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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



-----



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What makes people cool? Scientists tracked down the traits

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

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, may be more effective than traditional psychiatric therapies for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders, a new study found.

Researchers at <a href="http://www.tu.edu/">Touro University California</a> reviewed seven published psilocybin clinical trials and concluded that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy has strong potential in improving patient outcomes, particularly for those who haven’t responded to other treatments.

Patients can also show improvement after just a few six-hour “medicated” therapy sessions and a few weeks of follow-up therapy, the review found.

The studies all investigated the use of psilocybin in strictly controlled clinical conditions under the supervision of therapists and other health professionals.

“Additional studies are required to determine if psilocybin will be deemed safe and effective enough to gain FDA approval,” the researchers wrote. “While psilocybin’s clinical utility still remains uncertain, it should be investigated further to determine if this novel treatment paradigm has the potential to dramatically improve outcomes in patients with psychiatric disorders.”

As psychological and psychiatric researchers have gained greater access to brain imaging technologies, they are forming new hypotheses about the physiological roots of psychological disorders. One is the idea that major depression is rooted in atypical connections between regions of the brain that aren’t usually connected, which may in turn underlie the fixation and rumination on thoughts that characterizes depression.

Recent studies have found that psilocybin from mushrooms significantly affects connectivity among different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-training-no-affect-decision/">brain</a> regions. 

In most of the United States psilocybin is still classified as a Schedule I substance, meaning it has “a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision,” according to the<a href="https://www.dea.gov/index.shtml"> U.S.  Drug Enforcement Administration</a>.

Whether the DEA will take the most recent scientific data into account, remains to be seen, the authors said.

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ujpd20/current">Journal of Psychoactive Drugs</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.tu.edu/">Touro University California</a>

Ingredient in magic mushrooms could help psychiatric therapies

Psilocybin, the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms, may be more...

Stress raises the chances that pregnant women exposed to toxic chemicals will have a low birth weight baby, a new study found.

"It appears that stress may amplify the health effects of toxic chemical exposure, which means that for some people, toxic chemicals become more toxic," said Tracey Woodruff, a <a href="http://berkeley.edu/">University of California - Berkeley</a> professor and lead author of the study.

This is the first study to examine the combined effects of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-low-doses-relieve-stress/">stress</a> and environmental toxic chemical exposures on fetal growth, researchers said.

High-stress pregnant women who smoked were about twice as likely to have a low birth weight baby as low-stress smokers, the study found. Stress was quantified by factors such as socioeconomic status or years of paternal education. 

The effects of air pollution on low birth weight were heightened when combined with stress, the researchers found. Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter, a type of air pollution, increased the risk of African-American women having a low birth weight baby compared to those who were white.

The study, published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>, was based on a systematic review of 17 human studies and 22 animal studies examining the links between chemicals, stress and fetal development.

"While the evidence on the combined effects of chemicals and stress is new and emerging, it is clearly suggestive of an important question of social justice," said co-author Rachel Morello-Frosch at UC Berkeley.

Poverty-related stress may make people more susceptible to the negative effects of environmental hazards, she said. 

"That needs to be a consideration for policymakers and regulators," Morello-Frosch said.

--

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://berkeley.edu/">University of California - Berkeley</a>

Stress amplifies the effects of toxic chemical exposure

Stress raises the chances that pregnant women exposed to toxic...

Scientists have developed assistive stairs for home use that absorb the user’s energy on the way down and return it to them while climbing up.

Researchers from <a href="http://www.mst.edu/">Missouri University of Science and Technology</a> and the <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> say the new stairs could offer a less expensive and more practical alternative for people with reduced motor function who can negotiate stairs.

Existing alternatives such as elevators, stair lifts, and escalators are expensive and require a lot of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-blowhole-electricity-ocean/">energy</a>, researchers said. 

The prototype they developed uses latching springs to store energy during stair descent and then use it to make climbing stairs easier. It could reduce the metabolic energy expended in going up and down stairs while also lowering the pain from stress on muscles and joints, the authors said.

"Low-cost, easily-installed assistive stairs could be a way to allow people to retain their ability to use stairs and not move out of their homes," said Georgia Tech’s  Karen Liu, one of the researchers.

Further investigation is required, the authors said. The study was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>

New energy-recycling stairs make climbing much easier

Scientists have developed assistive stairs for home use that absorb...

Nearly 90 percent of American households use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/summer-air-conditioning-pollution/">air conditioning</a> during the hot summer months. That’s understandable, but the planet pays a price. All of those air conditioners release 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere -- and that, of course, contributes to climate change. It can also overload the power grid when everyone is blasting their ACs full power. 

You’re not going to toss your air conditioner (and anyway, that burdens landfills and can leak hydrofluorocarbons). But there are ways you can reduce your reliance on window units or central air and save money -- without significantly increasing your discomfort. Here are a few tips.

Dress for the weather. Sure, you spend your downtime in shorts and flip flops. But how do you dress for work? Is your company old school when it comes to dress code? If the requirements are dress casual or even more formal, you might not be dressed for the weather. Tell your boss that the business could save on energy costs with a more relaxed summer dress code. If you’re the boss, comfortable attire could increase morale and boost productivity while cutting costs. Win win.

Don’t chill out. We’ve all seen (or been) restaurant diners bringing sweaters into the establishment during an August heat wave. Many homes and commercial spaces air condition well beyond the comfort needs of visitors and occupants. Try dropping your home or business thermostat setting a notch or two. Back off if you feel uncomfortable or others complain, but you just might save money and increase comfort with this easy step.

Use the heat cycle. It’s rarely uniformly warm on even the hottest summer days. It’s generally cooler early in the day and after the sun goes down. Can you use that time better? Dial up the AC and step out to do your gardening, walk the dog, cut the grass or run errands during these relatively cool dayparts.   

Hug a tree. Or at least get on a first name basis with a few. Trees strategically placed around your property can keep the radiant sun out of your house and cool your yard. Take a few ticks off of your AC setting at home and bring the kids to the park. Or sit in the shade with a book or a laptop to get some work done. Trees rock during the sweltering summer months.

‘Summerize’ your home. Make sure you have screens in place, then open windows and use or install ceiling fans to stir up whatever breezes can be found. Also, it might sound counterintuitive, but better insulating your home blocks the summer heat as well as it keeps the icy air out in the winter. Add plantings or window shades outside to reduce the sun’s impact.  All of these steps can help reduce the time you need your air conditioner or at least allow you to use it more efficiently. 

Stay temp aware. Is the AC running 24/7 simply because it’s summer and probably hot out? Find out if that’s true. Step outside or get a current temp reading on your phone. If you can adjust the AC setting or even turn it off altogether and open the windows you’ll save money while doing the planet a solid.  

--

Original Feature by <a href="mailto:DSearls@earth.com">David Searls</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How to keep cool while staying green this summer

Nearly 90 percent of American households use air conditioning during...

Rising temperatures that result from global warming may lead to major losses for the European wine industry. New research is shedding light on the potential impact of warmer weather in <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-western-mediterranean-sea/">Mediterranean</a> countries. The study reveals that labor and productivity could suffer as agricultural workers try to adjust to the heat.

Unlike most other major industries, the production of wine is still largely operated by manual workers. Because of this, experts believe the wine industry is likely to take a direct hit from the effects of global warming. The researchers set out to examine the influence of heat on the productivity and labor output of manual grape-picking workers in Cyprus to test this theory. These laborers work in temperatures that reach over 96 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The researchers used an innovative technique known as time-motion analysis to evaluate labor output and productivity of seven workers. Time-motion analysis is a reliable method of discovery, as it can account for every second spent by each worker during every shift.

The study established that hot summer temperatures coincided with labor loss up to 27 percent. The workers felt they were exerting more energy due to the impact of the heat on their metabolic and cardiovascular systems and labor output suffered as well. The hotter temperatures caused a need for irregular breaks, and the workers engaged in working activities for 15 percent less time. 

The findings of this study, published in the journal <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ktmp20">Temperature</a>, suggest that workplace heat is directly related to labor and productivity losses, particularly in European agricultural workers. The wine industry makes up 0.2% of all the goods and services produced worldwide, which means increased temperatures are a potential source of economic losses on a global scale.

The study is an unprecedented assessment of the impact of workplace heat on European agriculture workers. However, the authors express a need for expansion of this study to accurately predict the scope of global warming’s influence on agricultural laborers in the wine industry. Further research is needed that will include wine production workers in other countries.

--

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.tandfonline.com/loi/ktmp20">Temperature</a>

How global warming could severely hurt the European wine industry

Rising temperatures that result from global warming may lead to...

In teaching people about how to reduce their carbon footprints, governments and schools aren’t highlighting the most effective steps, according to a new study.

The four steps that most substantially decrease carbon footprint are eating a plant-based diet, avoiding air travel, living car-free, and having smaller families, the <a href="http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/">Lund University</a> study said.

However, many governments are still promoting strategies like comprehensive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-bottle-threatens-environment/">recycling</a>, which is four times less effective than a plant-based diet, or changing household light bulbs, the study said.

The research analyzed 39 peer-reviewed papers, carbon calculators, and government reports to develop the potential of a range of individual lifestyle choices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The researchers found that government resources from the EU, United States, Canada and Australia don’t highlight these actions, instead focussing on incremental changes with much smaller potential to reduce emissions.

"We recognize these are deeply personal choices,but we can't ignore the climate effect our lifestyle actually has,” study co-author Kimberly Nicholas said. “Personally, I've found it really positive to make many of these changes. It's especially important for young people establishing lifelong patterns to be aware which choices have the biggest impact.”

The authors hope the study “sparks discussion and empowers individuals," she added.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/erl">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

[caption id="attachment_718178" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/145043.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-718178" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/145043-300x175.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="175" /></a> Credit: Seth Wynes/Kimberly Nicholas, Environmental Research Letters, 2017[/caption]

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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.lunduniversity.lu.se/">Lund University</a>

Image: Seth Wynes/Kimberly Nicholas, Environmental Research Letters, 2017

The most effective individual steps to battle climate change

In teaching people about how to reduce their carbon footprints,...

A recent study of modern hunter-gatherers in Tanzania may shed some light on the sleep problems humans often experience as we get older, and hints that insomnia may actually be an evolutionary survival instinct.

Researchers studied the Hadza people of northern Tanzania. This group of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prehistoric-hunter-gatherers-farmers/">hunter-gatherers</a> lives by the rhythms of day and night, just like humans did thousands of years ago before the invention of agriculture. They live and sleep in groups of 20 to 30 people, often sleeping together outside or in huts.

“They are as modern as you and me,” explains study co-author Alyssa Crittenden, an associate professor of anthropology at the <a href="https://www.unlv.edu/">University of Nevada, Las Vegas</a>. “But they do tell an important part of the human evolutionary story because they live a lifestyle that is the most similar to our hunting and gathering past.”

For their study, the researchers observed 33 healthy men and women, age 20 to 60. These individuals wore a small watch-like device for 20 days, which recorder their nighttime movements. The data revealed that the Hadza sleep patterns were rarely in sync, as many of them would wake up during the night in order to smoke, care for a crying baby, or relieve themselves before going back to sleep.

Out of a total of 220 hours of observation, the researchers only found a total of 18 minutes during which all adults were simultaneously asleep. At any given time, an average of about one-third of the group was alert or dozing very lightly. Despite these sleep patterns, the study subjects didn’t complain of sleep problems.

This is the first example of this phenomenon has been tested in humans, although similar studies have found similar patterns in birds, mice, and other animals. The researchers determined that these shifting sleep schedules were a result of changing sleep patterns that occur as people age. The older participants in the study usually went to bed earlier and woke up earlier than the younger participants.

This analysis led researchers to their “poorly sleeping grandparent hypothesis,” which says that throughout history, ancestors developed different sleeping patterns in order to always have a watchful eye out for danger during the night. Therefore, certain sleep problems that arise with age may be the result of an evolutionary hangover that at one time would have protected the group.

These findings may help enhance our understanding of how age-related sleep disorders arise, and decrease some of the stigma associated with these issues.

--

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.duke.edu/">Duke University</a>

Hunter-gatherers staggered sleep schedules for safety

A recent study of modern hunter-gatherers in Tanzania may shed...

Warmer Arctic temperatures have triggered cooler winters and springs in North America, which has weakened vegetation growth and lowered carbon uptake capacity in its ecosystems, according to a new study. 

Researchers analyzed an index of sea surface temperatures from the Bering Sea and found that in years with higher-than-average <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/delay-antarctic-ozone-recovery/">Arctic</a> temperatures, changes in atmospheric circulation affected climate throughout North America. 

In years of intense cold and low precipitation, the team found that the unfavorable conditions adversely affected vegetation growth—including crop yields—which decreased carbon uptake capacity by about 14 percent, the study said.

“If current warming trends continue, it is feasible to conclude that the ecosystems in regions affected by the anomalous climate will suffer greater damages due to the cold and dry spells,” the authors saId.

Further research is needed to obtain a “general conclusion” on the matter, but the research “delivers important implications for climate adaptation,” the authors added.

The study was conducted by Jin-Soo Kim and Jong-Seong Kug at <a href="http://www.postech.ac.kr/">Pohang University of Science and Technology</a> (POSTECH), in collaboration with Su-Jong Jeong from <a href="http://www.sustc.edu.cn/en/">South University of Science and Technology </a>in China. It  is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/"> Nature Geoscience.</a>

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.postech.ac.kr/">Pohang University of Science and Technology</a>

Warmer Arctic is weakening vegetation growth in North America

Warmer Arctic temperatures have triggered cooler winters and springs in...

Home batteries used to store power from solar panels in individual houses could become commercially competitive in the 2030s, a new study found.

The findings from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> are based on a new analysis tool that predicts how much consumers will have to pay in the future for energy storage technologies.

"Energy storage has been recognized by leading figures such as Barack Obama and Bill Gates as one of the key technologies of a low-carbon 21st century,” said lead author Oliver Schmidt. “With this analysis tool we can quantify when energy storage becomes competitive and identify where to invest to make it happen, thereby minimizing investor and policy uncertainty."

Renewable energy sources like solar or wind only produce power intermittently and if excess amounts are not stored, they are wasted, the researchers said. Currently, most energy storage technologies are still very new and have a high cost, the study said.

As more units are produced, costs usually fall, researchers said, citing renewable power generators, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tesla-solar-roof-tiles/">solar panels</a>.

With reasonable investment, energy storage technologies could soon become much cheaper, with electric cars leading the way as battery technology costs fall, the new study says.

The Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Great Britain is projected to cost £19.6bn, and produce 3.2 gigawatt (GW) of power on demand when it is completed in 2025, the study said.

If the same amount of money were invested in large-scale lithium-ion batteries, they would be able to deliver 21-41 GW of power when charged, the analysis said. That is more than ten times the UK's current electricity storage capacity, enabling the use of significantly more wind and solar energy.

"This tool allows us to combat one of the biggest uncertainties in the future energy system, and use real data to answer questions such as how electricity storage could revolutionize the electricity generation sector, or when high-capacity home storage batteries linked to personal solar panels might become cost-effective," said study co-author Iain Staffell.

--

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.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a>

Home solar power storage batteries could be competitive in 2030s

Home batteries used to store power from solar panels in...

Most air and water pollution in Europe is from coal-powered plants, with Great Britain among the worst polluters, the European Union said.

Half of the plants responsible for the largest releases of air and water pollution were in Britain, with a total of 14, <a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/">The European Environment Agency</a> reported. Second was Germany with 7, followed by France and Poland, each with 5.

The report was based on 2015 data, the latest available, from 35,000 industrial plants including power stations, petrochemical refineries and metal processing units from the 28 EU members plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Serbia.

The report noted progress by the EU in reaching its climate and energy policy objectives for 2020 and 2030, but said <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obama-protect-streams-forests-coal-mining/">coal</a> is still the most highly used fuel in large combustion plants despite a tripling in the use of biomass from 2004 to 2015.

Coal is still responsible for the largest releases of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, although some plants have significantly decreased their emissions in recent years, the report said.

Plants with the highest emissions in 2015 were the Belchatow power plant in Poland, the Drax power station in Britain, Jaenschwalde in Germany, and Kozienice in Poland, the agency said.

--

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://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/APFN_EU_EUROPE_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2017-07-10-07-30-15"> AP</a>

Coal-powered plants found to be the worst polluters in Europe

Most air and water pollution in Europe is from coal-powered...

A new study reveals that certain brain regions are impacted by depression differently in males and females, particularly in adolescents. This indicates that the experience may also differ for each gender, and that sex-specific treatment may be more successful.

Girls are twice as likely to suffer from the condition than boys by age 15. This may be due to body image issues, hormone changes, or genetics. Differences between the sexes not only affect the risk of experiencing depression, but also influence the outcome of the disorder.

Jie-Yu Chuang is a researcher at the <a href="http://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> and an author on the study.

"Men are more liable to suffer from persistent depression, whereas in women depression tends to be more episodic," explained Jie-Yu Chuang. "Compared with women, depressed men are also more likely to suffer serious consequences from their depression, such as substance abuse and suicide." 

Most research has focused on women because it is more common. Chuang and her colleagues set out to examine depression in both men and women in an effort to contrast their experiences.

 The team recruited adolescent volunteers who were between 11 and 18 years old. This included 82 female and 24 male patients who suffered from depression, and 34 volunteers who did not suffer from the condition. Using magnetic resonance imaging, the researchers performed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-training-no-affect-decision/">brain</a> scans while flashing happy, sad, or neutral words on a screen.

The volunteers were instructed to press a button when certain types of words appeared. When the researchers flashed a specific sequence of words on the screen, they discovered that depression impacts brain activity differently between boys and girls in brain regions that have been previously linked to depression - the supramarginal gyrus and posterior cingulate.

"Our finding suggests that early in adolescence, depression might affect the brain differently between boys and girls," said Chuang. "Sex-specific treatment and prevention strategies for depression should be considered early in adolescence. Hopefully, these early interventions could alter the disease trajectory before things get worse."

The study, published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, will lead to further research to determine how the brain regions are affected differently in boys. This may help experts  understand why depression tends to persist and become more dangerous for boys.

--

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.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>

Males and females are affected by depression differently

A new study reveals that certain brain regions are impacted...

People who drink coffee appear to live longer, and it’s not because of the caffeine, a new study found.

Drinking coffee was linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory and kidney disease for African-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Latinos and Whites, the <a href="https://www.usc.edu/">University of Southern California</a> study said. 

Drinking a cup of coffee a day lowered the risk of dying by 12 percent compared to those who didn't drink coffee, with an 18 percent lower chance of death for those drinking two to three cups daily.

Lower mortality for coffee drinkers was the same whether they drank regular or decaffeinated suggesting it is not tied to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/need-pick-climbing-stairs-beat-caffeine/">caffeine</a>, said lead author Veronica W. Setiawan.

"We cannot say drinking coffee will prolong your life, but we see an association," Setiawan said. "If you like to drink coffee, drink up! If you're not a coffee drinker, then you need to consider if you should start."

The study, which will be published in the July 11 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, used data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, a collaborative effort between the<a href="http://www.uhcancercenter.org/"> University of Hawaii Cancer Center</a> and the <a href="http://keck.usc.edu/">Keck School of Medicine</a>.

The Cohort Study, with more than 215,000 participants, bills itself as the most ethnically diverse study examining lifestyle risk factors that may lead to cancer.

"Until now, few data have been available on the association between coffee consumption and mortality in nonwhites in the United States and elsewhere," the study stated. "Such investigations are important because lifestyle patterns and disease risks can vary substantially across racial and ethnic backgrounds, and findings in one group may not necessarily apply to others."

Since the association was seen in four different ethnicities, Setiawan said it is safe to say the results apply to other groups.

"This study is the largest of its kind and includes minorities who have very different lifestyles," Setiawan said. "Seeing a similar pattern across different populations gives stronger biological backing to the argument that coffee is good for you whether you are white, African-American, Latino or Asian."

Previous research by USC and others has indicated that drinking coffee is associated with reduced risk of several types of cancer, diabetes, liver disease, Parkinson's disease, and other chronic diseases.

"Coffee contains a lot of antioxidants and phenolic compounds that play an important role in cancer prevention," Setiawan said. "Although this study does not show causation or point to what chemicals in coffee may have this 'elixir effect,' it is clear that coffee can be incorporated into a healthy diet and lifestyle."

An estimated 62 percent of Americans drink coffee daily, a 5 percent increase from 2016 numbers, according to the <a href="http://www.ncausa.org/">National Coffee Association</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.usc.edu/">University of Southern California </a>

People who drink coffee tend to live a longer life

People who drink coffee appear to live longer, and it’s...

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

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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



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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



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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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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



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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 



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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



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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



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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



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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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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



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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



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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

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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