A recent study reveals that Americans who are 55 years of age and older now face an estimated 42% lifetime risk of developing dementia, surpassing older estimates by more than double.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preventing-dementia-scientists-say-three-factors-matter-most/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dementia</a>, which involves progressive declines in memory, concentration, and judgment, is expected to result in roughly 500,000 new cases in 2025, a figure set to climb to one million cases a year by 2060.&nbsp;



Researchers explain that this rise is closely linked to the aging U.S. population, along with additional risk factors such as genetic predisposition, high rates of hypertension and diabetes, obesity, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and mental health challenges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-previous-estimates-were-lower">Why previous estimates were lower</h2>



Researchers attribute prior underestimations to inconsistent documentation of dementia in health records and death certificates, inadequate monitoring of early-stage cases, and the underreporting of cases among racial minorities, who are disproportionately affected by the condition.



The findings stem from a large collaborative study funded by the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Institutes of Health,</a> conducted by <a href="https://nyulangone.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NYU Langone Health</a>, with contributions from <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> and other institutions.&nbsp;



The research utilized data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS), which has been tracking the vascular and cognitive health of nearly 16,000 participants since 1987. ARIC-NCS is noted for being the longest research effort focusing on cognition and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-environments-and-sidewalks-improve-heart-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart health</a> in African-Americans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gender-and-racial-disparities">Gender and racial disparities</h2>



The study’s findings, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03340-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Medicine</a>, detail 3,252 dementia diagnoses among participants from 1987 to 2020, translating to a lifetime risk of 42% for middle-aged Americans. 



The results indicate that men face a 35% risk, whereas women face a 48% risk - a difference primarily due to women’s longer average life expectancy. 



The research also pinpoints higher dementia susceptibility among Black adults and among carriers of a particular APOE4 gene variant, recognized as a chief genetic risk factor for late-onset <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-may-not-be-a-brain-disease/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s disease</a>.



"The relative growth in new dementia cases was especially pronounced for Black adults. These results highlight the urgent need for policies that enhance healthy aging, with a focus on health equity," noted the researchers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dramatic-rise-in-dementia-risk">Dramatic rise in dementia risk</h2>



“Our study results forecast a dramatic rise in the burden from dementia in the United States over the coming decades, with one in two Americans expected to experience cognitive difficulties after age 55,” said Josef Coresh, who served as senior investigator on the research and is the founding director of the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/departments-institutes/optimal-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Optimal Aging Institute</a> at NYU Langone.&nbsp;



Coresh noted that the increase in cases is partly tied to brain function decline starting in middle age, a growing number of Americans over 65, and longer average lifespans among women.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-concerns-linked-to-dementia-risk">Health concerns linked to dementia risk </h2>



The study also reveals that the lifetime risk of dementia surpasses 50% for those reaching age 75. However, previous findings suggest that strategies for preventing heart disease - such as blood pressure control and diabetes prevention - could similarly help reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/recreational-cannabis-use-protects-against-cognitive-decline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cognitive decline</a>.



“The pending population boom in dementia cases poses significant challenges for health policymakers, in particular, who must refocus their efforts on strategies to minimize the severity of dementia cases, as well as plans to provide more health care services for those with dementia,” Coresh said.



Hearing loss is another critical concern tied to dementia risk, yet only about a third of older Americans experiencing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hearing-loss-linked-to-a-greater-risk-of-dementia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hearing loss</a> use hearing aids. Coresh advocates greater monitoring, expanded testing, and more affordable hearing aids to alleviate this issue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-racial-disparities-and-broader-recommendations">Racial disparities and broader recommendations</h2>



According to Coresh, far more resources are needed to address racial inequities in health care, noting that while dementia numbers among Caucasian individuals are expected to double over the next four decades, rates among Black individuals are expected to triple. 



Health policies should heighten efforts in Black communities to improve childhood education and nutrition, which research has shown to be beneficial for delaying cognitive decline later in life.



Ultimately, these findings highlight the daunting challenges posed by dementia as Americans age, but they also suggest paths for intervention - through robust healthcare systems, preventative heart health measures, support for hearing care, and programs targeted at reducing social and racial inequities.



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Risk of dementia is much higher than previously thought

A recent study reveals that Americans who are 55 years of age and older now face an estimated 42% lifetime risk of developing dementia, surpassing older estimates by more than double.&nbsp; Dementia, which involves progressive declines in memory, concentration, and judgment, is expected to result in roughly 500,000 new cases in 2025, a figure set to climb to one million cases a year by 2060.&nbsp; Researchers explain that this rise is closely linked to the aging U.S. population, along with additional risk factors such as genetic predisposition,...

The process of human decision-making is a complex behavior that is constantly being examined by scientists in order to help improve the quality of lives. Neuroscientists from the <a href="http://www.gla.ac.uk/">University of Glasgow</a> conducted a study that gives insight into how we make food decisions based on personal preference.

Participants in the study wore EEG caps so they could be scanned with an MRI machine. The researchers observed their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-overrides-sleep-awake/">brain</a> activity while the individuals chose between two snacks. 

The study revealed that the brain activity was centralized in the posterior medial frontal cortex. The activity built up gradually and continued until the individual made a food choice.

The posterior medial frontal cortex has,been previously associated with long-term memory retrieval and decision making. This study established that this region of the brain is also linked to decision-making based on preferences. 

Mr Andrea Pisauro is the first author of the study. 

“This is similar to when we make perceptual decisions, like choosing the larger of two slices of cake,” explained Pisauro. “The brain accumulates information supporting one of the decision alternatives until an internal criterion is reached and a decision is made.”

The unprecedented findings of this study open the door for further investigation of preference-based choices in humans. The researchers believe this discovery may be key in improving our eating behaviors and following through with diet plans.

Dr Marios Philastides led the study. He added, “Our findings have important implications for a broad range of socioeconomic problems ranging from public policy analysis, like informing health behaviours, to brain-informed advertisement strategies and product design.”

“In addition, the work can improve our understanding of mental and neurodegenerative disorders known to compromise one's decision-making faculties, like depression, schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease by offering a direct window into the brain systems involved in goal-directed choices,” concluded Dr. Philastides.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.gla.ac.uk/">University of Glasgow</a>

Scientists discover part of the brain that makes food decisions

The process of human decision-making is a complex behavior that...

Soft shelled turtles, considered a delicacy in China, are likely spreading cholera, a new study said.

The research was motivated by discovery that consumption of cholera-carrying soft shelled turtles had caused outbreaks of the disease in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/japan-china-fossil-fuel-sea-floor/">China</a>, said corresponding author Biao Kan. 

"Cholera is a life-threatening diarrheal disease," said Kan, professor of Pathogenic Biology and Infectious Disease control, at the <a href="http://www.chinacdc.cn/en/">Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention</a> in Beijing.

Researchers inserted genes producing bioluminescent proteins into Vibrio cholerae enabling them to directly observe the pathogens colonizing the turtles. Investigators dipped the the turtles into a phosphate-buffered saline solution containing the now bioluminescent bacteria, serogroup 0139.

Over the next four days, the researchers checked the turtles at 24-hour intervals. They first detected light signals at 24 hours. At 96 hours, the entire dorsal side of the turtles' shells was emitting bioluminescence. 

During the last decade, China has seen less than 200 cases of cholera annually, according to Kan. But he said that of the 39 diseases surveilled under China's Law of Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, cholera is in the most dangerous category, along with plague.

He also noted that the O139 serogroup, the major strain spread by the turtles, is an emerging disease in China.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://aem.asm.org/">Applied and Environmental Microbiology</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.asm.org/">American Society for Microbiology</a>

Soft shelled turtles likely spreading cholera in China

Soft shelled turtles, considered a delicacy in China, are likely...

16 of the 17 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2016-rising-temperatures/">hottest</a> years on record have happened during this century. According to <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/heat-is-on-for-2017-21011">Climate Central</a>, this number of record-setting hot years is due to “heat that has accumulated from human-caused warming.” Regions are heating up across the globe, and a new report shows that India is particularly feeling the heat, and all of the risks that come along with it. 

Climatologist Omid Mazdiyasni of the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California Irvine</a> led a team of experts in assessing the heat-related vulnerability of India.

"It's getting hotter, and of course more heat waves are going to kill more people," said Mazdiyasni. “We knew there was going to be an impact, but we didn't expect it to be this big.”

The researchers examined decades of records from the Indian Meteorological Department to project the likelihood of extreme heat events and heat-related mortality. 

The study revealed that India's temperature increased by 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit between 1960 and 2009. Using a new probabilistic model, the researchers showed this spike in summer temperatures increases the probability of India experiencing “heat-related mortality events of more than 100 people” by 146 percent. 

The study, published in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, established that the number and duration of heat wave days have increased by 25 percent across most of the country. Southern and Western India have faced 50 percent more heat waves in 1985-2009 than they saw in the previous 25 years.

The researchers say heat-related deaths will increase with future global warming, especially in low-latitude countries that are underdeveloped.

“Although India is particularly susceptible to heat waves given its geography and current state of human development, there are many countries that are similarly vulnerable to the extreme heat events in the ever-warming world. Our results suggest that even moderate and practically unavoidable increases in mean temperatures, such as 0.5°C, may lead to large increases in heat-related mortality, unless measures are taken to substantially improve the resilience of vulnerable populations,” explained the authors of the study. 


The heat waves will have a negative effect on air quality, hurt crops, intensify droughts, and increase energy consumption, according to the authors. Poor populations exposed to the extreme heat will have higher mortality rates. Health problems will develop and existing health issues will become more severe, particularly for those who lack resources such as clean water, shelter, and health care. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/">Associated Press</a>

Climate change brings deadly heat to India

16 of the 17 hottest years on record have happened...

Animals have starred in more Hollywood films than John Wayne and John Carradine combined. In fact, The Horse in Motion was the first film ever made, way back in 1878. It’s all of 15 seconds long and can be seen in its entirety <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIQBfQuLXDY">here</a>. Not much on plot, and the character development is pretty stilted, so we won’t include it in this roundup. 

We’ll also leave out 1928’s Steamboat Willy, though it introduced the world to a certain four-fingered, white gloved talking mouse who’d later be a bigger star than Tom Hanks. For this list, we’re only going to look at live-action films (with one memorable exception) with non-human stars that have become household names. 

&nbsp;

Noble horses

All <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-budget-wild-horses/">horses</a> are noble, or at least the ones that become stars. They’re heroic, loyal, dignified, and they make the world a better place. 

My Friend Flicka (1943) -- Roddy McDowell is a teenager whose friend is a horse. 

National Velvet (1944) -- This time it’s a young girl who loves her ride. Made a superstar of a beautiful preteen Elizabeth Taylor. To show you how long Angela Lansbury’s been in the game, she was in this film too.

Black Beauty (1946) -- This one got made because of the smash success of National Velvet two years before.  And then made again (1994) and again (2015).

The Black Stallion (1979) -- Another teenager, another noble horse. On a desert island this time.

Seabiscuit (2003) -- No teenagers in this somewhat true story of a Depression-era racehorse, but jockey Tobey Maguire looks pretty young.

&nbsp;

Tearjerkers

You can’t watch too many animal movies without occasionally getting a little dust in your eye. Here are some of the worst (or best) offenders.

Bambi (1941) -- This is our one exception to the live-action-only rule because…it’s Bambi, the film that left generations of kids sobbing in their seats. Men with guns can be such jerks. 

Old Yeller (1957) -- We all know what happens to the mutt in the end, right?

Free Willy (1993) -- Admit it, you had to wipe a tear away when killer whale Willy gets freed. No matter how old you were.

&nbsp;

Adventurers on Four Legs (or None at All)

These are the animals you’d want to have your back in a dark alley.

Lassie Come Home (1943) -- This was the first of the films about the heroic female collie. It starred Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowell, two young actors who apparently loved making animal pics. If you had kids and Lassie, you’d never need a babysitter.

Flipper (1963) -- The dolphin was basically the Lassie of the sea. A star of film and television.

The Incredible Journey (1963) -- Two dogs and a cat on an epic trek home. They’ve all got each other’s backs. It was remade in 1993 as Homeward Bound: the Incredible Journey.

Gentle Giant (1967) -- This one might not be all that familiar, but you know its star: Gentle Ben. If your best friend’s a giant Alaskan brown bear, there are no bullies at your school.  

&nbsp;

Those Wacky Critters

In this category of films, the animals play it for laughs. 

Francis the Talking Mule (1950) -- The title says it all. Many sequels later, Francis was still talking.

Bedtime for Bonzo (1951) -- There have been plenty of movies made about goofy primates, but only one starring a future President of the United States. We’re not sure Ronald Reagan wanted this to be one of his most memorable films, but it’s worth a watch.

Babe (1995) -- It’s a pig that learns to herd sheep, of course. Huge hit. Naturally, there was a sequel.

Beethoven (1992) -- The slobbery St. Bernard causes all kinds of trouble to film dad Charles Grodin, but the big dog’s as lovable as he is damaging to fine fabrics and glassware. Plenty of sequels.

Air Bud (1997) -- This once homeless golden retriever has the uncanny ability to play basketball…and, in sequels, football and soccer. And to have puppies that are just as athletically graced.

Marley &amp; Me (2008) -- He’s the world’s worst dog, but you can’t hold anything against him for long.

&nbsp;

Not So Adorable

Not all animals are cute, cuddly and loyal. Here are a few who kept you or your kids awake at night.

King Kong (1933)  -- Depending on your perspective, you might put this much-remade classic in the Tearjerker category. Can you really blame the big ape?

Jaws (1975) -- Did the great white shark even have a name? We know it by its most striking feature, and that’s enough. 

Cujo (1983) -- Blame the rabies, not the dog. But do not let Cujo into your car.

--

By <a href="mailto:DSearls@earth.com">David Searls</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth.com presents: Animals who became movie stars

Animals have starred in more Hollywood films than John Wayne...

Owning a dog may help keep older adults more physically active, according to a new study.

"We found that dog owners aged 65 and over spent on average an additional 22 minutes walking, taking an extra 2,760 steps per day when compared to people who didn't own a dog,” said Philippa Dall, senior research fellow at <a href="http://www.gcu.ac.uk/">Glasgow Caledonian University</a>.

The additional time spent walking each week is enough to meet <a href="http://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> recommendations of at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, Dall said.

Dog owners also had fewer continuous periods of sitting down than non-owners, although the total time spent sitting down did not differ between the two groups, the researchers found.

The study used data on patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior in 43 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/understand-dogs-language-aggression/">dog</a> owners  from three regions in the U.K., comparing with members of a control group.

Researchers monitored the time spent walking moderately, time spent standing, total time spent sitting, as well as the number of times people sat down and how long they sat down for. Dog owners and those in the control groups were matched on a range of variables such as gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.

The study provides opportunities to gain greater insight by “providing objective data on both the intensity and patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior,” Dall said.

Previous research has relied primarily on self reporting surveys rather than direct observational monitoring. 

“This allows closer scrutiny of the potential relationship between changes in physical activity due to dog ownership and health," Dall said.

Since the study was observational, it could not establish cause and effect or allow for conclusions about whether more active people are likely to own dogs or whether dogs make people more active. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/">BMC Public Health</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.biomedcentral.com/">BioMed Central</a>

Study: Having a dog helps older people stay active

Owning a dog may help keep older adults more physically...

DNA influences whether a person has an ability to exhibit empathy and read a person’s thoughts and emotions by looking at their eyes, a new study found.

<a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">The University of Cambridge</a> study is the first to correlate a cognitive empathy eye test with a human genome variation.

20 years ago, researchers at the university developed a test of cognitive empathy called the ‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’ Test (or the Eyes Test, for short). It revealed that people can rapidly interpret what another person is thinking or feeling from looking at their eyes alone. It also showed that some of us are better at this than others, and that women on average score better on this test than men.

The same team, working with the genetics company 23andMe along with scientists from France, Australia and the Netherlands, conducted a new study of performance on this test in 89,000 people worldwide.

The results confirmed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/women-low-income-anxiety/">women</a> on average do score better.

The team also confirmed that our genes influence performance on the Eyes Test, and went further to identify genetic variants on chromosome 3 in women that are associated with their ability to “read the mind in the eyes.”

“This new study demonstrates that empathy is partly genetic, but we should not lose sight of other important social factors such as early upbringing and postnatal experience,” said Thomas Bourgeron of the <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/universite-paris-diderot-paris-7">University Paris Diderot</a> and the <a href="https://research.pasteur.fr/en/team/human-genetics-and-cognitive-functions/">Institut Pasteur Bourgeron</a>.

Previous studies have found that people with autism and anorexia tend to score lower on the Eyes Test. The new study found that genetic variants that contribute to higher scores on the Eyes Test also increase the risk for anorexia, but not autism. They speculate that this may be because autism involves both social and non-social traits, and this test only measures a social trait.

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/mp/">Molecular Psychiatry</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">The University of Cambridge</a>

Study: Empathy is partly genetic

DNA influences whether a person has an ability to exhibit...

2.4 billion people in the world live without improved sanitation, while a staggering 1 billion people live with no access to a sanitation facility at all. Common <a href="https://www.unicef.org/wash/index_wes_related.html">diseases</a> associated with lack of sanitation include malaria, cholera, HIV, and intestinal worms. According to a new report in <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/">PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases</a>, children living in communities without safe sanitation access have an increased risk of stunted growth, developmental delays, anemia, and diarrhea.

Without proper sewage disposal, human feces aren't contained. Diseases are easily spread when feces contaminate water, dirt, or food. Diarrhea claims the lives of millions of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-eggs-increases-growth-children/">children</a> a year this way, and unsafe water only makes matters worse. According to <a href="https://water.org/our-impact/water-crisis/">water.org</a>, a child dies every 90 seconds from a water-related disease. Many of the survivors suffer from stunted growth, malnutrition, anemia, and disease. 

David Larsen of <a href="https://www.syracuse.edu/">Syracuse University</a> teamed up with other experts to analyze data from the health surveys of over a million children. For the study, the amount of community access to toilets and latrines were estimated. The researchers focused on the physical development of children ages 12-59 months, the instances of anemia in children under 5, and recent cases of diarrhea. 

The study revealed that children living in communities with sanitation access had lowered odds of growth stunting, anemia, and diarrhea. Those without proper sanitation experienced significant improvement with the addition of community-level access to sanitation. The odds of growth stunting and anemia were decreased.

“These results suggest that the greatest gains in health from sanitation are made when communities achieve universal access to sanitation," said the researchers.

"The number of children living in communities where any households lack sanitation access is alarmingly high throughout the world, and efforts must be made to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of eliminating open defecation by 2030," explained the research team. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/">PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases</a>

Credit: Andy Prinsen, Akros

Study: Sanitation access crucial to growth and health of children

2.4 billion people in the world live without improved sanitation,...

Scientists at the <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/">California Institute of Technology</a> have identified a neural circuit in the brain that allows humans to fight off sleep.

The findings could have implications for treating sleep disorders such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/insomnia-cure-camping/">insomnia</a> and oversleeping, the researchers said.

The team studied DRNDA neurons in mice, measuring DRNDA activity while the animals encountered stimuli, such as the arrival of a potential mating partner, or a sudden unpleasant sensation, or food. The DRNDA neurons were highly active during these events, which led the researchers to theorize that the neurons send signals of salience and arousal, which can then modulate the state of sleep or wakefulness.

"We then measured DRNDA activity throughout the sleep/wake cycle and found that these neurons are least active when the animal is sleeping and increase in activity as the animal is waking up," says Ryan Cho, a Caltech graduate student and the first author on the paper. "We aimed to discover whether this was just a correlation or if the activity of the neurons was actually causing changes in sleep-wake states."

The researchers used a technique called optogenetics to engineer DRNDA cells to be stimulated by light. After stimulating these neurons with light during the time that the animal would normally sleep, the research team found that the mouse woke up from sleep and remained awake. 

The reverse was true when the activity of DRNDA was chemically silenced. The animal was likely to fall asleep, even in the face of motivationally important stimuli, such as the odor of a predator or a mating partner. This implied that activity of the DRNDA neurons truly governed sleep-wake behaviors.

Finally, the researchers examined the role of the neurons in awaking due to external stimuli. The neuron activity was silenced with optogenetics, and a loud noise was played while the animals were asleep. Mice with blocked DRNDA often ignored the sound and remained asleep.

"These experiments showed us that DRNDA cells are necessary for full wakefulness in the face of important stimuli in mice," said Viviana Gradinaru, Caltech, Assistant Professor of Biology and Biological engineering. "DRNDA neurons are found analogously in humans, and while they have not been studied in depth, their degeneration has been correlated with excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple systems atrophy and Lewy body dementia.”

“Further work is necessary to establish causation in humans and to test the potential of the DRNDA as a therapeutic target for insomnia or oversleeping, and for sleep disturbances that accompany other psychiatric disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia,” Gradinaru said.

The study is published in the online journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/home?session=FF1DB9100E800073E6B568FF9F01E5A06862D8F1AC4FD00A4E64127CA65039A941B9E9A1D24EC84E0256169386E178292465FB097797FB3C07A2B665038DD3230013848FC3EAB7A3">Neuron</a>. 

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/">California Institute of Technology</a>

Photo Credit: Gradinaru lab/Caltech

How the brain overrides the urge to sleep in order to stay awake

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have identified a...

Certain aspects of our memories are organized by our brains, including what took place and where. The discovery of “place cells” located in the hippocampus have helped scientists understand how the brain encodes locations. However, it has been somewhat of a mystery how neurons in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electrical-brain-stimulation-creative/">brain</a> represent the “what,” or events that we have personally experienced. 

But now, a study by researchers at Japan's <a href="http://www.brain.riken.go.jp/">RIKEN Brain Science Institute</a> provides evidence that the hippocampus is not only responsible for storing the location of events in our lives, but also has ability to put the events themselves into sequence. The team made this discovery by changing the neural code in the brains of rats

For the study, scientists observed neural signals in rats as they made decisions based upon certain sounds and smells. The use of nonspatial stimuli was key to the experiment. 

The research team recorded the activity of neurons located in the central area of the hippocampus while the animals chose different sound and scent combinations in exchange for a potential reward. 

The mice often displayed a strong preference to one sound or scent over the other. Many cells showed an elevated response to one or both stimuli, and those cells remained elevated until a decision was made. This prolonged elevation of the cells showed that the brain was perceiving the information and retaining it in a specific order until the animals made a choice.

In a phenomenon known as theta-cycle phase precession, the neurons in the hippocampus refresh, or update their activity. The researchers wanted to see how this cycle was altered by the sequence of the various inputs used in the study. For the smell-sensitive neurons, the theta phase occurred only for preferred scents, and then activity was locked into the theta cycle. 

The congregation of neurons in the hippocampus can form what is known as theta sequences. These are patterns of clear, organized sequences that occur during theta and represent the past, present, and future of the subjects. The researchers not only established that these data sequences were present during the experiment, but were also able to assign their development to different stimuli used in the tests.

For its conclusion, the conditions of the experiment were reversed. The sound and scent that earned the mice rewards in the past were no longer rewarded. It took only a few days for the rats to acclimate to the new system, and their brain cell activity also adapted.  

The study, published today in the journal Neuron, indicates that the hippocampus is responsible for sequencing networks of relational elements, including the what and the where in our memories. The “event cells” discovered during this study may be able to give scientists more insight into the brain's decision-making process. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.brain.riken.go.jp/">RIKEN Brain Science Institute</a>

How memories and experiences are organized in the brain

Certain aspects of our memories are organized by our brains,...

Think animal shelters and rescues are the same thing? Think again.

Isn’t it just common sense that if you adopted a dog or other pet from an animal shelter you participated in an animal rescue? That’s especially easy to believe if the pet in question was otherwise headed for a bad fate. Even more confusing, the two terms are used almost synonymously in a lot of communities. 

The fact is, there are several differences. Let’s take an up-close look at both terms and see what they could mean in your own pet adoption strategy.

&nbsp;

Animal Shelters

These have been around a long time, and they’re pretty much what you think they are. Sometimes called animal pounds, they’re facilities that are usually community-owned and operated by a mostly volunteer staff.

While no-kill animal shelters exist, these facilities are all too often associated with being the last mortal homes of lost, abandoned or mistreated animals that fail to find new owners. Therefore, one of the top advantages of looking for a dog or other pet at an animal shelter is that it might literally be a lifesaving move. 

Animal shelters are also a convenient way of finding a new loved one since all of the available animals are in one place that’s probably not far from your home. Often your pet will be neutered and given all shots before you take it home, though you’ll pay for the vet care through what might be a fairly steep adoption fee.

The downside to animal shelter adoption can be the fact that the animals are contained in small cages in an unfamiliar space full of barking, squawking animals, and that can affect their behavior. Upon meeting them, they might appear to be stressed, frightened or even aggressive in demeanor. Rather than reflecting their true personalities, this might be merely a side effect of the environment imposed on them. As a result, you might end up passing up on what could have been an ideal companion. In addition, the volunteer staff might know little about the animal’s health or suitability for adoption into a home with small children or other animals. 

&nbsp;

Animal Rescue

Animal rescue organizations are privately run non-profit groups that take in abused animals and care for them in a sort of “foster” arrangement until proper forever homes can be found. Different organizations might specialize in rescuing horses, ferrets, exotic birds or other species. Some refine their mission along even narrower lines, such as by taking in particular species or subspecies. Consider, for instance, <a href="http://www.esgao.org/">Erie Shore Greyhound Adoption of Ohio</a> and <a href="http://www.pbrc.net/">Pitbull Rescue Center</a>. Other sanctuaries offer temporary or permanent homes for a range of found or mistreated animals.

One aspect of an animal rescue is that no animals are ever put down because permanent homes can’t be found. 

Advantages to those hoping to adopt are that rescued animals aren’t caged, so they don’t feel stressed, and their caregivers often know them on more of a one-to-one basis. They’re always properly cared for and in as good of health as possible. 

On the other hand, the nearest rescue might be on a farm that could be a distance from you. There might only be a single animal at the location, in which case you wouldn’t have the convenience of multipe options, and your search might take longer. And finally, the rescue organization might require multiple visits before authorizing the adoption, and even insist on home visits months after the adoption is finalized. 

This just emphasizes the love the rescuers show their charges and the seriousness with which they take their responsibility for the animals’ welfare. 

&nbsp;

Which is Right for You?

The good news is that both types of organizations are doing their best to save the lives of the dogs and other animals in their care and to help you find the lifetime companion that’s right for you. 

Perhaps you’ll decide that finding the ideal pet is more important to you than the location where it’s found. Never feel rushed into making a selection and be sure that, regardless of where you conduct your search, you find out all you know about your prospective new family member and feel confident that you’re bringing the right loved one into your life. 

--

<a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Original Feature by <a href="mailto:DSearls@earth.com">David Searls</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What’s the difference between animal shelters and animal rescues?

Think animal shelters and rescues are the same thing? Think...

Leaders who use a moral argument, rather than a pragmatic one, as the basis for a position may be judged harshly if they flipflop later, a new study found. 

The leaders are perceived as hypocrites, less effective, and less worthy of future support, according to the study published by the <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>.

"Leaders may choose to take moral stances, believing that this will improve audiences' perceptions. And it does, initially,” said the study’s lead author, Tamar Kreps, of the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a>. “But all people, even leaders, have to change their minds sometimes.”

According to the research, "leaders who change their moral minds are seen as more hypocritical, and not as courageous or flexible, compared with those whose initial view was based on a pragmatic argument,” Kreps said. “Due to this perception of hypocrisy, they are also seen as less effective and less worthy of support.”

Researchers conducted a series of 15 experiments online involving more than 5,500 participants from the United States, ranging in age from 18 to 77. Participants learned about political or business leaders who had changed their opinion on an issue. Some participants were told that the leaders' initial positions were based on a moral stance. Others were told the position was based on a pragmatic argument, such as being good for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/u-s-fuel-economy-reaches-record-high/">economy</a>.

Participants rated the leader who changed his or her mind on the moral stance as more hypocritical and, in most instances, less effective and worthy of their support, than leaders whose initial stance was pragmatic.

Researchers were surprised at how difficult it was to eliminate the effect, Kreps said.

The findings suggest that people think that breaking moral commitments is not only difficult, but also wrong, Kreps said. 

"All in all, these results paint a glum picture for initially moral leaders,” she said. “When leaders take a moral position, there appears to be little they can do to avoid being perceived as hypocritical should they find they later have to change their minds." 

The research was published in the <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/psp/">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>

Study: Leaders pay high price for changing moral stands

Leaders who use a moral argument, rather than a pragmatic...

It turns out humans have been on this planet far longer than we had ever known. Today, researchers announced the discovery of the oldest human fossils ever found. The 300,000 year-old remains were found at an excavation site in Morocco, pushing back evidence of human existence by 100,000 years.

The bones were discovered at an archeological site near the city of Marrakech that has frequently yielded human remains. But up until now, they had only dated back about 40,000 years. 

The previous record holder for known fossils were from Ethiopia and were only 195,000 years old. 

The newly discovered bones reveal early humans that possessed a combination of modern and primitive traits. 

"They are not just like us," said researcher Jean-Jacques Hublin of the <a href="http://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a>. But they did have "basically the face you could meet on the train in New York."

"In the last 300,000 years, the main story is the change of the brain," Hublin said.

Hublin added that the fossils indicate that Homo sapiens evolved into their modern day form at more than one location in Africa. 

“There was no Garden of Eden,” said Jean-Jacques Hublin, also from the <a href="http://www.eva.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a>.

This particular excavation site has been active since the 1960s, but it was only recently that researchers discovered a new layer. The site is believed to have been a hunting camp for early humans, where they killed and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossils-reveal-diet-early-humans/">ate</a> gazelles, zebras, and wildebeests. 

-

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a>

Photo Credit: Philipp Gunz / MPI EVA LeipzigReuters

Oldest human bones ever discovered found in Morocco

It turns out humans have been on this planet far...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[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;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[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

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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

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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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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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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