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...

According to two preliminary studies to be presented at the <a href="https://ahascientificsessions.org/">American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022</a> (November 5-7 in Chicago), neighborhood walkability – a measure of how easy and safe it is to walk to reach resources for daily living, such as grocery stores, schools, pharmacies, work, or church – is associated with lower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/steep-rise-in-cardiovascular-disease-expected-in-the-u-s/">cardiovascular disease</a> burden and risk.&nbsp;



Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in the U.S. and globally. An important factor for achieving optimal cardiovascular health and reducing disease risk is physical activity. Thus, walkable neighborhoods could turn out to be essential in improving heart health. 



"When a person’s environment is conducive to walking, there is a greater likelihood of engagement in physical activity such as walking,” explained Elizabeth A. Jackson, the past chair of the American Heart Association’s Committee on Social Determinants of Health.&nbsp;



“Ample data support the cardiovascular benefits of regular physical activity including walking, therefore, designing neighborhoods to be walkable may assist residents in improving their cardiovascular health.”



In the first study, over 70,000 U.S. census tracts were analyzed to explore the potential association among neighborhood walkability and cardiovascular disease and risk factors. 



The analysis revealed that cardiovascular disease prevalence was lower (5.4 percent) in the most walkable neighborhoods compared to the least walkable ones (7 percent), and that 36 percent of adults living in the least walkable neighborhoods had high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obesity compared to about 30 percent in the most walkable ones. 



Moreover, type 2 diabetes prevalence was 11.6 percent in the least walkable neighborhoods compared to 10.6 percent in the most walkable ones.



In a second study – conducted only in Houston – the scientists examined the city in terms of its walkability, while evaluating the health data of over 900,000 adults in the Houston Methodist Cardiovascular Disease Learning Health System Registry from 2016 to 2021. 



The researchers found that for people without cardiovascular disease, living in a walkable neighborhood was associated with being twice as likely to have optimal cardiovascular risk factors compared to those living in car-dependent neighborhoods. Furthermore, people with cardiovascular disease living in higher walkability areas had 58 percent higher odds of having an optimal cardiovascular risk profile than those living in lower walkability areas.



Based on these findings, the experts urge policymakers to prioritize resources for building more walkable cities which offer close access to educational, retail, food, recreational, and entertainment venues in order to encourage walking as a normal way to get around.



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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

Walkable neighborhoods help reduce cardiovascular risk

According to two preliminary studies to be presented at the...

According to a new study led by <a href="https://www.kingston.ac.uk/">Kingston University London</a>, having a pet could help people who are less resilient better cope with the stresses of everyday life. However, unhealthy attachments to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-device-tracks-location-and-activity-of-pets/">pets</a> - when owners consider their pets to be more important than other people in their lives, for instance – can lead to increased feelings of loneliness.&nbsp;



By using two surveys of over 700 people from the UK and around the world (one conducted during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in May 2020 and the other in September 2021), the researchers explored whether having a pet was associated with better mental wellbeing during the pandemic.



The analysis revealed that pets had a largely positive effect on the lives of their owners. Increased exposure to their animals – such as playing with them or taking them out for walks more often – was associated with better mental health. Overall, owners who spent more time with their pets generally reported being happier. However, the scientists also found that unhealthy attachments to pets were frequently linked to poorer mental health.



“It's commonly believed that pets are good for humans. While our research partly supports this, I wanted to understand what role people’s individual characteristics, such as resilience, play in the relationship between pet ownership and positive or negative mental health,” said study lead author Ece Beren Barklam, a PhD student in human-animal interaction at Kingston.



“Where the owner considers their pet to be more important than the people in their lives, the study found they were lonelier, unhappier, and less resilient. They also scored lower when it came to overall mental wellbeing. This type of attachment may reflect an unhealthy bond, where the owner treats their pet as if it has human motives and traits, which could be a kind of anthropomorphism.”



According to study senior author Fatima Maria Felisberti, a neuroscientist at Kingston and Barklam’s supervisor, these findings could improve our understanding of the crucial role that pets play in people’s everyday lives. “We tend to over-simplify our view of why people have pets. Beren’s research highlights the complexities involved in such relationships."



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2022.2101248">Anthrozoös</a>.



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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

People who struggle with stress benefit from having a pet

According to a new study led by Kingston University London,...

The cognitive and memory decline observed in <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/alzheimers-risk-elevated-by-exposure-to-ddt/">Alzheimer’s</a> disease (AD) is caused by the accumulation of β-amyloid protein (Aβ), which leads to neural impairment. Previous studies have shown that oxytocin – a peptide hormone responsible for parturition, bonding, and lactation – could also regulate cognitive performance and behavior in the central nervous system of rodents. 



However, while research suggests that oxytocin could play an important role in reversing memory loss caused by cognitive disorders such as AD, until recently this hormone could only be efficiently delivered to the brain through intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration – an invasive technique that is impractical to implement clinically. 



Now, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/">Tokyo University of Science</a> has explored the possibility of delivering oxytocin to the central nervous system via intranasal (IN) administration, a considerably less invasive method. The experts devised a technique to increase the efficiency of peptide delivery to the brain by introducing cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and a penetration accelerating sequence (PAS) through structural modifications, and leveraged this approach to prepare an oxytocin derivative, PAS-CPPs-oxytocin.



“We have previously shown that oxytocin reverses amyloid&nbsp;𝛽&nbsp;peptide (25-35) (A𝛽25-35)-induced impairment of synaptic plasticity in rodents. We wanted to see if&nbsp;PAS-CPPs-oxytocin&nbsp;could be delivered more efficiently to the mouse brain for clinical application, and if it improved cognitive functional behavior in mice,”&nbsp;reported study senior author Jun-ichiro Oka, an expert in Neuropharmacology at Tokyo University.



After developing an A𝛽25-35 peptide-induced amnesia model by supplying A𝛽25-35 to the mouse brain via ICV delivery, the scientists assessed the spatial working and spatial reference memories of mice by using the Y-maze and Morris water maze (MWM) tests. After confirming that memory was affected in A𝛽25-35-impaired mice, the researchers administered PAS-CPPs-oxytocin and native oxytocin via an IN and an ICV route, respectively, in order to clarify whether learning and memory improved in the treated mice. Finally, they profiled the distribution of the IN-administered derivative in brain tissues by imaging of a fluorescent-tagged oxytocin derivative.



The tagged PAS-CPPs-oxytocin showed efficient distribution throughout the brain after its IN administration, and, while the ICV administration of native oxytocin improved test outcomes in both the Y-maze and MWM tests, the IN administration of PAS-CPPs-oxytocin led to better outcomes in the Y-maze test.&nbsp;



“My team is the first to show that the oxytocin derivative can improve the A𝛽25-35-induced memory impairment in mice. This suggests that oxytocin may help reduce the cognitive decline we see in Alzheimer's disease. The oxytocin derivative enters the brain more efficiently. Furthermore, since IN delivery is a non-invasive procedure, this modified version of the hormone could potentially be a clinically viable treatment for Alzheimer's disease,” Professor Oka concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/npr2.12292">Neuropsychopharmacology Reports</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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

The love hormone oxytocin may improve cognitive decline

The cognitive and memory decline observed in Alzheimer’s disease (AD)...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King’s College London</a> (KCL) has found that seeing or hearing birds could lead to improvements in mental wellbeing which could last up to eight hours. Such an improvement was also noticeable in people suffering from depression – the most common mental illness worldwide – suggesting that exposure to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birdsong-frequency-is-influenced-by-sexual-selection/">birdsong</a> could have a potential role in helping those with mental health issues.



The scientists used the smartphone application <a href="https://www.urbanmind.info/">Urban Mind</a> to collect people’s real-time reports of their mental wellbeing, together with their reports of seeing or hearing birds. The study was conducted between April 2018 and October 2021, with 1,292 participants from a variety of countries (with the majority based in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States though) completing 26,856 assessments using the Urban Mind app. The participants had to report through this app three times per day whether they could see or hear birds, followed by inquiries regarding their mental wellbeing.&nbsp;



“There is growing evidence on the mental health benefits of being around nature and we intuitively think that the presence of birdsong and birds would help lift our mood. However, there is little research that has actually investigated the impact of birds on mental health in real-time and in a real environment,” said study lead author Ryan Hammoud, a research assistant in Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at KCL.



“By using the Urban Mind app we have for the first time showed the direct link between seeing or hearing birds and positive mood. We hope this evidence can demonstrate the importance of protecting and providing environments to encourage birds, not only for biodiversity but for our mental health.”



The researchers also collected information on existing diagnoses of mental illness and discovered that hearing or seeing birdlife was associated with improvements in mental wellbeing in both healthy participants and those diagnosed with depression. According to the scientists, these links between birds and mental wellbeing could not be explained by other co-occurring environmental factors, such as the presence of plants, trees, or waterways.



“The term ecosystem services is often used to describe the benefits of certain aspects of the natural environment on our physical and mental health,” explained study senior author Andrea Mechelli, a professor of Early Intervention in Mental Health at KCL. “However, it can be difficult to prove these benefits scientifically. Our study provides an evidence base for creating and supporting biodiverse spaces that harbor birdlife, since this is strongly linked with our mental health. In addition, the findings support the implementation of measures to increase opportunities for people to come across birdlife, particularly for those living with mental health conditions such as depression,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-20207-6">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



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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

The presence of birds can improve mental health

A new study led by King’s College London (KCL) has...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.parisnanterre.fr/">Paris Nanterre University</a> has found that cats may change their behavior when they hear their owner’s voice talking in a tone directed to them, but not when hearing the voice of stranger addressing them, or the voice of their owner directed at another person. These findings suggest that cats may form strong affective bonds to their owners.



Scientists have long known that human tone varies depending on who the speech is directed to, such as when talking to infants or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-know-how-to-use-catnip-as-a-potent-insect-repellent/">pets</a> versus when talking with other adults. While previous studies have shown that the tone of human speech changes when directed to cats, little has been known about how cats react to this.



Now, the researchers investigated how 16 cats reacted to pre-recorded voices from both their owners and strangers when saying phrases in cat-directed and human adult-directed tones. The scientists examined three conditions: in the first, the voice of the speaker changed from a stranger’s voice to the cat’s owner, while in the second and third, the tone of the cat’s owner and a stranger’s, respectively, changed from cat-directed to adult-directed.



In the first condition, ten out of 16 cats exhibited a decrease in behavior intensity while they heard three audio recordings of a stranger’s voice calling them by their names. When hearing their owner’s voice though, their behavior intensity significantly increased again, and the cats started displaying behaviors such as turning their ears to the speakers, moving across the room, and showing pupil dilation. According to the experts, this shift in behavior shows that cats can discriminate their owner’s voice from that of a stranger’s.



In the second experimental condition, ten cats decreased their behavior intensity when hearing audio recordings of their owner in an adult-directed tone, but significantly increased it when hearing their owner speak in a cat-directed tone. Such a change in behavior intensity was not identified in the third condition, when a stranger was speaking in either adult-directed or cat-directed tones. Thus, the cats appeared to be able to distinguish when their owner was talking in a cat-directed tone compared to an adult-directed one, but did not react differently when a stranger’s voice shifted its tone.



However, further research is needed to investigate if these findings could be replicated in the case of more socialized cats that are used to interact with strangers.



“These findings bring a new dimension to the consideration of human–cat relationship, as they imply the development of a particular communication into human–cat dyads, that relies upon experience. Our results highlight the importance of one-to-one relationships for cats, reinforcing recent literature regarding the ability for cats and humans to form strong bonds,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10071-022-01674-w">Animal Cognition</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

Cats can tell when speech is directed at them

A new study led by the Paris Nanterre University has...

As people live for longer, the prevalence of dementia increases. This trend is apparent in all countries in the world where medical and health interventions are able to extend <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-expectancy-continues-to-decline-due-to-covid/">lifespan</a>. Currently, around 55 million people suffer from dementia and there are some 10 million new cases diagnosed each year. This number is expected to rise to 78 million sufferers in 2030 and more than 100 million by 2050.&nbsp;



Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death among all diseases and one of the major causes of disability and dependency among older people worldwide. It is characterized by cognitive difficulties that begin in adulthood and affect a person’s ability to function independently and perform everyday activities.&nbsp;Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), on the other hand, is thought to indicate a transitioning phase between normal aging and dementia, although not everyone who has MCI will go on to develop dementia.



Since these conditions have significant physical, psychological, social and economic impacts, not only for sufferers themselves, but also for their carers, families and society at large, it is critical that authorities have an up-to-date understanding of their prevalence in populations, in order to formulate appropriate support policies.&nbsp;



In the first nationally representative study of cognitive impairment prevalence in more than 20 years, <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> researchers, along with colleagues from several other U.S. universities, have analyzed data from individuals enrolled in the&nbsp;nationally representative Health and Retirement Study.&nbsp;This is an ongoing study that started in 1992 and the current researchers randomly selected a subsample of 3,500 participants who were 65 years or older in 2016.&nbsp;



Known as the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP), the current study was developed to update national estimates of the prevalence of MCI and dementia in the U.S. and to examine differences by age, race, ethnicity, and gender. Participants completed a comprehensive set of neuropsychological tests and in-depth interviews, and dementia and MCI were classified using an algorithm based on standard diagnostic criteria and comparing test performance to a robust normative sample.



“Such data are critical for understanding the causes, costs, and consequences of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in the United States, and for informing policies aimed at reducing their impact on patients, families, and public programs,” says&nbsp;<a href="https://www.neurology.columbia.edu/profile/jennifer-j-manly-phd">Jennifer J. Manly, PhD</a>,&nbsp;the study’s lead author and professor of neuropsychology in neurology at the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University.



Although dementia and MCI are known to be common in the U.S., accurate, up-to-date measures of their national prevalence have been infrequent. In addition, previous estimates of dementia and MCI have tended to focus on populations that are college-educated and White, and have not been nationally representative. Participants in the new study are representative of older adults and this allows researchers to examine differences in the national prevalence of dementia and MCI by age, race and ethnicity, gender, and education level.&nbsp;



The results of the analysis, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.3543">JAMA Neurology</a>, show that the incidence of dementia and MCI rises sharply with age: 3 percent of people between 65 and 69 had dementia, while the prevalence was 35 percent among people who were aged 90 and over.&nbsp;&nbsp;Overall, the study found that almost 10 percent of U.S. adults aged 65 and older have dementia, while another 22 percent have mild cognitive impairment.&nbsp;



In addition to the association with age, the data show a disproportionate burden of dementia among older adults who self-identified as Black or African American, of mild cognitive impairment among older adults who identify as Hispanic, and of both categories of cognitive impairment among people who had fewer opportunities to obtain higher education.



The economic impact of dementia, including unpaid family caregiving, is estimated to be $257 billion per year in the United States and $800 billion worldwide. And this is set to increase in future as populations age and people experience greater longevity.



“With increasing longevity and the aging of the Baby Boom generation, cognitive impairment is projected to increase significantly over the next few decades, affecting individuals, families, and programs that provide care and services for people with dementia,” Manly says.



“Dementia research in general has largely focused on college-educated people who are racialized as white,” she explains. “This study is representative of the population of older adults and includes groups that have been historically excluded from dementia research but are at higher risk of developing cognitive impairment because of structural racism and income inequality. If we’re interested in increasing brain health equity in later life, we need to know where we stand now and where to direct our resources.”



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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

One-third of older Americans have dementia

As people live for longer, the prevalence of dementia increases....

A team of neuroscientists from <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> and clinicians from the <a href="https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/landing-pages/epilepsy">University of Chicago Epilepsy Center</a> has recently explored the role of sleep in consolidating memories. By recording electrophysiological responses to a series of sounds connected to daytime learning activities that were repeatedly presented to five participants during sleep, the experts found that the participants significantly improved their performance in a recall test the next morning, suggesting that sleep plays a crucial role in consolidating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/having-a-sense-of-purpose-improves-memory/">memory</a> processing and storage.



The scientists enrolled a group of five epilepsy patients who had electrode probes implanted into the brain for the purpose of investigating potential treatments to their seizure disorders. During sleep, the participants were repeatedly exposed to 10-20 sounds, half of which were associated with objects and their precise spatial locations that patients learned before sleep.



The analysis revealed systematic improvements in spatial recall, with the object sounds presented during sleep eliciting increased oscillatory activity, including rises in theta, sigma, and gamma EEG bands, as well as significant activity in the hippocampus – a part of the brain that helps structuring and consolidating spatial and temporal patterns – and the adjacent temporal area of the cerebral cortex, reflecting the reactivation and strengthening of corresponding spatial memories.



“We are investigating how people manage to remember the things they’ve learned, rather than forgetting them,” said&nbsp;study senior author Ken Paller, the director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern. “Our view is that sleep contributes to that ability.”



“The orthodox assumption used to be that such sounds would be blocked out when people are sleeping. Instead, these sounds allowed us to demonstrate that brain structures such as the hippocampus are responsive when memories are reactivated, helping us to retain the knowledge we gain when we’re awake.”



“At times, remembering and forgetting seems random. We can remember irrelevant details while forgetting what we most want to remember. The new answer to this long-standing mystery, highlighted by this research,&nbsp;is that memories are revisited when we sleep, even though we wake up not knowing it happened,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2123430119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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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

Sleep helps the brain consolidate memories

A team of neuroscientists from Northwestern University and clinicians from...

According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.demogr.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research</a> and the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>, global life expectancy did not recover in 2021 after the mortality shock caused by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-related-deaths-are-much-higher-than-the-official-count/">Covid</a> pandemic. However, comparing this findings to historical events such as the Spanish flu pandemic from 1918, offers hope for rapid improvements in life expectancy over the next years.



By examining changes in life expectancy in 29 countries, the experts found that most countries in the study – including the United States, Chile, and 27 European countries – experienced period life expectancy (a measurement of the risk of death to which a population is exposed to within a year) decline for a second year in a row.&nbsp;



“The United States is a particularly tragic example; in 2021 the country managed to normalize mortality among those over 80 to pre-pandemic levels, but mortality among those under 80 increased,” said study lead author Jonas Schöley, an expert in Population Health at Max Planck. Thus, period life expectancy in the U.S. declined for two years in a row - by 25.5 months in 2020 and by another 2.7 months in 2021.



Life expectancy returned to pre-pandemic levels in just a few Western European countries, such as Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Sweden. In much of Eastern Europe, for example, the mortality crisis worsened from 2020 to 2021. “This is particularly evident in Bulgaria. In 2021, period life expectancy was 3.6 years below pre-pandemic levels,” said Schöley. Although Bulgaria had the lowest vaccination rate by the fall of 2021 among all the countries studied, this factor alone cannot fully explain the recent disparities in life expectancy between Eastern and Western Europe. According to Schöley and his colleagues, differences in healthcare systems and general living conditions may have also played a critical role.



A worrisome finding regards the change in age patterns related to Covid-induced mortality. “A notable shift between 2020 and 2021 was that the age patterns of excess mortality shifted in 2021 towards younger age groups, as vaccines began to protect the old,” said study co-author Ridhi Kashyap, a professor of Demography and Computational Social Science at Oxford.



Fortunately, historical comparisons show that, although previous pandemics such as the Spanish flu in 1918 also caused period life expectancy to plummet, the recovery was quite rapid. “Covid-19 has triggered one of the most severe mortality crises worldwide in the past 100 years. Past crises, however, only temporarily interrupted the trend of increasing life expectancy,” Schöley concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41562-022-01450-3">Nature Human Behavior</a>.



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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

Life expectancy continues to decline due to Covid

According to a recent study led by the Max Planck...

Many studies have reported associations between video gaming and increases in depression, violence, and aggressive behavior. However, a recent study of nearly 2,000 children has now found that those playing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/playing-action-video-games-can-improve-reading-skills/">video games</a> for three hours per day or more performed better on cognitive skills related to impulse control and working memory compared to children who never played video games.&nbsp;



“This study adds to our growing understanding of the associations between playing video games and brain development,” said study co-author Nora Volkow, the director of the <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/">National Institute of Drug Abuse</a> (NIDA). “Numerous studies have linked video gaming to behavior and mental health problems. This study suggests that there may also be cognitive benefits associated with this popular pastime, which are worthy of further investigation.”



The researchers analyzed survey, cognitive, and brain imaging data from about 2,000 participants in the ongoing&nbsp;<a href="https://abcdstudy.org/">Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development&nbsp;(ABCD) Study</a>, which aims to understand the factors that influence brain, cognitive, and social-emotional development, in order to help devising interventions to enhance young people’s life trajectories. They separated the participants into two groups – those reporting playing no video games versus those playing such games for three or more hours daily, and evaluated their performance on two cognitive tasks that reflected their capacity to control impulsive behavior and to memorize information, as well as their brain activity while performing these tasks.



The analysis revealed that the children playing video games were faster and more accurate on both tasks and showed higher activity in areas of the brain associated with attention and memory, as well as in the frontal lobes, which play a fundamental role in the performance of cognitively demanding tasks. Although some of the children playing video games reported higher mental health and behavioral issues compared to those who played no video games, this association did not appear to be statistically significant.



“While we cannot say whether playing video games regularly caused superior neurocognitive performance, it is an encouraging finding, and one that we must continue to investigate in these children as they transition into adolescence and young adulthood,” said study lead author Bader Chaarani, an assistant professor of Psychiatry at the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>. “Many parents today are concerned about the effects of video games on their children’s health and development, and as these games continue to proliferate among young people, it is crucial that we better understand both the positive and negative impact that such games may have.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.35721">JAMA Network Open</a>.



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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

Video gaming may increase cognitive performance

Many studies have reported associations between video gaming and increases...

Scientists have long investigated the connection between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meal-timing-decrease-appetite/">meal timing</a>, sleep, and obesity, arguing that overnutrition could disrupt circadian rhythms and change fat tissues. However, the mechanism behind why eating late at night is linked to weight gain and health issues such as diabetes is still poorly understood. 



Now, a team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> has found that energy release may be the molecular mechanism through which our internal clocks control energy balance – an aspect which suggests that, for humans, daytime is the ideal time in the light environment of the Earth’s rotation when it is optimal to dissipate energy as heat. These finding could have a range of implications, from dieting and sleep loss to how clinicians feed patients who require long-term nutritional assistance.



“It is well known, albeit poorly understood, that insults to the body clock are going to be insults to metabolism,” said study corresponding author Joseph T. Bass, a professor of Medicine at Northwestern. “When animals consume Western style cafeteria diets — high fat, high carb — the clock gets scrambled. The clock is sensitive to the time people eat, especially in fat tissue, and that sensitivity is thrown off by high-fat diets. We still don’t understand why that is, but what we do know is that as animals become obese, they start to eat more when they should be asleep. This research shows why that matters.”



In this recent study, the scientists focused on mice, which are nocturnal animals. By feeding them a high-fat diet either exclusively during their inactive or active period – while setting the lab temperature to 30 degrees, at which mice expand less energy, to mitigate the effects of temperature on their findings - the researchers discovered that those fed during light hours gained more weight compared to those fed in the dark.



“We thought maybe there’s a component of energy balance where mice are expending more energy eating at specific times,” said study first author Chelsea Hepler, a postdoctoral fellow in Professor Bass’ lab. “That’s why they can eat the same amount of food at different times of the day and be healthier when they eat during active periods versus when they should be sleeping.”&nbsp;



These findings could inform chronic care, particularly in cases where patients have gastric feeding tubes. Such patients are commonly fed at night while they sleep and they are releasing the least amount of energy. Since many of them tend to develop obesity and diabetes, medical professional should re-think their strategy to improve their patients’ health and well-being.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abl8007">Science</a>.



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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

Why does eating late lead to obesity and diabetes?

Scientists have long investigated the connection between meal timing, sleep,...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-confirms-microplastics-have-entered-our-food-chain/">Microplastics</a> are tiny pieces of plastic which can get into our bodies through our food, drinks, or even the air that we breathe. Although scientists are not yet sure what is the effect of these compounds on human health, increasingly more studies have provided clear evidence that exposure to microplastics can lead to oxidative stress, inflammation, and even DNA damage.&nbsp;



A research team led by <a href="https://en.scu.edu.cn/">Sichuan University</a> in China has now found that drinking a single cup of takeaway coffee per week could expose a person to over 90,000 microplastic particles each year.



The scientists examined three different types of plastic cups in which takeaway coffee is usually served: polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyethylene (PE). They filled each of the three kinds of cups with 400 milliliters of water, sealed them with foil to avoid airborne microplastics entering the cups, and shook them for one minute. These procedures were carried out on a clean glass beaker, in order to avoid potential procedural contaminations.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that, in about five minutes, the number of microplastic particles in the water reached between 723 and 1,489 particles per cup. Polypropylene cups produced the highest numbers of particles, which is highly concerning, considering the widespread use of such materials all over the world.&nbsp;



Moreover, cups containing hot liquids released significantly more microplastics than those with cold ones. Finally, shaking of the cups – which is common in the case of takeaway coffee – further promoted the release of microplastics.



“Based on the results, we estimated that people may unconsciously ingest 37,613–89,294 microplastics a year due to the use of one plastic cup every 4–5 days. Considering the potential harm of microplastics, the contamination of microplastics resulting from the use of plastic cups for drinks needs to be taken seriously,” the authors warned.



The study is published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129982">Journal of Hazardous Materials</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

One carryout coffee could expose you to 1,500 plastic particles

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic which can get into...

Out gut microbiome consists of thousands of microorganisms that play an essential role in digesting nutrients and can have both positive and negative effects on our health. While the mechanisms of how the gut microbiome impacts human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dietary-changes-can-improve-the-health-of-shift-workers/">health</a> is still under scientific investigation, new evidence suggests that eating specific kinds of food influences the type of bacteria living in our gut and their health-related role. For instance, a new study led by <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King’s College London</a> (KCL) has found that eating a handful of almonds per day significantly increases the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid promoting gut health.



The scientists recruited 87 healthy adult participants who were already eating less than the recommended amounts of fibers and who typically snacked on unhealthy foods such as chocolate or crisps. The participants were split into three groups: the first group changed their snacks for 56 grams of whole almonds per day, the second one for 56 grams of ground almonds per day, and the control group ate energy-matched muffins during the course of a month.&nbsp;



Researchers discovered that butyrate – a fatty acid which is the main source of fuel for the cells lining the colon, contributing to a strong gut wall that can easily absorb nutrients, and allowing beneficial gut microbes to flourish – was significantly higher among almond eaters compared to those that consumed muffins. While no major difference was observed in gut transit time among the three groups, whole-almond eaters had an additional 1.5 bowel movements per week, suggesting that eating almonds could also benefit people with constipation.



Thus, eating whole and ground almonds can improve people’s diets, providing them with higher intakes of monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber, potassium, and other important nutrients. “Part of the way in which the gut microbiota impact human health is through the production of short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate. These molecules act as a fuel source for cells in the colon, they regulate absorption of other nutrients in the gut, and help balance the immune system. We think these findings suggest almond consumption may benefit bacterial metabolism in a way that has the potential to influence human health,” concluded study lead author Kevin Wheelan, an expert in Nutritional Sciences at KCL.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac265">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>.



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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

A daily dose of almonds can boost gut health

Out gut microbiome consists of thousands of microorganisms that play...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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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...