When humans burst into laughter together, moods lift almost automatically. New research shows that a similar boost happens in our closest cousins.



An international team led by <a href="https://bloomington.iu.edu/">Indiana University</a> scientists has discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bonobos-group-cohesion-common-enemy-effect-do-not-kill-inside-their-species/">bonobos</a> become more upbeat after hearing the giggles of their companions. This finding pushes the evolutionary history of positive emotions back millions of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-laughter-changed-ape-choices">Laughter changed ape choices</h2>



To explore laughter’s influence, the researchers designed a cognitive-bias test often used in animal psychology to gauge optimism or pessimism.



First, they trained bonobos at the <a href="https://www.apeinitiative.org/">Ape Initiative</a> in Des Moines, Iowa, to recognize two kinds of boxes: black ones that always contained a delicious snack and white ones that were always empty.



Once the apes consistently chose black and ignored white, the experimenters introduced a third, ambiguous gray box. They then played one of two sounds: recorded bonobo laughter or a neutral control noise.



“We know that other apes, like chimpanzees, have contagious laughter during play," said lead author Sasha Winkler, a primatologist at <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a>. "We were wondering if that behavior could be explained by positive emotions produced from the sound itself.” 



If the bonobos felt a surge of good feeling after hearing laughter, the team expected them to treat the uncertain gray box as if it were the rewarding black one.



That is exactly what happened. “Think of it like the rose-colored glasses effect,” Winkler said. “The bonobos were much more likely to approach the gray boxes after hearing laughter, treating them like the rewarded boxes, and indicating a more optimistic expectation of finding a treat.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-optimism-to-our-ancestors">Tracing optimism to our ancestors</h2>



This study is the first experimental proof that great-ape laughter can shift mood and cognition the way human laughter does.



“The tendency to behave more optimistically after hearing laughter suggests that the sound alone induced a positive emotional state in bonobos,” said senior author Erica Cartmill, the director of Indiana University’s Cognitive Science Program.



“This is the first study of which we're aware to measure a positive affect shift in nonhuman primates from a brief experimental intervention.”



Great apes -&nbsp; bonobos, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-wild-chimpanzees-can-teach-us-about-parenting/">chimpanzees</a>, gorillas, orangutans - all emit play calls that acoustically resemble human chuckles. Earlier work tied those sounds to a common evolutionary origin. The new findings add a cognitive twist.



“Our results suggest that laughter in other apes shares not only phylogenetic and behavioral similarities with human laughter but also perhaps some of the same cognitive-emotional underpinnings,” Winkler noted.



“This emotional contagion appears to have been present in the primate lineage long before the evolution of language.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-laughter-empathy-and-apes">Laughter, empathy, and apes</h2>



Emotional contagion is often described as a foundational element of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/little-benjamina-the-oldest-evidence-of-social-empathy-in-humans/">empathy</a> - the capacity to share another’s feelings. As Winkler put it, “studies like ours can help to untangle the evolutionary building blocks of empathy, communication, and cooperation in humans.”



By revealing that a simple vocal cue can brighten outlooks in bonobos, the research suggests that the mechanisms linking social sound to positive mood were already in place in a common ancestor millions of years ago.



Cartmill added that the work answers a long-standing bias in emotion research. “Our emotions influence many aspects of cognition, including memory, attention, and decision-making, but research has historically focused on negative emotions with clear behavioral correlates, like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-pathway-discovered-that-suppresses-fear/">fear</a> and aggression.”



“We wanted to better understand the relationship between positive affect and cognition in our closest living relatives.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kanzi-and-the-future-of-empathy">Kanzi and the future of empathy</h2>



The experiments involved four bonobos, including the celebrated language-using ape Kanzi, who recently passed away.



“I feel incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Kanzi while he was still alive,” Winkler said. 



“We hope this brings greater public awareness of the remarkable similarities between us and bonobos, who are an endangered species. We have so much to learn from these incredible animals.”



Future studies will test whether laughter exerts similar cognitive effects in chimpanzees and other primates. They will also explore how social context - for example, hearing laughs from friends versus strangers - modulates optimism.



For now, the discovery that bonobo giggles brighten expectations highlights a shared emotional heritage and hints that a simple laugh has been boosting group spirits since long before humans walked the Earth.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-02594-8">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



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Laughter lifts bonobo moods, offering clues to human emotion

When humans burst into laughter together, moods lift almost automatically. New research shows that a similar boost happens in our closest cousins. An international team led by Indiana University scientists has discovered that bonobos become more upbeat after hearing the giggles of their companions. This finding pushes the evolutionary history of positive emotions back millions of years. Laughter changed ape choices To explore laughter’s influence, the researchers designed a cognitive-bias test often used in animal psychology to gauge optimism or pessimism. First, they trained bonobos at the...

For years, we have believed that it takes hot water to remove harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sponge-bacteria-toxic-compounds/">bacteria</a> from our hands. This has led to strict regulations in the restaurant and food industry that drive up utility costs. However, an emerging study finds there is no need to burn the germs off your hands because cold water is just as effective.

Researchers enlisted the help of 21 volunteers for the study. Over a six-month period of time, the participants were exposed to harmless bacteria. They washed their hands for ten seconds at different temperatures with various amounts of soap. The study revealed that the same amount of germs were removed regardless of the temperature of the water or the amount of soap used.

In the United States, many antibacterial soaps were banned last year after companies failed to prove they were safe to use in the long term. The FDA took action against 19 chemicals that were contained in many hand and bar soaps. 

Dr Janet Woodcock is the director of the FDA's center for evaluation and research. 

“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” explained Dr. Woodcock. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long term.”

Donald Schaffner is a professor of Food Science at <a href="http://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> and an author of the hand-washing study. He suggests the findings of this study can go a long way in saving money and conserving energy. 

“This study may have significant implications towards water energy, since using cold water saves more energy than warm or hot water,” said Schaffner.

The findings of this study, published in the Journal of Food Protection, indicate that food industry policies should address the length of time employees wash hands rather than the temperature of the water that is used. 

“I think this study indicates that there should be a policy change,” concluded Schaffner. “We are wasting energy to heat water to a level that is not necessary.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>

Washing hands in cold water is just as effective as hot water

For years, we have believed that it takes hot water...

Updated June 2

----

Today, President Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. The pact, which is an unprecedented global strategy to fight climate change, has been signed by nearly every other country in the world. The decision comes as a major blow to environmentalists, and frankly, anyone who cares about the planet.

"We're getting out. But we will start to negotiate and we'll see if we can make a deal that's fair," Trump said in a speech from the White House Rose Garden. "And if we can, that's great. And if we can't, that's fine."

"The Paris climate accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States, to the exclusive benefit of other countries, leaving American workers, who I love, and taxpayers to absorb the cost in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttered factories and vastly diminished economic production."

According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, “the decision followed an intense struggle within the administration over the fate of the agreement, with Ivanka Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and business leaders urging the president to remain in the accord.” 

Over the course of his presidential campaign, Trump vowed over and over to exit the deal within the first 100 days of his presidency. While he didn’t quite hit his self-imposed deadline, he did manage to make major changes to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Newly-appointed EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, former Attorney General of Oklahoma, has a history of challenging environmental regulations in favor of big oil and gas companies. 

Together, President Trump and Pruitt have undermined former President Obama’s 2013 Climate Action Plan, criticized the Paris Agreement, and rejected scientific facts about climate change. Trump has expressed the opinion that the terms of the Paris deal forces America to make sacrifices that will hurt the economy with no tangible benefits.

Leaders recently left the G7 Summit in Italy with no confidence that President Trump supports global efforts to fight climate change. In a public statement made after the summit, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-g7-summit-latest-climate-change-consensus-paris-agreement-angela-merkel-a7759231.html">G7 leaders stated</a>, “The United States of America is in the process of reviewing its policies on climate change and on the Paris Agreement and thus is not in a position to join the consensus on these topics.”

Corporate America has urged Trump to keep the United States in the Paris Accord. 25 big businesses including Apple, Facebook, and Google signed a letter to Trump expressing that the terms of the agreement are best for America's self-interest, both environmentally and economically. Other industry giants such as Exxon and General Electric also made efforts to convince the President to keep our commitment to the deal. 

“Energy needs are a function of population and living standards,” <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/amp.timeinc.net/fortune/2017/06/01/apple-google-facebook-trump-stay-paris-accord/%3Fsource%3Ddam">Exxon CEO Darren Woods</a> stated in Dallas Wednesday. “When it comes to policy, the goal should be to reduce emissions at the lowest cost to society,” said Woods.

According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, Woods wrote Trump a letter dated May 9th in what has been called “a last-ditch personal plea” to keep our end of the deal. Woods said this is critical in order for the United States to remain “at the negotiating table to ensure a level playing field” on energy sources.

While awaiting today's much-anticipated decision, European Union leaders teamed up with China and vowed to move forward with their commitment to the Paris Agreement. The position of these countries to follow through with the terms of the deal were drafted in a joint statement that will be released Friday, regardless of the President's decision. 

Trump’s decision to retract America's willingness to participate in this historical effort to curb climate change will not be easily forgotten by the other great powers of the world.  Americans will now be faced with the uncertainty of when and how climate change will be dealt with here in the United States.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>

Trump withdraws U.S. from Paris Climate Agreement

Updated June 2 ---- Today, President Trump announced that the...

Researchers have discovered an enzyme in mice brains that could allow doctors to one day erase memories in humans that cause post-traumatic stress disorder.

Scientists at <a href="http://www.med.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine</a> discovered in mice brains a key metabolic enzyme that works directly within the nucleus of neurons to turn genes on or off when new memories are being established.

“This enzyme, called acetyl-CoA synthetase 2, or ACSS2, ‘fuels' a whole machinery of gene expression ‘on site’ in the nucleus of nerve cells to turn on key memory genes after learning,” said senior author Shelley L. Berger  “We found both direct gene-association of ACSS2 and a role for it in neurons to regulate learning and memory – two completely unanticipated novel discoveries.”

In humans, the researchers hope the findings will lead to a way to prevent the “laying-down” of traumatic memories -- or perhaps even erase them by blocking ACSS2 in the hippocampus, a brain region that processes long-term memory.

It could also lead to new treatments for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/women-low-income-anxiety/">anxiety</a> and depression, the authors said.

“We suspect that ACSS2 might play a role in memory impairment in neurodegenerative disorders,” said first author Philipp Mews, a former graduate student in Berger’s lab.

Working with mice, the researchers found that blocking ACSS2 expression impaired long-term memory of where objects were placed in a study chamber.

These mice did not investigate a moved object on the second day, while control group mice did.

“This is because, without ACSS2, the mice had no molecular path to engage memory genes to lock in where the objects were placed,” Mews said.

This decrease in ACSS2 in specific brain regions impairs the read-out of key genes that function to form new memories or to update old ones, the researchers added.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</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.med.upenn.edu/">Perelman School of Medicine</a>

The enzyme that could allow people to erase bad memories

Researchers have discovered an enzyme in mice brains that could...

The outer covering of rice grain has high nutritional value and is a rich source of proteins, fats, minerals and micronutrients such as B vitamins, according to a new study.

Rice bran, which is removed from whole grain rice during processing and used as animal feed, could have major benefits for human health and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/free-range-eggs-nutrition-ethical/">nutrition</a>, the <a href="http://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado</a> study said.

"A single serving of rice bran delivers more than half of a person's daily requirements of important vitamins such as thiamine, niacin and vitamin B6,” said University of Colorado professor Elizabeth Ryan, the study’s corresponding author. 

The researchers used an approach called food metabolomics to identify and measure the abundance of many different molecules present in rice bran.

"We investigated the amino acids, vitamins, cofactors and secondary metabolites that can be found in rice bran, as we suspected that they contribute to its medicinal and nutritional benefits,” Ryan said. “We were surprised to find that cofactors, vitamins and amino acids make up almost 50 percent of the total small molecule content."

In a literature search, the authors found that some of the compounds they identified in rice bran had been shown in previous studies to have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-hypertensive properties.

Rice bran also has a protein content of 12-15 percent that deserves attention as it could help tackle nutrition shortages that are a major global health concern, the study said.

"Rice is an essential staple food for more than half of the world's population,” Ryan said. ”It is grown in more than 100 countries.”

Rice bran as a food ingredient could deliver more than 400 individual compounds when consumed.

“It is likely that many of them function in a teamwork manner to deliver health benefits,” Ryan added.

--

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.biomedcentral.com/">BioMed Central</a>

The part of rice we don’t eat is actually incredibly nutritious

The outer covering of rice grain has high nutritional value...

Delaying meals can reset your body clock and affect your blood sugar levels, a new study found.

"A 5-hour delay in meal times causes a 5-hour delay in our internal blood sugar rhythms," said Jonathan Johnston of the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/">University of Surrey</a>. "We think this is due to changes in clocks in our metabolic tissues, but not the 'master' clock in the brain."

The findings may help people who travel or have <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/insomnia-cure-camping/">circadian rhythm disorders</a> to reset and re-sync their internal clocks.

In the new study, Johnston and colleagues enrolled 10 healthy young men in a 13-day lab experiment. The men ate three meals at 5-hour intervals. All meals had the same calorie and macronutrient content.

Each participant started with a meal time set to 30 minutes after waking, and then, after getting used to eating early, they switched to a meal served 5 hours later for 6 days. After completing each meal schedule, the men underwent 37 hours of a specialized laboratory routine that measured their internal circadian rhythms. The routine included dim lighting, small hourly snacks, limited physical activity, and no sleep.

The change in meal time didn't seem to influence hunger, sleepiness, or markers of the brain's master clock. However, later meal times significantly affected blood sugar levels. After late meals, blood sugar rhythms were delayed more than 5 hours on average.

"We anticipated seeing some delays in rhythms after the late meals, but the size of the change in blood sugar rhythms was surprising," Johnston says. "It was also surprising that other metabolic rhythms, including blood insulin and triglyceride, did not change."

The study also found that the rhythmic expression of a gene known as PER2, which encodes a core body clock component, was delayed in fat tissue by about an hour. The findings show that molecular clocks in people may be regulated by meal times and that those shifts could underpin changes in blood sugar levels.

People who struggle with circadian rhythm disorders, including shift workers and those on long-haul flights, might consider timed meals as part of an overall strategy to help resynchronize their body clocks, the study 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://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>

How delaying meals can help reset your body clock

Delaying meals can reset your body clock and affect your...

For decades, developmental researchers have thought that children growing up in impoverished areas were at the highest risk for drug and alcohol <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brain-lsd-microdosing/">addiction</a>. Understandably, this led to numerous studies on how to help these kids minimize risks and provide them with the resources needed to avoid the dangers of addiction. But new research from <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> now shows that children from high-income areas are also at an extremely high risk for drug use.

“Paradoxical though it may seem, these ostensibly privileged youth, many of who start experimenting early and often with drinking and drugs, could well be among the groups at highest risk for alcoholism and addiction in adulthood,” says Suniya Luthar, professor of psychology at <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a>.

In a study of two groups of students from affluent communities in the Northeast U.S., researchers assessed the young adults as high school seniors and then annually across four years of college and from ages 23 to 27. The final results were rather worrisome for the research team.

“We found alarmingly high rates of substance abuse among young adults who we initially studied as teenagers,” says Luthar. “These young adults had substantial elevations, relative to national norms, in frequency of several indicators - drinking to intoxication and of using marijuana, stimulants such as Adderall, cocaine, and club drugs such as ecstasy.”

Rates of addiction to drugs or alcohol were found to be two to three times higher in these groups when compared to national averages. Luthar believes that deeper analysis of the lives of these young adults may provide some clues to the factors the influence the high rates of addiction.

When the groups of young adults were assessed during their senior year of high school, they all attended the best schools in their area, usually with the purpose of moving on to highly selective universities. At these schools, kids face significant pressure to achieve – which ultimately may manifest in a “work hard, play hard” attitude or turning to alcohol and drugs to blow off steam. Affluence in the school community may also be a factor.

“Many kids in these communities have plenty of disposable income with which they can get high-quality fake ID’s, as well as alcohol and both prescription and recreational drugs,” explains Luthar.

The researchers believe there are a few strategies that may be able to mitigate the risks of alcohol and drug addiction in these communities. One would be to show these data sets to kids and their families, so they don’t think that growing up in an affluent community means that they are sheltered from these risks.

Another important point would be for leaders in science, public health, and social policy to pay closer attention to the reality that adolescents in high-achieving schools might be a population that is at a high risk for addiction. Breaking the myths and fictions of “safety” within these high-income communities will only serve to help the kids that call these communities home.

--

Source: <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a>

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

For students, high achievement may mean high risk for addiction

For decades, developmental researchers have thought that children growing up...

In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The plan laid out 17 visionary ideas such as tackling climate change and achieving equality. Goal number 14 is to conserve and sustainably use the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-million-years-recover/">oceans</a> and marine resources. A report published today by the <a href="http://www.nereusprogram.org/">Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program</a> finds that achieving ocean sustainability will also help end poverty and improve the health of millions of global citizens. 

"A healthy ocean can also mean the difference between malnourishment and a steady supply of high quality protein for vulnerable communities," says Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor, Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program Manager. "The oceans are connected to our lives in many ways. Restoring the oceans isn't just an environmentalist's dream but is vital for employment, well being, livelihoods, and health around the world."

The report establishes seven issues that are plaguing the Earth’s oceans and identifies the ways these problems will be tackled globally. The goals include reducing ocean acidification, ending overfishing, and creating marine reserves. The report, which is the first comprehensive outline of Sustainable Development Goal 14, finds that healthy oceans will have far-reaching benefits. 

"If fish stocks recover and are effectively managed, fisheries are more likely to provide sustainable livelihoods and food, and be more resilient to climate change" explains William Cheung, Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program Director of Science. "Sustainable fisheries can help reduce poverty, limit hunger, and contribute to decent work and sustained economic growth by providing employment opportunities and productive fish stocks."

The report acknowledges ways that climate change complicates efforts to renew the planet's oceans. Social issues such as unequal accessibility to resources are also addressed in the publication. Additionally, the document establishes unexpected connections between ocean sustainability and some of the other goals laid out by the UN.


"The results may seem surprising, but a healthy ocean can contribute to achieving gender equality," says Yoshitaka Ota, Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program Director of Policy. "Fisheries activities are quite gendered -- women typically do unrecognized and unrewarded work. Men will go on boats to capture fish that are sent to markets. But women are often collecting the subsistence food."


Ota urges that regardless of the success that will come from healing our world's oceans, we are running out of other options.

"The challenges--both environmental and socioeconomic--that confront our oceans have reached a critical level,” says Ota. “This report demonstrates how ocean sustainability holds the key not only to our future prosperity but also for our survival from a comprehensive science-based perspective."

[caption id="attachment_451001" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/141736.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-451001" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/141736-300x203.png" alt="" width="300" height="203" /></a> Image Credit: Lindsay Lafreniere[/caption]

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.nereusprogram.org/">Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program</a>

Image Credit: Lindsay Lafreniere

Renewing the ocean could help end poverty and world hunger

In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda...

Eating plenty of salmon, mackerel, and sardines prevents Alzheimer's disease by boosting blood flow to the brain, according to a new study.

Using brain scans, researchers found that omega-3 fatty acids in oily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-misfits-thrive-new-turf/">fish</a> can actually increase blood flow to the parts of the brain that control memory and learning. These are also the very same regions that are attacked by Alzheimer's.

People who eat a lot of oily fish are also better at acquiring and understanding new information, the study said. But a diet high in fish can also improve one’s overall mental and emotional health.

“This is very important research because it shows a correlation between lower omega-3 fatty acid levels and reduced brain blood flow to regions important for learning, memory, depression and dementia,' said lead author of the study, Daniel Amen, of Amen Clinics in Costa Mesa, California,

Scientists took brain scans from 166 people from a psychiatric referral clinic. The participants were then divided into to two groups depending on their omega-3 consumption.  

Study participants were scanned on 128 regions of their brains while they performed various computer tasks that measured their mental skills.

The researchers also measured participants' omega-3 blood levels and evaluated their mental and emotional health using standard tests. 

The results, published in the <a href="http://www.j-alz.com/">Journal of Alzheimer's Disease</a>, found people with high omega-3 levels have more blood flowing into the brain regions associated with memory and learning,

They are also better at acquiring and understanding knowledge, the researchers found.

The findings further demonstrated overall mental and emotional health is stronger in those with high omega-3 levels.  

“Although we have considerable evidence omega-3 levels are associated with better cardiovascular health, the role of the ‘fish oil’ fatty acids in mental health and brain physiology is just beginning to be explored,” said co-author Professor William Harris, of <a href="http://www.usd.edu/">South Dakota University</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.j-alz.com/">Journal of Alzheimer's Disease</a>

How eating fish can help prevent Alzheimer's

Eating plenty of salmon, mackerel, and sardines prevents Alzheimer's disease...

As humans continue to reshape the planet to our advantage, it is difficult to realize the extent of the damage we are causing in the process. Our actions are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diesel-fuel-pollution-heart-damage/">polluting</a> the land we live on and the air that we breathe. We are displacing the plants and animals we depend upon for survival, and threatening biodiversity as a whole. While the repercussions of human activities could be catastrophic, researchers from around the globe are offering insight to help reduce the impact of human destruction before it is too late to be repaired.  

Forest Isbell of University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences and biologist Andrew Gonzalez of <a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> are teaming up with colleagues from around the world to report on human-induced biodiversity loss. The report will be published this week in a special biodiversity  issue of the scientific journal Nature.

The researchers outlined human activities that negatively affect biodiversity, such as habitat destruction and overhunting. They also documented what we still need to learn about the loss of diversity within ecosystems. The authors of the publication express an urgent need for people to take an active interest in conserving biodiversity before it is too late. 

“Human activities are driving the sixth mass extinction in the history of life on Earth, despite the fact that diversity of life enhances many benefits people reap from nature, such as wood from forests, livestock forage from grasslands, and fish from oceans and streams," said Isbell, who served as lead author the paper. "It would be wise to invest much more in conserving biodiversity."

The report also addresses the benefits of nature that many of us take for granted,  and how biodiversity loss can revoke these benefits. For example, a recent study shows that fewer tree species in a forest is a direct cause of less wood production in that region. The team estimated that the value of biodiversity to humans is 10 times greater than the amount of money spent on conservation efforts globally. 

According to Gonzalez, the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN “aim to ensure human well-being in the long term.” Gonzalez points out that biodiversity is a big part of this global campaign. He also explains that, "Attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals will require action to conserve and restore biodiversity from local to global scales.”
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a>

Image Credit: Susan Barrott, UMinn

Conserving biodiversity could save us from mass extinction

As humans continue to reshape the planet to our advantage,...

Humans, like chimpanzees, console their threatened peers out of empathy, according to a new study.

Consolation is generally defined as an uninvolved bystander initiating friendly contact with a victim of aggression. Previous research has suggested that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/voluntary-sharing-children-happy/">children</a> and chimpanzees show empathy to their peers, but there is little research on consolation in human adults.

The authors analyzed real life television footage of 249 people present in the immediate aftermath of 22 commercial robberies. They investigated whether the social closeness (for example, age similarity or being employees of the same business) and gender of the victim and the bystander affected the likelihood of physical consolation behaviour, such as a touch on the arm or a hug.

Social closeness, rather than physical proximity, was important in determining if a bystander would console a victim, which is consistent with the theory that bystanders console victims when they empathize with them. While females were more likely to console a victim, both male and female victims were equally likely to be consoled. A victim in a more threatening situation was more likely to receive consolation.

“Unique surveillance camera observations from contexts of real-life violent crimes show that human adults provide victims with consolation in ways similar to what is observed among chimpanzees," said study lead author Marie Rosenkrantz Lindegaard of the <a href="https://www.nscr.nl/en/">Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement.</a>

Comparative research across different species can provide insight into the mental lives of animals, and should have implications for practices in behavioral science and animal research, the authors said. 

The study is 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>

Humans and chimpanzees exhibit similar signs of empathy

Humans, like chimpanzees, console their threatened peers out of empathy,...

As every human (and animal) knows, love can be a complex thing to understand and explain, but scientists have gotten one step closer. <a href="http://www.emory.edu/">Emory University</a> researchers have located the area of the brain in prairie voles that causes them to bond for life with their mates.

The study, published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, could help efforts to treat human emotional disorders such as as autism, the university said.

"Prairie voles were critical to our team's findings because studying pair bonding in humans has been traditionally difficult," said Elizabeth Amadei, study co-lead author. "As humans, we know the feelings we get when we view images of our romantic partners, but, until now, we haven't known how the brain's reward system works to lead to those feelings and to the voles' pair bonding."

Previous work with prairie voles demonstrated that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lack-sleep-eat-brain/">brain</a> chemicals, such as oxytocin and dopamine, act within the medial prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens to establish a pair bond. The Emory team set out to find the precise neural activity leading to a pair bond. 

The researchers used probes to listen to neural communication between the two brain regions and then analyzed activity from individual female prairie voles as they spent hours socializing with a male - a cohabitation period that normally leads to a pair bond.

The researchers discovered that during pair bond formation, the prefrontal cortex, an area involved in decision-making, helps control the rhythmic oscillations of neurons within the nucleus accumbens, the central hub of the brain's reward system. This suggests a functional connection from the cortex shapes neurons activity in the nucleus accumbens.

"It is remarkable there are neural signatures of a predisposition to begin huddling with the partner,” said study co-author Larry Young. “Similar variation in corticostriatal communication could underlie individual differences in social competencies in psychiatric disorders in humans, and enhancing that communication could improve social function in disorders such as autism." 

The results identify an important reward circuit in the brain that is activated during social interactions to facilitate bond formation in voles.

"Now, we want to know if oxytocin regulates functional connectivity and how circuit activity changes the way the brain processes social information about a partner," said senior author Robert Liu, associate professor in Emory's Department of Biology.

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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.emory.edu/">Emory University</a>

New study unravels how the brain processes love

As every human (and animal) knows, love can be a...

If you’ve been alive for even a few years you’ve probably heard the phrase, “it’s better to give than to receive,” but is that true? Scientists recently published a study in <a href="http://home.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers in Psychology</a> that examined the emotional benefits of sharing in a group of preschool children in China. 

Led by Dr. Zhen Wu, the researchers used positive facial expressions as a measure of happiness and compared these expressions in 3- and 5-year old children who performed a sharing task. This task consisted of sharing stickers with their peers – an activity we probably all enjoyed at one time.

The experiment divided the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rosemary-sharpens-memory-children/">children</a> into two sharing groups. One group shared voluntarily, while the other group was obligated to share their stickers. Not surprisingly, both age groups shared more when they were obligated to share than when sharing was voluntarily. But researchers found that both 3- and 5-year olds exhibited greater happiness when they shared voluntarily than when they held onto their stickers for themselves.

“So, it seems that the motivation to give does count,” says Dr. Wu, “and it also suggests that it is unrealistic to expect a very young child to share under pressure and be happy about it!”

This study is the first evidence that sharing under social norms is not as emotionally rewarding as sharing voluntarily. The researchers believe this understanding might help preschool teachers determine how they should encourage sharing in their students.

However, Dr. Wu also says there are some things to be aware of with this study, “for instance, it is difficult to entirely rule out the influence of social norms even in the voluntary giving mode. The giver might have felt pressure to give even when told they were not obliged to.”

Ultimately, the researchers would like to extend this study to determine how one act of generosity promotes happiness that may in turn lead to another act of generosity. The emotions that connect and drive these behaviors are deeply rooted within our psyche, further insight into how they determine our decision-making could be incredibly fascinating.

--

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://home.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>

Study: Voluntary sharing makes young children happy

If you’ve been alive for even a few years you’ve...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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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