Why do some individuals rush to help, while others hesitate? A new study led by Dr. Inbal Bartal of Tel Aviv University digs deep into this question using rats. The findings highlight the strong influence of social experience and brain chemistry on prosocial behavior and willingness to help.



The team used a helping behavior task where rats could free a distressed peer trapped in a restrainer. Rats that had previous positive interactions were more likely to help. 



These "helper rats" also showed more brain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-increases-feelings-of-hope-happiness-and-gratitude/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">activity</a> in areas linked to empathy and motivation compared to their less helpful counterparts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-bonds-drive-helping">Social bonds drive helping </h2>



Helper rats exhibited stronger activation in the anterior cingulate cortex, somatosensory cortex, and other empathy-related areas. This activity pattern suggests that not just feeling another’s distress, but having a social bond, is crucial for helping.



Interestingly, oxytocin - the hormone involved in bonding - played a key role. Rats that consistently helped had higher oxytocin receptor expression in the nucleus accumbens, a major reward center in the brain. 



Blocking oxytocin signaling did not completely erase helping <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/who-is-happier-being-single-men-or-women/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behavior</a> but did reduce the rats’ social tendencies. According to the researchers, caring about others appears more important than simply sensing their distress.



“We appear to live in an increasingly polarized society where there is a gap in empathy towards others," said Dr. Bartal, a faculty member in the Psychology Department and School of Neuroscience at <a href="http://tau.ac.il/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tel-Aviv University</a>.



"This work helps us understand prosocial, or helpful, acts better. We see others in distress all the time but tend to help only certain individuals. The similarity between human and rat brains helps us understand the way our brain mediates prosocial decisions."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-helpful-rats-socialize-more">Helpful rats socialize more</h2>



The study found that rats who became "helpers" showed greater <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/facial-expressions-arent-enough-to-understand-human-emotions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social</a> affiliation even before the helping task began. Before any rat was trapped, these rats spent more time interacting, lying together, and engaging in affiliative behaviors with their cagemates.



The frequency of social interactions predicted how quickly rats would later act to free a distressed peer. Rats that interacted more often on the first day were faster to help across testing days. 



This link between early social behavior and later helping actions offers new insights into how prosocial tendencies develop.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-helpers-had-more-oxytocin-receptors">Helpers had more oxytocin receptors</h2>



Gene expression studies revealed that helper rats had significantly higher oxytocin receptor (Oxtr) levels specifically in the nucleus accumbens. They also showed greater activity of genes related to social reward and emotional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coping-with-eco-anxiety-turning-climate-worry-into-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regulation</a>.



Importantly, genes tied to stress responses were downregulated in helper rats. This suggests that lower stress reactivity could promote a readiness to help others. Brain-wide analyses also showed that helper rats had more active networks in sensory and empathy-related brain regions.



When the researchers blocked oxytocin signaling in the brain’s paraventricular nucleus, rats showed fewer social behaviors. This reduced sociality hints that oxytocin may strengthen social bonds in the brain, which in turn could drive helping actions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-brains-are-motivated-to-help">Social brains are motivated to help</h2>



Helper rats demonstrated a widespread activation of the brain’s prosocial network. Critical areas included the anterior cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and insular cortex. Many of these regions overlap with known human empathy and reward circuits.



Moreover, the orbitofrontal cortex stood out as playing a major role. This area, known for evaluating rewards and decisions, showed the strongest difference between helpers and non-helpers.



Social interaction frequency correlated strongly with brain activity in these regions. Rats who were more socially engaged early on had higher brain activation related to empathy later, even days after initial testing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-human-society">Implications for human society</h2>



The research suggests that social connectedness and neurochemical factors together shape helping behavior. The results support the idea that empathy alone does not always lead to action - social bonds and emotional rewards are key motivators.



Understanding how oxytocin and social affiliation drive prosocial behavior could help us better support empathy in increasingly divided societies. Strengthening social bonds might be more effective than simply raising awareness about others' distress.



Dr. Bartal and colleagues have illuminated the biological roots of kindness in a way that could one day inform how we nurture empathy in humans.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/early/2025/04/17/JNEUROSCI.0845-24.2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Neuroscience</a>.



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Acts of kindness: Social brains are wired to help

Why do some individuals rush to help, while others hesitate? A new study led by Dr. Inbal Bartal of Tel Aviv University digs deep into this question using rats. The findings highlight the strong influence of social experience and brain chemistry on prosocial behavior and willingness to help. The team used a helping behavior task where rats could free a distressed peer trapped in a restrainer. Rats that had previous positive interactions were more likely to help. These "helper rats" also showed more brain activity in areas...

It’s almost <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmentally-friendly-cool-summer/">summer</a>, which means an increase in sun, fun, and… air pollution???

That’s right, because as the temperature rises what do we do? We crank up the air conditioner and bask in the glory of indoor cooling. But running these devices causes power plants to up their electricity production, leading to an increase in air polluting emissions.

Few studies have examined the specific effects of climate on electricity emissions and air quality, until now. In a comprehensive study of 27 states, researchers found that summer emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) go up by hundreds to thousands of metric tons per degree Celsius increase.

But it’s not all bad – overall emissions have dropped as a result of pollution control devices and a reduction in coal use. However, seasonal increases in power plant pollution can still affect public health as well as the environment.

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can both cause respiratory problems, and are regulated in the United States. These problems are exacerbated in children, people suffering from asthma, and the elderly.

Using data collected between 2003 and 2014, researchers Tracey Holloway and David Abel looked to quantify the historical relationship between summertime air temperatures and power plant emissions of SO2, NOx, and CO2. This data contained numbers on the electricity emissions in 27 states, mainly in the Eastern U.S.

In their analysis, the researchers found that power plants released over 3 percent more SO2, NOx, and CO2 on average per degree Celsius increase in air temperature. The biggest contributors in the SO2 division were states like Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, where coal power plays a big part in the energy grid. States like Texas with a large power demand were found to have high emissions of all pollutants, but smaller changes in emissions per degree Celsius. Ultimately, the researchers found that these increases in summertime air temperature are correlated with an additional 140,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. 

This area of research will hopefully lead to an increase in the energy efficiency of new buildings, and could also play a much needed role in decreasing power plant emissions, which will improve our air quality for the future.

More information on this study can be found in the journal <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a>

Summer air conditioning increases air pollution

It’s almost summer, which means an increase in sun, fun,...

Babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 may influence their social development, a new study says.

The study by the <a href="http://icahn.mssm.edu/research/seaver">Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment</a> at Mount Sinai, found the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/children-crossing-street-safely/">children</a> may be more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years.

The researchers analyzed 15,000 UK-based twins aged between four and 16. 

In order to learn whether children's social skills were affected by how old their father was when they were born, the team looked for differences in the developmental patterns of social skills, as well as other behaviors, including conduct and peer problems, hyperactivity, and emotionality. They also investigated whether the effects of paternal age on development were more likely attributable to genetic or environmental factors.

“Our results suggests that children born to very young or older fathers may find social situations more challenging, even if they do not meet the diagnostic criteria for autism,” said Magdalena Janecka, a Mount Sinai fellow.

The findings may offer insights into how paternal age influences children's risk of autism and schizophrenia, which was shown in earlier studies. 

The researchers found no link between the age of the mother and their offsprings’ social skill development. 

“Our study suggests that social skills are a key domain affected by paternal age,” Dr. Janecka  said. “What was interesting is that the development of those skills was altered in the offspring of both older as well as very young fathers.”

Researchers want to replicate those findings in further studies.

"Those developmental differences, if confirmed, are likely traceable to alterations in brain maturation," Dr. Janecka said. "Identifying neural structures that are affected by paternal age at conception, and seeing how their development differs from the typical patterns, will allow us to better understand the mechanisms behind those effects of paternal age, as well as, likely, autism and schizophrenia."

The study is published in the May issue of the <a href="https://www.aacap.org/">American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.aacap.org/">American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry</a>

Study: Father’s age could affect child’s social development

Babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or...

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-mirror-owners-emotions/">emotions</a> of oneself and others. Self-awareness is a critical step in achieving this level of intellect. When you recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior, you become more aware of the same emotional cues in others. Emerging research has taken this idea to a new level, and finds that tuning into your own body may allow you to read other people’s minds.

Punit Shah is a professor of psychology at <a href="http://www.anglia.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> who led the study. The main goal of the project was to determine if concentrating on oneself helps to better interpret what someone else is feeling. Shah suggested that when people notice their own heartbeat, it makes them more aware of the emotional states of others.

“If a male colleague is aggressive towards a woman on public transport, your body processes this by increasing your heart rate, perhaps making you feel awkward and anxious, enabling you to understand she is embarrassed. If you do not feel your heart rate increase, it may reduce your ability to understand that situation and respond appropriately,” explained Shah.

The research team asked participants of the study to focus on their heartbeats, and count their pulses without the use of equipment. Their level of accuracy was noted. Next, the individuals were shown short films of social interactions during which they were asked a series of questions. Some of the questions were pertaining to the thoughts and feelings of the characters, while others were irrelevant questions about the weather and backdrop.

The results of the study showed that the individuals who were more conscious of their heart rate seemed to also have a heightened state of perception. Those participants who most accurately reported their heart rate expressed much more insight in their responses regarding the emotions and feelings of the characters. The conclusion of this study suggests that teaching people to recognize their heart patterns may have some incredible benefits, such as helping people learn to deal with emotional problems.

“This may have a beneficial impact on daily functioning, where an improved ability to interpret the internal states of oneself and others could result in more accurate mind reading and improve someone’s social interactions and overall quality of life,” said Shah.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.anglia.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a>

Can heightened self-awareness help you read minds?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify the emotions of...

Sometimes, all it takes to be happy is a solid case of emotional exhaustion, a new study says. 

Research by the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia </a>(UEA) suggests that the process of dealing with emotional exhaustion can sometimes increase <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-bees-emotions-good-food-makes-happy/">happiness</a>.

It’s the activity of searching for advice, support or information from others - that boosts happiness, according to the research.

The study examined the role of work supervisors in providing supportiveness, caring and appreciation for the efforts of an exhausted employee.

"It is important to note that it is not emotional exhaustion per se, but rather how people cope with it, that is beneficial for individuals,” said Carlos Ferreira Peralta of UEA's <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/norwich-business-school">Norwich Business School</a>. “Our findings suggest that the activities people engage in have a key role in building happiness from an internally stressful experience and that emotional exhaustion can have a silver lining."

 Employees who perceived that their supervisor is not supportive stimulated them to develop an action plan to searching for advice, support or information from others. It was these efforts that boosted happiness, the study said.

This is believed to be the first study to investigate how the connection between emotional exhaustion and happiness. Previous studies have highlighted the harmful consequences of emotional exhaustion, such as poorer performance and depression, and that supervisor support can prevent emotional exhaustion.

“This research contributes to a greater understanding of whether benefits can be gained by individuals as they cope with emotional exhaustion,” Peralta said.

The findings are published in the journal <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/twst20/current">Work &amp; Stress</a>

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>

New study shows how emotional exhaustion can lead to happiness

Sometimes, all it takes to be happy is a solid...

Fishing for “likes” on social media could indicate low self esteem, a new preliminary study says.

Also, likes don’t make people feel better about themselves or improve their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-mental-health-issues/">mood</a> if they are down, said the study, led by Dr Martin Graff from <a href="http://www.southwales.ac.uk/">University of South Wales</a>. 

Questionnaires provided to 340 participants on Twitter and Facebook asked them to say how much they agreed or disagreed with statements such as “'the attention I get from social media makes me feel good” or “I consider someone popular based on the amount of likes they get.”.

Participants who said they went out of their way to get more likes such as asking others or paying, were more likely to have low self-esteem and be less trusting, the study found. The same was true of those who admitted deleting posts or choosing their profile based on the number of likes it received.

 "The proliferation of social media use has led to general concerns about the effects on our mental health,” Graff said. “Although this is just a relatively small-scale study the results indicate that the ways we interact with social media can affect how we feel and not always positively."

The study is scheduled to be presented at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Brighton, United Kingdom. 

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www1.bps.org.uk/">British Psychological Society</a>

Social media likes won’t actually make you happier, study finds

Fishing for “likes” on social media could indicate low self...

People who have a good memory grow tired of experiences faster, according to a new study which could help companies that market products to consumers.

"People with larger working memory capacities actually encode information more deeply," said Noelle Nelson, lead author of the <a href="https://www.ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a> study published in the <a href="http://www.ejcr.org/">Journal of Consumer Research</a>. "They remember more details about the things they've experienced, and that leads them to feel like they've had it more. That feeling then leads to the large-capacity people getting tired of experiences faster."

The study provides a window into how memory could be the key to becoming satiated, especially on products or habits they hope to quit, such as eating unhealthy foods, the study said.

"Our findings suggest that if they can enhance their memory for the other times they've eaten these foods, they may feel satiated and then not seek out those unhealthy things," said Nelson, an assistant professor of marketing and consumer behavior 

Nelson and coauthor Joseph Redden, associate professor of marketing at the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a>, conducted four experiments with undergraduates They measured students’ working memory capacities in different ways, such as how well they could remember a string of letters.

Then participants then performed a task where they would eventually become tired of what they experienced, like viewing paintings or listening to music.

Marketers might be able this type of research to craft strategies on ways to keep people interested longer.

"For example, introducing new products or having distractions in ads might help break up the satiation process because they disrupt memory," Nelson said.

The researchers didn't specifically study overeating or unhealthy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/14-billion-dollars-edible-foods-trashed/">foods</a>, but the findings should extend to those types of experiences, she added.

"Because a big part of overeating is psychological, a psychological solution such as memory processes, could help people control their eating," Nelson said. "Consumers might be able to satiate more quickly by simply recalling the last several times they ate."

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a>

Study: People with good memory get bored sooner

People who have a good memory grow tired of experiences...

Sunscreen could be killing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-saving-coral-reefs/">coral reefs</a> surrounding Hawaii’s eight main islands, and Hawaii may be gearing up to do something about it.

Earlier this year, Hawaii state senator Will Espero introduced a bill that would ban the sale of sunscreens containing the chemical oxybenzone within the state. According to <a href="http://www.popsci.com/">Popular Science</a>, “there’s a reasonably good chance it will pass and become law.”

Espero and others became concerned about sunscreen  on the strength of a few studies, most recently a 2015 paper in the journal<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00244-015-0227-7"> Environmental Conamination and Toxicology</a> led by Craig Downs, executive director of the <a href="http://www.haereticus-lab.org/">Haereticus Environmental Laboratory</a> in Clifford, Va.

Oxybenzone is toxic to the symbiotic algae that live within coral, Downs found.. In addition to giving coral their colored appearance, the algae also provide the coral with much needed oxygen and help cart away the coral’s waste, the magazine said.

When the algae die off, the corals turn white (referred to as bleaching), which is a dire sign—with less oxygen and more waste, the coral struggles to survive. Oxybenzone is more toxic to plants when those plants are exposed to sunlight. 

When coral cells are exposed to oxybenzone, it damages their DNA—causing harmful mutations. It also causes young coral to harden, essentially trapping them in their own skeletons and killing them. Oxybenzone can kill at least seven different types of coral, and it only takes: a single drop in 4.3 million gallons of water—six and a half Olympic sized swimming pools to be deadly. According to Downs, an estimated 6,000 to 14,000 tons of sunscreen lotion are released into coral reef areas each year.

A 2007 study conducted by researchers at the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a> and published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology found that sunscreens cause the rapid and complete bleaching of hard corals even at very low concentrations.

Those result were mirrored in a 2008 study, published in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspective</a>, conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.univpm.it/English/">Polytechnic University of the Marche</a> in Ancona, Italy.

Other places have banned the use of chemical sunscreens specifically near reefs, including Xel-Ha in Cancun’s Riviera Maya. But Hawaii’s ban, if successful, would be unusual for its scale—it would be statewide, across all of the islands, affecting even those who may never set foot in the ocean, Popular Science reported.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.popsci.com/">Popular Science</a>

Hawaii might ban certain sunscreen to protect coral reefs

Sunscreen could be killing coral reefs surrounding Hawaii’s eight main...

Physical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunter-gatherers/">exercise</a> and training lead to aerobic endurance, which is the ability to exercise for long periods of time. The health benefits that result from this superior physical condition include strengthening of the heart and lungs and lower blood pressure. For people with limited mobility or other health restrictions, this level of fitness seems unattainable. However, a new study reveals that there is a chemical compound that may be capable of offering the benefits of physical exercise in the form of a pill.

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute</a> previously found a gene pathway triggered by running. Through a process of genetic engineering, scientists permanently activated the gene, known as PPAR delta, in some mice. The result was physically fit mice that could run long distances and were highly responsive to insulin. The mice were also unsusceptible to weight gain. 

The team then discovered that a chemical compound known as GW1516, or GW, was able to activate the PPAR delta in normal mice, making them resistant to weight loss and highly responsive to insulin. However, the GW did not instantly turn these mice into long-distance runners because it had no effect on their aerobic endurance.  

In a more recent study, the researchers gave normal mice a higher dose of GW for twice the length of time. The aerobic stamina of these mice changed significantly, as they were able to run 70 percent longer than the mice in the control group. 

Researchers found that the molecular changes in the mice had impacted 975 genes. Those genes related to breaking down carbohydrates for energy ceased to function. The genes that became more expressed were responsible for breaking down and burning fat. Therefore, the PPARD pathway prevented sugar from being used as an energy source in muscle during exercise. The fat-burning process, which usually takes a lot longer to activate, was used instead.

The mice did not display the physiological changes that are usually seen with aerobic fitness. This proves that these type of biological changes are not the only way to achieve aerobic endurance. This level of physical fitness can be achieved by chemically activating a genetic pathway. 

First author of the study Weiwei Fan said, “Exercise activates PPARD, but we're showing that you can do the same thing without mechanical training. It means you can improve endurance to the equivalent level as someone in training, without all of the physical effort.”

The study, published in Cell Metabolism, will likely be used to develop clinical tests for humans. A prescription drug based on the chemical compound GW could help fight serious health risks such as obesity and diabetes. The pill would have the ability to stimulate the fat burning process in those who are incapable of physical exercise, giving them immeasurable health benefits. 

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute</a>

Major breakthrough may lead to exercise in the form of a pill

Physical exercise and training lead to aerobic endurance, which is...

A new study could help athletes avoid “hitting the wall” when they feel like they can no longer move and brains and body seem to no longer be aren’t communicating.

The condition occurs when the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-creates-illusions/">brain</a> can no longer get enough glucose, according to the study published in <a href="http://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>

“At that point, you're toast," says co-corresponding author Ronald Evans, a <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/">Howard Hughes Medical Institute</a> investigator and director of the <a href="http://www.salk.edu/scientist/ronald-evans/">Gene Expression Laboratory</a> at the <a href="http://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute</a>. 

Progressive training reprograms muscle to burn less glucose,  preserving it as an energy source for the brain, the study said. While muscle can use either fat or glucose as its energy source,  the brain relies solely on glucose.

Training may not be the only solution, the study found. Using a small  molecule to stimulate a pathway that was already known to be activated by training, could also do the trick.

Research over the past two decades from Evans and the study's co-corresponding author, Michael Downes, a senior staff scientist in the lab, has focused on a transcription factor called PPARδ, which activates pathways involved when athletes train to increase their endurance. In the study, the researchers demonstrate that molecularly activating PPARδ  can also increase endurance.

In the first set of experiments with mice, the researchers genetically knocked out PPARδ in the muscles of mice.

 "When we did this and then ran those animals on a treadmill, we found that the genes that are normally induced by exercise failed to be induced," Downes says. "This indicates that PPARδ plays a central role in exercise, and that it's an important molecular switch gating energy entry into the muscle."

In the second part of the research, the scientists used a small-molecule drug to activate PPARδ in the muscles of sedentary mice. They found that the drug not only increased fat oxidation in muscle, but it also forestalled the effects of hypoglycemia, or loss of blood glucose, on the brain.

Mice who had been given the drug were able to increase the length of time they could run before "hitting the wall"--from 160 to 270 minutes--despite having no training to improve their endurance.

The discovery could lead to new therapies not just for athletes but for those unable to exercise because of health problems.

"Exercise is valuable for many different kinds of problems," Evans says. "With this research, you can begin to think about how a therapeutic that confers the advantages of fitness could help people gain health benefits. The greater potential is essentially unlimited."

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>

New findings could help athletes avoid “hitting the wall”

A new study could help athletes avoid “hitting the wall”...

We don’t often think of our liver as having much control over our dietary wants and needs, but that just may be the case, according to a new study out of Denmark.

Researchers from the <a href="http://metabol.ku.dk/">Novo Norisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research</a> at the <a href="http://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> have published data that reveals new information about the role of the liver in controlling what we eat. Led by Matthew Gillum and Niels Grarup – assistant professors of biological science and metabolic genetics respectively – the research team found that a specific hormone is secreted by the liver after an individual indulges in sweets. This hormone may play a role in determining who has a sweet tooth and who doesn’t.

The hormone is called FGF21, and the scientists found that individuals with certain variants of FGF21 were about 20% more likely to be the most avid consumers of sweets and candy. “The data, mined from a study of the lifestyles and metabolic health of 6,500 Danish individuals, is a really surprising insight into the potential hormonal basis of the sweet tooth,” says Gillum.

The researchers also believe that the liver could secrete additional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animal-brains-seasonal-change/">hormones</a> that influence our food choices on a broader spectrum. “How do we decide what and how much to eat? Maybe satiety consists of different pathways that control different types of nutrients,” Gillum wonders. “This study has opened my mind to how this regulatory system might work.”

Back in 2015, Gillum and collaborators at the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> discovered the role of FGF21 from the liver in regulating sweet intake in rodents. Another study around the same time found that FGF21 suppressed sweet intake in primates. However, at that point no research had been done on the role of this hormone in the sweet tooth of humans.

In order to study this in human subjects, Gillum and Grarup performed a clinical study that analyzed the levels of FGF21 in the blood of volunteers in response to sugar intake. They found that individuals who disliked sweets had 50% higher base FGF21 blood levels than those with a strong sweet tooth. However, after ingesting a sugary drink both groups had about the same hormone blood levels.

The researchers also found an association between the FGF21 variants and increased alcohol intake and smoking, but further research needs to be performed to confirm this.

Gillum and Grarup would also like to perform a much larger study of human subjects in order to collect more data on the rise and fall of the FGF21 hormone in humans and possibly shed light on how the hormone differs across individuals. An advanced study may allow them to find more gene variants and possibly determine a connection between FGF21 levels and metabolic conditions such as type II diabetes and obesity.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>

Your liver may be the reason you’ve got such a sweet tooth

We don’t often think of our liver as having much...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-creates-illusions/">brain</a> has a network that measures the risk versus the reward of decisions, and a network which determines the behavior that results. Most decisions are made by assessing what is appropriate or acceptable. A new study published in Nature Neuroscience reveals that most people are disinclined to harm others for financial gain. The brain is more excited by money that results from moral actions.

Lead author Dr. Molly Crockett of the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> carried out the research for the project at the UCL Wellcome Centre for Neuroimaging. "When we make decisions, a network of brain regions calculates how valuable our options are," explained Dr. Crockett. "Ill-gotten gains evoke weaker responses in this network, which may explain why most people would rather not profit from harming others. Our results suggest the money just isn't as appealing."

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> had previously analyzed whether people are more willing to harm themselves or others. Based on the same idea, volunteers were offered money to harm someone else. 28 pairs of participants were assigned the roles of “decider” and “receiver.” The brains of the deciders were monitored with fMRI scanners while they decided what amount of money was worth shocking themselves or their partners.

A network of the brain that includes the striatum, a key structure in responding to various situations, was activated as the volunteers made their decisions. While they measured the monetary reward versus the number of shocks that would result, this region signaled the overall value of each of the options. 

The lateral prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in ethical judgement and behavior control, became very active when the shocks were to pay out minimal financial reward. The lateral prefrontal cortex was in communication with the striatum when the participants chose not to inflict harm for money. This indicated that this region of the brain assessed blame. The result was that moral judgement prevailed, as the value of money established by the striatum was disrupted when illicit behavior was called for. 

“Our findings suggest the brain internalizes the moral judgments of others, simulating how much others might blame us for potential wrongdoing, even when we know our actions are anonymous," Dr Crockett said.

Senior author Ray Dolan added, "What we have shown here is how values that guide our decisions respond flexibly to moral consequences. An important goal for future research is understanding when and how this circuitry is disturbed in contexts such as antisocial behavior." 

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>

The brain values money more when it is made ethically

The brain has a network that measures the risk versus...

As climate change brings a hotter summer season, an automatic response is to crank up the electricity. The reality is that using more electricity perpetuates global warming. Power plants pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, prolonging the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-activity-climate-change/">climate change</a> that results. Here are some environmentally friendly ways to keep cool this summer.

Decorate with plants

Household plants can naturally decrease indoor temperatures. Plants lose water during transpiration, which cools the air around them. Plants also remove harmful toxins from the air. The Boston Fern, which is considered to be one of the most effective air purifiers among houseplants, is known for cooling the home. Another option is the Areca Palm, which also has a cooling effect.

Hang blackout curtains

Window treatments offer an eco-friendly way of cooling down the house. Blackout curtains reduce energy costs by blocking light and heat from coming in through the windows. Blackout curtains are so effective at blocking light that the British relied on them during World War II to avoid detection by bomber pilots. Blackout curtains block up to 99 percent of light, and some brands claim to block 40 percent of noise as well.

Stay hydrated

A simple way to stay cool is to keep hydrated. Hydration lowers the body's core temperature by allowing perspiration. Water may be the best way to hydrate, but it is not the only way. There are delicious foods that are made up of over 90 percent water including strawberries, cucumbers, and watermelon. Skim milk, soup, and yogurt are also hydrating foods that are easy to enjoy.  

Paint your roof white 

White-washing is an ancient method of cooling the home that is making a comeback. A roof painted with a white coating reflects up to 70 percent more sunlight than traditional dark roofs. A white roof can reflect up to 90 percent of solar heat, which noticeably cools the air temperature. This is a simple process that involves a single coat of high-quality, waterproof exterior paint.

Buy a dehumidifier 

While humidity does not actually raise the temperature, it changes the human perception of how hot or cold it is. Humidity means extra moisture is in the air that prevents sweat from evaporating, leaving the body hot and uncomfortable. Dehumidifiers take extra moisture out of the air and make the indoor temperature more comfortable. Dehumidifiers also prevent the dangerous mold and mildew that form in high-humidity environments.

In the future, resources such as wind and solar energy will generate more clean power. For now, the electricity generated by these renewable resources is not completely reliable, and must be backed up by CO2-emitting power plants. Simple alternatives can make a huge difference in lessening harmful effects on the atmosphere. 

--

Original Feature By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Environmentally friendly ways to stay cool this summer

As climate change brings a hotter summer season, an automatic...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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