Heart disease, not suicide or overdose, is the leading killer of people living with serious mental health conditions. This is the conclusion of a sweeping review led by Viola Vaccarino of Emory University.



The experts report that adults with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety die, on average, 10 to 20 years earlier than their peers - largely because of cardiovascular disease.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-health-and-life-expectancy">Mental health and life expectancy </h2>



The cardiovascular penalty attached to common psychiatric diagnoses is substantial. Depression raises the risk of heart disease by roughly 72 percent.&nbsp;



For <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychedelic-use-linked-to-higher-risk-of-schizophrenia/">schizophrenia</a>, the risk nearly doubles - up to about 95 percent. Bipolar disorder increases cardiovascular risk by 57 percent, PTSD boosts coronary heart disease risk by 61 percent, and anxiety disorders are associated with a 41 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular causes. 



These numbers help explain why <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-life-expectancy-faces-a-triple-threat/">life expectancy</a> shrinks so dramatically for this population.



Despite the elevated risks, people with mental health conditions routinely receive worse heart care than the general public. Screenings are missed and risk factors go unmanaged. Evidence-based treatments are offered less often and followed up less reliably.&nbsp;



The result is a widening survival gap affecting a vast swath of society: roughly one in four people will experience a mental health disorder during their lifetime.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-illness-and-heart-disease">Mental illness and heart disease</h2>



Mood and thought disorders don’t just coincide with heart disease; they help cause it - and cardiovascular events can in turn trigger new psychiatric illness. That feedback loop runs through behavior and biology.&nbsp;



Higher rates of smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diet are part of the story. So are the physiological effects of chronic stress: systemic inflammation, elevated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blood-pressure-treatment-efficacy-calculator-revolutionize-measurement-and-treatment/">blood pressure</a>, arrhythmias, and insulin resistance all nudge the cardiovascular system toward failure.



The relationship is equally visible in reverse. About 18 percent of people with cardiovascular disease live with depression; after an acute event such as a heart attack, that figure climbs to roughly 28 percent. 



Nearly one in four stroke survivors develops depression in the aftermath, and around 12 percent of heart attack survivors go on to meet criteria for PTSD. Treating either condition in isolation misses the way each amplifies the other.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-existing-systems-miss-what-matters">Existing systems miss what matters</h2>



The review highlights a pattern of structural neglect. Mental health and cardiology are typically staffed, funded and measured as separate domains, with little coordination between them.&nbsp;



Many cardiology clinics don’t routinely screen for depression, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/witnessing-trauma-may-cause-ptsd-in-a-different-way/">PTSD</a>, or anxiety. Many psychiatric services don’t monitor blood pressure, lipids, or glucose as systematically as cardiovascular teams would.



Access gaps compound the problem. In a 2023 U.S. survey cited by the authors, 54 percent of people who met criteria for a mental health disorder received no treatment at all.



Even in countries with universal coverage, patients with serious mental illness are less likely to receive recommended medications, procedures and follow-up for heart disease. 



Poverty, unstable housing, and social isolation make adherence and clinic attendance harder, turning health inequities into entrenched mortality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-and-physical-health-gains">Mental and physical health gains</h2>



The good news is that several familiar tools carry cardiovascular benefits alongside mental health gains.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-in-a-pill-is-now-closer-to-reality/">Exercise</a> is one of the most effective treatments for depression and also directly improves blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and endothelial function. The review argues it should sit alongside psychotherapy and antidepressants as core treatment - not an optional add-on.



Mind-body practices such as yoga, tai chi, and meditation can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve some risk factors (for example, heart rate variability and stress biomarkers). Evidence that they prevent heart attacks or strokes remains limited, but early signals are encouraging and warrant larger trials.



Integrated care models - where mental health and cardiovascular teams coordinate around the same patient - consistently improve psychiatric outcomes in clinical studies. The next step is proving that these collaborative approaches also cut hard cardiac endpoints like myocardial infarction and cardiovascular mortality.&nbsp;



To do that, researchers will need to stop excluding people with mental health disorders from cardiovascular trials, a longstanding practice that has left clinicians without robust, disorder-specific guidelines for high-risk patients.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improving-life-expectancy-outcomes">Improving life expectancy outcomes</h2>



The authors call for changes that are as practical as they are profound. Medical schools and residency programs should train clinicians to recognize and manage the bidirectional links between mental and physical illness.&nbsp;



Health systems and payers need to expand mental health coverage while embedding routine cardiovascular screening and risk management into psychiatric care - and, conversely, embedding mental health screening into cardiology.



Community-level solutions matter, too. Making exercise accessible and safe, addressing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smoking-related-deaths-will-surge-by-2030/">tobacco</a> use with tailored support, improving food access and tackling social isolation are public-health interventions that serve both the heart and the mind.&nbsp;



And because the burden is unequally distributed, equity must be a design principle: culturally competent care, outreach in underserved neighborhoods and policies that reduce financial and logistical barriers will save the most lives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treat-the-whole-person">Treat the whole person</h2>



Taken together, the evidence reframes a familiar crisis. Mental health disorders are common. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-century-of-progress-in-the-fight-against-cardiovascular-disease/">Cardiovascular disease</a> is common. When they collide, lives are cut short - not by inevitability, but by gaps we can close.&nbsp;



If roughly a quarter of us will face a mental health condition in our lifetime, preventing the downstream heart damage is not a niche priority; it’s a population-wide imperative.



The path forward is clear enough: measure risk where it’s highest, treat depression and anxiety as cardiac risk factors, deploy exercise and integrated care as first-line tools, and build research and reimbursement structures that reflect how tightly the mind and heart are tied. 



Stop treating mental and cardiovascular health separately, and that 10- to 20-year life-expectancy penalty starts to look less like fate - and more like a fixable failure.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00165-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Lancet Regional Health - Europe</a>.



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Mental health disorders reduce life expectancy by up to 20 years

Heart disease, not suicide or overdose, is the leading killer of people living with serious mental health conditions. This is the conclusion of a sweeping review led by Viola Vaccarino of Emory University. The experts report that adults with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety die, on average, 10 to 20 years earlier than their peers - largely because of cardiovascular disease.&nbsp; Mental health and life expectancy The cardiovascular penalty attached to common psychiatric diagnoses is substantial. Depression raises the risk of heart...

A new study confirms that the arched back of a woman is attractive to men. 3D imaging and eye-tracking technology provide scientific evidence that slight changes to the angle of a woman's body, such as the arching of the back, can captivate both a male and female audience.

The research team was led by Farid Pazhoohi of the <a href="https://www.uminho.pt/EN">University of Minho</a>. Pazhoohi explained that this particular posture may have evolved as part of the mating behavior of humans. Previous studies of animals such as sheep, cats, and primates have shown that this posture in which the lower spine is curved towards the belly, or lordotic posture, can signal readiness to mate.

The researchers set out to investigate the role of body posture in the development of human mate attraction and selection. For their study, the experts generated 3D computer models of the upper bodies of six women. The backs were positioned at slightly different yet natural body angles, which caused variations in how the backs were arched and the buttocks were extended.

Views from the front, side, and the back of each of the models were presented to 82 male and female participants. The individuals, who were all undergraduate students, were asked to rate how attractive they found each posture. Eye-tracking technology was used to monitor what the students were specifically looking at as they examined the images.

The results of the study showed that even the smallest changes in the angle of the back influenced how attractive others perceived the women to be. As the backs was arched slightly more, the 3D models were rated as being more appealing by both male and female participants.

"Increased curvature increases the perception of attractiveness," said Pazhoohi.

The eye tracking provided evidence that the students, regardless of their gender, gazed at the rear view of the simulated women much longer than the side or front angles. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-couples-women-house/">female</a> participants focused more on the waist area, while the men looked longer at the hips. 

In addition, both the attractiveness ratings and eye tracking data indicated that the mesmerizing effect is stronger from side and rear views compared to the front, which is where the hips are most easily viewed.

"The latter highlights the unique influence of an arched back on the perception of attractiveness," explained Pazhoohi. "The perception of attractiveness and visual attention to the hip region suggests that lordosis or the arching of the back might signal human females' proceptivity or willingness to be courted. This also might explain why women wear high heel shoes and why wearing high heel shoes increases womens' attractiveness."

The findings are published in Springer's journal <a href="http://www.springer.com/psychology/personality+%26+social+psychology/journal/40806">Evolutionary Psychological Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why an arched back is considered more attractive

A new study confirms that the arched back of a...

According to a new study, teenagers now are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, smoke, or engage in criminal activities like stealing and fighting. 

The study was conducted by researchers at the <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/">Washington University School of Medicine</a> in St. Louis, who analyzed years of data from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a survey of 12 to 17 year-olds from every state in the US. 

The researchers examined data from 2003 to 2014 which included information on 210,599 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/acknowledging-opinions-teens/">teens</a> in total. 

The study was published in the journal Psychological Medicine and shows a definite drop in substance use and participation in delinquent behaviors. 

The researchers discovered that substance abuse disorders among teens dropped 49 percent over the past 12 years, and delinquent behaviors like fighting, stealing, and selling drugs declined 39 percent. 

Substance abuse disorders are declining in teenagers despite increases in opioid addiction in adults.

Despite the severe opioid epidemic amongst adults, in the 12 to 17 year age bracket opioid use has dropped almost 50 percent.  

The researchers estimate that there were almost 700,000 fewer adolescents with substance abuse disorders in later years compared to 2003. 

An interesting result of the study is how both substance abuse and criminal activities are connected considering their similar patterns of decline. 

“What we learned in this study is that the declines in substance abuse are connected to declines in delinquency,” said Richard Grucza, the study’s first author and a professor of Psychiatry. “This suggests the changes have been driven more by changes in adolescents themselves more than by policies to reduce substance abuse or delinquent behavior.” 

The researchers suggest that higher cigarette taxes and new anti-bullying policies may have contributed to the decline in both substance abuse and delinquent behaviors, but other factors could be having a positive effect as well. 

“Seeing these trends across multiple behaviors suggests that larger environmental factors are at work. These might include reductions in childhood lead exposure, lower rates of child abuse and neglect, and better mental health care for children,” said Grucza.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Teen substance abuse and criminal behavior have declined

According to a new study, teenagers now are less likely...

There is no better time than the present to modify your daily activities and make them more environmentally responsible, and choosing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/11-eco-friendly-celebrities/">eco-friendly</a> office supplies is a great place to begin. To start greening your office, simply make a list of all the supplies used and research earth-friendly alternatives.

If transforming the entire office is not in your budget, consider switching out one or two items at a time. The following are some of the best environmentally friendly supplies available to help reduce your office's carbon footprint.

Recycled Paper Products

From envelopes to compostable paper cups and plates, recycled paper products now come in many forms. A green transition in this department will have a particularly positive impact considering how frequently paper products are used in the office.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.greenlinepaper.com/">greenlinepaper.com</a>

Eco-Friendly Pens

Adopting biodegradable pens made from renewable material is a great way to make your office more green. You may even print your company logo on eco-friendly pens to give potential customers a great first impression.

Where to buy: <a href="http://eco-pens.com/">eco-pens.com</a>

Non-Toxic Cleaner

Why introduce formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals into the air if you don't have to? There are plenty of green products available to clean all of the surfaces in your office while keeping the air quality up to a good standard.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.seventhgeneration.com/">seventhgeneration.com</a>

Compostable Trash Bags

Disposing of non-biodegradable trash bags week after week just adds to our enormous waste problem. When you think about it, trash bags made of post-consumer recycled (PCR) material just make good environmental sense.

Where to buy: <a href="http://evolutionbags.com/">evolutionbags.com</a>

Solar USB Chargers

The time has arrived when you can easily charge all of your office's USB devices with solar power. This is an inexpensive green transition that every office should make to save energy, particularly for charging devices that are constantly plugged up while not in use.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.renogy.com/">renogy.com</a>

Staple Free Stapler

This unique concept eliminates the need for tons of metal staples which are only used once and discarded. The device works like a hole puncher and uses the paper itself to stitch pages together. 

Where to buy: <a href="https://madebyhumans.net/">madebyhumans.net</a>

Smart Power Strips

Even when appliances and electronic devices are in standby mode, they are still using electricity. Smart power strips cut the power supply off to these gadgets and significantly cut back on electricity usage.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a>

LED Light Bulbs

Not only do LED lights consume less energy to produce the same amount of light, but they are also free of the toxic chemicals such as mercury. In addition, LED lights typically last six times longer than traditional lights.

Where to buy: <a href="https://greenlightdepot.com/">greenlightdepot.com</a>

Recycled Pencils

Forests the size of 90 tennis courts are cut down every minute to supply wood to make wooden pencils, according to a company known as Treewise Pencils. This company makes pencils from 100 percent recycled newspaper in an effort to combat deforestation.

Where to buy: <a href="http://www.treewisepencils.com/">treewisepencils.com</a>

Biodegradable Packaging and Packing Tape

These packaging products are not only compostable but also lightweight and cut down on shipping costs. This is another great way to show your customers that your organization is environmentally responsible.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.ecoenclose.com/">ecoenclose.com</a>

For over 60,000 products that are ranked by their “greenness,” check out t<a href="https://www.thegreenoffice.com/">hegreenoffice.com</a>. The Green Office has also developed a comprehensive <a href="https://www.thegreenoffice.com/services/calculator">Office Footprint Calculator</a> where you can calculate your office's carbon footprint and track your progress as you help to create a healthier planet.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The top 10 best eco-friendly office supplies

There is no better time than the present to modify...

When rinsing off an apple to eat, it may not occur to you that this fruit is most likely contaminated with pesticide residue. A new discovery by scientists found that baking soda, an item commonly found in homes, effectively reduces the pesticide remains found on fruit.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found 47 different pesticides on apples tested for the <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/pdp">Pesticide Data Program</a>. While pesticides are helpful in improving crop yields, concerns have been growing over their potentially harmful impact on human health.

It is standard practice in the food industry to wash fruit with running water, but some of the plant-protecting compounds that get absorbed by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/best-diet-longer-life/">fruits</a> and vegetables may not be removed by tap water. A research team led by Lili He set out to identify a washing strategy that can successfully eliminate contamination found on produce.

The researchers applied two common pesticides, the fungicide thiabendazole and the insecticide phosmet, to organic apples. They then washed the apples with tap water, a baking soda/water solution, and a U.S.-EPA-approved commercial bleach solution. 

The study revealed that the baking soda solution removed the most of the two pesticides from the apples. The water and the bleach solution proved to be much less effective in reducing the contaminants.

After 12 minutes of washing the apples with the baking soda solution, 80 percent of the thiabendazole was removed and 96 percent of the phosmet was removed after 15 minutes. 

Because thiabendazole is absorbed more into the apple, it may not be as easy to remove. 

Images showed that thiabendazole had penetrated up to 80 micrometers deep into the apples, while phosmet only reached a depth of 20 micrometers. 

The findings of the study are published in the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a>'s <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/journal/jafcau">Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The best way to wash pesticides off apples

When rinsing off an apple to eat, it may not...

The global demand for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/palm-oil-plantations-tropical-butterflies/">palm oil</a> has resulted in the clearing of large areas of forest in Indonesia. Researchers have found that these changes in land use are causing temperatures to get warmer. The additional heat is not only a threat to plants and animals but could also make the region more susceptible to wildfires.

Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet. As the world's largest producer of palm oil, Indonesia has replaced vast areas of rainforest with oil palm plantations. Sumatra has the highest loss of rainforest in the country, and the changes in land use have led to a substantial loss of biodiversity on the island. 

An international team of researchers led by Alexander Knohl and Clifton Sabajo of the <a href="http://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/1.html">University of Gottingen</a> conducted the first-ever analysis to examine the impact that these land-use modifications have on Indonesia's temperatures. The results of their study, which was focused on the Jambi province in Sumatra, showed that the expansion of cash crops has made temperatures rise significantly.

"Land use change from forest to cash crops such as oil palm and rubber plantations does not only impact biodiversity and stored carbon, but also has a surface warming effect, adding to climate change," said Knohl.

The team compared the surface temperatures associated with various types of land cover such as forests, clear-cut land, and cash crops in Sumatra. They used satellite data collected between 2000 and 2015 by NASA, as well as data collected on the ground.

The researchers established that clear-cut land, which is primarily used for agriculture, was up to 10 degrees Celsius warmer than forests. Mature palm oil plantations were 0.8 degrees Celsius warmer than forests, while young palm oil plantations were found to be 6 degrees Celsius warmer. 

"Young palm oil plantations have fewer and smaller leaves and an open canopy, thus they transpire less water. Also, the soil receives more solar radiation and dries out faster," explained Sabajo.

Overall, the average surface temperature in the Jambi province increased by 1.05 degrees Celsius between 2000 and 2015. Some of this warming can be attributed to climate change, but some of it is a direct result of the changes in land use.

Knohl pointed out that "land surface temperature is an important part of the microclimate, which shapes habitat conditions for plants and animals." The authors of the study also warned that this spike in temperatures will lessen the amount of water available over the dry season and make the area more vulnerable to wildfires.

"We think that current land-use developments in Indonesia need to carefully evaluate all aspects of environmental and socio-economic consequences. Land-surface temperature and microclimate should be considered," said Knohl.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.egu.eu/publications/open-access-journals/">European Geosciences Union journal</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Palm oil production causing increased temperatures in Indonesia

The global demand for palm oil has resulted in the...

Extreme weather events attributed to climate change have cost the United States federal government over $350 billion over the past decade to provide disaster relief and insurance, according to a new report from the <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/687465.pdf">U.S Government Accountability Office</a> (GAO). 

The report comes at the same time that Congress is working to approve funding for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americans-climate-change-hurricanes/">hurricane relief</a> after the string of historic hurricanes that hit Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean. 

"Climate change impacts are already costing the federal government money, and these costs will likely increase over time as the climate continues to change," the report said.

Senators Susan Collins from Maine and Maria Cantwell from Washington asked the GAO to conduct a full report on the cost of climate change. 

The report proves that not only will unmitigated changing climate have disastrous effects on our towns cities, but will also be extremely costly to taxpayers as well. 

The GAO was asked specifically to look at the economic impact of climate change and how it would affect the federal government. The report outlines the methods used to estimate the costs of climate change and recommendations for reducing these costs. 

The report includes reviews of 30 studies on climate change and interviews with 26 experts including researchers, agency officials, and consultants selected specifically by the GAO.

Two of the studies had “national-scale information about the economic effects of climate change across multiple sectors and regions in the United States,” according to the report. 

Those two studies in particular show that the costs of climate change will differ from region to region, with some coastal areas facing damages between 4 and 6 billion dollars per year due to storm surges and potential sea level rise. 

"We cannot ignore the impact of climate change," Senator Collins said in a statement. "This nonpartisan GAO report Senator Cantwell and I requested contains astonishing numbers about the consequences of climate change for our economy and for the federal budget in particular."

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Climate change costing the U.S. billions, says new report

Extreme weather events attributed to climate change have cost the...

A recent study has discovered an increase in herbicide levels found in the urine of older adults. 

The study, conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://ucsd.edu">University of California</a>,<a href="https://ucsd.edu"> San Diego</a> found a jump in detectable urine levels of the herbicide glyphosate and its metabolite in Southern California adults between the years 1993 and 2016. 

Used in herbicides for genetically modified crops (GMO), glyphosate’s increased presence in humans further adds the body of the evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-device-will-hunt-gmos-that-escape-into-the-environment/">GMOs</a> may have unforeseen negative repercussions. 

The study used data from the<a href="https://knit.ucsd.edu/ranchobernardostudy/"> Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging</a>, which had 112 of its participants take a urine sample every clinic visit from 1993 to 2016. 

Of these, 100 were randomly selected for the new study looking at herbicide levels in the urine samples. 

University of California Researchers took the data from the Rancho Bernardo Study and measured levels of glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) from the urine samples that were collected over the years. 

Glyphosate levels increased from .24 micrograms per liter from 1993 through 1996 to .314 micrograms per liter in 2014 through 2016. For 70 of the participants with levels above the limit of detection, the researchers found glyphosate numbers at .449 micrograms per liter from 2014 through 2016. 

AMPA levels also increased from .008 micrograms per liter in 1993 through 1996 to .285 micrograms in 2014 through 2016. Levels above the limit of detection reached .401 micrograms per liter in 70 of the study participants. 

These numbers are worrying, especially since levels above the limit of detection were so pronounced and increased over time in a large number of the samples. 

Glyphosate was listed as a probable carcinogen in 2017 by the State of California, and the researchers note that herbicides using glyphosate may cause adverse health effects. 

More research will need to be done to find out of the extent of harm herbicides like those using glyphosate will have on health and wellbeing of humans in the future.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Increased levels of herbicides found in older adults

A recent study has discovered an increase in herbicide levels...

In a study led by the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a>, researchers found that people would sacrifice one person in order to save a larger group of people – not surprisingly. However, they also found that the force with which an individual would carry out this action could actually be predicted by known psychopathic traits.

The study used a questionnaire to compare what people “said” they would do with what they actually did during actions in immersive moral dilemmas that used virtual-haptic technologies. These technologies included using a robotic device that measured force, resistance, and speed when simulating the action of a test subject harming a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brain-tripled-size/">human</a>.

In some of the moral dilemmas participants were presented with, they had to decided whether or not to sacrifice a person by performing a harmful action against them in order to save a larger group of people. Although all participants were more likely to sacrifice others in these immersive environments than in the questionnaire, the researchers found that individuals with strong psychopathic traits were more likely to perform these actions with greater physical power.

Common traits of psychopathic behavior include antisocial behavior and impaired empathy. Previous research has shown that resilience to performing actively harmful acts enables psychopathic individuals to act for the “greater good” in situations such as what was studied here. 

“This research highlights our proneness to moral inconsistency; what we say and what we do can be very different,” says Dr. Kathryn Francis of the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a>. “For the first time, we demonstrate how personality traits can influence the physical power of our moral actions.”

This research shows that psychopathy may actually be beneficial in some specific situations. “This work shows how techniques developed to study human movement can play a value role in psychological assessment and thereby lead to new insights into human social behavior,” adds Dr. Ian Howard of the Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Psychopaths can actually contribute when used for greater good

In a study led by the University of Plymouth, researchers...

A team of researchers at <a href="http://www.clarku.edu/">Clark University</a> examined parenting techniques in Ghana and the United States, two countries with very different cultures. They found that when parents recognize the viewpoints of their adolescent children and encourage them to express themselves, teens are more motivated in school, have a stronger sense of their self-worth, and are less prone to depression.

"A parenting approach that allows teens to feel they are being heard has been linked to youths being happier, more self-motivated, and more confident," explained lead author Kristine N. Marbell-Pierre. 

On the other hand, the freedom to make their own choices did not result in the same outcomes across teens in the two countries. Independent decision-making had positive consequences in the United States, but not in Ghana.

"This type of parenting is considered western in its approach and there have been questions about its benefit in nonwestern, more hierarchical cultures that place greater emphasis on respect for and obedience to elders by children and youths,” said Marbell-Pierre. “In our study, helping adolescents feel that their perspective mattered was helpful to youths - in both Ghana and the United States - while the role of decision making and choice differed between the two cultures."

The researchers investigated responses to surveys completed by 245 adolescents from the United States and 156 adolescents from Ghana. The teenagers answered questions about the extent to which their parents acknowledged their perspectives and allowed them to make their own choices and express their opinions. 

Questionnaires also measured how controlling the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-longer-grow/">teens</a> perceived their parents to be over their behavior, their academic motivation, the extent of their self-worth, level of depression, and perception of themselves as a single unit with their parents or a separate entity.

The study revealed that when students were encouraged to express themselves and their points of view were acknowledged by their parents, their engagement in school and feelings of self-worth improved. Levels of depression were also lessened. 

"Our study resolves conflicting findings from previous studies," said co-author Wendy Grolnick. "It suggests that supporting adolescents' sense of agency is universally beneficial, but how this support is given may not necessarily look the same across cultures."

The findings of the study are published in the journal <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/index.html">Child Development</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Acknowledging the opinions of teens helps them in the long run

A team of researchers at Clark University examined parenting techniques...

Little is known about when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-avoid-racial-bias/">children</a> begin practicing various skills without being prompted, even though this type of deliberate practice is critical for cultivating basic skills and expertise. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> have now broken new ground on this subject. Their investigation has found that children begin spontaneously practicing skills to prepare for their future at age 6. 

"Our study contributes to our understanding of how young children start to regulate their own learning to achieve their long-term goals, as well as the development of the cognitive processes that allow people to acquire a range of general skills and highly specialized expertise throughout life," said lead author Melissa Brinums. "It is one of only a small number of studies documenting age-related differences in children's future-oriented behavior beyond the preschool period."

The research team set out to determine when children begin to engage in practice on their own, and also wanted to examine what kids understand about practice. They recruited 120 participants between the ages 4 and 7 and set up two rooms for their experiment.

In the first room, the children were taught three games and told they would be later be tested on one game in particular, a target game. The children were then placed in the second room which also contained the games they had just learned. They were told they had five minutes to play before they would be brought back to the first room for their test.

The researchers expected that children who understood the importance of practice would spend more time playing the target game in their free time to prepare for the test. After playing in the second room, the children were asked which game they played the longest and why. They were also asked to explain practice.

Most of the 6-7 year olds were able to describe what practice is and were aware that it helped to improve their skills. Most of the children in this category also played the target game longer and acknowledged that they were practicing for the test. 

The majority of 5-year-olds showed an understanding of practice and spent a little more time playing the target game. However, this group did not convey to the researchers that they spent more time on the target game in order to practice for the test. In addition, most 4-year-olds did not understand the concept of practice and did not spend more time playing the target game.

"By providing insight into children's understanding of practice and the age at which they start to practice for the future with and without prompting, our study may help caregivers and teachers structure age-appropriate learning activities for children," explained study co-author Kana Imuta. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-8624">Child Development</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Children start practicing skills for the future at age 6

Little is known about when children begin practicing various skills...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-depression-stress-anxiety/">Numerous studies</a> have shown the importance of getting a good night’s sleep to the mind and body’s overall health and well-being. But according to a new study, better quality sleep actually reduces your brain’s sensitivity to fear and otherwise traumatic stimuli.

Monitoring sleep habits early on could even predict the risk of developing PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to the research.

The study was conducted by researchers at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University </a>and published in the journal JNeurosci.

PTSD typically occurs when someone has undergone a dangerous or extremely life-changing event, but not everyone who has PTSD witnesses a major event. The unexpected death of a loved one could also trigger PTSD. 

PTSD can be acute or chronic and comes with a wide range of symptoms, including re-living or flashing back to the event that triggered it, avoiding certain situations and places, and misplaced feelings of blame and guilt. 

Poor sleep, nightmares, and sleep disturbances are also a common part of PTSD. Previous studies involving PTSD and sleep usually focused on single sleep episodes, analyzing how one night’s sleep impacted fear memories in patients with PTSD. 

This new study, however, looks at sleep patterns in younger people before a traumatic event occurs to see if sleep habits and sleep quality have any effect on the brain’s coping response to fear. 

For the study, the researchers asked students to participate in a one-week sleep monitoring test, where the students recorded their sleep in a log and wore headbands that measured brain waves and bracelets that measured arm movements. 

The students also underwent a fear conditioning test where a neutral image was associated with a mild electric shock, developing a fear response to the image in question. 

The results showed that the students who had better quality sleep and spent more time in REM sleep had weaker responses to the fear learning. To put it another way, their brain was not as sensitive to the fear stimuli. 

The researchers replicated the same results in a second study and monitored participants’ sleep patterns with polysomnographic technology the night before fear learning was to take place. Once again, they found that better quality sleep impacted how the brain coped with fear responses. 

--

By <a href="http://mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a>, Staff Writer

Better quality sleep reduces your sensitivity to fear

Numerous studies have shown the importance of getting a good...

The part of the brain associated with daydreaming or “doing nothing” is called the Default Mode Network (DMN).

The DMN was discovered by scientists from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_University_School_of_Medicine">Washington University School of Medicine</a> who found that certain regions of the brain were more active during states of restful thinking, like planning in the future, thinking about the past, and daydreaming.

Now, new research has revealed that the DMN is important for performing day-to-day activities on autopilot. 

After we learn how to do something, the DMN allows us to perform those everyday tasks without continually having to relearn or actively engage in doing them. 

The research was conducted by scientists at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> and published in the journal Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences. 

The researchers asked 28 volunteers to perform a task where they would match cards to a target card, but they were not told the rules. They could match by color, shape, or number.

The participants performed the matching task in an MRI scanner. The MRI scanned the participants’ brains as they went through the trial and error process of learning the rules of matching the cards. 

The researchers found differences in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/city-dwellers-brain-health/">brain</a> activity during two stages, learning (the rules) and application (the task). 

Once the rules were learned and the participants entered the application phase, their MRI scans showed that the DMN was more active. 

The stronger the relationship between brain activity in the DMN and the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with memory, the quicker a participant was able to learn and perform the matching task from memory. 

“It is essentially like an autopilot that helps us make fast decisions when we know what the rules of the environment are. So for example, when you're driving to work in the morning along a familiar route, the default mode network will be active, enabling us to perform our task without having to invest lots of time and energy into every decision,” said Dr. Deniz Vatansever, one of the study’s researchers. 

The researchers note that the DMN is an important part in decision making and helping us perform certain tasks, and that their efforts will be helpful for those dealing with brain injuries and mental disorders. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The daydreaming part of the brain helps us perform routine tasks

The part of the brain associated with daydreaming or “doing...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



-----



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> 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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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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

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

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" 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> 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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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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...

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