In the high-pressure world of elite sports, maintaining mental health is proving to be as crucial as keeping one's physical health in top shape. 



Alarming statistics from a recent study conducted by Amsterdam UMC, in partnership with NOC*NSF (the Dutch Olympic Committee and Sport Federation), highlight the extent of the issue. 



The study, published in BMJ Open Sport &amp; Exercise Medicine, reveals that nearly 74% of Dutch elite athletes and 41% of their coaches report significant sports-related distress. The figures are reflective of global trends seen among elite athletes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-health-concerns-of-elite-athletes">Mental health concerns of elite athletes</h2>



The study's findings go beyond stress, revealing a broader spectrum of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mental-health-crisis-half-of-the-worlds-population-will-be-affected-by-age-75/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental health</a> concerns that extend into athletes' daily lives. 



Excessive alcohol consumption, reported by 52% of athletes and 53% of coaches, is a notable concern, as it not only negatively impacts performance but also exacerbates underlying mental health issues. 



In athletes, mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders are frequently linked to significant life events or severe injuries, creating a cycle of distress that can hinder both personal well-being and athletic success.



According to Vincent Gouttebarge, professor of sports medicine at <a href="https://www.amsterdamumc.org/en/organization/amsterdam-umc.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Amsterdam UMC</a> and the <a href="https://www.up.ac.za/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Pretoria</a>, the results are comparable to the mental health of non-athletes and are in line with similar studies among elite athletes worldwide. 



"These are high percentages, but these are self-reported complaints and not serious diagnosed mental illnesses. Nevertheless, sports physicians and other supervisors should pay more attention to the psychological well-being of elite athletes," said Professor Gouttebarge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-unseen-toll-on-elite-athletes">The unseen toll on elite athletes</h2>



The study surveyed 156 athletes and 95 coaches about their mental health experiences, finding that recent life events had a significant impact on athletes’ mental health. 



There were strong links between these events and issues like anxiety, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-with-a-history-of-depression-tend-to-process-more-negative-information/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">depression</a>, and eating problems. 



Additionally, severe injuries were found to correlate with anxiety and sleep disorders - though no such patterns were found among the coaches.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-health-support-in-elite-sports">Mental health support in elite sports</h2>



To address these issues, researchers recommend using the International Olympic Committee’s Sport Mental Health Assessment Tool 1 to screen athletes for mental health symptoms before the sports season begins. 



Gino Kerkhoffs, Chair of the Academic Center for Evidence-based Sports Medicine at Amsterdam UMC, explained that the tool is an instrument to screen elite <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/at-what-age-do-olympic-athletes-perform-their-best/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">athletes</a> for mental health symptoms. 



"This makes it possible to identify athletes who are at risk of mental health problems or who already suffer from them at an early stage. And then the sports doctors can adequately support, treat, and/or refer them," said Kerkhoffs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-sports-organizations">The role of sports organizations</h2>



Sports organizations play a critical role in addressing the mental health challenges faced by elite athletes. Implementing mental health screening tools and providing psychological support should be integral to their programs.



Many athletes feel the pressure to constantly perform at their best, often ignoring or downplaying mental health symptoms. 



By creating an environment that prioritizes both physical and mental well-being, sports organizations can help athletes develop resilience, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physically-active-children-cope-better-with-stress/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cope with stress</a>, and seek timely intervention.



Collaboration between sports physicians, coaches, and mental health professionals is essential in ensuring athletes receive the right support. 



Mental health training for coaches can also help them better recognize symptoms and provide appropriate guidance, which may positively influence both athlete performance and well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-prioritizing-mental-health-in-sports">Prioritizing mental health in sports</h2>



As the conversation around mental health in elite sports continues to grow, the need for long-term solutions becomes more evident. 



Regular mental health assessments, combined with ongoing education for athletes and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coaches-can-improve-athletes-lives-by-being-authentic-leaders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coaches</a>, will help destigmatize the topic and encourage more individuals to seek help when needed. 



Moving forward, research will need to explore the most effective interventions for elite athletes, focusing not only on reactive measures but also on preventive strategies that support overall psychological health.



By embedding mental health awareness into the very fabric of sports culture, the athletic community can ensure that athletes are equipped to handle the unique pressures they face, leading to healthier, more sustainable careers in sports.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/10/3/e001821" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BMJ Open Sport &amp; Exercise Medicine</a>.



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Mental health issues are prevalent among elite athletes

In the high-pressure world of elite sports, maintaining mental health is proving to be as crucial as keeping one's physical health in top shape. Alarming statistics from a recent study conducted by Amsterdam UMC, in partnership with NOC*NSF (the Dutch Olympic Committee and Sport Federation), highlight the extent of the issue. The study, published in BMJ Open Sport &amp; Exercise Medicine, reveals that nearly 74% of Dutch elite athletes and 41% of their coaches report significant sports-related distress. The figures are reflective of global trends seen among...

Cowboy,Riding,Horse,In,The,Forest.

People of the Yamnayan culture originated around the fourth millennium BCE in the area from the northern shores of the Black Sea to the northern area around the Caspian Sea, a region known as the Pontic-Caspian steppes. At some point they migrated westward from there to find greener pastures in what are today´s countries of Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Serbia. They were nomadic pastoralists and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/geckos-are-skilled-hunters-even-after-they-lose-their-tails/">hunters</a> who buried their dead in pits covered by large mounds known as kurgans.&nbsp;



Typical pit-graves attributed to the Yamnaya and dated at 4500-5000 years old are not uncommon on the Eastern European steppes and excavation of these sites has provided skeletal evidence, as well as grave goods, hinting at the physical and cultural nature of these people. They used wagons, both two- and four-wheeled, for transport, and in some instances these wagons have been unearthed in the burial pits alongside the skeletal remains of the likely owners.&nbsp;



Scientists from the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> have recently undertaken an analysis of the skeletons of more than 150 presumed Yamnayan people in Eastern Europe, with the specific aim of determining whether perhaps these nomadic herders were also horseback riders. Horses had been domesticated on the western Eurasian steppes during the fourth millennium BCE, and the pit-graves often contained statues or skeletal remains of horses alongside the deceased Yamnayan, possibly indicating a close relationship between man and horse. However, no evidence existed that proved the Yamnayans ever rode horses.



Since horseback riding is possible without any specialized equipment that would have survived in archaeological deposits, it is not easy to determine if, or exactly when, people began to ride these animals. Current research has focused largely on the horses – their origins, genetic relationships and when they were first domesticated. However, human remains are available in larger numbers and in more complete condition than early horse remains, and the researchers hypothesized it would be possible to determine from the Yamnayan skeletons whether they were indeed riding horses.&nbsp;



“We studied over 217 skeletons from 39 sites of which about 150 found in the burial mounds belong to the Yamnayans. Diagnosing activity patterns in human skeletons is not unambiguous. There are no singular traits that indicate a certain occupation or behavior. Only in their combination, as a syndrome, symptoms provide reliable insights to understand habitual activities of the past,” explains study lead author&nbsp;Martin Trautmann.



The international team decided to use a set of six diagnostic criteria established as physical indicators of riding activity (the so-called “horsemanship syndrome”):



1. Muscle attachment sites on pelvis and thigh bone (femur).



2. Changes in the normally round shape of the hip sockets.



3. Imprint marks caused by pressure of the acetabular rim on the neck of the femur.



4. The diameter and form of the femur shaft.



5. Vertebral degeneration caused by repeated vertical impact.



6. Traumata that typically can be caused by falls, kicks or bites from horses.



In addition, the researchers also used a strict filtering method to increase the diagnostic reliability of the results. They developed a scoring system that took into account the diagnostic value, distinctiveness and reliability of each symptom.&nbsp;



The findings, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ade2451">Science Advances</a>, show that out of the 156 adult individuals, at least 24 (15.4 percent) can be classified as "possible riders," while five Yamnaya and two later, as well as two possibly earlier, individuals qualify as "highly probable riders."



“The rather high prevalence of these traits in the skeleton record, especially with respect to the overall limited completeness, shows that these people were horse riding regularly,” Trautmann states.



“Horseback-riding seems to have evolved not long after the presumed domestication of horses in the western Eurasian steppes during the fourth millennium BCE. It was already rather common in members of the Yamnaya culture between 3000 and 2500 BCE,” says&nbsp;study co-author Professor Volker Heyd, a member of the international team that made the discovery.



The use of animals for transport, in particular the horse, marked a turning point in human history. The considerable gain in mobility and distance had profound effects on land use, trade, and warfare. In fact, the Yamayans spread very rapidly from their area of origin, both to the west and east. In the west they encountered the long-established farmer communities of Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic traditions. For decades, this meeting was considered to have been violent in nature, but research on ancient DNA has now painted a more complex picture of admixture.



“Our research is now beginning to provide a more nuanced picture of their interactions. For example, findings of physical violence as were expected are practically non-existent in the skeletal record so far. We also start understanding the complex exchange processes in material culture and burial customs between newcomers and locals in the 200 years after their first contact,” explains study co-author Bianca Preda-Bălănică.



The researchers acknowledge that further studies are needed to determine whether horses were being ridden to make herding of livestock more convenient, to allow swift and far-ranging raids to be conducted, or as a symbol of status. And one additional finding opens the door to even more exciting speculation …



“We have one intriguing burial in the series,” remarks study senior author Professor David Anthony. “A [very early] grave dated about 4300 BCE at Csongrad-Kettöshalom in Hungary, long suspected from its pose and artefacts to have been an immigrant from the steppes, surprisingly showed four of the six riding pathologies, possibly indicating riding a millennium earlier than the Yamnaya.”



“An isolated case cannot support a firm conclusion, but in Neolithic cemeteries of this era in the steppes, horse remains were occasionally placed in human graves with those of cattle and sheep, and stone maces were carved into the shape of horse heads. Clearly, we need to apply this method [of analysis] to even older collections.”



—



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Scientists may have identified the world’s first horse riders

People of the Yamnayan culture originated around the fourth millennium...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> has revealed that traffic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kelp-farms-could-help-clean-up-coastal-nitrogen-pollution/">pollution</a> impairs brain function in a short matter of time. According to the research, just two hours of exposure to diesel exhaust causes a decrease in the brain’s functional connectivity.



“For many decades, scientists thought the brain may be protected from the harmful effects of air pollution,” said study senior author Dr. Chris Carlsten. “This study, which is the first of its kind in the world, provides fresh evidence supporting a connection between air pollution and cognition.”



For the investigation, 25 adults were briefly exposed to either diesel exhaust or filtered air. The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity before and after each exposure.&nbsp;



The default mode network (DMN) is a set of interconnected regions in the brain that are activated during internal mental-state processes such as memory retrieval. When the experts analyzed the brain scans, they discovered that there was decreased functional connectivity in the DMN after exposure to diesel exhaust.



“We know that altered functional connectivity in the DMN has been associated with reduced cognitive performance and symptoms of depression, so it’s concerning to see traffic pollution interrupting these same networks,” said study first author Dr. Jodie Gawryluk. “While more research is needed to fully understand the functional impacts of these changes, it’s possible that they may impair people’s thinking or ability to work.”



The researchers found that brain connectivity changes were only temporary. Dr. Carlsten speculated that the effects could be long lasting where exposure is continuous. He said that people should be mindful of the air they are breathing and take appropriate steps to minimize their exposure to potentially harmful air pollutants like car exhaust.



“People may want to think twice the next time they’re stuck in traffic with the windows rolled down,” said Dr. Carlsten. “It’s important to ensure that your car’s air filter is in good working order, and if you’re walking or biking down a busy street, consider diverting to a less busy route.”



“Air pollution is now recognized as the largest environmental threat to human health and we are increasingly seeing the impacts across all major organ systems. I expect we would see similar impacts on the brain from exposure to other air pollutants, like forest fire smoke. With the increasing incidence of neurocognitive disorders, it’s an important consideration for public health officials and policymakers.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12940-023-00961-4">Environmental Health</a>.&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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Traffic pollution impairs brain network connectivity

A new study led by the University of British Columbia...

Many previous studies have found that regular physical activity and exercise promote mental health and are good for a person’s wellbeing. But not many of these have focused on the relationship between activity and mental health in children or adolescents.&nbsp;



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> has investigated the benefits of regular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-may-improve-mental-health-more-than-medication/">exercise</a> using data from the Children of the 90s study (also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, ALSPAC). They specifically examined the associations between objectively-measured physical activity, depressive-symptoms, and emotional and behavioral difficulties in young adolescents.



The physical activity of 4,755 11-year-olds was recorded using accelerometry devices that measure human movement. The devices recorded levels of moderate physical activity – typically defined as brisk walking or cycling – as well as vigorous activity which boosts heart rate and breathing, such as aerobic dancing, jogging or swimming.&nbsp;



In addition, the young participants and their parents reported on the levels of depressive symptoms experienced at the ages of 11 and 13 years. Participants’ parents and teachers also completed questionnaires about any behavioral or emotional difficulties experienced by the young people.&nbsp;



The results, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2022.100497">Mental Health and Physical Activity</a>, reveal that the 11-year-old boys averaged only 29 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. Girls achieved even less. The results for the 11-year-old girls showed they averaged 18 minutes MVPA per day. This is less than the minimum of 60 minutes recommended by the World Health Organization.&nbsp;



Despite this, the researchers found that higher levels of moderate and vigorous physical activity had a small but detectable association with decreases in depressive symptoms and emotional difficulties. In addition, those who were involved in more physical activity showed a small but detectable reduction in behavioral problems, even after controlling for other possible influences. Overall, these results suggest that regular MVPA may have a small protective influence on mental health in early adolescence.



“This study adds to the increasing evidence base about how important physical activity is for all aspects of young people’s development – it can help them feel better, and do better at school. Supporting young people to lead healthy active lives should be prioritized," said Dr. Josie Booth of the University of Edinburgh’s Moray House School of Education and Sport.



“While it might seem obvious that physical activity improves mental health the evidence for such a benefit in children and young people has been scarce, so the study findings are important," said Professor John Reilly from the University of Strathclyde. "The findings are also important because levels of moderate-to-vigorous intensity activity are so low in pre-teens, globally – less than a third achieve the 60 minutes per day recommended by the WHO and UK Health Departments.”



The researchers say the study is the first to offer such a comprehensive approach to examining mental health and exercise in young people, and the results suggest every effort should be made to encourage people in this age group to take part in regular physical activities.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff WriterCheck us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Physical activity can protect mental health in pre-teen years

Many previous studies have found that regular physical activity and...

Today’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-connect-with-the-environment-through-story-writing/">children</a> spend more and more time playing video games as part of their leisure time. Parents are often concerned that this form of entertainment will be harmful to their children, and they seek clarity from scientists and psychologists. Much research has been done on the links between playing video games and various aspects of children’s emotional, social and cognitive development, but the results have sometimes been conflicting.&nbsp;



What is known is that playing certain types of video games, known as action games, leads to positive changes in cognition in adults. Aspects such as attention and memory, as well as visual perception, show improvements in adults who play these specific games. Children have not been studied as often as adults, and the effects of gaming on their developing brains are not known. Despite this, parents are often encouraged to limit the time their children spend gaming each day.



A new, exploratory study has investigated whether the nature and extent of video gaming by pre-teenage children has any effects on cognitive ability. Their findings, published in the&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000364">Journal of Media Psychology</a>, challenge the warnings that parents have been issued for years that children who spend hour after hour playing video games, or choose games of certain genres, will manifest unhealthy results in their cognitive development.



“Our studies turned up no such links, regardless of how long the children played and what types of games they chose,” said Jie Zhang, associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the <a href="https://www.uh.edu/">University of Houston</a> College of Education, and a member of the research team.



The researchers assessed the gaming habits of 160 urban public-school preteen students (70 percent from lower income households), which represents an age group less studied in previous research. Participating students reported the time spent playing video games each day, and also took a standardized Cognitive Ability Test 7, also known as CogAT. This test evaluates verbal, quantitative and nonverbal/spatial skills, and is a well-recognized test of cognitive ability that is more objective than using teachers’ grades or self-reported learning assessments, as have been used in previous research.&nbsp;



The participants reported playing video games for an average of 2.5 hours daily, with the group’s heaviest gamers putting in as much as 4.5 hours each day. However, the researchers found no links between the time spent gaming and the child’s cognitive development. Furthermore, the content of the video games also did not correlate with differences in cognitive ability.



“Overall, neither duration of&nbsp;play&nbsp;nor&nbsp;choice of video game&nbsp;genres had significant correlations with the CogAT measures. That result shows no direct linkage between video game playing and cognitive performance, despite what had been assumed,” said May Jadalla, professor in the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University and the study’s principal investigator.



But the study revealed another side of the issue, too. Children who played the types of games described as helping to build healthy cognitive skills did not achieve better results on the cognitive tests. Playing these games had no measurable effects on cognition, despite the games’ marketing messages.



“The current study found results that are consistent with previous research showing that types of gameplay that seem to augment cognitive functions in young adults don’t have the same impact in much younger children,” said C. Shawn Green, professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.



Do these findings suggest that children can play on, unhindered? Perhaps, from the perspective of cognitive development. However, experts caution that gaming can have more serious consequences in other avenues of life. For example, gaming takes children away from their other, more productive activities, such as doing homework, playing sport or spending social time with friends and family. Excessive gaming can lead to social isolation and poor performance at school, even if it does not affect a child’s innate cognitive abilities.



“The study results show parents probably don’t have to worry so much about cognitive setbacks among video game-loving children, up to fifth grade. Reasonable amounts of video gaming should be OK, which will be delightful news for the kids. Just keep an eye out for obsessive behavior,” said Zhang. “When it comes to video games, finding common ground between parents and young kids is tricky enough. At least now we understand that finding balance in childhood development is the key, and there’s no need for us to over-worry about video gaming.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Video games do not harm children’s cognitive abilities

Today’s children spend more and more time playing video games...

Nearly half of the <a href="https://www.defence.gov.au/">Australian Defense Force</a> (ADF) members who transition from the forces to civilian life experience mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, or even suicidal thoughts, and almost a quarter of them are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/">University of South Australia</a> (UniSA) has found that assistance <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/test-predicts-best-guide-dogs/">dogs</a> used in conjunction with traditional therapies provide the most effective treatment outcomes, with almost 90 percent of veterans reporting improvements in their PTSD, anxiety, and depression one year after being matched to an assistance dog provided by the&nbsp;<a href="https://clubrunner.blob.core.windows.net/00000050056/en-ca/files/homepage/operation-k9/Operation-K9-Flyer.pdf">Operation K9 Program</a>.



The experts used self-reported measures, clinical assessments, and face-to-face interviews with veterans to investigate the value of assistant dogs over time. The analysis revealed that an assistance dog was often seen as a “life changer” and constant companion, and helped returned veterans increase their social interactions. “For many veterans, an assistance dog gave them a sense of purpose and a reason to live,” said study senior author Miranda Van Hooff, an adjunct associate professor of Allied Health &amp; Human Performance at UniSA.



Veterans argued that assistance dogs helped them “reclaim their life,” by offering them independence and a way of managing their fluctuating emotions and other mental issues. Some of the participants described their dog as a “comfort or security blanket,” and one of them said he was a recluse for many years before being matched to an assistant dog. “Now, every day is an adventure, giving me something to look forward to,” he reported.



By demonstrating the power of human-animal relationships, these findings are of particular relevance to policymakers and mental health professionals. “Previous studies have shown that existing treatments for post-traumatic stress among returned veterans are not ideal, with high dropout rates and poor adherence,” said lead author Melissa Sherman, a graduate student in Clinical Psychology at UniSA.



“This study provides clear evidence that assistance dogs can play a key role in a veteran’s recovery from post-traumatic stress and other mental health conditions, supporting existing treatments.”



However, since the study was limited by the lack of a control group of veterans with mental health issues not receiving assistant dogs and the small number of participants due to the cost of breeding, training, and matching dogs, further research is needed to assess whether these findings hold for larger cohorts.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043607">International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Assistance dogs improve mental health of veterans

Nearly half of the Australian Defense Force (ADF) members who...

Protected natural areas in the UK are struggling to halt declines in insects and <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/spiders-are-using-their-webs-to-extend-their-hearing/">spiders</a>. Protected habitats including nature reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Special Areas of Conservation have long been a key tool in conservation efforts.



A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320722004372">new study</a> collating records for 1,230 invertebrate species between 1990 and 2018 suggests that protected areas can still experience biodiversity decline.



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/">UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology</a> (UKCEH) found that while protected areas were richer in species than unprotected areas, both have suffered similar rates of decline in native insects and spiders over the past 30 years. In particular, the study found severe declines among pollinators, such as bees and hoverflies.



“We see parallel trends for invertebrates in both protected and unprotected areas,” said Dr. Rob Cooke, lead author of the study. “It is worrying, as you would expect species to show more positive trends in protected areas.”



The researchers used data from invertebrate recording schemes that contained observations of ants, bees, hoverflies, ladybirds, spiders and wasps. The team examined changes in biodiversity throughout the study period.



The results showed that there were almost double the number of rare species in protected areas compared to unprotected parts of the UK. These trends remained stable in both protected and unprotected areas, suggesting that rare species benefit from conservation efforts. However, strong declines were found for common species, especially in protected areas.



The study showed that between 1990-2018:



<ul><li>Occupancy of all invertebrates in protected areas declined by 12.8% while in unprotected areas it declined by 11.5%.</li><li>Pollinators declined by 17.5% in protected areas and 20.3% in unprotected areas</li><li>Common species declined by 12.8% in protected areas and 6% in unprotected areas</li></ul>



“Protected areas are often designated specifically to help rare species. But the more common species appear to be falling through the cracks. It should serve as a warning as today’s common species can be tomorrow’s rare species," said Dr. Cooke.



The experts suggest more can be done, such as evidence-based policies, targets and management focused more on the effectiveness, rather than just the coverage of protected areas. The research team is optimistic that this signals an opportunity to strengthen protected areas and better conserve biodiversity.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Protected areas are failing to safeguard biodiversity

Protected natural areas in the UK are struggling to halt...

According to recent studies, about 34 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from the food system, particularly from food production, with beef production being responsible for eight to ten times more emissions than chicken production, and over 20 times more emissions than nut and legume production. Now, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://tulane.edu/">Tulane University</a> has used data from more than 16,000 adult diets collected by the CDC’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm">National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey</a> to examine popular contemporary diets – such as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ketogenic-diet-may-prevent-asthma-attacks/">keto</a>, paleo, vegan, or omnivorous diets – in terms of their nutritional quality and environmental impact.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that the keto diet, which prioritizes high amounts of fats and low amounts of carbs, and the paleo diet, which eschews beans and grains in favor of meats, nuts, and vegetables, scored among the lowest on overall nutrition quality and were among the highest on carbon emissions (with 3kg and 2.6kg of CO2 for every 1,000 calories consumed, respectively).



“We suspected the negative climate impacts because they’re meat-centric, but no one had really compared all these diets – as they are chosen by individuals, instead of prescribed by experts – to each other using a common framework,” said study senior author Diego Rose, a professor of Nutritional Sciences at Tulane.



By contrast, vegan diets were found to have the least environmental impact, generating only 0.7kg of CO2 per 1,000 calories consumed, followed by vegetarian and pescatarian diets. The latter scored the highest on nutritional quality, with vegetarian and vegan diets following closely behind.&nbsp;



The omnivore diet – the most common diet, represented by 86 percent of the survey participants – was in the middle in terms of both quality and sustainability. According to the experts, if a third of people on omnivorous diets started eating a vegetarian diet, on average for any given day, it would be equivalent to eliminating 340 million passenger vehicle miles.



“Climate change is arguably one of the most pressing problems of our time, and a lot of people are interested in moving to a plant-based diet. Based on our results, that would reduce your footprint and be generally healthy. Our research also shows there’s a way to improve your health and footprint without giving up meat entirely,” Rose explained.



“I think the next question is how would different policies affect outcomes and how could those move us toward healthier, more environmentally friendly diets,” he concluded.&nbsp;



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.01.009">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>.&nbsp;



—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Study reveals the environmental impacts of various diets

According to recent studies, about 34 percent of greenhouse gas...

It is important to put aside money for unforeseen events in one’s life, and also for specified goals, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vacation-photos-can-help-save-endangered-animals/">vacations</a>, or buying a car or a house. But saving is never easy. In the U.S. and around the world, savings rates are currently critically low. In October 2022, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that Americans save just 2.3 percent of their income, the lowest in nearly two decades.



Dr. Sandra Matz of Columbia University, and her colleagues Dr. Joe Gladstone and Dr. Robert Farrokhnia, wondered whether it would be easier for people to save if their goals were aligned with their personality traits. The experts set out to test this, hypothesizing that some saving goals might be a better fit for people with certain personality traits. For example, a very conscientious person might be more likely to plan for the future and thus be more motivated to save for retirement.



Previous research by Matz and Gladstone found that people who are very agreeable are less likely to save than others, possibly because they’ve been taught that valuing people and valuing money are at odds with one another, and that “nice people” don’t value money.



“We tried to think of ways we could motivate agreeable people to save more,” said Dr. Matz. “Could we simply highlight how saving money would help them protect their loved ones? This suddenly makes money a means to an end that they care about.”



In the current study, the researchers made use of a survey and a field study to test whether people would be more successful at saving money if their personality traits fitted with their saving goals. Their results are published in American Psychologist, the journal of the <a href="https://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>.



First, the experts analyzed data from 2,447 participants in the United Kingdom who answered questions about their Big Five personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness and extraversion), as well as their savings goals. They also revealed how much of a “nest egg” they had managed to save. Independent raters coded the savings goals into categories of fit for the personality traits. Goals included such things as saving for a future purchase such as a car, saving for leisure/vacation spending, saving for a “rainy day,” and saving for retirement.



The researchers found that people whose self-reported savings goals were a good fit for their personality traits had a bigger nest egg, on average. This was true for both poorer and wealthier participants. Not surprisingly, people who earned more money had more savings, on average, but personality-goal fit explained about 5 percent of the variance in savings amount across all income levels.



Next, the researchers conducted a field experiment with 6,056 participants, all of whom were taking part in a savings incentive program through a non-profit savings app called SaverLife. Participants in the study started off with less than $100 in savings when they joined the program and were given the goal of saving at least $100 more in one month.



The participants all took a 30-item personality assessment, and were then divided into five groups. The members of one group received five emails during the month encouraging them to save towards a goal that was a good fit with their most salient personality trait. Another group received emails encouraging them to save, but with a goal that was mismatched to their personality type. The third group received randomly selected goal messages, while the members of the fourth group received emails with a generic message encouraging saving but with no particular goal. The fifth group did not receive any emails.



Not all of the participants opened the emails, but for those who did, the participants receiving the personality-matched savings message had the highest success rate, with 11.4 percent reaching the $100 savings goal.&nbsp;



Participants in the standard message group had less success, with 7.42 percent achieving the goal, while 7.46 percent of those who received a random message managed to save $100. A total of 7.85 percent of participants who received the personality-mismatched message reached the savings goal, whereas only 3.4 percent of those in the no-email control condition successfully saved $100.&nbsp; Participants who didn’t open their emails had about a 3 percent success rate.



Overall, according to Dr. Gladstone, people who received the personality-tailored intervention were 3.57 times more likely to achieve the $100 savings target than those in the control condition.



“It was wonderful to see that this approach worked,” said Dr. Farrokhnia. “It was important for us from the get-go to not only contribute to the existing literature and have a vigorous research study, but also to deploy the findings in the real world and come up with something companies could actually use and implement. Given the dire facts about savings in the U.S., we were particularly interested in helping to alleviate some of the challenges low-income and distressed households face in managing their finances. The recent economic downturn, including rising prices and higher challenges around achieving personal savings goals, made this pursuit even more important to us.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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People save more money when their goals fit their personality

It is important to put aside money for unforeseen events...

According to a comprehensive review study published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/clc.23984">Clinical Cardiology</a>, people who suffer from insomnia are 69 percent more likely to have a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noise-pollution-is-a-major-risk-factor-for-heart-attacks/">heart attack</a> compared to those without sleep disorders during an average nine years of follow-up. The experts found that individuals who sleep five or fewer hours per night have the greatest risk of experiencing a heart attack, while people with both insomnia and diabetes are twice as likely to have a heart attack than those without these conditions.



“Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, but in many ways it’s no longer just an illness, it’s more of a life choice. We just don’t prioritize sleep as much as we should,” said study lead author Yomna E. Dean, a medical student at <a href="https://www.alexu.edu.eg/index.php/en/">Alexandria University</a> in Egypt. “Our study showed that people with insomnia are more likely to have a heart attack regardless of age, and heart attacks occurred more often in women with insomnia.”



The scientists conducted a systematic literature review of 1,226 studies, comprising data for 1,184,256 adults (43 percent women) with an average age of 52. Among those, 13 percent (153,881) had insomnia, defined by the presence of any of these three symptoms: difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep. Most of the participants (96 percent) did not have a previous history of heart attacks. During a follow-up period of nine years, 2,406 of those who had insomnia experienced heart attacks, as well as 12,398 of those in the non-insomnia category.



The investigation revealed a statistically significant association between insomnia and heart attacks across all subgroups of patients, regardless of their age, follow-up duration, sex, and comorbidities such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. However, those with such comorbidities were at an even greater risk for heart attacks. “People with diabetes who also have insomnia had a twofold likelihood of having a heart attack,” Dean reported.



While those who slept five or less hours per night were 1.38 and 1.56 times more likely to have a heart attack compared to those who slept seven or eight hours, there was no difference in the likelihood of heart attacks between them and those who slept over nine hours, supporting previous findings that too much sleep can also be damaging.



Moreover, although disorders of initiating and maintaining sleep were associated with a 13 percent increased risk of heart attacks, non-restorative sleep and daytime disfunction did not seem to influence the likelihood of heart attacks.



“Based on our pooled data, insomnia should be considered a risk factor for developing a heart attack, and we need to do a better job of educating people about how dangerous [lack of good sleep] can be. Practice good sleep hygiene; the room should be dark, quiet, and on the cooler side, and put away devices. Do something that is calming to wind down, and if you have tried all these things and still can’t sleep or are sleeping less than five hours, talk to your doctor,” Dean concluded.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Insomnia increases heart attack risk by 69 percent

According to a comprehensive review study published in the journal...

According to the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), about one in eight people worldwide (cc. 970 million individuals) currently suffer from a mental disorder. These mental health issues cost the world economy $2.5 trillion each year, a number estimated to rise to $6 trillion by 2030. 



Although mental issues are mostly treated by medication or psychological/psychiatric counseling, a large review study conducted by researchers at the <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/">University of South Australia</a> (UniSA) has recently found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/any-type-of-physical-activity-can-help-protect-the-brain/">physical activity</a> is 1.5 times more effective than counseling or medications.



By examining 97 reviews and 1,039 trials involving a total of 128,119 participants, the experts discovered that physical activity is highly beneficial for improving symptoms of anxiety, depression, and distress, and that exercise interventions which were 12 weeks or shorter were the most effective in alleviating mental illness symptoms.&nbsp;



The largest benefits were observed in people with depression, pregnant and postpartum women, people diagnosed with HIV or kidney disease, and healthy individuals. These findings highlight not only the effectiveness of such interventions, but also the speed at which physical activity can make significant mental changes. Thus, physical activity should be prioritized in order to order to better manage the increasing incidence of mental health issues.



“Physical activity is known to help improve mental health. Yet despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a first-choice treatment. Our review shows that physical activity interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in all clinical populations, with some groups showing even greater signs of improvement,” said study lead author Ben Singh, a postdoctoral research fellow in Health and Human Performance at UniSA.



“Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts. We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercise such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and Yoga. Importantly, the research shows that it doesn’t take much for exercise to make a positive change to your mental health.”



According to senior author Carol Maher, a professor of Population and Digital Health at UniSA, this study is the first to comprehensively evaluate the effects of all types of physical activity on anxiety, depression, and distress in all adult populations.



“Examining these studies as a whole is an effective way to for clinicians to easily understand the body of evidence that supports physical activity in managing mental health disorders. We hope this review will underscore the need for physical activity, including structured exercise interventions, as a mainstay approach for managing depression and anxiety,” she concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195">British Journal of Sports Medicine</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</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.

Exercise may improve mental health more than medication

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about one in...

Silhouette,Young,Woman,Practicing,Yoga,On,The,Beach,At,Sunset.

In 2014, a smoking cessation study led by <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insightful-psychedelic-experiences-may-improve-mental-health/">psychedelic</a> substances such as psilocybin (the active hallucinogenic ingredient in magic mushrooms), combined with cognitive behavioral therapy, were highly effective in helping some people quit smoking for years.&nbsp;



Now, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinnati</a> examined the post-treatment journals kept by participants in that study, and discovered that psychedelics combined with talk therapy could help people reinvent themselves, by changing their perception of who they are. In the 2014 experiment, this treatment helped longtime smokers see themselves as nonsmokers and thus develop a new core identity that made 80 percent of them stop smoking for six months and 60 percent remain smoking-free after five years.



During the smoking cessation study, the experimenters provided participants guided imagery exercises in which they were asked to see smoking as a behavior external to their core identity and nicotine addiction as an external force manipulating their behavior for its own ends. According to Albert Garcia-Romeu, an assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins and co-author of both studies, psilocybin – and possibly other psychedelic substances – could serve as a catalyst to help motivate and inspire people to make a change with the aid of cognitive behavioral therapy.



“Cognitive behavioral therapy asks us to tune into the thoughts and feelings that we experience in our day-to-day lives and how those relate to our behaviors. In turn, people often tend to build a narrative or sense of self around those cognitions and behaviors. This sets the stage for actually having the psilocybin experience, which can both provide novel insights and perspectives as well as serve as a marker of that identity shift like a rite of passage, signifying the change for instance from smoker to nonsmoker,” he explained.



But how do psychedelics help with this transformation? According to lead author of the current study Neşe Devenot, a postdoctoral fellow at Cincinnati, people frequently get stuck in the same ruts of behavior, responding in the same way to specific stressors or other triggers – a phenomenon which she compares with a downward skier who uses the same grooved path down the mountain that they have used thousands of times.



“Psychedelics have been compared to skiing in fresh snow. Some researchers suggest that you might have more freedom to maneuver your skis anywhere down the mountain,” Devenot explained. “The entrenched grooves of bad habits might not have as much pull on our skis, so we can lay down other paths.”



“We’re looking for ways to help people shift behaviors and overcome the inertia of their habits that are more in line with their goals and aspirations. That’s why psychedelics are of wider interest to researchers,” she concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1353/ken.2022.0022">Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal</a>.



—-



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Psychedelics could help us reinvent ourselves

In 2014, a smoking cessation study led by Johns Hopkins...

The mortality risk of being <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-microbes-help-bears-gain-weight-regardless-of-diet/">overweight</a> is extremely higher than what was previously thought, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">CU Boulder</a>. The experts report that obesity or excess weight increases the risk of death by 22 to 91 percent.



The results of the analysis, based on nearly 18,000 individuals, suggest that about one in six deaths in the United States are related to excess weight or obesity.



“Existing studies have likely underestimated the mortality consequences of living in a country where cheap, unhealthy food has grown increasingly accessible, and sedentary lifestyles have become the norm,” said study author Professor Ryan Masters. “This study and others are beginning to expose the true toll of this public health crisis.”



The research contradicts the idea that only those who are classified as "extremely obese" have an increased risk of death. The current study shows that groups with higher BMIs have much higher mortality rates as well.



“The conventional wisdom is that elevated BMI generally does not raise mortality risk until you get to very high levels, and that there are actually some survival benefits to being overweight,” said Professor Masters. “I have been suspicious of these claims.”



Body mass index (BMI) is based on weight and height only and doesn’t account for differences in body composition or how long a person has been overweight, explained Professor Masters. He noted that Tom Cruise (at 5 feet 7 inches and an extremely muscular 201 pounds at one point), had a BMI of 31.5, putting him in the category of “obese.”



“It’s a reflection of stature at a point in time. That’s it,” said Professor Masters. “It isn’t fully capturing all of the nuances and different sizes and shapes the body comes in.”



The study was focused on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which followed 17,784 people from 1988 to 2015.



According to the results of the analysis, there are no significant mortality risks associated with being “underweight." In fact, individuals with low BMI (18.5–22.5) were found to have the lowest mortality risk.



On the other hand, the results suggest that U.S. adult deaths linked to high BMI are about eight times higher than previously estimated.



Professor Masters said he hopes the research will alert scientists to be “extremely cautious” when making conclusions based on BMI.&nbsp;



“For groups born in the 1970s or 1980s who have lived their whole lives in this obesogenic environment, the prospects of healthy aging into older adulthood does not look good right now. I hope this work can influence higher-level discussions about what we as a society can do about it.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00324728.2023.2168035">Population Studies</a>.



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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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One in six U.S. adult deaths linked to excess weight

The mortality risk of being overweight is extremely higher than...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...