 miles from a drilling site, while infants born to mothers living beyond 2 miles from a fracking site showed little to no impacts.

"As local and state policymakers decide whether to allow hydraulic fracturing in their communities, it is crucial that they carefully examine the costs and benefits, including the potential impacts from pollution," said study co-author Michael Greenstone. "This study provides the strongest large-scale evidence of a link between the pollution that stems from hydraulic fracturing activities and our health, specifically the health of babies."

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fracking sites found to negatively impact health of newborns

As hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, becomes more widely used across...

When tropical forests are converted to land for agricultural use, the result is less rain, more droughts, and deteriorating freshwater ecosystems. And now, surprising new research reveals that the clearing of tropical forests can also lead to negative changes in fish production.

Study lead author Leandro Castello is an assistant professor of Fisheries at <a href="https://vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a>'s College of Natural Resources and Environment. The researchers set out to investigate how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mining-deforestation-amazon-rainforest/">deforestation</a> along the Amazon River impacts fish yields.

"The conflict between raising cattle and managing fisheries is a concern that is shared with floodplain residents, but there had been no rigorous studies of how loss of forest affects the productivity of floodplain fisheries," explained study co-author David McGrath.

Approximately one-third of the world's wild-caught fish yield comes from tropical regions, and fisheries are critical to this production. The conditions of the area of land adjacent to a river, known as a floodplain, have a major impact on the success of fisheries.

"Floodplain forests can provide structures that protect fish and their offspring, and provide habitat for insects that many fish rely on for food,” said Castello. “Those forests also produce plant material on which fish may also feed.”

Using a study area of 1,000 square kilometers, the researchers collected data on fisheries yields over a 12-year time period. The team also created a map of the region's 1,500 lakes and interviewed local fishermen about fish caught in different areas. By combining this data, the experts determined which areas yielded the most fish.

"We collected roughly 36,000 separate data points that were plotted in order to make a map of where the fish were coming from," said Castello.

Satellite images from NASA allowed the researchers to collect a second data set on habitat features in the study region to examine whether the presence of floodplain forests impacted fish yields.

"Essentially, we wanted to know if fish yields in areas with forested floodplains are greater, the same, or less than areas where forests have been cut down," explained Castello.

"Our results indicated that lakes with floodplain forests provided fishers with greater fish yields," he said. "This allows us to infer that if you cut down the forests, fish yields in those lakes would decrease. Tropical deforestation is not only a terrestrial issue - it can also decrease the number of fish available to some of the world's poorest populations."

The researchers will continue to investigate what other factors affect fisheries yields, but the indications of this particular study are clear.

"You have to protect these habitats if you want to maintain the food production and the income that rivers provide," said Castello. "If we don't protect these areas, we lose the rivers and we lose the fish."

The study is published online in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-2979">Fish and Fisheries</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deforestation in the Amazon is lowering fish yields

When tropical forests are converted to land for agricultural use,...

Pet owners often feel that their furry companions are like their children. According to a recent <a href="http://time.com/money/4876151/millenials-homes-dogs-children-marriages/">report</a>, one of the number one motivations for millennials looking to buy a house is so they will have space for their dog. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/video/dogs-smarter-cats/">Dogs</a> are particularly sensitive to humans and with a loyal nature and seemingly perpetually wagging tail, it can be hard not to infantilize or anthropomorphize canine pets.

Now, new research has found that even though we love our pets like a member of the family, treating them like children can often lead to a misunderstanding of the dog’s natural behaviors and actions. 

It turns out that dogs are much more tuned in to our emotions and moods, but as owners, humans are not nearly as proficient at reciprocating and understanding our dogs. 

The research will be presented at the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures by Sophie Scott, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>.

Scott’s findings show that dogs have much more emotional intelligence than we think, and our tendency to treat animals like children is detrimental to the animal’s sensibilities. 

According to Scott, we do not view dogs the same way they view us. Research has found that to them, humans have a similar role as an alpha animal would in a hypothetical pack in the wild. 

In an interview with the <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dogs-take-the-lead-in-reading-mood-t658d2l7x">Times</a>, Scott explained this divide in human-pet relations further by using recent studies where it was proven that dogs do not like to be hugged. 

One such study was conducted by Stanley Coren, a psychology professor and canine expert from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a>. 

According to an article in the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/04/26/dont-hug-your-dog--it-hates-it-say-animal-psychologists/">Telegraph,</a> Coren analyzed images found on the internet of dogs being hugged looking for signs of distress such as avoiding eye contact, folding its ears away, or keeping its eyes closed. 

Coren found a large majority of the photographs showed that dogs were under stress while being cuddled or hugged.

“The dogs really like being with their owners, they want to be with their owners, but they don't want to be held. It provokes anxiety in them: as an animal, they want to be able to move freely,” Scott told the Times. “Dogs are great at reading us but we are pretty shocking at reading them.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dogs understand humans better than we understand them

Pet owners often feel that their furry companions are like...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a> recently investigated how well people manage the boundaries between their work and personal lives. The study revealed that mixing work and pleasure can affect people's sense of well-being and lead to exhaustion.

The online analysis was focused on 1,916 employees from various sectors of German-speaking countries. Over 70 percent of the participants surveyed were married and their average age was 42.3 years. Half of the individuals worked 40 hours or more per week, and 55.8 percent of them were men. 

Participants were asked how well they were able to divide their work lives from their non-work lives. The subjects reported how often they took work home, how often they worked on weekends, and how often they thought about work during their time off.

In addition, the participants were asked whether they made time after work to relax, socialize, or to participate in sports or hobbies. They were also questioned about how much effort they put into keeping their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/working-night-shift-obesity/">work</a> lives from interfering with their private lives. 

In order to measure a person's level of well-being, the researchers took into consideration the individual's sense of physical and emotional exhaustion as well as their sense of balance between work and home life.

The researchers found that employees who did not have a distinct separation between their work and home lives were less likely to participate in activities that could help them relax and recuperate after the demands of work. As a result, these individuals felt more exhausted and had a lower sense of well-being.

"Employees who integrated work into their non-work life reported being more exhausted because they recovered less," explained study lead author Ariane Wepfer. "This lack of recovery activities furthermore explains why people who integrate their work into the rest of their lives have a lower sense of well-being."

Wepfer said it is important to examine the findings of this research to improve occupational health. She believes that companies should have policies in place that may help employees balance their workload without affecting their personal lives.

"Organizational policy and culture should be adjusted to help employees manage their work-non-work boundaries in a way that does not impair their well-being," says Wepfer. "After all, impaired well-being goes hand in hand with reduced productivity and reduced creativity."

The study is published in Springer’s <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/10869">Journal of Business and Psychology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mixing work and pleasure lowers overall sense of well-being

Researchers from the University of Zurich recently investigated how well...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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



Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



---



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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

News coming your way