A new investigation at a high‑Andean temple reveals that the distant ancestors of the Inca wielded psychoactive plants as a political tool. 



Archaeologists have uncovered bone tubes still coated with traces of mind‑altering snuff, showing that Chavín lords used controlled visions to cement their rule almost three millennia ago.



The discovery comes from a project led by researchers at the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a>, <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>, and partner institutions across South America. 



The experts analyzed artifacts from Chavín de Huántar, a vast ceremonial center that sits 10,000 feet above sea level in the Peruvian Andes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-use-of-psychoactive-plants">Ancient use of psychoactive plants</h2>



Inside narrow passageways and hidden rooms, the team found small hollow bones carved into elegant inhalation tubes. 



Chemical testing detected nicotine from wild tobacco relatives and residue from vilca beans, whose potent compounds are related to DMT.



Microscopic work confirmed plant particles embedded in the ancient surfaces. The date of the deposits makes this the oldest direct evidence for psychoactive plant use yet known in the high Andes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rituals-shaped-social-order">Rituals shaped social order</h2>



The placement of the tubes mattered. They were sealed within private chambers that could hold only a handful of people. That setting implies exclusive ceremonies, not widespread communal feasts.



The evidence matches a broader pattern of Chavín architecture, which funnels visitors through labyrinths toward dimly lit sanctuaries where sights, sounds, and fragrances overwhelm the senses.



“Taking psychoactives was not just about seeing visions. It was part of a tightly controlled ritual, likely reserved for a select few, reinforcing the social hierarchy,” said Daniel Contreras, an anthropological archaeologist at the University of Florida and a co‑author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chavin-rituals-meant-to-stun">Chavín rituals meant to stun</h2>



Stone corridors at Chavín already distort light and echo footsteps. Researchers have also recovered giant trumpets fashioned from imported conch shells. 



The deep blasts of those horns, amplified by the tunnels, would have rattled bone. Add intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/understanding-presence-hallucinations-impact-on-social-perception/">hallucinations</a>, and followers might have felt a raw presence of gods or spirits.



“The supernatural world isn’t necessarily friendly, but it’s powerful,” Contreras said. “These rituals, often enhanced by psychoactives, were compelling, transformative experiences that reinforced belief systems and social structures.”



By staging such events, leaders wrapped their authority in cosmic mystery. Participants emerged convinced that rank and building labor served a higher design. 



Craftspeople who carved the monumental granite slabs and farmers who fed the workforce likely saw themselves as part of a living myth, not as servants under duress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-belief-used-for-power">Belief used for power</h2>



“One of the ways that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wealth-inequality-began-shaping-human-societies-10000-years-ago/">inequality</a> was justified or naturalized was through ideology - through the creation of impressive ceremonial experiences that made people believe this whole project was a good idea,” Contreras said.



The snuff tubes thus fit a larger strategy. Earlier Andean settlements show few signs of strict hierarchy. By Chavín times, around 800 BCE, society had acquired priests, skilled artisans, and regional trade routes. 



Control over sacred knowledge, including plant lore, helped elites turn soft power into hard architecture and coordinated labor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychoactive-plant-mixture">Psychoactive plant mixture</h2>



Vilca beans grow in lowland forests far from Chavín’s icy heights. Their presence points to long‑distance exchange networks and to careful botanical skill.



When roasted, mixed with lime, and inhaled, the powder produces vivid visions, rapid heartbeat, and disorientation. 



Wild tobaccos add <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nicotine-pouches-are-a-new-dangerous-trend-among-teens/">nicotine</a>’s stimulant rush and sharp aroma. Combined, these plants could propel users into what seemed another realm.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bringing-invisible-details-to-light">Bringing invisible details to light</h2>



Contreras has worked at the site for nearly 30 years in a project directed by Stanford archaeologist John Rick.



Their excavations have mapped hidden galleries, sculpted stone icons, and water channels that once gurgled beneath temple floors. The new chemical analyses bring invisible details to light, showing not only what people did but also what they felt.



“It’s exciting that ongoing excavations can be combined with cutting‑edge archaeological science techniques to get us closer to understanding what it was like to live at this site,” Contreras said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-vision-to-empire">From vision to empire</h2>



The Chavín phenomenon spread a shared artistic style and worldview up and down the Peruvian coast and sierra. Later Andean states inherited its taste for grand plazas, stone imagery, and elite ritual.



By demonstrating the intentional use of psychoactive plants in tightly managed settings, the study bridges the gap between small egalitarian hamlets and the vast empires that eventually ruled the Cordillera.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-modern-glimpse-of-ancient-minds">A modern glimpse of ancient minds</h2>



Today, visitors to Chavín de Huántar walk through restored corridors where carved fangs and staring eyes still pierce the dim light. 



Knowing that select priests once knelt here, inhaled potent smoke, and proclaimed cosmic truths changes how we read those walls.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/archaeologists-find-hallucinogenic-seeds-in-ancient-bones-black-henbane/">bone</a> tubes, simple yet sophisticated, remind us that chemistry, belief, and social order have long been intertwined. In the high Andes, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-reveals-common-altered-states-of-consciousness/">altered consciousness</a> was more than a personal journey - it was statecraft written in breath and stone.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425125122">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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How psychoactive plants helped build an ancient empire

A new investigation at a high‑Andean temple reveals that the distant ancestors of the Inca wielded psychoactive plants as a political tool. Archaeologists have uncovered bone tubes still coated with traces of mind‑altering snuff, showing that Chavín lords used controlled visions to cement their rule almost three millennia ago. The discovery comes from a project led by researchers at the University of Florida, Stanford University, and partner institutions across South America. The experts analyzed artifacts from Chavín de Huántar, a vast ceremonial center that sits 10,000 feet above sea...

Currently, more than half of the states in the U.S. have passed laws allowing for the use of medicinal marijuana, while eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of recreational marijuana. As the availability of legal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-low-doses-relieve-stress/">marijuana</a> continues to grow, certain populations will have greater access to cannabis than ever before.

A recent study done at a cancer center located in a state with legalized recreational and medicinal marijuana found that roughly one-quarter of patients surveyed had used marijuana in the past year. Those surveyed said that they were using it for both physical and psychological symptoms. The study also found that legalization increased the probability of marijuana use among patients.

It is believed that cannabis can alleviate symptoms related to cancer treatment. Despite this, patterns of marijuana use among cancer patients have not been thoroughly investigated. To make up for this gap in data, Dr. Steven Pergam of the <a href="https://www.fredhutch.org/en.html">Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center</a> and his team surveyed over 900 patients at the Seattle Cancer Center Alliance.

They found that the majority of patients were interested in learning more about the use of marijuana during treatment. Well over half of the participants had used marijuana in the past, with 24 percent using it in the last year – and 21 percent using cannabis in the last month.

Through random urine sampling, the researchers discovered that 14 percent had evidence of recent cannabis use, although 18 percent had reported using it in the past week.

Despite the fact that 74 percent of the patients surveyed wanted more information from their cancer care providers, most of the participants reported that they were more likely to get information on medical marijuana from sources outside of the healthcare system.

“Cancer patients desire but are not receiving information from their cancer doctors about marijuana use during their treatment, so many of them are seeking information from alternate non-scientific sources,” says Dr. Pergam. “We hope that this study helps to open up the door for more studies aimed at evaluating the risks and benefits of marijuana in this population. This is important, because if we do not educate our patients about marijuana, they will continue to get their information elsewhere.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

One-quarter of cancer patients use medicinal marijuana

Currently, more than half of the states in the U.S....

Many parts of the world still lack basic sanitation and access to clean water, which facilitates the spread disease and often results in fatalities. But now, <a href="https://www.globalinnovationexchange.org/programs/water-innovation-engine">The Water Innovation Engine Program</a> has launched the Urban Sanitation Challenge to bring sustainable sanitation to the areas of the world where it is still not readily available. 

The Water Innovation Engine was formed in response to a call to action from the <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2016/01/21/united-nations-world-bank-group-launch-high-level-panel-on-water">United Nations/World Bank High-Level Panel on Water</a>. 

As the world’s population keeps rising, finding cheap and effective sanitation systems that consume little water and prevent disease is crucial, which prompted the <a href="http://www.grandchallenges.ca/">Grand Challenges Canada</a> organization to launch the program.

Currently, with many people lacking basic access to clean water and sanitation, millions are susceptible to disease, and many people, mostly children, die from these conditions.

In 2015, it was reported that 892 million people still defecate in the open, which also poses a threat to personal safety as well as health. 

In India, open defecation can be dangerous, <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/06/09/319529037/indias-rape-uproar-ignites-demand-to-end-open-defecation">specifically for women</a>. Many are harassed, and there have been reports of rapes and murders that happen when women go out at sunset and sunrise to relieve themselves. 

“The lack of sanitation has a disproportionate impact on vulnerable women and girls and leads to diarrhea, death and delayed child development. Investing in safe urban sanitation is key to advancing gender equality, and to ensuring the health and wellbeing of every woman and every child,” said Dr. Peter A. Singer, Chief Executive Officer of Grand Challenges Canada

There are currently five projects underway with the Urban Sanitation Challenge.

The first is an affordable toilet that uses less than one cup of water, blocks odors and diseases through a weighed flap that seals itself after use, and costs no more than 10 US dollars. 

More than one million of these toilets have been installed throughout the world, improving the lives of many. 

The other projects include providing bundled water and sanitation services for Laguna, a province in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/satellite-mount-pinatubo-philippines/">Philippines</a>, bringing sustainable sanitation to low-income urban households in Peru, improving the sanitation services in Kenya, and converting human waste into renewable fuel in Rwanda. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

New global initiative aims to bring sanitation to all worldwide

Many parts of the world still lack basic sanitation and...

Pet owners enjoy a wide range of health benefits such as lower blood pressure, decreased stress, and lower risk of stroke and heart attack, which is reason enough to head out to your local shelter and adopt. 

But what if you don't have a lot of time, energy, or money to invest in an animal? There are plenty of animals that are easier to take care of and much lower maintenance than the most popular pets like cats and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/guide-dogs-overbearing-mothers/">dogs</a>. Here are some ideas:

Fish

For those who do not have a lot of free time or free space to dedicate to a pet, fish would make ideal companions. Watching fish is known to have a calming effect and reduces anxiety. Fish are also quiet and will not be barking and waking up the neighbors at all hours of the night. They don't need much - just a clean tank and some food -and fish are relatively inexpensive to take care of.

Guinea Pigs

These fluffy animals are easy to care for and bring a lot of joy into the home. Guinea pigs are generally quiet yet very sociable and affectionate. They are also intelligent and love to cuddle. You will simply need a 4-square-foot hutch, a bowl for food, and a water sipper. Guinea pigs are vegans so their food does not cost much.

Birds

For people who work long hours or have an inconsistent schedule, a bird would make a great pet. Birds are extremely intelligent and make excellent companions. They do not require a lot of attention, but with training they can become very affectionate. Birds are inexpensive to feed, and their small cage does not take up much space.

Frogs

A frog would make an exceptional pet for someone who travels a lot. You only need to feed a frog 3 to 4 times a week, and they do not produce very much waste. Frogs can be entertaining without demanding attention in return. Frogs also live longer than most other pets, with some species living as many as 25 to 30 years.

Leopard Geckos

These lizards have a docile nature that makes them a good choice of pet for children of all ages. They are small and not very heavy so they can be easily handled by kids. Once you get them set up in their cage, they do not require a lot of effort. Leopard Geckos can easily live over 20 years, so you and your family will enjoy this low maintenance animal for many years.

Painted Turtles

As long as the water is at least as deep as twice the width of the turtle’s shell, there is hiding place inside the spacious tank in which the turtle cannot get trapped, and a basking area where the turtle can be completely out of the water and sprawl in the sunlight, these colorful reptiles are easy to care for. They can live indoors or outside, in an aquarium, a tank, or in a pond, painted turtles can be great pets.

Corn Snakes

Keep one corn snake to a cage, as they are not known for their social skills. A shoe-box sized cage is fine for a baby corn snake, but once they reach adulthood, make sure the cage is at least 20 gallons long and escape-proof--they can be sneaky.. Toss a branch in the cage for climbing, make sure there is adequate space inside for it to hide, and a corn snake can be a fabulous pet.

Hamsters

Hamsters enjoy a good cardio workout. A wheel inside the cage or a supervised hamster ball outside the cage will keep your hamster happy. They’re nocturnal animals so don’t take it personally if they don’t seem too interested in hanging out during the day.

Rabbits

If you have the space for a puppy pen (36 inches or higher), then your pet rabbit can actually live outside a cage. They enjoy a bit of space to frolic about. Make sure the floor of the rabbit housing area isn’t chewable and provide a small cat-sized litter box and your bunny will be good to go.

Hermit Crabs 

Give these little guys a terrarium with rocks to climb onto, sand to dig into, and adequate humidity (which can be accomplished with daily misting if necessary) and you’ll have one of the cooler pets out there. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a> and <a href="rarnold@earth.com">Darryl Joseph</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writers

The 10 easiest pets to care for

Pet owners enjoy a wide range of health benefits such...

For some time now, there has been a common misunderstanding that there are certain sexual moves or positions that are a guaranteed hit with all women. But a new study has challenged this notion and set out to explain the complexities and diverse range of female sexual satisfaction.

Researchers set out to create a wider scale to measure female pleasure and orgasm by using a population-based study involving over 1,000 US adult women, ages 18 to 94. They reported their findings in a report published in the Journal of Sex &amp; Marital Therapy.

“Most previous studies utilized clinical, college and convenience samples. We worked to change that with this research and provide data surveying a U.S. nationally representative probability sample of adult women,” said Debby Herbenick, a professor at the<a href="http://www.publichealth.indiana.edu/"> Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington</a> and lead author of the study. 

The results found that among the women surveyed, a little over 18 percent reported that intercourse alone was enough for orgasm, almost 37 percent reported that they required clitoral stimulation, and 41 percent of the respondents emphasized a preference for just one specific style of touch. 

One important finding was that there was no one preferred method among the women surveyed, with responses indicating a varied array of preferences in regards to touch, location, and pressure. 

“The study results challenge the mistaken, but common, notion that there are universal 'sex moves that work' for everyone. On the other hand, the data also make clear that there are certain styles of touch that are more commonly preferred by women, emphasizing the value of studying sexual pleasure - and not just sexual problems,” said Brian Dodge, an associate professor in the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington and a collaborator of the study. 

The study is the first of its kind to use US nationally representative data showing the varied preferences of women when it comes to sexual satisfaction and stimulation. 

The study is just part of the <a href="http://sexualhealth.indiana.edu/">IU School of Public Health's Center for Sexual Health Promotion</a>’s mission to understand and promote sexual health worldwide. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Study: Women have diverse sexual pleasure preferences

For some time now, there has been a common misunderstanding...

Any physical activity that allows you 30 minutes of exercise a day or 150 minutes a week is enough to help raise your heart rate and hinder cardiovascular disease. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/love-exercise-genetic/">Exercise</a> is often posed as something grueling and exhausting, but a new study reveals that even 30 minutes of brisk walking, including walking to work and doing chores, could be a lifesaver. 

The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study was led by the <a href="http://www.phri.ca/">Population Health Research Institute of McMaster University</a> and <a href="http://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/">Hamilton Health Sciences</a> and included data on more than 130,000 people from seventeen countries. 

What makes the PURE study stand out is that unlike other similar studies measuring the positive impact of physical activity, it includes people from low and middle-income countries.  

“By including low and middle-income countries in this study, we were able to determine the benefit of activities such as active commuting, having an active job or even doing housework,” said Dr. Scott Lear, a professor of <a href="http://www.fhs.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University's Faculty of Health Sciences</a> and the study’s lead investigator. 

The study shows that many people worldwide do not meet the activity guidelines necessary to improve heart health, and that something as simple as walking to work or washing the floor could have a positive impact. 

According to the research, 150 minutes of exercise a week can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 28 percent.

The results also showed that there was no cap on the amount of exercise that would be beneficial. It turned out that only 3 percent of study participants met their allotted exercise requirements by leisure activity, while the majority of the subjects were able to meet the criteria by walking to work and doing chores. 

“If everyone was active for at least 150 minutes per week, over seven years a total of 8% of deaths could be prevented,” said Dr. Salim Yusuf, the director of the Population Health Research Institute.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Any activity counts as long as you get 30 min of exercise

Any physical activity that allows you 30 minutes of exercise...

If you’re hanging out with a friend who is in a particularly good or bad mood, you may notice that their attitude tends to rub off on you. That feeling is now supported by research, as a new study led by a team from the <a href="https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/">University of Warwick</a> has found that both good and bad moods can be picked up from friends – but luckily, depression can’t. 

The researchers looked at data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, which contains info on the moods and friendship networks of U.S. adolescents in schools. Their findings show that moods spread over friendship networks, as do some symptoms of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychedelic-mushrooms-treat-depression/">depression</a> such as loss of interest and helplessness. On the bright side, they also found that these effects weren’t strong enough to cause other friends to suffer from depression as well.

Results showed that having more friends who suffer from bad moods leads to a higher likelihood of an individual also experiencing bad moods with a decreased probability of improving. The opposite effect occurred with adolescents who had more positive social networks.

“Evidence suggests mood may spread from person to person via a process known as social contagion,” explains Rob Eyre, the lead researcher of the study. “Previous studies have found social support and befriending to be beneficial to mood disorders in adolescents while recent experiments suggest that an individual’s emotional state can be affected by exposure to the emotional expressions of social contacts.”

About 350 million people suffer from depression worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. With so many people affected by this condition, this study emphasizes the importance of understanding the impacts adolescents have on each other when they’re exhibiting depressive symptoms. The study also shows that there is more to depression than simply being in a bad mood. 

The researchers suggest evidence-based strategies for improving mood, such as exercise, sleeping well, and managing stress. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Science proves good and bad moods are contagious

If you’re hanging out with a friend who is in...

Babies learn a lot about how to behave from the cues they observe from the other people around them. According to the results of a new study, this may also be connected to their drive to push through failure and attempt to achieve a goal. This is an important trait for infants to learn, as other studies have found that school-aged children who learn to push through initial failures are more successful later in life. Adults may be role models for infants to learn perseverance and the ability to persist when faced with failure. 

Babies also may be able to absorb abstract concepts about how to behave by observing adults push through setbacks.

In a study done by by Julia Leonard and her colleagues, the researchers measured how long 15 month-old children persisted at a task after seeing adults exert variable amounts of effort. One group of infants watched an adult succeed at one of two tasks – either opening a container or removing a toy from a key ring – after struggling for thirty seconds. A second group of infants watched adults do these tasks quickly and with no effort. The third group was the baseline group and didn’t observe any demonstration by the adults.

Next, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-babies-monkey-vocalize/">babies</a> were presented with a different task – activating a toy music box by pressing a non-functional button. The infants who had watched the adults struggle and succeed made more attempts to activate the box than those who observed adults making little effort or the baseline condition.

These results show that babies truly do learn from their surroundings, and are influenced by how adults act around them. This is important for parents and any other adults working with babies to understand as they subconsciously teach perseverance to the infants around them.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Babies learn perseverance from adults

Babies learn a lot about how to behave from the...

A new study has found that prolonged participation in sports beginning in mid-life can help keep a person physically fit and active in their old age.

The study set to determine if sustained physical activity in middle-aged men had any effect on old age. Researchers wanted to see if retired men were more or less likely to continue some form of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/love-exercise-genetic/">physical activity</a> based on their fitness history. 

The results revealed that sports were the physical activity most likely to endure into old age, and suggests that playing sports could lead to a healthier and more active life after retirement. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> and published in the journal BMJ Open.

Researchers gathered data for 3,500 men who were part of the British Regional Heart Study. 

The men were observed for 20 years, starting when they were ages 40 to 59, and then follow-ups occurred after 12, 16, and 20 years. 

The study participants were asked about their medical history, lifestyle, fitness preferences, how long they would do a certain activity and what that activity was. 

If a test participant played sports, they were also asked to include how long they had been playing for. 

The researchers found that men who were active in middle age were almost three times as likely to be physically active after 20 years, with sports being the heaviest influencer of later-life activity.

If the participants reported that they had played sports for 25 years, they were five times as likely to be physically active after retirement. 

 “Early engagement in sport and structured exercise may be vital for developing the necessary motor skills needed to establish a lifelong habit for physical activity,” said Daniel Aggio, the lead author of the study. “However, it may also be important to provide opportunities to take up other forms of exercise, such as walking, during the transition to old age.”

The study reinforces the notion that the earlier one gets started with consistent physical activity, the easier it is to maintain as you age.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mid-life physical activity helps you stay fit into old age

A new study has found that prolonged participation in sports...

A study from the <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/">Pew Research Center</a> reveals that most Americans only get science news a few times a month, and even then they stumble upon the information instead of seeking it out. 36 percent of Americans say they get science news more than a few times per week. 30 percent of those individuals report intentionally seeking it out, while only 17 percent of Americans report actively seeking out and consuming science news.

A survey of 4,024 U.S. adults shows that 54 percent of Americans rely on general news outlets for their science news. Despite this fact, Americans admit that specialty sources such as museums, science magazines and websites (like <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>!), and science documentaries are more likely to be accurate. In fact, nearly half of U.S. adults say that specialty sources have reliable science news most of the time, while only 28 percent believe general news sources get the science facts right most of the time.

With science information being increasingly at the center of public and political issues, it is surprising that more Americans are not actively pursuing it. The 17 percent minority of Americans who seek out science news and consume it most often are more engaged with science information in their personal lives and on social media. They are also more likely to have visited a park or museum in the last year and to have a science-related hobby.


The study reveals that only around 26 percent of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-helping-communities-manage-fires/">social media</a> users follow science accounts. 44 percent of individuals who use social media report seeing science news on these outlets that they have not seen elsewhere. 52 percent say that they mostly distrust the accuracy of the science posts, while 26 percent say they mostly trust science posts on social media.

The research also finds that Republicans and Democrats are equally likely to be active science news consumers and show similar levels of interest in science news. There is a notable difference, however, in opinions about how the media covers science. 64 percent of Democrats say that news media outlets do a good job of covering science compared with 50 percent of Republicans.

"Despite wide political divides in views about some science-related issues, such as climate change and energy, U.S. adults from both sides of the aisle are quite similar in their levels of interest, consumption, and tendency to get science news from general news outlets," explains researcher Amy Mitchell.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Poll: Science sites are more accurate than general news outlets

A study from the Pew Research Center reveals that most...

Exhibiting self-control means more than just harnessing your impulsive desires or exercising restraint. It can also refer to the day-to-day decisions you make to be your most productive and efficient self. 

Say you practice self-control all day, working hard, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/best-diet-longer-life/">eating right</a>, staying focused, and by the time you get home and wind down for the evening, you’re spent. Instead of exercising or doing a load of laundry, you decide to watch a few episodes of your favorite show. Is this because you’ve used up your allotted amount of self-control for the day? 

Previously, psychologists and scientists condoned the idea that self-control is limited, and exhibiting self-control throughout the day exhausts those resources.  

Any early studies that tried to conclusively prove that people lose motivation on tasks through the day, though, were unable to do so with sufficient evidence. 

But now, a new study from the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> has found that self-control is not a finite resource, although we may experience fatigue at the end of the day.

The study was led by Daniel Randles and was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0182980">PLOS ONE</a>.

Randles found that self-control doesn’t necessarily diminish throughout the day, but what is mentally taxing is the amount of focus and time spent on a single task. Randles also discovered that time of day does not affect motivation.

For the study, Randles and his team collaborated with Cerego, an online software company that provided online tests to two groups of students over seventeen-week intervals.

The tests were based around language and topic learning, and the researchers recorded how long the students spent per session and what time they performed the tasks.  

The results of the tests showed that time of day had no impact on a student’s completing a test. 

“Time-of-day has no detrimental effect on motivation; rather there is a strong tendency to increase learning time at night,” said Randall.

The researchers found that what did affect performance was the amount of time spent on a single task, noting drops in performance after an hour had been spent on a test. 

The research proves that motivation is dependent on how long we spend focusing on a single task, but that self-control is not limited.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Study: Self-control is not a finite resource

Exhibiting self-control means more than just harnessing your impulsive desires...

Gender expectations are universal for adolescents around the world – not necessarily in their exact specifications, but in their prevalence and the effects they have on young girls and boys.

A novel 15-country study released by the <a href="http://www.geastudy.org/">Global Early Adolescent Study</a> has found that the onset of adolescence triggers a surprisingly common set of rigidly enforced gender expectations that researchers connected to an increase in lifelong risks of everything from HIV to violence and suicide. 

In the most comprehensive study to date, researchers analyzed data from high, low, and middle-income countries encompassing how children entering adolescence perceive growing up as their respective genders. The countries range from China to Bolivia and Scotland to the United States. Public health experts from around the world joined together to assess how a variety of culturally enforced gender stereotypes – all associated with increased risk of mental and physical health problems – become established between the ages of 10 and 14. 

“We found children at a very early age – from the most conservative to the most liberal societies – quickly internalize this myth that girls are vulnerable and boys are strong and independent,” says Robert Blum, director of the Global Early Adolescent Study at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a>. “And this message is being constantly reinforced at almost every turn, by siblings, classmates, teachers, parents, guardians, relatives, clergy and coaches.”

Blum believes that these findings point towards a need to restructure <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-longer-grow/">adolescent</a> health interventions in order to focus on much younger age groups, as these interventions usually focus on adolescents 15 years or older.

“Adolescent health risks are shaped by behaviors rooted in gender roles that can be well established in kids by the time they are ten or 11 years old,” explains Kristin Mmari, associate professor and lead researcher for the qualitative research at the Global Early Adolescent Study. “Yet we see billions of dollars around the world invested in adolescent health programs that don’t kick in until they are 15, and by then it’s probably too late to make a big difference.”

Researchers found that, in countries around the world, children are made to believe in gender-based restrictions, some of which are rationalized to “protect” girls yet leave them vulnerable to subservience and physical abuse. In many of the countries studied, these stereotypes leave girls at an increased risk of dropping out of school, being exposed to violence, child marriage, early pregnancy, and HIV. 

Boys were also found to be harmed by stereotypes they learn in early adolescence. Emphasis on physical strength and independence make them more likely to be victims of physical violence as well as homicide, and more likely to use tobacco or similar substances. 

Mmari states that many of the gender stereotypes found in this study come as no surprise. Unfortunately, they are ingrained in children at a young age and are relatively common across cultures and economic status. Helping children beat the issues that come along with imposed stereotypes would need to be a concerted effort across many nations.

“Change can happen, but it requires political will and a variety of interventions,” says Blum. “It also requires the knowledge that children pick up on these gender mythologies at a very young age and they proceed to play out in a variety of ways – often damaging – for the rest of their lives.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rigid gender stereotypes and expectations found across the globe

Gender expectations are universal for adolescents around the world –...

People who believe that facts in the news are shaped by politics are more likely to stand behind false truths, according to a new study. Individuals who rely on their instincts are also more likely to embrace fake news, while people who form fact-based beliefs have a more accurate view of issues in the news.

Kelly Garrett is a professor of Communication at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> and the study's lead author.

"Scientific and political misperceptions are dangerously common in the U.S. today,” said Garrett. “The willingness of large minorities of Americans to embrace falsehoods and conspiracy theories poses a threat to society's ability to make well-informed decisions about pressing matters.”

Garrett teamed up with Brian Weeks of the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> to get a better idea of how people form their beliefs and to determine whether this influences their inclination to accept ideas that have little or no evidence to support them. The team examined data from three nationally representative surveys that included as many as 1,000 participants.

Participants in the surveys had rated statements such as "I trust my gut to tell me what's true and what's not," "Evidence is more important than whether something feels true," and "Facts are dictated by those in power."
The experts analyzed the responses to estimate how much the individuals relied on their intuition, needed concrete evidence, or believed that "truth" is political.

Next, the researchers examined how the participants' approach to deciding what is true was related to their beliefs about controversial subjects. The study included questions about topics such as the connection between human activity and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cost-climate-change/">climate change</a>.

The researchers found that participants who believed that news is molded by politics and power were more likely to stand behind fabrications. On the other hand, those who needed concrete evidence were less likely to believe fabricated news.

"While trusting your gut may be beneficial in some situations, it turns out that putting faith in intuition over evidence leaves us susceptible to misinformation," said Weeks.

Garrett pointed out that it is important to acknowledge that people's beliefs are not based solely upon political predispositions.

"Misperceptions don't always arise because people are blinded by what their party or favorite news outlet is telling them," he said.

Garrett added that, "Making an effort to base your beliefs on evidence is an easy way to help avoid being misled."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People who rely on instinct are more likely to believe fake news

People who believe that facts in the news are shaped...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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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

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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"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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