Aging is not equal for everyone. Some people stay healthier for longer, while others decline faster. A team from USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology has uncovered one reason why: education. 



Their study shows that Americans with less schooling are aging more quickly than those with college degrees. And the gap between the two groups has almost doubled in just three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biological-age-is-different-from-years">Biological age is different from years</h2>



Counting birthdays only tells us how much time has gone by, but it doesn’t reveal how healthy someone truly is. Biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-puberty-linked-to-higher-long-term-aging-risks/">age</a> fills that gap by looking inside the body. 



It measures how organs work, how resilient systems remain, and how much stress or damage has built up over time. Doctors and researchers use indicators like blood pressure, kidney function, cholesterol, inflammation, and other markers to estimate it. 



This is why two people who are both 65 can look very different biologically. One may show the profile of a 55-year-old with strong organs and low disease risk, while another may resemble someone 75, with higher vulnerability to illness and disability. 



Unlike the number of years that a person has lived, biological age tells us how well or poorly a body is actually <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/womens-egg-cells-shield-dna-from-the-effects-of-aging/">aging</a>.



“Biological age gives us a clearer picture of health than chronological age,” said <a href="https://www.usc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USC University</a> Professor Eileen Crimmins, the study’s senior author. “It helps us understand who is likely to stay healthy longer and who may be at higher risk for disease and disability.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-education-gap-in-aging-grows">Education gap in aging grows</h2>



The researchers studied adults aged 50 to 79 across two time spans: the late 1980s and early 1990s, and then 2015 through 2018. They found improvement in everyone. But the well-educated gained the most ground.



In the early years, the biological age difference between those without a high school diploma and college graduates was about one year. By the recent period, that difference reached nearly two years.



“This means that people with more education have slower biological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-experimenting-with-new-approach-to-fight-and-stop-human-aging-necrosis/">aging</a> than everyone else,” said Mateo Farina, assistant professor at the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Texas at Austin</a>. “The improvements we see in population health are not being shared equally.”



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



Schooling sets the stage for the rest of life. It affects jobs, income, neighborhoods, and even which doctors people can see. It also ties to behavior. People with more education smoke less and exercise more.



The researchers tested whether smoking, obesity, or medication use could explain the widening gap - but education itself remained the main driver.



“Education shapes opportunities and risks throughout life,” Crimmins explained. “It’s a powerful social determinant of health, and it is leaving a mark on how fast or slow our bodies age.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-education-leads-to-faster-aging">Less education leads to faster aging</h2>



The study warns that those with less schooling will not only die sooner but also spend more years living with disease and disability. That means extra strain on families, communities, and healthcare systems.



“This isn’t just a matter of individual choice; it’s a social issue,” Farina said. “If we want to reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-slow-aging-right-down-to-your-dna/">health</a> disparities, we need to think about education as a public health investment.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inequality-in-aging-will-keep-growing">Inequality in aging will keep growing</h2>



Even though every group studied showed some improvement in biological aging, the rate of progress was not the same. People with college degrees benefited the most, which means the advantages were not shared equally. 



Those with less education improved too, but the gains were smaller, leaving them further behind.



At the same time, obesity rates are climbing across all groups. This rise could weaken or even reverse the improvements in aging that researchers observed. 



New medical treatments and technologies may help, but if only the more educated or wealthier groups have better access to them, the gap will become even larger.



The research makes one clear point: aging is not only about individual habits or inherited genes. It is also about education and the chances that come with it - or the barriers that limit people. 



Without policies or actions that address these differences, the divide in how Americans age will continue to expand, creating an even bigger split between groups based on education.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/demography/article/doi/10.1215/00703370-12175545/402044/Increasing-Educational-Inequality-in-Biological" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Demography</a>.



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Why education matters for healthy aging and longevity

Aging is not equal for everyone. Some people stay healthier for longer, while others decline faster. A team from USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology has uncovered one reason why: education. Their study shows that Americans with less schooling are aging more quickly than those with college degrees. And the gap between the two groups has almost doubled in just three decades. Biological age is different from years Counting birthdays only tells us how much time has gone by, but it doesn’t reveal how healthy someone truly...

Silhouette,Business,People,Discussion,Communication,Meeting,Concept

Body posture sends steady social signals. Long before anyone speaks, the way a person naturally stands can hint at how they see status, power, and the people around them. Not just in heated moments - your baseline stance matters.



Most research on posture looks at quick shifts tied to mood. This current study asked a different question: Are there trait-level differences in posture that stick over time and actually tell us something <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychologists-claim-the-7-38-55-rule-is-secret-to-exceptional-eq-emotional-intelligence/">about personality</a>?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linking-posture-to-social-personality">Linking posture to social personality</h2>



The research tested whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-men-and-women-react-differently-to-stress/">individual differences</a> in everyday, natural posture relate to individual differences in personality. 



In a large sample, the team tracked posture in neutral settings and linked those measures with attitudes toward competition, power, and social hierarchy.



The work was led by Soren Wanio-Theberge and Jorge Armony at <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McGill University</a>, who have argued that body language connects directly to emotions; these studies put that idea in a more precise frame.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-mood-and-posture">Social mood and posture</h2>



The relationship the authors describe reflects individual differences in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36048034/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">postural dominance</a> and submission. 



People vary in how “open” or “closed” they tend to hold themselves at rest, and those patterns align with how they think about social rank. 



The work suggests that postural signaling of social rank occurs not only in brief displays but as a stable individual trait with consequences for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/social-processing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">socioaffective processing</a>.



To ensure the posture measure was sound, the researchers validated it against physiological data from relevant musculature and showed that it remained stable over a one-month interval.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-they-measured-it">How they measured it</h2>



Across the five studies, four relied on photos participants submitted of themselves standing in a natural pose. One brought participants to the lab for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-felt-emotions-in-unusual-body-parts/">physiological measurements</a>. 



In total, there were 608 young adult participants. Postural ratings across time tended to be stable, which supports the idea that baseline stance is more than a passing mood.



In one experiment, participants were instructed to pose in a dominant or submissive way. 



In the submissive stance, they adopted a stooped, bent-forward posture. When instructed to appear dominant, they stood upright, with hips forward and torso leaning backward. 



This might remind you of the “power pose” idea, but there was no indication in this particular study that an altered posture produced an altered state of mind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-neck-flexion-and-positioning">Neck flexion and positioning</h2>



The most informative feature was how much the head tilts down or up - <a href="https://www.stonybrookmedicine.edu/lifestyle-medicine/movement/resources/neck" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neck flexion</a>. The scientists focused on the angle that captures chin-down vs. chin-up - i.e., how much the head is tilted forward relative to the neck/torso. 



The team extracted body keypoints from simple front/side photos, then computed posture angles - including a neck-flexion angle - from those keypoints.



The position of your neck, combined with your body posture and stance, correlated to personality: more-upright individuals tended, on average, to endorse more dominance-oriented views and scored higher on some manipulative/antisocial trait measures. 



To clarify, people who naturally held their head higher (less flexion; more “chin up”) tended, on average, to score higher on dominance-related and some antisocial/manipulative traits (e.g., social dominance orientation, primary psychopathy, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/machiavellianism" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Machiavellianism</a>). They also scored lower on empathy and anger control.



Crucially, neck flexion was a group-level correlation, not a diagnosis, and the pattern held when participants returned about a month later, suggesting a stable trait rather than just a passing mood.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-posture-and-social-cues">Posture and social cues</h2>



Some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/body-language-expresses-emotions-across-cultures/">body-emotion links</a> are well known: raising the fists (anger), moving the torso backward (fear), curving the lower back or “lordotic” posture (sexual receptiveness in female mammals), and arching the back (rats and other four-legged animals). 



In social situations, an open, erect, and expanded stance often reads as dominant. A slumped, closed posture tends to read as submissive.



These visible patterns form a practical “menu” of cues people use, especially with strangers. Any one of them, or a mix, can help you <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39311863/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">figure out what someone may be signaling</a> without saying a word.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personality-links-that-showed-up">Personality links that showed up</h2>



Early in the series, people with more erect postures scored higher on personality traits associated with psychopathic tendencies. Later work broadened the view. 



The final study assessed psychopathy, manipulativeness, competitiveness, and belief in the existence of social hierarchies. 



In the authors’ words, this range of attributes reflects “the use of intimidation in order to improve one’s access to resources in the environment at the expense of others."



The authors reasoned that for some dominant individuals, “the experience of being at the bottom of the heap can be intolerable." 



A feedback loop can follow: standing tall and straight takes effort and often draws deferential treatment. That social response can reinforce a dominant posture over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-everyone-stands-the-same">Not everyone stands the same</h2>



People who scored lower on these dominance-related traits showed a wider range of stances rather than sticking to one “strong” look. 



Flexibility in posture - opening up in some moments, settling into neutral in others - fits with lower endorsement of competitive, top-down views of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/having-an-active-social-life-helps-the-brain-make-better-sense-of-the-world/">social life</a>.



The big picture here is that natural posture, captured in everyday conditions, carries information about personality and social attitudes. It wasn’t just a flash in the pan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-underlying-issues">Underlying issues</h2>



There are limits. The sample leaned heavily toward female undergraduates, and the methods were correlational. Culture also shapes how people use space and stance. 



As people age, normal changes in muscle and body mass can affect posture, no matter their personality. Those realities matter when you apply these findings to new groups or settings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bringing-this-into-the-real-world">Bringing this into the real world</h2>



When you meet someone new, you take in many cues at once - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/facial-expressions-arent-enough-to-understand-human-emotions/">face</a>, voice, handshake, movement. Posture is one cue among many, and it’s a useful one. 



A person standing up straight can come across as confident and trustworthy. However, in special circumstances, a consistently erect, expanded stance was associated with stronger endorsement of social dominance and related traits. 



On the flip side, a person who slumps isn’t automatically timid; context matters.



The study closes with a practical note: a person who appears to use their body to intimidate you - even if they do not fully succeed - is someone to avoid.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-you-should-take-from-this-study">What you should take from this study</h2>



Trait-level posture exists - that isn't up for debate. It links directly to how people think about rank and competition. The measure was checked against muscle activity and held steady over one month. 



Briefly adopting a pose - dominant or submissive - didn’t seem to change people’s mindset in this set of studies. 



And while posture can inform first impressions, it should sit alongside other signals before you decide how to engage.



That’s the takeaway: pay attention, stay thoughtful, and use posture as one clear piece of the larger social puzzle.



The full studies were published in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpspp0000515" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.



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How a person stands will quickly reveal their personality type and traits

Body posture sends steady social signals. Long before anyone speaks,...

Our noses do a quiet job. Every day they flag danger, color our meals, and tie memories to places. A research team in Seoul now reports a straightforward method to temporarily dial up the sense of smell.



The study was led by Yongwoo Jang of <a href="https://www.hanyang.ac.kr/web/eng" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hanyang University</a> with collaborators in South Korea.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-radio-waves-on-the-smell-nerve">Radio waves on the smell nerve</h2>



The group focused on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-your-brain-decides-what-smells-good-or-bad/">olfactory</a> nerve - the cable that carries odor signals from the top of the nasal cavity into the brain. 



Instead of chemicals or implanted electrodes, the researchers used radiofrequency energy at 2.45 GHz to stimulate the pathway for five minutes.



Volunteers sat still while a patch antenna, about 2 inches across, rested roughly 4 inches in front of the forehead. The antenna did not touch skin, and the output ranged from 10 to 20 watts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smell-boost-after-short-radio-waves">Smell boost after short radio waves</h2>



Before and after stimulation, participants took a standard odor threshold test that uses pen like odor sticks and the solvent n butanol. This is the threshold component of the widely used Sniffin' Sticks battery procedure.



Scores rose markedly after one session and stayed higher for about a week. In healthy participants, the average threshold improved from typical baseline values around 9 to near the top of the 16 point scale after stimulation.



The team did not test people with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-dna-may-explain-why-you-love-or-hate-certain-smells/">smell</a> loss yet. The next step is to move into patient groups with measurable impairment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-radio-waves-boost-smell">Why radio waves boost smell</h2>



Odor detection begins when receptors in the nose send impulses to the olfactory bulb, then onward to higher brain regions. The skull blunts surface currents, so typical electrical stimulation does not easily reach this deep circuit.



Radio signals can pass through tissue and bone without contact and deposit small amounts of energy. 



In the lab recordings, the experts saw stronger electrical activity in the 30 to 100 Hz band during and after exposure, a pattern that fits enhanced responsiveness in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/body-odor-may-subconsciously-change-how-people-interact/">olfactory</a> pathway.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-safe-but-short-term-effect">Safe but short term effect</h2>



The team noted that the antenna does not heat the skin during a short session. The exposure stayed within a narrow window and the device sat off the body.



“This study represents the first time that a person’s sense of smell has been improved using radio waves without any physical contact or chemicals, and the first attempt to explore radio frequency stimulation as a potential therapy for neurological conditions," said Jang. 



"This will help us determine whether the treatment can truly benefit those who need it most."



Two limitations of the study stand out. The sample included only healthy adults, and the benefit faded after roughly a week without retreatment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-smell-deserves-more-attention">Why smell deserves more attention</h2>



Smell problems are common in respiratory infections and were a striking feature of the early COVID 19 waves. 



A 2024 review summarizes how olfactory loss can linger and affect daily life for many patients, even as overall risk has fallen since 2020.



Loss of smell also acts as an early flag in neurodegenerative disease. Robust evidence shows that olfactory dysfunction is prevalent in the first stages of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease - often years before motor or memory symptoms surface.



The current treatments for restoring smell are limited. Olfactory training with selected scents can help some people gradually over months, but it seldom leads to an immediate recovery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-of-the-study">Broader implications of the study</h2>



If future trials in patients mirror the early pattern in healthy adults, smell clinics could incorporate a short radio wave session. The potential applications range from post-viral anosmia to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/helping-others-can-slow-age-related-cognitive-decline/">age-related decline</a>.



Professionals who rely on fine discrimination, from roasters to perfumers, may also be interested in time limited sensitivity boosts for training and calibration. 



These applications will need careful boundaries and clear safety data before moving beyond the lab.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recovering-smell-with-radio-signals">Recovering smell with radio signals</h2>



The early human data suggest that a brief, contact free radio signal can nudge the olfactory system into a more sensitive state for several days. It is simple, fast, and based on hardware that is easy to standardize.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/losing-your-sense-of-smell-is-linked-to-over-100-diseases/">Loss of smell</a> affects safety, diet, mood, and even memory. Providing clinicians with another safe option for treatment would be valuable, especially for the many people who don’t recover on their own after an infection or injury.



The study is published in <a href="https://pubs.aip.org/aip/apb/article/9/3/036112/3359455/Non-contact-radiofrequency-stimulation-to-the" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">APL Bioengineering</a>.



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Radio waves can boost our sense of smell without contact

Our noses do a quiet job. Every day they flag...

Some people stay sharp and steady into old age, while others face illness and limits far sooner. A new study maps 408 genes across distinct patterns of accelerated aging, known as frailty, and shows these patterns arise from different biology.



Rather than one score, the team modeled a general genetic factor plus six specific factors that track shared signals across 30 aging deficits, moving beyond a single category for everyone.



Study lead author Isabelle Foote is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder’s <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/ibg/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Institute for Behavioral Genetics</a>.



The researchers analyzed genetic and health records from the UK Biobank - a 500,000-person resource designed for large-scale population research. The scale allowed the team to detect subtle effects that smaller cohorts often miss.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-same-score-different-health-risks">Same score, different health risks</h2>



Clinicians often use a frailty index - a count of 30 to 40 deficits across symptoms, diseases, and functions, to estimate risk in older adults. 



That approach is useful in clinics but can hide why two people with the same score need different care.



Previous research has shown that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flavonol-rich-foods-reduce-the-risk-of-developing-frailty/">frailty</a> reflects the accumulation of deficits and varies widely among people the same age. Dividing the score into distinct domains creates a clearer map for intervention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-link-aging-and-frailty">Genes link aging and frailty</h2>



Some of the signals appear in biologically familiar places, including the transcription factor SP1, which regulates genes tied to amyloid and tau in Alzheimer’s disease and shows altered levels in patient brain tissue.



SP1 also participates in immune and stress-response pathways, suggesting one route by which inflammation might contribute to cognitive decline.



Other findings intersect with metabolic control, such as FTO, a gene whose common variants are strongly associated with higher body mass index and obesity across the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/womens-egg-cells-shield-dna-from-the-effects-of-aging/">life course</a>. 



Connections like these align with frailty subtypes that center on cognition, mobility, metabolism, and social context without presuming a single cause.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-targeting-aging-not-just-disease">Targeting aging, not just disease</h2>



The findings support geroscience - the idea that targeting the biology of aging could lower the risk for many conditions at once, rather than chasing each disease separately. 



“To be able to identify treatments to stop or reverse accelerated biological aging, you need to know what the underlying biology is," noted Foote. "This is the largest study yet to use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-experimenting-with-new-approach-to-fight-and-stop-human-aging-necrosis/">genetics</a> to try to do that.”



“This paper suggests that it’s probably not going to be a single magic pill to address all the diseases that come with aging, but maybe it doesn’t need to be hundreds anymore,” said study co-author Andrew Grotzinger.



The experts recommend adding subtypes to frailty evaluations. This would allow doctors to target cognitive frailty with dementia prevention and metabolic frailty with measures to reduce risks for heart disease and diabetes. Researchers can test these steps now, while genetics fuels the search for new targets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-scores-may-guide-prevention">Genetic scores may guide prevention</h2>



One near-term tool is the polygenic risk score, which summarizes thousands of small genetic effects into a single number estimating predisposition for a trait like frailty.



Early validation work shows that such scores predict frailty in independent cohorts, explaining about two percent of the variance in older adults. This tool could flag people who may benefit from earlier screening or coaching.



Scores are not destiny, and their performance depends on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/who-are-the-japanese-people-dna-study-results-upend-previous-ancestry-beliefs/">ancestry</a>, sample size, and context. This is why experts caution against overinterpreting a single score outside well-studied populations. As datasets diversify and clinical studies mature, the numbers should become more precise.



The larger lesson here is that precision matters in aging science, because unhealthy aging is not a single pathway. With better maps, researchers and clinicians can match prevention and treatment to the biology that truly needs attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-cluster-traits-in-aging-science">Genes cluster traits in aging science</h2>



The study draws on a large genome-wide association study, which searches for links between genes and traits. The team applied a method called genomic structural equation modeling to uncover hidden genetic factors that help explain why certain traits tend to cluster together.



In plain terms, this modeling method tests whether the same sets of variants tend to occur alongside specific constellations of deficits - exactly the kind of insight needed when aging is not a single process.



Genomic SEM distinguishes which genetic effects are shared across areas - such as thinking ability, movement, metabolism, and disease risk - and which are unique.



It also accounts for the fact that some of the same individuals may appear in multiple datasets. That is how the team identified a broad factor and six specific factors that better match what doctors observe in practice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-matter-but-context-matters-more">Genes matter, but context matters more</h2>



The authors propose adding subtypes to frailty evaluations. This approach lets doctors target cognitive frailty with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/risk-of-dementia-is-much-higher-than-previously-thought/">dementia</a> prevention and metabolic frailty with strategies to lower heart disease and diabetes risks.



The path forward includes recruiting broader cohorts and building tools that perform equitably across groups.



Genes play a role in aging, but life experiences also matter. Because social and behavioral factors are important, care plans must account for environment, habits, and support networks - not just DNA. The genetic map adds resolution, but it does not erase the rest of the picture.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02269-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Genetics</a>.



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Why some people age better: Hundreds of genes identified

Some people stay sharp and steady into old age, while...

Struggling to fall asleep at night? Science may have found the answer, and it is not a pill. It has long been known that exercise can help with sleep disorders, but the best type and routine were unclear. 



Now, researchers at <a href="https://www.hrbipe.edu.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harbin Sport University</a> in China have compared different workouts to determine which works best.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-study-was-conducted">How the study was conducted</h2>



The team used Network meta-analysis (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895435624002932#:~:text=Network%20Meta%2Danalysis%20(NMA),evidence)%20to%20obtain%20network%20estimates." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NMA</a>), a statistical method that allows comparisons across multiple types of exercise.&nbsp;



They searched five major scientific databases to include as many relevant studies as possible. The researchers collected data from Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Scopus, up until September 30, 2024.



They included 30 randomized controlled trials (<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6235704/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RCT</a>s) involving 2,576 participants from more than a dozen countries. Participants ranged in age and were all experiencing <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11429-sleep-disorders" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep difficulties</a>.



Importantly, two researchers independently extracted the data to minimize bias or mistakes. After analyzing the data, the researchers ranked the effectiveness of different types of exercise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-exercise-improves-sleep-quality">Which exercise improves sleep quality</h2>



The study revealed that <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/yoga-effectiveness-and-safety" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">yoga</a> was most beneficial, especially when practiced at higher intensity for 30 minutes or less, twice a week. Consistency is key. The benefits were strongest when continued for eight to ten weeks.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/art-20046261" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Walking</a> ranked second, followed by resistance training and aerobic exercise.&nbsp;



Why do these workouts matter? These activities could offer a safer, more accessible way to improve sleep for people with sleep disorders.



Treatments for sleep issues, like cognitive behavioral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-therapy-may-break-the-cycle-of-overthinking-and-repetitive-negative-thoughts/">therapy</a> (CBT) and sleeping pills, do not always work for everyone. These treatments may also carry <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-sea-cucumbers-could-help-slow-the-spread-of-cancer/">side effects</a>, especially affecting older adults.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-shorter-sessions-work-better">Why do shorter sessions work better?</h2>



While this study does not explain exactly why yoga helps with sleep, previous research provides some insights. Yoga combines <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/practicing-mindfulness-can-quiet-the-noise-of-anxiety/">mindfulness</a> and physical activity in addition to boosting heart rate and building strength.



What sets yoga apart is its focus on breath control, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting calmness and inducing good-quality sleep. Timing and intensity both appear to influence its effect.



The key finding of this study was that shorter sessions may actually be more beneficial, contrary to what most of us believed. Excessive exercise can elevate cortisol, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-stress-makes-us-take-more-risks-in-financial-decisions/">stress</a> hormone, which may make it harder to sleep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-at-odds-with-previous-studies">At odds with previous studies</h2>



These findings challenge some earlier assumptions about yoga and sleep. Past research suggested hour-long yoga classes were best for sleep. 



Results also differ from a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2023 study</a>, which suggested that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise performed three times a week was most effective. 



"If someone were to do some exercise earlier in the day, not right before bedtime, there can be some elevations in cortisol," said Justin Thomas, a sleep specialist at the <a href="https://www.uab.edu/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alabama</a>. Exercising too close to bedtime may interfere with falling asleep.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-and-sleep-it-s-complicated">Exercise and sleep - it's complicated</h2>



The researchers were not able to determine how widely the results apply, since the study included trials with participants from a wide range of age groups.



"Some kinds of interventions may work well for someone who is in their 30s but be more difficult for someone who is in their 80s," said Arsenio Páez, a sleep researcher at <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Concordia University</a>.



For instance, older adults or those leading a sedentary lifestyle might benefit more from low-intensity workouts, while younger individuals with an active lifestyle might need a high-intensity routine.



That means the best routine can depend on age, lifestyle, and health history.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-one-size-does-not-fit-all">One size does not fit all</h2>



The scientists still require more data on the long-term effects of exercise on sleep. They stress that while exercise is good for sleep, there is no universal exercise routine that works for everyone.&nbsp;



Sleep and exercise are also influenced by sex and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-fruits-and-vegetables-improve-heart-health/">health</a> history. "We really need to look more at the differences between how men and women respond," said Páez.



For now, experts suggest sticking with what is practical and enjoyable, as the key is to stay active. 



"If a patient comes into my clinic and, for some reason, cannot do yoga, but they can walk, then I would still encourage walking rather than doing nothing," said Thomas.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41105-025-00596-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sleep and Biological Rhythms</a>.



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One form of exercise is shown to improve sleep the most, according to studies

Struggling to fall asleep at night? Science may have found...

Human speech follows a steady timing pattern that shows up across cultures. A new paper reports that people naturally package talk into short phrases that arrive about once every 1.6 seconds, regardless of the language being spoken.



That unit of delivery is not a syllable or a word. It is a prosodic chunk called an intonation unit, and its regular tempo shows up in everyday <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-computer-interface-bci-reads-your-innermost-thoughts-and-translates-them-into-text/">conversation</a>, in children and adults, and in communities from many language families.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speech-rhythm-is-universal">Speech rhythm is universal</h2>



The study was led by Dr. Maya Inbar with Professors Eitan Grossman and Ayelet N. Landau at the <a href="https://en.huji.ac.il/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a>, and Professor Landau also holds an appointment at University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>). Their collaboration draws linguistics, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience into the same frame.



“These findings suggest that the way we pace our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smartphones-may-leak-conversations-through-vibrations/">speech</a> isn’t just a cultural artifact, it’s deeply rooted in human cognition and biology,” said Dr. Inbar.



“Understanding this temporal structure helps bridge neuroscience, linguistics, and psychology,” said Prof. Landau.



An intonation unit (<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10697392/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IU</a>) is a short prosodic phrase marked by coordinated changes in pitch, loudness, and timing. It is the slice of speech that carries a small, coherent bit of information before the next slice begins.



These units help listeners keep track of ideas and time their replies. Cross-cultural research shows that turn-taking in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/speech-pattern-wfd-that-is-a-clear-indication-a-person-is-in-cognitive-decline/">conversation</a> relies on subtle temporal cues, not only on grammar or vocabulary.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speech-rhythm-found-across-languages">Speech rhythm found across languages</h2>



The team assembled 668 recordings across 48 languages from 27 families, drawing most of the material from the <a href="https://doreco.huma-num.fr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DoReCo</a> language documentation archive, which houses high quality recordings of many small and endangered languages. They focused on spontaneous speech rather than scripted or read text.



They used an automatic <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32985572/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">method</a> to flag prosodic boundaries and then validated the results against expert annotations in English, Hebrew, Russian, and Totoli. 



The validation showed moderate to high agreement with human transcribers, giving confidence that the boundary detector worked across unrelated languages.



To test whether IU onsets line up with a slow periodic pattern in the speech signal, the team used a bias-free phase synchronization metric known as pairwise phase consistency. 



This measure detects consistent timing of events relative to slow oscillations without overestimating effects when sample sizes change.



The analysis revealed a prominent rhythm near 0.6 Hz. That corresponds to one new IU roughly every 1.6 seconds, and this alignment held across all languages in the sample.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-this-links-to-the-brain">How this links to the brain</h2>



The 1 to 2 second window is a meaningful timescale in cognition. Prior <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4809195/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> shows that neural activity tracks hierarchical structures in connected speech, from syllables and words to phrases and sentences, with distinct rhythms at each level.



A foundational <a href="https://nyuscholars.nyu.edu/en/publications/cortical-oscillations-and-speech-processing-emerging-computationa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> argues that low-frequency brain rhythms help package incoming information at the right temporal grain for comprehension. 



That packaging supports the parsing of speech into units that are neither too small nor too large for memory and attention.



New physiological evidence connects IUs directly to brain responses. When listeners hear spontaneous narrative speech, EEG shows a specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-benefits-of-musical-training-may-be-all-in-our-heads/">response</a> at IU boundaries that is distinct from reactions to lower-level acoustic features.



There is also a broader literature suggesting that slow neural dynamics guide self-paced behavior. <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1210467109" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Models</a> of voluntary action describe gradual, subsecond to multisecond build ups that precede self-initiated movement, situating the IU timescale within a general framework for timing in the brain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rhythm-differs-from-syllable-speed">Rhythm differs from syllable speed</h2>



The IU rhythm is different from the tempo of syllables. Syllable-level rhythms often cluster in the theta range, about 4 to 8 cycles per second, and listeners and speakers are tuned to that band for efficient perception and production.



The new work shows that local changes in syllable rate only weakly predict IU timing, and average syllable rates across languages do not explain cross-language variation in IU rate. That makes IUs a higher-level planning unit, not just a side effect of talking faster or slower.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-speech-rhythm-helps-learning">Speech rhythm helps learning</h2>



Prosodic phrasing gives learners early cues for carving speech into manageable pieces. Infants exploit rhythmic and intonational structure to segment continuous speech and build phonological and lexical knowledge.



The same structure eases turn-taking in conversation. When speakers keep to a steady IU pace, it becomes simpler to anticipate a likely endpoint and start a reply with minimal gaps or overlaps.



Speech technology can benefit from this timing principle. Automatic speech recognition and spoken-language understanding systems often track the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6957234/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">envelope</a>, a summary of intensity over time, and cortical recordings show that the brain uses sharp envelope edges as landmarks aligned with syllable onsets.



Incorporating IU-scale timing into text-to-speech could make synthetic voices easier to follow, especially in noisy settings or long-form listening. 



Systems that predict and respect an IU cadence may reduce listener fatigue and support better comprehension during hands-free use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



The corpus was broad but did not capture repeated recordings from the same individuals, so speaker-level variability remains an open question. 



Future work that samples multiple sessions per person could reveal how stable a speaker’s IU timing is across contexts.



Another priority is connecting IU timing with physiology during natural conversation, not only during listening. 



Combining boundary-sensitive analysis with brain and body measures, such as breathing and heart rhythms, could clarify how the timing of talk relates to the timing of action and memory across daily life.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425166122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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People everywhere talk with the same rhythm, regardless of the language

Human speech follows a steady timing pattern that shows up...

Music carries a remarkable ability to connect sound with lived experience, shaping how people recall their past. A melody can spark vivid memories, often with startling speed. Just a few notes may transport someone back to a childhood party, a first date, or a quiet evening walk.



A new study from <a href="https://www.gold.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Goldsmiths University of London</a> explores how different kinds of songs, whether soft and acoustic or energetic and loud, affect the qualities of those memories. The findings reveal a fascinating interplay between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nostalgic-songs-light-up-your-brain-and-get-you-moving/">musical properties</a> and emotional recall.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-of-songs-on-memories">Impact of songs on memories</h2>



Researchers Safiyyah Nawaz and Diana Omigie investigated whether specific features of music influence the type of autobiographical memories people recall. 



While previous studies confirmed that songs are powerful triggers of memory, few examined how tempo, acousticness, or energy level shape those memories.



The researchers asked 233 people to take part in an online survey. Each person shared memories linked to two kinds of music: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-boosts-memory-but-only-with-the-right-emotional-spark/">songs</a> they chose themselves and popular songs from their younger years. 



After collecting the responses to the survey, the team used statistical methods to look for patterns.



The goal was to determine whether certain qualities of songs, like being soft or energetic, matched up with specific types of memories - such as vivid, happy, or sad.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-energetic-songs-exciting-memories">Energetic songs, exciting memories</h2>



The results drew a clear line between different types of songs. More acoustic, lower-energy pieces, like Debussy’s Clair de Lune, often brought back memories filled with calmness, romance, or even sadness. 



Such memories were described as vivid, important, and unique, though less social in nature.



In contrast, energetic and less acoustic tracks, such as Fetty Wap’s Trap Queen, stirred memories of excitement, amusement, and social energy. Participants also reported recalling these memories more quickly than those tied to softer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-benefits-of-musical-training-may-be-all-in-our-heads/">songs</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personal-choices-carry-deeper-meaning">Personal choices carry deeper meaning</h2>



When people picked their own songs, the memories that came back were stronger and more emotional than those tied to common popular songs. 



Personal choices carried deeper meaning because they were often connected to big moments in life, like important relationships or milestones. 



This finding is significant because it shows that familiarity and personal connection make music an even more powerful memory trigger. 



The researchers propose that personally meaningful songs could have therapeutic value. 



In reminiscence therapy, for instance, playing music tied to a person’s life may help individuals with memory conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease recall past experiences more vividly and with greater positivity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-linking-songs-and-memory">Linking songs and memory</h2>



“We all know of the experience of hearing a song and being transported back in time to a vivid memory associated with that song," noted Nawaz 



"As it turns out, the properties of the music itself, characteristics like acousticness, loudness and energy, relate to the emotional and phenomenological qualities of the same <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brain-map-shows-how-rhythms-instantly-reconfigure-your-mind-freq-ness/">musical memories</a>."



According to Nawaz, the team discovered that more acoustic songs were associated with memories that were more vivid, unique, and characterized by complex emotions like romance and adoration.



Louder, more energetic songs were linked to social, exciting, high-energy memories that were recalled faster, she added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-countless-memories-linked-to-songs">Countless memories linked to songs</h2>



The researchers found analyzing over 1,400 musical memories both humbling and inspiring. Each song holds countless life moments for its listeners, offering a new way to see music as timeless.



Nawaz and her team also turned their work into a public project. They launched an online archive of <a href="https://memoryrecords.xyz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">musical memories</a>, where some of the memories shared by participants are now available. 



The goal is to broaden the collection beyond Western cultural samples, giving the research a more global foundation.



Study co-author Diana Omigie pointed to another key factor in memory formation: personal connection to the music.



“Our in-depth analysis showed that it’s not just the musical features that influence memory, but also how much a person likes a song and how familiar it is to them," said Omigie.



"We hope future research will explore how musical elements interact with such personal elements to bring about the deep and meaningful memories that people experience in everyday life."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0329072" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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How music tunes the emotions in our memories

Music carries a remarkable ability to connect sound with lived...

Chef,Preparing,Olive,Oil,In,A,Pan,For,Making,Rosemary

If you've ever wondered whether changing your cooking oil could affect cancer growth, you're not alone. New research shows that the types of fats we eat might influence the rate at which cancer cells multiply. However, it is not as simple as avoiding certain foods.



Picture this: you have cancer, and your doctor advises doing nothing for now. Not yet. That may sound counterintuitive. But that’s exactly what happens to thousands of men with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heart-proteins-in-blood-may-predict-cancer-years-before-symptoms/">prostate cancer</a> every year. 



Their tumors grow so slowly that surgery or radiation would hurt more than help. So they wait and undergo regular tests to monitor for changes.



This approach, known as “<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/active-surveillance-for-prostate-cancer/about/pac-20384946" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">active surveillance</a>,” makes medical sense but can be stressful for patients. Men in this situation often ask the same question: Can I do anything to help myself? 



A recent study reports part of an answer, and it involves dietary fats found in common cooking oils.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fats-cooking-oils-and-cancer-cells">Fats, cooking oils, and cancer cells</h2>



In the typical American diet, we consume too much of one type of fat and not enough of another. 



Omega-6 fats are common in vegetable oils, fried foods, and many packaged products. Omega-3 fats are abundant in salmon and sardines. 



Most Americans eat 15 to 20 times more <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8308533/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">omega-6 than omega-3</a>. Scientists think a ratio closer to 4:1 would be healthier. This imbalance may increase inflammation, creating conditions that allow cancer cells to grow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-study-was-done">How the study was done</h2>



<a href="https://www.uclahealth.org/cancer/members/william-aronson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. William Aronson</a>, a urology professor at UCLA’s <a href="https://medschool.ucla.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Geffen School of Medicine</a>, tested whether modifying dietary fat intake could slow cancer growth. 



“This is an important step toward understanding how diet can potentially influence prostate cancer outcomes,” said Aronson. 



His team enrolled 100 men with early prostate cancer who were already on active surveillance, then they assigned the men to two groups. 



Half ate their regular diet. The other half worked with a dietitian to eat less omega-6 and more omega-3, and to take fish oil supplements daily. No calorie counting or weight loss was required.



“Many men are interested in lifestyle changes, including diet, to help manage their cancer and prevent the progression of their disease," Aronson explained.



"Our findings suggest that something as simple as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/want-to-slow-down-aging-add-these-foods-to-your-diet/">adjusting your diet</a> could potentially slow cancer growth and extend the time before more aggressive interventions are needed."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-tumor-growth">Tracking tumor growth</h2>



The researchers needed a way to measure whether cancer cell growth was slowing. They used a marker called <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/ki-67-proliferation-index" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ki-67</a>, which indicates how quickly cells are dividing. High Ki-67 means cells are multiplying rapidly. Low Ki-67 indicates slower cell division.



Each participant received a biopsy at the start and another one year later. Notably, they used MRI guidance to sample the same spot in the tumor both times. Earlier studies often sampled non-targeted areas, making comparisons less precise.



After one year, the results diverged. Ki-67 levels dropped in the diet change group but rose in the regular diet group. 



In other words, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-scientist-discovers-that-common-non-cancer-drugs-when-combined-can-kill-cancer-cells/">cancer cells</a> in the diet change group were dividing more slowly, while cells in the regular diet group were dividing faster.



However, some measures did not change: <a href="https://news.cuanschutz.edu/cancer-center/explaining-psa-numbers-prostate-cancer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PSA levels</a> and tumor grades remained similar in both groups. That is not unexpected; these measures rarely change over one year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fish-oil-and-cancer-cells">Fish oil and cancer cells</h2>



Some participants left the study due to gastrointestinal side effects from fish oil. Fish oil can interact with blood thinners and other medications. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-oil-omega-3-capsules-have-been-found-to-help-control-aggression/">Use fish oil</a> only under medical guidance.



More importantly, this study does not prove that eating fish will keep you out of the operating room. 



“This significant difference suggests that the dietary changes may help slow cancer growth, potentially delaying or even preventing the need for more aggressive treatments,” Aronson continued. 



This is a suggestion, not proof; larger, longer studies are needed.



The study was small and conducted at one hospital. That is enough to prompt interest but not to change clinical guidelines. Still, the researchers examined tumor tissue rather than relying solely on blood tests.



For those on active surveillance, the practical advice is straightforward. Cut back on fried foods and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americas-addiction-to-ultra-processed-foods-is-getting-worse/">ultra-processed snacks</a>. Eat salmon or sardines twice a week. Consider eggs from hens fed flaxseed. Add chia seeds to breakfast. Small changes can add up.



Talk to your doctor before starting fish oil supplements. Product quality varies by brand; choose third-party tested products to minimize contaminants such as heavy metals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-first-step-of-many-to-come">First step of many to come</h2>



Scientific progress is gradual. First, research shows how something works; then clinical studies determine whether it helps patients. 



This study addressed the first step - showing that adjusting fat intake by changing oils in your diet was associated with slower cancer cell proliferation in tumor tissue. 



The next step - demonstrating that it prevents cancer spread or delays treatment - remains to be shown.



In the meantime, improving diet is unlikely to cause harm. Unlike radiation or surgery, adjusting fat intake generally carries fewer side effects. Even if cancer benefits are modest, cardiovascular and cognitive health may also improve.



For men on active surveillance, taking constructive steps can feel better than inaction. The psychological boost of taking control might be just as valuable as any biological benefit. 



Diet isn’t magic, and it won’t replace your regular cancer monitoring. According to this research, what you put on your plate may matter more than previously assumed.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.24.00608" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Clinical Oncology</a>.



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Many common cooking oils are now being linked to certain types of cancer

If you've ever wondered whether changing your cooking oil could...

That pile of shirts you just dropped off at the charity shop? There’s something you should know about where those donated clothes are really going.



Most of us grew up believing a simple story. You clean out your closet, drop off the clothes you don’t wear anymore at a donation center, and someone who needs them gets to use them. 



It feels good. It seems responsible. 



But the truth about what happens to our old clothes is far more complicated - and, frankly, troubling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dirty-secret-of-donated-clothes">Dirty secret of donated clothes</h2>



Here’s what actually happens when you donate clothes. First, they go to charity shops and collectors who sort through everything. The nicest pieces might be sold at the local thrift store. 



But there’s a catch: these organizations receive far more clothing than they can sell. We’re talking about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-do-polyester-clothes-stink-more-than-cotton/">mountains of fabric</a> that no one locally wants to buy.



So what happens to the rest? Some items are thrown away. But a huge portion gets packed into bales and shipped overseas. 



The clothes leave the country, which makes our waste figures look better, but the problem doesn’t disappear. It just moves.



A study in Nature Cities tracked clothing donations in nine wealthy cities, including Austin, Toronto, Melbourne, and Oslo. 



The pattern was the same everywhere: too many clothes coming in, not enough local demand, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disturbingly-small-amount-of-plastic-recycling-done-around-the-world/">massive exports</a> to other countries. 



In Norway, almost all collected used clothing leaves the country. The U.S. and Australia ship out huge amounts, too.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-donated-clothes-and-charities">Donated clothes and charities</h2>



The charity organizations we rely on are overwhelmed by donations. They were never built to handle this volume of clothing, and they weren’t designed to be <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electronic-waste-is-growing-five-times-faster-than-recycling/">waste-management systems</a>.



“We’re used to charities doing the heavy lifting, but they’ve been unable to fully handle the volume of donated clothes for a long time now,” explained Dr. Yassie Samie of <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RMIT University</a> in Melbourne. 



“Charities are driven by social welfare values and need to raise funds for their programs. However, their operations are ill-equipped to deal with the volume of used textiles that need to be reused and recycled.”



Think about the scale here. Global textile waste adds up to tens of millions of tons every year. Much of that starts in wealthy cities where people buy clothes constantly and get rid of them just as fast.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/donated-clothes_textile-waste_fast-fashion-pollution_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/donated-clothes_textile-waste_fast-fashion-pollution_1s.webp" alt="A large mound of waste textiles from donated clothes stretches towards the horizon, showcasing the scale of clothing pollution in the landscape" class="wp-image-1982853"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A large mound of waste textiles from donated clothes stretches towards the horizon, showcasing the scale of clothing pollution in the landscape. Click image to enlarge.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-real-problem-runs-deeper">The real problem runs deeper</h2>



Two words explain why this keeps happening: overconsumption and oversupply. Clothes have gotten incredibly cheap. We buy more than ever before, wear things just a few times, and then toss them. 



The quality is often so poor that items can’t survive being passed between multiple owners or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/from-trash-to-treasure-e-waste-is-a-literal-gold-mine/">recycled into something new</a>.



Even the best-run charity can’t transform low-quality fast fashion into endless reuse opportunities. 



When these cheap clothes flood secondhand markets, they actually hurt small resale businesses. Some thrift stores import higher-quality used clothing because local donations are often unwearable.



The researchers introduced an important concept called “sufficiency.” It’s not just about recycling or reusing clothes better - it’s about buying less stuff in the first place. 



They compare trying to create a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/what-circular-economy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circular economy</a> without sufficiency to bailing water out of a boat without fixing the hole. 



If companies keep churning out cheap clothes and we keep treating them like they’re disposable, no amount of recycling will solve the problem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changes-at-the-city-level">Changes at the city-level</h2>



The study doesn’t just point out problems - it offers solutions. Cities need to stop treating textiles as a charity issue and start treating them as waste that needs proper management. 



That means setting up real systems for collecting, sorting, and processing old clothes locally instead of shipping them away.



Cities can also make it easier for people to repair and reuse what they already own. Some places lend out <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fashion-history-was-forever-altered-by-the-tiny-eyed-needle/">sewing machines</a> at libraries. Others host swap events or teach basic mending skills. 



When cities offer discounted repair services for people who can’t afford full price, more clothes stay in use longer.



Advertising is also a problem. Fast fashion companies dominate billboards, storefronts, and social media. 



The researchers suggest cities should limit fashion advertising in public spaces and give that visibility to thrift stores, repair shops, and clothing swaps instead.



“<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-fast-fashion-jeans-bad-for-environment/">Sustainable fashion</a> initiatives, like second-hand retailers, struggle to compete with fashion brands’ big marketing budgets and convenient locations,” Dr. Samie noted. 



“Fast fashion alternatives exist but they are under-promoted, despite their potential to significantly reduce cities’ textile waste.”



Urban planning plays a role, too. When cities keep building huge malls while pushing repair cafés and resale shops to the edges of town, they’re basically designing a system where <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452223622000967" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fast fashion</a> wins. 



Some European cities are already changing this by offering cheaper rent and grants to businesses focused on reuse and repair.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-actions-that-individuals-can-take">Actions that individuals can take</h2>



For regular people, the message is pretty clear. The most impactful thing you can do is slow down how often you buy and toss clothes. 



Wear what you own more often. Fix things when they break. When you do buy something new, choose quality that will last.



Support local thrift stores, repair shops, and clothing swaps in your area. These businesses and community groups need customers to survive and grow. The more we use them, the stronger the whole system becomes.



The next time you’re about to donate a bag of clothes, remember this: donating isn’t a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-scientists-are-using-air-to-recycle-plastic/">magic solution</a> that makes overconsumption okay. 



Those clothes might travel thousands of miles and still end up in a landfill, just in a different country. The real solution starts with buying less and using what we have for far longer than we currently do.



Wealthy cities have both the responsibility and the tools to act. But even the best systems won’t work if we keep treating clothes as disposable. 



The change has to happen at every level - from how companies make clothes to how cities manage them to how each of us shops and cares for what we own.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-024-00140-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Cities</a>.



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Donating clothes to charity has a dark side, and it will surprise you

That pile of shirts you just dropped off at the...

conciertos-madrid-2026-fechas-artistas-entradas - 1

New analysis of ancient household burners from Qurayyah in northwest Saudi Arabia points to smoke from Peganum harmala seeds being inhaled in daily life nearly 2,700 years ago. 



The work opens a window onto how Iron Age communities used scent, smoke, and bioactive plants to manage health and mood without leaving written manuals.



The <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12102341/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> comes from residues preserved inside clay fumigation devices recovered in domestic courtyards and storage areas. Researchers report plant signatures that hold up even after centuries of heat and decay.



<a href="https://www.gea.mpg.de/person/100725/2944" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Barbara Huber</a>, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI GEA), and <a href="https://uha.univie.ac.at/en/about-us/staff-members/scientific-staff/associate-and-assistant-professors/marta-luciani/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Prof. Marta Luciani</a>, University of Vienna, led the study with the Heritage Commission of the Saudi Ministry of Culture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peganum-harmala-residue">Peganum harmala residue</h2>



The team detected two beta-carboline alkaloids, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-arabians-burned-harmal-plants-to-heal-and-protect/">harmine and harmane</a>, inside three Iron Age burners from Qurayyah. These molecules are hallmarks of Peganum harmala, a hardy desert shrub often called Syrian rue.



One additional burner from the same settlement lacked those alkaloids but held a different class of plant compounds, α-amyrin and β-amyrin. That pattern hints at alternating or mixed substances burned in the same kinds of devices.



“Our findings represent chemical evidence for the earliest known burning of harmal, not just in Arabia, but globally,” said Barbara Huber, lead author of the study.



The devices were not found in graves or temples, but in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/home-fragrances-impact-indoor-air-quality-and-the-health-risks-are-alarming/">houses</a>. That domestic context suggests ordinary uses tied to health, sanitation, or mood rather than large public rites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identifying-the-evidence">Identifying the evidence</h2>



The study used targeted <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2359828/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">HPLC-MS/MS</a> to read a molecular fingerprint from residue trapped in the clay matrix. In short runs, the instrument looked for specific ion transitions that match harmine and harmane with high confidence, even at low abundance.



“The integration of biomolecular analysis with archaeology has allowed us to identify not just what kind of plants people were using, but also where, how, and why,” said Prof. Luciani. 



In archaeology, this kind of precise mass spectrometry helps answer not only what plant was there, but also how it was used.&nbsp;



Three burners carried harmine and harmane, while a fourth did not. That contrast matters because it rules out random contamination and points to intentional selection of materials for specific effects.



The context also matters. One burner with harmala signatures sat in a household courtyard, and another was linked to food production areas. Those findspots align with routine, indoor smoke use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-peganum-harmala-does">What Peganum harmala does</h2>



Harmine and harmane are reversible inhibitors of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antidepressants-may-help-the-immune-system-fight-cancer/">monoamine oxidase A</a>, an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine. 



Temporarily slowing that enzyme can lift neurotransmitter levels, which helps explain mood and sensory shifts.



These alkaloids occur in several plants, but regional distribution narrows the list of plausible sources for Iron Age Arabia. 



Reviews catalog harmala alkaloids across taxa, including South American vines and some Passiflora species, yet those grow far from ancient Qurayyah.



Dose and route shape the experience. Small exposures can relax or mildly stimulate, while larger exposures can bring on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-humans-were-drinking-beer-in-china-over-10000-years-ago/">vivid effects</a>. 



High amounts may cause sickness, which modern case <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4075715/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a> document in clinical settings after ingestion of concentrated seeds.



Smoke is a different route than tea or tincture. Inhalation can deliver a quick, shorter-lived exposure in rooms where airflow, fuel, and seed load all change the outcome.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-signals-from-other-residues">Signals from other residues</h2>



The amyrin-rich burner adds another layer. Pharmacology reviews note anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions for these isomers in preclinical models.



Finding amyrins without harmala alkaloids in one device, and together in another, suggests people alternated recipes or blended resins with seeds depending on purpose. That kind of flexibility lines up with practical home use.



These chemical signatures do not name a resin to species. They do, however, flag a class of botanicals that humans have burned for centuries for their scent and perceived health effects.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Peganum-harmala_psychoactive-plant_arabians_2700-years-ago_Nature-journal_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Peganum-harmala_psychoactive-plant_arabians_2700-years-ago_Nature-journal_1s.webp" alt="The oasis settlement of Qurayyah, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Dried fruits of Peganum harmala, which, as shown here, were already used 2,700 years ago for their therapeutic and psychoactive properties. One of the old fumigation devices used to inhale harmal. Credit: A. M. Abualhassan/Barbara Huber/Hans Sell" class="wp-image-1982804"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The oasis settlement of Qurayyah, in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Dried fruits of Peganum harmala, which, as shown here, were already used 2,700 years ago for their therapeutic and psychoactive properties. One of the old fumigation devices used to inhale harmal. Click image to enlarge. Credit: A. M. Abualhassan/Barbara Huber/Hans Sell</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-wider-cultural-thread">A wider cultural thread</h2>



Ethnobotany and pharmacognosy track how communities use plants both as medicine and as part of everyday life. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4075715/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reviews</a> of Peganum harmala describe continued roles in West Asia and North Africa, including pain relief, calming, and household fumigation traditions.



The antimicrobial angle has support, too. A laboratory study of smoke condensates from P. harmala seeds reported clear antibacterial activity and identified harmine as a major constituent in the smoke matrix.



Households in an oasis settlement needed tools to manage pests, odors, and illness in tight quarters. A pungent seed with antimicrobial constituents and mood effects would be a practical choice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peganum-harmala-adds-to-arabian-history">Peganum harmala adds to Arabian history</h2>



Written sources for medicinal plants in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-used-lava-tubes-for-homes-middle-east-saudi-arabia/">Arabia</a> become richer much later. For the Iron Age, physical residues tell the story. 



They show people selecting a local shrub with psychoactive and antibacterial properties, then burning it in domestic spaces.



The <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6575/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Qurayyah</a> finds help to push beyond broad claims about ancient drugs. They connect a plant to a device, a device to a room, and a room to routines that touch health and emotion.



This work also shows how careful chemistry can recover silent practices. Even when seeds are gone and recipes are lost, compounds cling to clay and speak for themselves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-the-research-goes-next">Where the research goes next</h2>



Future work can test more burners from other rooms and towns to see if this pattern holds. It can also examine how resin mixtures changed the experience, from scent to smoke quality to perceived relief.



The method can scale. Each new residue map helps reconstruct a more precise history of household care, sanitation, and sensory life across ancient Arabia.



Modern science can also reevaluate forgotten botanicals. Some may carry leads for safe, targeted therapies, while others serve as cautionary tales about dose and context.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-025-08096-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Biology</a>.



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People were getting high and hallucinating from smoking this psychoactive plant 2,700 years ago

New analysis of ancient household burners from Qurayyah in northwest...

Platelet,In,The,Blood,And,Thrombocyte,Anatomy,Concept,As,Activated

Tiny structures in our blood called platelets are best known for helping to stop the bleeding after we get a cut or a scrape, but that is only part of the story. 



A new study reports that platelets collect bits of DNA that float around in the blood and may help the body keep inflammation in check, while also offering a fresh source of genetic clues for disease detection.



Those fragments include cell-free DNA from tumors and from a fetus during pregnancy. 



Early cancer screens often struggle because <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-024-02021-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circulating tumor DNA</a> is scarce, especially when disease is small, so tapping platelet cargo could raise the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/junk-dna-found-to-play-a-powerful-role-in-the-human-body/">signal</a> when it counts most.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blood-platelets-clean-up-trash">Blood platelets clean up trash</h2>



This work was led by <a href="https://www.ludwigcancerresearch.org/scientist/bethan-psaila/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bethan Psaila</a> at Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a>, with first author Lauren Murphy, working with collaborators across Oxford and the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Edinburgh</a>.



Platelets lack a nucleus, yet they are laced with an internal network of surface connected channels known as the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29442528/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">open canalicular system</a>, which helps them take up and release molecules as they circulate.



That architecture makes them well suited to encounter DNA fragments shed by cells throughout the body.



They're also abundant, with a normal adult count of roughly 150,000 to 450,000 per microliter of blood, and they turn over quickly in about a week. 



That constant traffic gives platelets countless chances each day to sample what the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/womens-egg-cells-shield-dna-from-the-effects-of-aging/">body</a> is shedding.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-platelets-absorb-tumor-and-fetal-dna">Platelets absorb tumor and fetal DNA</h2>



“We found that, despite lacking a nucleus, platelets contained a repertoire of DNA fragments mapping across the nuclear genome,” wrote Murphy. 



The researchers tracked DNA moving from nucleated cells into platelets in lab co-cultures and then looked for the same phenomenon in people. 



They examined platelets from pregnant individuals and detected <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/y-chromosome-is-disappearing-may-already-be-causing-problems-for-men/">Y chromosome</a> DNA when the fetus was male, confirming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pregnancy-stress-may-have-lasting-effects-on-fetal-development/">fetal DNA</a> uptake in maternal platelets. 



In mice and in patients with very low platelet counts, plasma cell-free DNA rose, a pattern consistent with platelets normally helping clear that DNA from circulation.



The group also found tumor derived mutations inside platelets from people with advanced cancers and even from those with <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/they-found-colon-polyps-now-what" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">precancerous colonic polyps</a>. That last result points straight at early detection opportunities where today’s tests fall short.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-blood-platelets-fight-cancer">How blood platelets fight cancer</h2>



Today’s liquid biopsy tests usually analyze DNA floating in plasma after cells, including platelets, are removed, which means a chunk of useful information may be discarded at the very first step. 



If labs analyze DNA within platelets as well, they could detect low-burden disease that plasma-based methods often overlook.



Prior <a href="https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108%2815%2900349-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> already hinted that platelets act as messengers for cancer biology. 



Researchers showed that tumor educated platelets carry altered RNA profiles that can classify tumor types and key mutations, proof that these cells can encode disease signals in their cargo. 



The new paper extends that idea to DNA and positions platelets as a second reservoir of genomic material.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-boost-for-prenatal-screening">Big boost for prenatal screening</h2>



Noninvasive prenatal testing built on maternal plasma cell-free <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/altering-rice-dna-improves-its-growth-rate-and-could-end-world-hunger/">DNA</a> has already reshaped obstetric care over the past decade. 



One <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30067923/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> called this shift “a success story of modern genomic medicine,” noting rapid global adoption and clinical impact.



Sequencing cell-free DNA in maternal plasma now reduces invasive procedures such as amniocentesis by an estimated 50 to 70 percent worldwide, according to recent <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11711700/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analyses</a> of clinical practice. 



If platelets also harbor fetal DNA, as the Science study shows, laboratories may be able to extract more information from the same blood draw.



Any gains would be most valuable where signal is weakest, such as early gestation or in individuals with lower fetal DNA fractions. 



Platelet based workflows will need careful controls to avoid contamination and to normalize for platelet counts and activation states, but the path is clear for method development.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aiding-immunity-and-inflammation">Aiding immunity and inflammation</h2>



Platelets are not bystanders in immunity. They sense pathogens, interact with white blood cells, and influence inflammation, a role recognized across cardiovascular and infectious disease <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.121.319821" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a>.



That biology helps explain the new findings. When platelet numbers drop, <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/thrombocytopenia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thrombocytopenia</a> can coincide with higher levels of cell-free DNA, which is known to stimulate immune pathways; when numbers are normal, platelets may help buffer that stimulus. 



The team also observed that platelet encapsulated DNA is shielded from external DNases (enzymes that degrade DNA by hydrolyzing the phosphodiester bonds in the DNA backbone), suggesting a protected, controlled cargo rather than debris.



Taken together, the picture is of a blood cell that patrols widely, picks up DNA fragments, and releases contents when activated at the right place. 



That's a plausible way to limit background inflammation while still enabling targeted responses at sites of injury or infection.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blood-platelets-and-future-health">Blood platelets and future health</h2>



The technical work is now straightforward in concept but demanding in practice. 



Labs will need robust protocols for platelet isolation, DNA extraction, and bioinformatic filtering that distinguish platelet encapsulated sequences from plasma contaminants, all while keeping pre analytical variables tight across sites.



Clinical trials must show added value over existing plasma tests. That means head to head comparisons in screening cohorts with adjudicated outcomes and clear metrics like sensitivity at fixed specificity in stage I cancers or low fetal fraction pregnancies.



None of this diminishes the central insight. Platelets may be more than clot makers and immune sentinels, they could be practical, easy to isolate biosensors that carry DNA signals from across the body, ready to be read out in a standard blood draw.



The full study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp3971" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Blood platelets play a critically important role in the body that was unknown until now

Tiny structures in our blood called platelets are best known...

A large international study reports that Covid-19 is linked with signs of older blood vessels months after infection, and the signal is strongest in women. The analysis points to a measurable change in how the body’s largest arteries behave, not just a vague sense of fatigue or brain fog.



The work ties prior infection to a higher risk profile that clinicians already know how to measure and manage. It strengthens the case for checking the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pandemic-stress-may-have-aged-your-brain-even-without-infection/">health</a> of central arteries in people with persistent post-covid symptoms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-covid-causes-early-aging-of-arteries">Covid causes early aging of arteries</h2>



Rosa Maria Bruno of <a href="https://u-paris.fr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paris Cité University</a> led the <a href="https://www.arterysociety.org/our-activities-2/cartesian-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CARTESIAN</a> consortium, which tested whether infection is associated with accelerated vascular aging captured by study in adults.&nbsp;



“COVID-19 is associated with early vascular aging in the long term, especially in women,” wrote Bruno and her collaborators.



The team enrolled 2,390 people across 34 centers in 16 countries between September 2020 and February 2022. Participants were assessed about six months after infection for those exposed.



The individuals were grouped as never infected, infected without hospitalization, hospitalized on general wards, or admitted to intensive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-vaccine-strategy-paid-off-and-its-still-saving-lives/">care</a>. This design allowed the researchers to compare arterial measures across clear clinical strata.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-vascular-age">Measuring vascular age </h2>



Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a standard noninvasive marker of arterial stiffness, and higher values predict cardiovascular events beyond traditional risk factors. Clinicians use it because faster pressure waves mean stiffer, less compliant aortas.



The study tracked how quickly a pressure wave moved from the carotid to the femoral artery using validated devices, with reference ranges based on age and blood pressure. This standardization helps ensure that different centers share a common understanding of what counts as “higher than expected.”



SARS-CoV-2 uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter cells, which provides a plausible entry point for vascular effects. Injury to the endothelium has been documented in Covid-19 and long Covid, aligning biology with the observed stiffness signal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-covid-19-effects-on-women-s-arteries">Covid-19 effects on women’s arteries</h2>



Even after accounting for factors like age, smoking, or blood pressure, women who had Covid-19 showed stiffer arteries than women who had never been infected. The effect became stronger the more severe their illness had been.



For women who recovered at home, their arteries looked about half a step older than expected. Those who had been hospitalized showed a slightly bigger shift, and women who ended up in intensive care showed the largest jump of all. 



Men, on the other hand, did not show the same pattern compared with men who had not been infected.



To put it in perspective, the increase seen in women who had mild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preparing-for-the-next-pandemic-lessons-about-viral-transmission/">cases</a> was similar to adding about five years of wear and tear to their blood vessels. In the most severe cases, the change looked closer to seven or eight years. That kind of shift can make a real difference for long-term heart health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-are-the-impacts-stronger-in-women">Why are the impacts stronger in women?</h2>



Females often mount stronger innate and adaptive immune responses than males, and those differences have been tied to divergent Covid-19 outcomes. A more robust response can help early, yet it may sustain inflammation that lingers.



Large U.S. cohort work has also linked female sex to a higher risk of long Covid, especially in midlife, independent of other risk factors. This echoes the study’s finding that persistent symptoms and arterial stiffness track together in women.



Those converging lines do not prove cause and effect. They do point to a consistent story that clinicians can use while research fills in the gaps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-changed-over-12-months">What changed over 12 months</h2>



In participants who returned for a second visit about a year later, PWV stabilized or even declined in those with prior infection, while it crept up in controls as you would expect with normal aging. That suggests parts of the stiffness signal may ease over time.



An <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf590/8236451" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">editorial</a> described the pattern as “an accelerated yet partially reversible clock.” That framing fits the longitudinal data without overselling certainty.



Vaccination at the first visit was associated with lower PWV among infected women, a signal still present at 12 months, though confounding cannot be ruled out in observational data. This finding supports, but does not by itself prove, a protective vascular effect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-matters-for-everyday-care">Why this matters for everyday care</h2>



PWV is quick to measure, repeatable, and already used in preventive cardiology. It adds signals beyond standard clinic numbers, which makes it useful when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-covid-19-virus-travels-deep-inside-our-lungs/">symptoms</a> linger but routine labs look fine.



For women with prior Covid infection and ongoing symptoms, especially in midlife, a vascular checkup can inform tighter blood pressure control, lipid management, and exercise planning. It also gives patients and clinicians a shared, objective marker to follow over time.



The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf430/8236450?login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">European Heart Journal</a>.



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Covid-19 leaves a lasting impact on women’s arteries

A large international study reports that Covid-19 is linked with...

A short, self-guided program built around everyday contact with nature reports meaningful gains in mood and stress after just four weeks. It is simple by design and aimed at adults with low wellbeing who want help they can start today.



The approach is called Roots and Shoots. It pairs at-home reflections with brief outdoor <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-nature-conservation-day-2025-a-healthy-future-for-all/">activities</a> near where people live, adding light digital support for those who want it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-helps-improve-mental-health">Nature helps improve mental health</h2>



The study was led by <a href="https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/24356-matt-owens" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Matt Owens</a> at the University of Exeter, with Clinical Psychologist <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Hannah-L-I-Bunce-2217974973" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Hannah L. I. Bunce</a>, co-founders of the <a href="https://www.rowantree.uk/about" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ROWAN</a> nature and mental health research group.



Researchers across psychology, public health, and ecology have <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31355340/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">linked</a> time in natural settings with improved attention, mood, and stress biology, forming a coherent picture of benefits to mental health. 



<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1807504116" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Evidence</a> extends across the life course, with large cohort work suggesting childhood access to greenspace predicts a lower risk of several psychiatric disorders in adulthood.



The adult intervention literature has moved from anecdotes to trials. 



A comprehensive <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34646931/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">review</a> finds nature-based interventions such as green exercise, gardening, and forest therapy improve mental health outcomes in adults, often with practical sessions of 20 to 90 minutes several times per week.



Prescribed contact with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-what-were-really-fighting-for/">nature</a>, from park walks to blue space visits, has also shown benefits for symptoms of depression and blood pressure in randomized and quasi-experimental <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/piis2542-5196%2823%2900025-6/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-program-activities">Nature program activities</h2>



<a href="https://rootsandshoots.org/resources/roots-shoots-formula-toolkit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roots and Shoots is a printed guidebook</a> organized into six short sections that unfold over four weeks. It introduces the science of nature and wellbeing, then leads people through simple tracking of time in nature, mood, and values-based actions.



Core tools include a habit wheel for building small, repeatable moments <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-has-its-own-internet-and-were-only-beginning-to-understand-it/">outdoors</a>, a coping tool to swap unhelpful routines for neutral ones, and a honeycomb challenge to notice different kinds of nature contact. 



Brief meditations and breathing exercises are available online, supporting practice when getting outside is hard.



The study used a randomised controlled trial design. Adults with low wellbeing were assigned either to start the program or to a waitlist control and completed measures at baseline, two weeks, and four weeks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-program-results">Nature program results</h2>



On the primary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-environment-day-the-critical-role-of-nature-in-human-well-being/">outcome of wellbeing</a>, the intervention group improved more than the waitlist group across four weeks, with a large effect size by the study end. The design was remote and light touch, yet the signal was clear. 



Eighty-two percent of program completers made reliable improvements in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mutual-relationships-with-nature-offer-hope-for-a-sustainable-future/">wellbeing</a>, and 59 percent met the threshold for clinically significant change. None showed deterioration.



Average scores on anxiety and depression started in the clinical range and shifted below caseness by week four.



Effects were medium for anxiety and small for depressive symptoms. Engagement and acceptability were high. Ninety four percent of those who finished said they would recommend the guidebook to a friend.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practicing-the-program-daily">Practicing the program daily</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-nature-heals-outdoor-activities-greatly-improve-mental-health/">Nature time</a> is not treated as a luxury. It is framed as a small, daily behavior that can sit alongside existing routines and responsibilities.



The psychological ingredients are familiar and low cost. People practice mindfulness, track mood, write briefly, and connect actions to values that matter to them.



The program avoids all-or-nothing goals. It welcomes brief, nearby, and accessible encounters with trees, water, or sky, and includes virtual nature options when needed.



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



Self-help options can play a useful role when services are stretched and stigma or logistics make formal care harder to access. They also give people a way to start while they wait for more intensive support if needed.



Mental health problems <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-06/MHF-Investing-in-Prevention-Report-Summary.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cost</a> the UK economy an estimated 118 billion pounds per year, about 5 percent of GDP, which makes low-cost, scalable options worth testing carefully. 



A month-long guidebook that people can complete without appointments or travel is inexpensive to deliver at scale.



The team emphasizes that a booklet is not a substitute for clinical care in crisis. It is an early step that can help many people feel and function better while easing pressure on services.



Health systems increasingly look for stepped care and preventive options. If confirmed in larger trials, a short nature guide could sit at step 1 or step 2 and augment therapy as homework after higher-intensity care.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-program-in-science">Nature program in science</h2>



“We have developed a self-help package that uses principles from both clinical psychology and nature research to empower individuals to spend more time in nature, rediscover their relationship with natural environments and improve their wellbeing,” said Dr. Owens.



Several streams of evidence propose why nature contact helps. Attention restoration, stress recovery, and social connection are all plausible, testable mechanisms.



Recent reviews point to dose and variety as practical levers. Short, regular sessions in green or blue spaces appear better than rare marathons, and mixing settings may matter as much as time logged.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/living-near-major-roads-increases-dementia-risk/">Urban living</a> need not be a barrier. Street trees, pocket parks, and canal paths can be enough to practice the habits described in the guide, especially when paired with brief indoor or virtual nature for consistency.



The structure here is the quiet shift. A light-touch plan that invites repeated, low-effort contact with nearby nature can build momentum without demanding free afternoons or long travel.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-for-this-nature-program">Next steps for this nature program</h2>



This was a pilot, so the next step is a larger, fully powered trial that tests durability, mechanisms, and who benefits most. Duration is an open question, since many participants said they would welcome a longer version.



Precision also matters. Some people may respond most to habit building outdoors, while others change more through mindfulness or values work.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/8/1096" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Behavioral Sciences</a>.



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Simple and self-guided nature program quickly improves mood and reduces stress

A short, self-guided program built around everyday contact with nature...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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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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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



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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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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