Being cool can feel elusive and almost mythic - something we “know when we see it,” yet struggle to define.



A sweeping new investigation led by marketing scholars Todd Pezzuti of <a href="https://www.uai.cl/">Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez</a> and Caleb Warren of the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> argues that the concept is far less mysterious than it seems.



Across twelve nations, nearly 6,000 participants independently picked out the same constellation of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personality-type-can-accurately-predict-your-relationship-status/">personality</a> traits when describing a cool person. 



The findings reveal not only what separates “cool” from “good” but also why cool people tend to become catalysts of social change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-cool-across-12-nations">Mapping cool across 12 nations</h2>



Between 2018 and 2022, the research team collected online responses from adults in the United States, Australia, Chile, mainland China, Hong Kong, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey.



Participants first confirmed that they understood the slang meaning of the word “cool,” then spent a few minutes imagining someone who embodied one of four labels: cool, uncool, good, or not good.



Afterward, volunteers evaluated that imagined person on a battery of personality dimensions drawn from psychology’s “Big Five” model and Schwartz’s theory of universal values.



Because all responses came from internet users in relatively urban settings, the sample leans toward technologically connected citizens. 



Still, it is one of the most culturally diverse datasets ever assembled to study reputational judgments. The result is a uniquely global snapshot of how people assign social prestige.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-cool-and-good-part-ways"><a></a>Where cool and good part ways</h2>



When the investigators compared ratings, they found considerable overlap: both cool and good people scored high on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-with-many-facial-expressions-seem-more-social-and-likeable/">likability</a>. Yet important divergences emerged.



In all the places they studied, people consistently perceived cool individuals as more extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, and autonomous. 



Good people, by contrast, ranked as conforming, traditional, secure, warm, agreeable, universalistic, conscientious, and calm.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cool-people-aren-t-always-good">Cool people aren't always "good"</h2>



In Pezzuti’s view, the cool profile evokes a kind of charismatic boundary-pusher: energetic, novelty seeking, and unapologetically self-directed.



That explains why cool individuals can inspire fashion trends or launch creative movements - roles that sometimes require bending social rules rather than following them.



“To be seen as cool, someone usually needs to be somewhat likable or admirable, which makes them similar to good people," said Warren. "However, cool people often have other traits that aren’t necessarily considered ‘good’ in a moral sense, like being hedonistic and powerful.”



The cool persona therefore straddles acceptance and transgression: admired enough to influence peers, rebellious enough to feel fresh.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cool-traits-go-global">Cool traits go global</h2>



In the mid-20th century, “cool” circulated in small countercultures - from Black jazz clubs to Beatnik cafés. Over the decades, fashion labels, record companies and Hollywood studios harnessed the aura of cool, broadcasting certain looks and attitudes to a worldwide audience.



The new study suggests that process may have standardized the meaning of the term. Even participants who live 10,000 miles apart now recognize the same signature <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personality-traits-linked-to-willingness-to-volunteer-or-donate/">traits</a>. As the authors note, the meaning of cool has crystallized on a similar set of traits and values around the world.



Pezzuti does not see commercialization as a death knell. “Coolness has definitely evolved over time, but I don’t think it has lost its edge. It’s just become more functional,” he said.



“The concept of coolness started in small, rebellious sub-cultures, including Black jazz musicians in the 1940s and the beatniks in the 1950s. As society moves faster and puts more value on creativity and change, cool people are more essential than ever.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-coolness-matters">Why coolness matters</h2>



Because cool people display power and autonomy while earning admiration, the researchers argue that coolness helps establish informal hierarchies. Instead of relying solely on wealth or institutional authority, communities also elevate figures who embody daring and originality.



These individuals, in turn, shape cultural norms by modeling alternative ways to dress, speak, or live. As Pezzuti puts it, “everyone wants to be cool, or at least avoid the stigma of being uncool, and society needs cool people because they challenge norms, inspire change, and advance culture.”



That dual role - both aspirational and disruptive - makes the cool persona uniquely influential. Marketers know this instinctively when they cast charismatic musicians in sneaker ads. Activists harness it when they infuse protest art with edgy style.



The study provides empirical backing for those intuitions: people from Lagos to Los Angeles consistently associate coolness with adventurous independence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coolness-in-the-digital-age">Coolness in the digital age</h2>



The team notes their study excludes rural and offline groups, whose ideas of cool may differ significantly. They also restricted the study to cultures already familiar with the English slang term, potentially narrowing linguistic nuance.



Future projects could test whether the six-trait profile - extraverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open, and autonomous - holds in additional societies or emerges in other languages.



Researchers are likewise curious about how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-pressure-is-straining-teen-friendships/">social media</a> platforms, which accelerate the spread of trends, might further synchronize or fragment global standards of cool. Does TikTok broaden identity through niche subcultures or reinforce the six-trait mold by favoring charismatic risk-takers?



For now, the evidence is striking: when people across five continents imagine someone undeniably cool, they picture remarkably similar qualities. 



Coolness, it turns out, may be one of the few cross-cultural constants - an unwritten code that transcends borders even as it keeps pushing boundaries.



The study is published in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxge0001799">Journal of Experimental Psychology: General</a>.



-----



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What makes people cool? Scientists tracked down the traits

Being cool can feel elusive and almost mythic - something we “know when we see it,” yet struggle to define. A sweeping new investigation led by marketing scholars Todd Pezzuti of Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and Caleb Warren of the University of Arizona argues that the concept is far less mysterious than it seems. Across twelve nations, nearly 6,000 participants independently picked out the same constellation of personality traits when describing a cool person. The findings reveal not only what separates “cool” from “good” but also why cool...

Rainfall plays a critical role in food security, and rain shortages or excessive rainfall can cause poverty and hunger, particularly in low income countries. A new study reveals that rainfall may also become key in planning strategies to eliminate food insecurity. 

The study is the first to examine the association between food insecurity, smallholder farms, and rainfall patterns on a large scale. The research may provide a range of interventions to address the issue of hunger.

Smallholder farms are farms with few resources that depend on the family for labor and on their own crops for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-cues-people-overeat/">food</a> or income. There are 460 to 500 million of these smallholder farms in the world. They grow approximately 80 percent of the food consumed in the world’s poorest countries.

The researchers investigated the conditions of 2,000 smallholder farms in Africa and Asia. Meredith Niles of the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>'s Department of Nutrition and Food Science is the lead author of the study. 

"The big picture is that one strategy is unlikely to work everywhere," said Niles. "Understanding the climate context is important in determining what interventions may be most effective.”.

The farms analyzed in the study were grouped into three categories including those that received less than average rainfall, those that received average rainfall, and those that received more rain than average.

The farms with less than average rainfall experienced more food insecurity. These operations saw an average of 3.81 months without enough productivity in the year of the study. The average farms experienced 3.67 less productive months, while the wetter farms had 2.86 months with less food. Every farm surveyed experienced significant food insecurity. 

"The study reaffirms what we know: that food insecurity is a widespread problem in these areas," said Niles.

The study found that whether or not various interventions resulted in improved food security was statistically linked with the amount of rain the farms had received in the previous year.

For farms with drier than average conditions, cash from other businesses, loans, and cash gifts were more frequently correlated with better food security. 

"Water is a fundamentally limiting factor," Niles said. "If you don't have it, then agricultural inputs likely don't matter. What you need, at least in the short term, is cash."

With wetter farms, the use of pesticides, fertilizer, and veterinary medicines led to increased food security. For the farms with average rainfall, both strategies worked.

"We don't see an effect that financial strategies in wetter than average households make a difference in the short-term," said Niles. "But these financial strategies seem to be especially important when drought or reduced rainfall impacts crop production and income sources."

Niles explained that establishing which interventions work and which do not is increasingly urgent because of climate change. 

"The majority of smallholder farms rely on rain-fed agriculture, so they are vulnerable to climate change, which is slated to likely increase rainfall variability,” said Niles. “Our work suggests that absent appropriate interventions, these future conditions may worsen food insecurity."

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Weather statistics could help eliminate world hunger

Rainfall plays a critical role in food security, and rain...

A recent study suggests that babies have intuition that helps them perceive how people make decisions. According to the research, infants can assess how badly a person wants to accomplish a specific goal through observation.

Researchers from the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> and <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> teamed up for the groundbreaking research, which has established that babies as young as 10 months old can evaluate how much someone values a particular goal by noticing how hard they work to achieve it.

"Infants are far from experiencing the world as a 'blooming, buzzing confusion,'" said lead author Shari Liu. "They interpret people's actions in terms of hidden variables, including the effort [people] expend in producing those actions, and also the value of the goals those actions achieve."

Previous studies have demonstrated that adults and older children can interpret the motivations of others by gauging how much effort is being put in. For the current study, the research team set out to determine when and how this ability develops. 

The researchers showed 10-month-old infants animated videos in which an "agent," a cartoon character shaped like a bouncing ball, tries to reach a certain goal by leaping over walls. First, the agent jumped over a low wall but then refused to jump over a medium-sized wall. Next, the agent jumped over the medium-sized wall but refused to jump over a high wall.

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/babies-understand-related-words/">babies</a> were then shown a scene in which the agent could choose between the two goals, with no obstacles in the way. An adult would assume that the agent would choose the second goal, because he had obviously worked much harder to reach that goal. 

Remarkably, the researchers found that 10-month-olds reached this same conclusion.  When the agent was shown choosing the first goal instead of the second, the infants gazed at the scene longer, which indicated to the experts that they were surprised by the scene’s outcome. In studies, the length of time an infant looks at something is commonly used to measure surprise.

During similar trials, the researchers got the same reaction from the babies.

"Across our experiments, we found that babies looked longer when the agent chose the thing it had exerted less effort for, showing that they infer the amount of value that agents place on goals from the amount of effort that they take toward these goals,"said Liu.

The results of the study indicate that babies calculate the value of a reward based on the energy that is put into getting it.

Study co-author Josh Tenenbaum said,"This paper is not the first to suggest that idea, but its novelty is that it shows this is true in much younger babies than anyone has seen. These are preverbal babies, who themselves are not actively doing very much, yet they appear to understand other people's actions in this sophisticated, quantitative way.”

The findings of the study are published in the journal<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/"> Science</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Babies have intuition that senses how much adults want something

A recent study suggests that babies have intuition that helps...

Why do humans fall in love? Scientists have the answer. Researchers may have finally solved the mystery of why people fall in love. For the very first time, scientists have found that the emotion of love evolved as a way to increase the likelihood of reproductive success.

Dr. Piotr Sorokowski, an expert in cultural and biological anthropology at the <a href="https://international.uni.wroc.pl/en/s3.php">University of Wroclaw</a>, led the study. The research team set out to find the “biological basis” of love, and focused their investigation on the Hadza people of Tanzania, a traditional hunter-gatherer population. 

Considering that contraception disrupts the natural connection between love and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bilingual-children-learn-faster/">children</a>, this group was ideal for the study because they do not use modern contraception. Furthermore, the lives of the Hadza people have changed very little over the last 10,000 years, making them a useful resource for insight into the lives of our prehistoric ancestors.

With the help of a local interpreter, the experts interviewed Hadza individuals about love. The researchers used Sternberg’s Triangular Love Scale as their model. This theory measures three main components of love including intimacy, passion, and commitment. The participants also answered questions about children born in their current marriage. 

The study revealed a positive connection between passion and reproductive success in both sexes. This is likely due to the fact that passion increases the number of sexual encounters between partners. 

Commitment was also established as a significant positive predictor of the number of children in a marriage. This makes sense due to the fact that commitment helps people maintain stable relationships and stick together.

The study authors wrote, “Our study provides the ﬁrst evidence that human love is related to reproductive success. Among the three investigated love components, commitment was positively related to reproductive success for both the sexes.”

The researchers found a decline in the amount of intimacy associated with having more children, which could be simply due to the stress involved in raising kids. In addition, women can satisfy their need for intimacy by spending time with their children.

The scientists concluded that passion and commitment are the two main components of love that humans have adapted for procreative success.

“We hypothesize that passion and commitment were among the key factors increasing ﬁtness, and therefore that selection might promote love in human evolution,” said the study authors.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why do humans fall in love? Scientists have the answer

Why do humans fall in love? Scientists have the answer....

One of the most popular forms of exercise is called HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, where quick bursts of intense activity are punctuated by short recovery periods. 

High-intensity interval exercise is an excellent workout, but now a new study has found that it also improves memory. 

The study was conducted by researchers from <a href="http://www.mcmaster.ca/">McMaster University,</a> and the results show that six weeks of 20-minute interval training exercises help improve high-interference memory. 

High-interference memory enables people to do things like distinguish one car from another of the same model.  

For the study, the researchers split 95 participants into three different exercise groups. 

The first group did high-intensity interval training, the second combined exercise with cognitive training, and the third group was the control and didn’t do any form of exercise.

The researchers observed changes in fitness, memory and neurotrophic factor in the study participants both before and after the six-week program. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor is a protein vital to the growth and function of brain cells. 

The two groups that were part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hour-exercise-prevent-depression/">exercise</a> and cognitive training programs did better on high-interference memory tasks than the control group, and those that showed improved fitness gains had greater increases in the neurotrophic factor protein. 

According to the researchers, the results show an important connection between exercise and improved memory performance. 

“Improvements in this type of memory from exercise might help to explain the previously established link between aerobic exercise and better academic performance,” said Jennifer Heisz, the lead author of the study.

The researchers hope to expand their findings further to examine if this exercise-memory connection could help older adults who deal with memory impairment.

“At the other end of our lifespan, as we reach our senior years, we might expect to see even greater benefits in individuals with memory impairment brought on by conditions such as dementia,” said Heisz. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

High-intensity exercise can improve your memory

One of the most popular forms of exercise is called...

Being left-handed may actually give you an advantage in a number of different sports, according to new research. 

Historically, being left-handed was not always looked on in the best light, and lefties only make up about ten percent of the population today. 

But in certain sports where time pressure is a factor, being left-handed gives many players an edge because of the element of surprise. 

A new study, conducted by Florian Loffing from the <a href="https://www.uni-oldenburg.de/en/">University of Oldenburg Germany</a>, discovered that left-handed players succeed in some sports because their opponents can’t anticipate their moves. 

Loffing observed the top 100 players in different sports between 2009 and 2014, and measured the speed of the game that the players participated in. 

The results show that in fast-paced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/watching-sports-heart-stress/">sports</a> there were more left-handed athletes and star players. 

According to a recent piece in the <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lefthanded-sports-players-have-an-advantage-scientists-argue-w2vd0lndn">Times</a>, almost one in three star pitchers in baseball are left-handed. 

Loffing concluded that left-handed players were almost three times as likely to excel in sports like cricket, tennis, baseball, and table tennis compared to right-handed players. 

The reason behind this advantage, according to the study, is the “fighting hypothesis.” The theory postulates that because left-handed people are few and far between, in combat situations lefties have the high ground because they are unexpected.

Loffing’s study seems to support the fighting hypothesis. 

“According to the fighting hypothesis, frequency-dependent selection gives relatively rarer left-handers a competitive edge in duel-like contests and is suggested as one mechanism that ensured the stable maintenance of handedness polymorphism in humans,” wrote Loffing in his study.  

The study is good news for left-handed people who don’t always have it easy maneuvering in a right-hand dominated society. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://www.earthc.com">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Being left-handed gives you an advantage in sports

Being left-handed may actually give you an advantage in a...

Researchers from <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford University</a> are emphasizing that the value of water cannot be measured. The team has developed a new framework to value water for the Sustainable Development Goals, which they have published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>. Their report highlights the increasing need for water management both locally and globally, and proposes a plan for better policy and practices.

The urgent need to re-evaluate the importance of water is due to a number of reasons. 

The study authors write, “Water is not just about sustaining life, it plays a vital role in sustainable development. Water's value is evident in all of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, from poverty alleviation and ending hunger, where the connection is long recognised - to sustainable cities and peace and justice, where the complex impacts of water are only now being fully appreciated.”

The researchers also point out that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hot-water-freezes-faster-cold-water/">water</a> security is now a global concern that is growing more serious. 

They explain, “The negative impacts of water shortages, flooding and pollution have placed water related risks among the top 5 global threats by the World Economic Forum for several years running. In 2015, Oxford-led research on water security quantified expected losses from water shortages, inadequate water supply and sanitation and flooding at approximately $500B USD annually.” 

According to the World Bank, “the cost of a drought in cities is four times greater than a flood, and a single drought in rural Africa can ignite a chain of deprivation and poverty across generations.”

The <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/HLPWater">UN High Level Panel on Water</a> has launched a new strategy on “Valuing Water,” and the growing consensus is that the profit of water is beyond monetary value. With this in mind, governments need to look at valuing water as a challenge that requires investment in better policies going forward.

The study authors suggest that water management must be focused on four priorities: measurement, valuation, trade-offs, and capable institutions for allocating and financing water. Dustin Garrick is the lead author of the study.

"Our paper responds to a global call to action: the cascading negative impacts of scarcity, shocks and inadequate water services underscore the need to value water better,” says Garrick. “There may not be any silver bullets, but there are clear steps to take. We argue that valuing water is fundamentally about navigating trade-offs. The objective of our research is to show why we need to rethink the value of water, and how to go about it, by leveraging technology, science and incentives to punch through stubborn governance barriers. Valuing water requires that we value institutions."

Study co-author Richard Damania explains,"Current water management policies are outdated and unsuited to addressing the water related challenges of the 21st century. Without policies to allocate finite supplies of water more efficiently, control the burgeoning demand for water and reduce wastage, water stress will intensify where water is already scarce and spread to regions of the world - with impacts on economic growth and the development of water-stressed nations."

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts warn that humans take water for granted

Researchers from Oxford University are emphasizing that the value of...

When you hear the term “spy plants,” you might think of something out of a James Bond film. But the <a href="https://www.darpa.mil/">Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency</a> (DARPA) is currently working to develop genetically modified plants that could be used for a wide range of military applications, including spying and detecting threats like radiation. 

DARPA is the branch of the US military that creates new military technology, and spy plants could help identify where landmines are located and sense deadly pathogens in an area. 

These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pests-genetically-modified-crops/">genetically modified</a> plants are not yet a reality, but DARPA’s <a href="http://www.clemson.edu/centers-institutes/itg/departments/apt/index.html">Advanced Plant Technologies </a>(APT) program is hosting a Proposers Day where researchers can weigh in and make suggestions on which types of plants would work best. 

The program’s goal is to build on the natural ability of plants to sense outside stimuli like pollution, and then genetically modify the plants to be hyper-tuned to threats like chemicals or electromagnetic signals. 

“Plants are highly attuned to their environments and naturally manifest physiological responses to basic stimuli such as light and temperature, but also in some cases to touch, chemicals, pests, and pathogens,” said Blake Bextine, the Program Manager for the APT program.

Satellites will be used to monitor these “smart plants,” and the APT program will work closely with federal regulations and biosafety committees to ensure that the plant’s survival is not hindered. 

Bextine added that the new plant technologies would also reduce the risks posed to military personnel and prove less costly than traditional military sensor technology. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Military announces plans for genetically modified spy plants

When you hear the term “spy plants,” you might think...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> have determined that noise encountered on public transportation can be harmful to your health. The experts say that exposure to noise while biking or taking the train over long periods of time can cause hearing loss and increase other serious health risks as well.

"This study is the first to look at and quantify the amount of noise people are exposed to during their daily commute, specifically on the Toronto Transit System,” said study co-author Dr. Vincent Lin. “We now are starting to understand that chronic excessive noise exposure leads to significant systemic pathology, such as depression, anxiety, increased risk of chronic diseases and increased accident risk. Short, intense noise exposure has been demonstrated to be as injurious as longer, less intense noise exposure."

Using noise dosimeters, the researchers measured noise on public means of transit including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trillions-of-microbes-are-riding-the-subways/">subways</a>, trams, and buses in Toronto. They also measured the noise encountered through private modes of transportation such as biking, walking, and driving in a car. 

While the analysis of 210 total noise measurements revealed that noise stayed at recommended safe levels on average, the experts discovered that bursts of loud noise were at high enough levels to put people at risk whether they were travelling in public or private. In addition, the researchers established that average noise levels by bike were greater than any other mode of transportation.

"We were surprised at the overall average noise exposure commuters experience on a daily basis, especially the peak noise intensity not only on trains but also on buses,” said Dr. Lin. “Planners need to be more considerate of noise exposure in future planning of public spaces and public transit routes. Toronto in particular, as the transit network expands, needs to consider ways to reduce noise exposure as a preventative measure for future health risks."

The authors of the study recommend the use of hearing protection during public transport. They explained that further studies are needed to investigate other noise exposure factors, such as lengthy transit times and the use of music players.

The research is published in the <a href="https://journalotohns.biomedcentral.com/">Journal of Otolaryngology - Head &amp; Neck Surgery</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Public transportation may damage your hearing

Researchers at the University of Toronto have determined that noise...

Can your taste in music be changed with magnets? According to researchers at <a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a>, the answer is yes. By stimulating the brain with magnets for a few moments, the experts can control how much a person enjoys the music they are hearing. 

For the study, the research team asked 17 participants to listen to various clips of music and also informed them that the music was available for purchase. The individuals rated how much they enjoyed each of the tracks. Next, the researchers used a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to arouse part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-risky-decision-making/">brain</a> during each track. 

The magnets were used to either stimulate or suppress the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which helps to regulate the executive functions such as reasoning, planning, memory, and inhibition.

The study revealed that participants gave music substantially higher ratings when the DLPFC was stimulated. In addition, they spent ten percent more money on music they had not even enjoyed at the beginning of the experiment. When the DLPFC was suppressed, on the other hand, the individuals gave the music lower ratings and spent 15 percent less money to purchase songs.

Previous studies have shown that using magnetic stimulation on the DLPFC alters the amount of dopamine released by the brain. This technique was found to particularly affect the amount of dopamine released in the striatum, which is a region of the brain that controls reward processing. In the past, research has shown that the striatum is activated when music is extremely pleasing to a person.

Dr. Robert Zatorre is a cognitive neuroscientist at McGill University and lead author of the study.

Dr. Zatorre told New Scientist, “The physiology had been established, but the idea that you could make people like music more or less was a little bit science-fiction. This mechanism is unlikely to be particular to pleasure experienced from music, and may apply to other types of stimuli.”

The researchers believe this type of therapy may help patients with brain disorders that prevent them from enjoying experiences that they once took pleasure in. Magnetic stimulation of the DLPFC may also be used to treat people with depression, obsessive behaviors, or addiction.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The type of music you like can be totally changed using magnets

Can your taste in music be changed with magnets? According...

When driving home from work, you might get a craving for fast food even though you know you have food to make at home. The fast-food chains and neon signs catch your eye and practically beg you to take a quick detour. Even if you just ate, you still might be tempted to get something greasy and fried.

Now, a new study from the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> has found that food cues, such as advertisements for restaurants and fast food menu signs, can be a powerful motivator and drive people to overeat.

Food cues stimulate brain activity and activate cravings and hunger, but indulging in these cravings has no impact on personal enjoyment of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spicy-food-less-salt/">food</a> in question.

"Food-related cues can make people want or crave food more, but don't have as much of an impact on their liking or the pleasure they get from eating the food," said Michelle Joyner, the study's lead author.

For the study, the researchers set up two different food laboratories. One was set up to look like a fast food restaurant with tables and chairs, and the other was just a regular lab meant to be a neutral environment.

The researchers then randomly assigned a lab to 112 study participants. 

If the participants had eaten lunch an hour before the study’s trial, they were given tokens which could be used to get food, such as milkshake, or for an activity like playing games on a tablet. 

The participants put in the fast food setting reported feeling more hungry than those in the neutral lab, and the fast food lab group ate 220 more calories because of the food cues around them. 

The results show that food cues can activate hunger and cravings even if you’ve already eaten. Researchers warn that it’s important for people to understand the effect that food cues can have. 

“It is hard it is to avoid food cues in our current environment, but people can try some strategies to minimize their exposure by not going into restaurants and using technology to skip food advertisements in TV shows,” said Joyner.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Food cues like ads and images can push people to overeat

When driving home from work, you might get a craving...

A new survey found that a majority of LGBTQ people have experienced some form of harassment, discrimination, or violence during their lives. 

The survey, which was conducted for an <a href="https://www.npr.org/">NPR</a> series called “Discrimination in America,” included reports from over 3,000 U.S. adults age 18 or older who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, or questioning.

The results confirm that most LGBTQ Americans have experienced multiple forms of discrimination.

“This report confirms the extraordinarily high levels of violence and harassment in LGBTQ people's lives,” said Logan Casey, a deputy director of the survey. “It also shows the serious barriers to health care for LGBTQ and especially transgender people in America.”

Among the most startling numbers in the survey include 57 percent who say that they or an LGBTQ friend or family member have been harassed or threatened because of their identity. 

51 percent of LGBTQ people have experienced sexual harassment or violence.

Almost 1 in 5 of the people surveyed said they avoided medical care because they were worried about facing discrimination. 

31 percent of all transgender people in the survey said they have no regular doctor or healthcare professional, with 22 percent currently uninsured.  

Another 22 percent report some form of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/economic-hardship-racial-discrimination/">discrimination</a> in the workplace, and the same percent of people reported difficulties trying to rent an apartment or buy a house specifically because of their LGBTQ identity.

One in 5 LGBTQ Americans report that they were personally discriminated against while applying for or attending college.

One of the most troubling results of the survey was the discrimination members of the LGBTQ community faced when dealing with law enforcement. Almost one in six LGBTQ people say were discriminated against when talking with police officers. 

Nearly 100 percent of the survey participants believe that there is discrimination against  members of the LGBTQ community, but there is a question of whether discriminatory laws and policy or if individual prejudice is the larger problem. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Most LGBTQ Americans have experienced harassment, violence

A new survey found that a majority of LGBTQ people...

Yellow-fronted canary, Crithagra mozambicus, at Pilanesberg Nati

The wild bird trade has been occurring around the world for ages, and is the root cause of exotic birds spreading worldwide. Birds are the most traded animals in the world, with Europe historically being the main importer. The consequences of the bird trade can affect both the importing and exporting countries. In the country where the birds are captured, it can cause a loss of biodiversity. In the country where the birds arrive, they can damage the local ecosystem, destroy crops, and outcompete local birds.

In 2005, the European Union (EU) banned the trade of all wild birds. A new study shows that since that time, the trade of wild birds has dropped roughly 90 percent globally. The number of birds traded annually fell from about 1.3 million to 130,000.

Prior to this ban, the countries of Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain accounted for the import of about two-thirds of all wild birds on the global market. These birds came mostly from West Africa, and almost all wild bird exports involved two groups of birds. Passerines, including the popular pet birds such as the yellow-fronted canary and the common waxbill, made up almost 80 percent of exported birds. Parrots made up roughly 18 percent.

Since the EU trade ban, these numbers have reversed. Currently, passerine birds make up less than 20 percent of the global trade while parrots have increased to almost 80 percent of all traded birds. Parrots are now the most threatened group of bird species, and the bird most likely to establish in countries it is not native to.

Latin America has now taken the reigns from West Africa as the main exporter of wild birds, responsible for over half of all global wild bird exports. Both the United States and Mexico are now much bigger importers, as wild imports in these two countries have increased from about 23,000 to 82,000 annually.

“Worryingly, we document a shift in wild bird trade towards areas with a high biodiversity,” says Luis Reino, from the <a href="https://cibio.up.pt/">CIBIO-InBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources</a>. “For example, several south-east Asian nations have emerged as important bird importers. These regions are now exposed to a higher risk of bird invasions.”

Reino believes that these results show the importance of a global wildlife trade ban, which would help reduce the number of traded birds and minimize the chances of exotic birds spreading. If anything, the success of the EU trade ban shows that a global ban would likely be effective.

--

By: <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Derek Keats, 2016

Global trade of wild birds greatly reduced by EU trade ban

The wild bird trade has been occurring around the world...

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

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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