When we think of oxytocin, the image of a warm embrace or the deep connection between a mother and her child often comes to mind. 



This hormone, often dubbed the "love hormone" or "cuddle hormone," is famous for its role in fostering emotional bonds and promoting feelings of trust and empathy. 



But recent studies suggest that oxytocin might be doing much more behind the scenes, especially when it comes to how we learn and remember. And more surprisingly, it may also help cure addiction.



Leading this exciting exploration are Professor Akiyoshi Saitoh and researcher Junpei Takahashi from the <a href="https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tokyo University of Science</a>, and Meredith Berry, Ph.D. from the <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Florida</a>. 



They have been delving into the intricate ways oxytocin influences our brains, potentially paving the way for new treatments for conditions like dementia and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-discovery-offers-hope-for-tackling-opioid-addiction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">opioid addiction</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxytocin-s-role-in-memory">Oxytocin's role in memory</h2>



While oxytocin is well-known for its impact on social behaviors, its role in cognitive functions is less understood. 



Professor Saitoh's team wanted to uncover whether oxytocin could be a key player in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-our-brain-form-long-term-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how memories are formed</a> and retained. 



“Previously we had suggested that oxytocin may be a new therapeutic candidate for dementia based on studies using a mouse model of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alzheimers-disease-attacks-the-brain-in-two-separate-phases/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s disease</a>,” he shared. 



“To investigate this further, in this study, we examined the role of endogenous oxytocin in mouse cognitive function.”



Using advanced techniques, the researchers specifically activated oxytocin neurons in certain brain regions of mice. 



They then evaluated the mice's memory using tasks designed to test recognition and recall, like the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/novel-object-recognition-test" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Novel Object Recognition Task</a>. 



This method helps scientists determine how well an animal can recognize a new object compared to one they've seen before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peering-into-the-brain-s-memory-centers">Peering into the brain's memory centers</h2>



The brain is a complex network, and understanding how different areas interact is crucial. 



The team noticed that when they stimulated oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), there was increased activity not only there but also in the supramammillary nucleus (SuM). 



These regions are connected and play roles in memory and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-causes-similar-emotional-experiences-and-sensations-in-all-cultures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotional responses</a>.



By observing markers that indicate neuron activation, they confirmed that these areas were more active following their interventions. 



Interestingly, while the mice didn't show significant changes in short-term memory tasks, there was a noticeable improvement in long-term memory, particularly in recognizing new objects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxytocin-connection-to-dementia">Oxytocin connection to dementia</h2>



These findings have significant implications. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/herbal-medicine-shows-potential-to-treat-and-prevent-dementia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dementia</a>, including Alzheimer's disease, affects millions worldwide, leading to memory loss and cognitive decline. 



Understanding how oxytocin influences memory could lead to new therapies that slow down or mitigate these effects.



There's also a broader social context. Many believe that loneliness and lack of social interaction can worsen <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dementia-was-extremely-rare-in-ancient-times-so-why-is-it-now-so-prevalent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dementia symptoms</a>. 



“There is a widely acknowledged belief that dementia tends to advance more rapidly in settings where individuals experience loneliness or limited social engagement. However, the scientific underpinnings of this phenomenon have remained largely elusive," Professor Saitoh pointed out.



By highlighting oxytocin's role, the research suggests that stimulating social interactions -- or even directly targeting oxytocin pathways -- might help in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diabetes-drugs-may-protect-against-dementia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">managing dementia</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oxytocin-and-opioid-addiction">Oxytocin and opioid addiction</h2>



Across the globe, another team is exploring oxytocin's potential in a different arena. 



At the University of Florida, researchers are investigating whether a synthetic version of oxytocin can help curb opioid addictions, a pressing issue affecting many communities.



“The idea is that physicians could potentially prescribe, in combination, an opioid and oxytocin as an acute <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-is-a-powerful-weapon-against-chronic-pain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pain management</a> option, while at the same time lessening the likelihood of developing an addiction to opioids,” explained Dr. Meredith Berry.



Working alongside Dr. Yenisel Cruz-Almeida and Dr. Natalie Ebner, Dr. Berry is examining whether oxytocin can reduce pain effectively while also decreasing the desire for prolonged opioid use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-opioids-are-still-a-huge-problem">Opioids are still a huge problem</h2>



Opioid addiction has become a significant public health concern, particularly in the United States. 



Prescription opioids, while effective for managing pain, carry a high risk of addiction. Older adults, who often require pain management, can be particularly vulnerable.



By exploring alternatives that reduce pain without the same addictive potential, researchers hope to offer safer options for patients. 



Oxytocin's natural role in promoting well-being might counteract some of the addictive properties of opioids.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-healing-addiction-with-oxytocin">Healing addiction with oxytocin</h2>



In their carefully designed study, the University of Florida team is working with participants aged 55 to 85 who have some history of opioid use. 



In a controlled setting, these participants will receive synthetic oxytocin via a nasal spray or a placebo after taking oral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-a-route-to-safer-painkillers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxycodone</a>.



The researchers will collect data on how much the participants enjoy the drugs, as well as monitor physical responses like heart rate and breathing. 



They'll also assess cognitive and emotional reactions. To measure pain responses, they will apply mild mechanical pressure to the thighs and expose the hands to varying temperatures.



Dr. Ebner will analyze mood changes and cognitive effects, while Dr. Cruz-Almeida will examine how the drugs affect pain responses. 



Dr. Berry will evaluate the potential for reduced opioid addiction based on these findings. Physicians from the university's College of Medicine are involved to ensure participant safety.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-oxytocin-the-wonder-drug-of-the-future">Is oxytocin the "wonder drug" of the future?</h2>



The combined efforts of these research teams highlight the versatility of oxytocin, putting the "love hormone" on the radar of scientists of all disciplines around the world.



From potentially enhancing memory and combating dementia to offering new strategies for pain management without the high risk of addiction, oxytocin's benefits could be far-reaching.



These studies underscore the importance of looking beyond traditional uses of well-known substances. Sometimes, the key to solving complex health issues lies in re-examining what we thought we knew.



The journey of oxytocin from a simple "love hormone" to a potential powerhouse in medical treatment is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of science. 



As researchers like Professor Saitoh and Dr. Berry continue their work, we can look forward to new discoveries that might improve the quality of life for many.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294113" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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'Cuddle hormone' fosters love, boosts memory, and now also cures addiction

When we think of oxytocin, the image of a warm embrace or the deep connection between a mother and her child often comes to mind. This hormone, often dubbed the "love hormone" or "cuddle hormone," is famous for its role in fostering emotional bonds and promoting feelings of trust and empathy. But recent studies suggest that oxytocin might be doing much more behind the scenes, especially when it comes to how we learn and remember. And more surprisingly, it may also help cure addiction. Leading this exciting...

A team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a> has decoded visual images from a dog’s brain and used a machine-learning algorithm to analyze the patterns in the neural data in order to better understand how the canine mind reconstructs what it sees. The findings suggest that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-brain-structure-dogs/">dogs</a> are more attuned to actions in their environments rather than to who or what is performing the actions.



The scientists recorded fMRI neural data for two awake, unrestrained dogs while they watched several videos in 30-minute sessions, for a total of 90 minutes. The videos were shot from a dog’s perspective (at about waist high to a human) and contained scenes related to dogs’ experiences, including dogs sniffing, playing, eating, or walking on a leash, cars, bikes, or motorcycles going on a road, a cat entering a house, a deer crossing a path, as well as people sitting, hugging, kissing, eating, or offering a rubber bone or ball to the camera. Then, the researchers segmented the video data by time stamps into different classifiers, such as objects (for instance, dog, car, human, cat) or actions (sniffing, playing, eating).



Only two of the dogs that were trained for experiments in the fMRI had the focus and temperament to lie still and watch the three half-hour videos. Two humans also underwent the same experiment while lying in an fMRI. Then, the researchers applied a machine-learning algorithm to the data, which was trained to map the brain-data into object- and action-based classifiers.



The analysis revealed major differences between the functioning of humans’ and dogs’ brains. “We humans are very object oriented,” said study senior author Gregory Berns, a professor of Psychology at Emory. “There are ten times as many nouns as there are verbs in the English language because we have a particular obsession with naming objects. Dogs appear to be less concerned with who or what they are seeing and more concerned with the action itself.”



According to Professor Berns, dogs and humans have major differences in their visual systems too. Although dogs see only in shades of blue and yellow, they have a slightly higher density of vision receptors designed to detect movement. “It makes perfect sense that dogs’ brains are going to be highly attuned to actions first and foremost,” he explained. “Animals have to be very concerned with things happening in their environment to avoid being eaten or to monitor animals they might want to hunt. Action and movement are paramount.”



“While our work is based on just two dogs it offers proof of concept that these methods work on canines,” added study lead author Erin Phillips, who conducted the research in Berns’ Canine Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. “I hope this paper helps pave the way for other researchers to apply these methods on dogs, as well as on other species, so we can get more data and bigger insights into how the minds of different animals work.”



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3791/64442">Journal of Visualized Experiments</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Dogs are more aware of actions than objects

A team of researchers led by Emory University has decoded...

According to a new study presented at the <a href="http://www.eurospe.org/meetings/2022/espe-2022/programme/">60th Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting</a>, exposure to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blue-light-exposure-may-cause-premature-aging/">blue light</a> through regular use of smartphones and tablets may alter hormone levels and increase the risk of early-onset puberty. Although this study has only focused on the effects of blue light exposure on rats, its findings could potentially be applied to humans too, due to the similarities between the time-point of puberty and the hormonal changes occurring during pre-puberty and puberty in both rats and humans.&nbsp;



Scientists have long noticed that the escalating use of blue light emitting devices can reduce sleep quality in both children and adults, by disrupting the functioning of melatonin, a hormone which plays a fundamental role in regulating our circadian rhythms. Since melatonin levels are generally higher during pre-puberty than in puberty, researchers have argued that this hormone could also play a role in delaying the onset of puberty.



To test this potential correlation in the case of rats, the scientists used a cohort of female rats divided into three groups and exposed to either a normal light cycle, or to six hours or 12 hours of blue light. In both groups exposed to blue light, the first signs of puberty occurred significantly earlier, and the longer the duration of exposure, the earlier the onset of puberty. Rats exposed to blue light also had lower melatonin levels and higher levels of specific reproductive hormones – such as oestradiol and luteinising hormone - as well as physical changes in their ovarian tissues, which are all known to be trademarks of puberty onset. Moreover, at the 12 hours exposure, rats showed some signs of inflammation and even cell damage in their ovaries.



“We have found that blue light exposure, sufficient to alter melatonin levels, is also able to alter reproductive hormone levels and cause earlier puberty onset in our rat model. In addition, the longer the exposure, the earlier the onset,” said study lead author Aylin Kilinç Uğurlu, an expert in Pediatric Endocrinology at the <a href="https://gazi.edu.tr/">Gazi University</a> in Turkey. “As this a rat study, we can’t be sure that these findings would be replicated in children but these data suggest that blue light exposure could be considered as a risk factor for earlier puberty onset.”



“Although not conclusive, we would advise that the use of blue light emitting devices should be minimized in pre-pubertal children, especially in the evening when exposure may have the most hormone-altering effects,” she concluded.



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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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Excessive screen time may lead to early puberty

According to a new study presented at the 60th Annual...

Newly <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP11206">published research</a> highlights the dangers of legalized marijuana that many regulators have overlooked in the United States.&nbsp;



“Cannabis regulation is unlike any agricultural commodities, food, or drugs in the U.S. Currently, there are no national-level guidelines based on conventional risk assessment methodologies or knowledge of patients’ susceptibility in medical use of cannabis,” said lead author Max Leung, an assistant professor at <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a>.



Cannabis is now a multibillion dollar industry, but even as the industry grows by leaps and bounds, little attention has been paid to the public health implications. Despite many states legalizing the substance, there are still no federal safety guidelines in place since it remains technically illegal under federal law. “Individual legalized states and D.C. set their own rules with huge discrepancies,” said Leung.&nbsp;&nbsp;



In 36 states and DC, the researchers found 679 contaminants in regulated recreational or medical cannabis products - 551 of which were pesticides.



“What was interesting is that many pesticides in this document were highly unlikely to be utilized in cannabis cultivation and processing,” said Leung.



Some of the contaminants were used for other forms of agriculture, and some were chemicals that are no longer legal for use in agriculture.&nbsp;



“What was also alarming to us is that the U.S. EPA tolerance document and individual jurisdictions also listed a total of 42 legacy pesticides that were no longer registered for any agricultural use in the U.S., such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), chlordane, lindane and parathion," said Leung.



The next thing the researchers wanted to look at is how common these contaminants were. To supply an answer to this question, they looked at the records of testing labs for California, the largest market in the US.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The scientists found that 5.1 percent of samples tested for approval in California failed, with a failure rate of 9.2 percent for extracts. The experts warn that a lack of overall policy may expose consumers and especially vulnerable patients seeking alternative treatments to health risks.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The progression and prognosis of many qualifying conditions may be worsened by exposure to detected contaminants in cannabis,” said Leung. “This study demonstrates an urgent need for a unified regulatory approach to mitigate the public health risk of cannabis contamination at a national level.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP11206">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cannabis contamination is a serious public health risk

Newly published research highlights the dangers of legalized marijuana that...

Teenagers,Student,Wearing,Mouth,Mask,Against,Smog,In,City

The negative effects of breathing polluted air are well known for adults. Inhaling polluted air has been associated with increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/medical-cannabis-increases-risk-of-heart-arrhythmia/">arrhythmias</a>, and the development of atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty deposits inside the arteries. Although there are many chemical components to polluted air, experts are especially concerned about the levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) because it can be drawn deeply into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.



According to new research published in the <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha">Journal of the American Heart Association</a>, polluted air may have a negative effect on the heart health of teenagers as well. The study examined the impact of inhaling fine particulate matter on the heart rhythms of adolescents and found that this form of air pollution may trigger irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) in healthy teenagers.



“While relatively rare, irregular heart rhythms can lead to&nbsp;sudden cardiac death&nbsp;in otherwise healthy adolescents and young adults. Our findings linking air pollution to irregular heart rhythms suggest that particulate matter may contribute to the risk of sudden cardiac death among youth,” said study lead author Dr. Fan He, an instructor at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania.&nbsp;



“Since childhood and adolescent cardiovascular conditions can track into adulthood and affect risk of major cardiovascular disease later in life, identifying modifiable risk factors of cardiac arrhythmia that may cause sudden cardiac death among adolescents should be of great public interest.”



Fine particulates (PM2.5) are tiny particles less than 2.5 microns in size. They derive from the combustion of fuel and from wildfires and, when inhaled deeply, can enter the blood stream. These particles irritate the lungs and blood vessels around the heart and may, over time, increase the risk of disease in the arteries.&nbsp;



The investigators analyzed the impact of breathing PM2.5 pollution on two types of irregular heart rhythms in adolescent participants. Arrhythmia is characterized by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/about-arrhythmia/premature-contractions-pacs-and-pvcs">premature contraction in the heart muscle</a>, often described as a “skipped heart beat,” but this condition can originate in either the top chambers (atria) or bottom chambers (ventricles) of the heart.&nbsp;



In premature atrial contractions (PACs), the abnormal heart beat usually causes no symptoms or harm, although frequent premature atrial contractions have been related to an increased risk of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/atrial-fibrillation">atrial fibrillation</a>&nbsp;– a severe form of arrhythmia in which the top chambers quiver instead of beating effectively, thereby raising the risk of blood clots and strokes. Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are more serious and raise the risk of later heart attacks, strokes, heart failure or sudden cardiac death.



The researchers analyzed health data for 322 adolescents (average age 17 years; 56 percent males; 79 percent non-Hispanic white teens) living in central Pennsylvania who participated in a follow-up evaluation in the Penn State Child Cohort study. That study, conducted between 2002 and 2006, initially recruited children aged between six and twelve years. The data analyzed in this study reviewed results from the follow-up evaluation nearly 7.5 years later (2010-2013).&nbsp;



The children in this group were free of major cardiovascular conditions at the start of the study and were considered at low risk for irregular heart rhythms. In the follow-up study, the researchers simultaneously measured exposure to fine particulate matter in the air each teen breathed (using a device called a nephelometer) for 24 hours, and took EKG tracings of each teen’s heart rhythms via a small wearable device called a Holter monitor.



Data collected during the study showed that the average PM2.5&nbsp;concentration recorded in the air around the participants was approximately 17 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) per day, which is well-below the health-based air quality standard of 35 µg/m3/day&nbsp;established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).&nbsp;



Despite this low level of PM2.5&nbsp;present, almost 80 percent of the participants experienced at least one irregular heart rhythm during the 24-hour study period. Of that group, 40 percent had only premature atrial contractions, 12 percent had only premature ventricular contractions, and 48 percent experienced both.



In addition, although no association was found between the concentration of fine particulate matter and the number of premature atrial contractions, there was a link between premature ventricular contractions and the levels of PM2.5&nbsp;. The researchers found an increase of 5 percent in the number of PVCs for each 10 µg/m3&nbsp;increase in PM2.5. This result was recorded within two hours of exposure to higher levels of particulate matter in the air.&nbsp;



“Our study found that air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and sudden cardiac death, even among healthy adolescents,” said Dr. He. “Protective measures, such as wearing masks and avoiding vigorous physical activities, may be warranted on days that particulate matter concentration is high, especially during early morning rush hours.”



“It is alarming that we were able to observe such a significant impact of air pollution on cardiac arrhythmias when the air quality remained well within the health-based standards established by the EPA. It may suggest that adolescents who live in highly polluted areas such as inner cities are at even higher risk.”&nbsp;



The results were consistent with data previously obtained for adults, using similar methods, although the increase in premature ventricular contractions was even higher in adults. The researchers propose that reducing the risk of irregular heart rhythms in adolescents may reduce their risk of developing heart disease as adults.



“The most effective way to reduce everyone’s exposure to air pollution is by supporting more robust national-level air quality regulations,” said American Heart Association volunteer expert Dr. Robert D. Brook, who has co-authored several American Heart Association scientific statements on air pollution.



“PM2.5&nbsp;levels have fallen dramatically since the 1970s–80s due to regulations that have been unquestionably linked to improved health effects and life expectancy. We outlined, in a recent AHA scientific statement titled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000931?utm_campaign=sciencenews20-21&amp;utm_source=science-news&amp;utm_medium=phd-link&amp;utm_content=phd11-05-20">Personal-Level Protective Actions Against Particulate Matter Air Pollution Exposure</a>,&nbsp;strategies and activity or behavioral changes that may reduce pollution exposure, such as portable air cleaners, facemasks, respirators and exercising during non-peak hours. However, there have been no studies to show these measures can actually prevent adverse clinical health effects such as heart attacks.”



According to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000930?utm_campaign=sciencenews20-21&amp;utm_source=science-news&amp;utm_medium=phd-link&amp;utm_content=phd11-05-20">2020 American Heart Association policy statement</a>, ambient air pollution is widely recognized as a significant contributor to cardiovascular disease and death. In 2017, exposure to particulate air pollution was estimated to be associated with more than 7 million premature deaths and the loss of 147 million healthy life-years globally. The Association recommends further development of evidence-based policy approaches, continued investment in research and greater innovation and transformational partnerships to reduce the cardiovascular burden of ambient air pollutants in the U.S.



“The most interesting and significant aspect of this study is clearly that the results were found in healthy young adolescents,” said Dr. Brook. “The study adds support for the concern that even healthy young people are not immune to adverse cardiovascular responses to PM2.5&nbsp;and at exposure levels within National Ambient Air Quality Standards for 24 hours, established by the EPA. It is plausible that the findings help explain the potential reason for the time of onset of arrhythmias and even sudden death in some susceptible young people.”



Dr. He and colleagues are currently evaluating the impact of air pollution on other markers of cardiac electrical activity.



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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

Irregular heartbeat in teens linked to air pollution

The negative effects of breathing polluted air are well known...

One of the major problems in developing countries – which often leads to widespread hunger and poverty – is unproductive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-developed-surplus-conditions/">agriculture</a>. According to many economists, an explanation of why many farmers in these countries are doing badly is their unwillingness to take economic risks. However, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> has now identified another possible problem: many farmers rely on religion to structure their agricultural and economic decisions.&nbsp;



“The general explanation that poverty is associated with risk aversion - i.e. an unwillingness to use new technology or try out new crops should be re-assessed in relation to structural and contextual factors,” said study lead author Goytom Abraha Kahsay, an assistant professor of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen. “Both our data and other recent studies show that people in developing countries are generally willing to take risks. But now we are able to explain it through religiosity.”



To map Ethiopian farmers’ risk preferences, the scientists designed a lottery experiment in which 819 small-scale, subsistence farmers were asked to choose between economic decisions either with a certain or uncertain outcome in several situations. Before the experiment, the researchers had assessed the religiosity of the individual farmers based on a number of criteria, such as the extent to which they believed that God intervenes in their lives, or how much money they donate to their church or mosque. The analysis revealed that about 26 percent of the farmers believed that God decides everything and intervenes in their success as farmers, and that their willingness to take risks was higher the more religious they were.



“Many of the surveyees choose to take risks because they believe that their success is entirely in the hands of God anyway. Even though the majority of the population do not share this belief, it equates to millions of Ethiopians sharing this conviction,” Professor Kahsay explained.



“Given ours and other studies’ findings suggesting that religiosity affects economic preferences and socio-economics outcomes, the authorities and policy makers may consider working with the Church and other religious institutions, which could probably make a difference in terms of technology adoption, climate adaptation, etc. Most people trust the Church, so any messages conveyed to them in church can probably affect their way of thinking,”&nbsp;he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/agec.12697">Agricultural Economics</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Millions of farmers rely on God to make decisions

One of the major problems in developing countries – which...

The sound of a crying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mothers-can-use-singing-to-engage-with-infants/">infant</a> can be very distressing to parents. They seek to soothe the baby and may resort to numerous ploys in order to restore the baby to a state of peace. None of these methods has been scientifically proven, however, relying rather on trial and error or on the advice of experienced caregivers. In a new study by Japanese researchers, four different soothing methods were tested and the efficacy of each was assessed based on changes in the baby’s heart rate and whether the baby stopped crying.&nbsp;



“Many parents suffer from babies’ nighttime crying,” says corresponding author Kumi Kuroda of the <a href="https://www.riken.jp/en/research/labs/cbs/">RIKEN Center for Brain Science</a> in Japan. “That’s such a big issue, especially for inexperienced parents, that it can lead to parental stress and even to infant maltreatment in a small number of cases,” she says.



The study details how crying babies are physiologically affected by being held, carried, and laid down. The researchers made use of ECG data on heart rate, and hand-held video cameras, to track the physiological and behavioral state of the baby as it was soothed. Mothers were given four methods for calming the baby: hold the crying infant, hold and walk with the infant, place the infant in a cot or crib, and place the infant in a mobile crib or stroller that can be moved back and forth. At each heartbeat, behavior was assessed as asleep, alert, or crying, and scored accordingly. This way the researchers could track changes in both behavior and physiology with sub-second precision.



In previous research, Kuroda and her colleagues found that mother mice pick up their babies (pups) by mouth and carry them when they are distressed. The mouse pups show a specific response, termed the “Transport Response,” when picked up by their mothers. This involves a complex series of parallel biological processes that results in reduced crying and lower heart rates, which helps the parents to transport the infants. Kruoda and the team wondered whether human infants would show similar physiological responses to being carried around, and whether this would have a calming impact when the infant was distressed.



The Transport Response is found in many mammals that have altricial young (born underdeveloped and helpless) that are not able to walk around on their own. Such mammals include dogs, cats and monkeys. We are more familiar with this response when picking up young puppies or kittens by the scruff of the neck. They tend to hang motionless and become more docile, but their bodies do not go entirely limp; they maintain a certain compactness of posture, with legs pulled in slightly, perhaps making it easier for their parents to carry them to a new location.



The researchers compared the responses of 21 human infants to soothing using the four different methods. They found that when the mother walked while carrying the baby, the crying infants calmed down and their heart rates slowed within 30 seconds. In fact, when mothers walked in this way for a period of five minutes, the infants became so calm that around 50 percent of them fell asleep. A similar calming effect occurred when the infants were placed in a rocking cot, but not when the mother held the baby while sitting, or placed the baby in a motionless cot.



As Kuroda explains, “walking for five minutes promoted sleep, but only for crying infants. Surprisingly, this effect was absent when babies were already calm beforehand.” Among the babies studied, all had stopped crying by the end of the five-minute walk and had reduced heart rates. However, sitting and holding a crying baby was not calming; the heart rate tended to increase and crying persisted. Heart rates also increased when walking mothers turned, or when they stopped walking, showing that babies are very sensitive to their mother’s movements.



Unfortunately, the study found that when the mothers tried to put down their sleeping babies after calming them, more than one-third of the infants became alert again within 20 seconds. Analysis of the data showed that all the babies produced physiological responses, including changes in heart rate, the moment they became detached from the mother’s body. However, if the infants were asleep for a longer period before being laid down, they were less likely to awaken during the process, the team found.



“Even as a mother of four, I was very surprised to see the result. I thought whether a baby awoke during a laydown was related to how they’re put on the bed, such as their posture, or the gentleness of the movement,” Kuroda says.&nbsp; “But our experiment did not support these general assumptions. Although we did not predict it, the key parameter for successful laydown of sleeping infants was the latency from sleep onset.” Babies often woke up if they were put down before they got about 8 minutes of sleep.



Based on their findings, the researchers propose a method for soothing and promoting sleep in crying infants. They recommend that parents hold crying infants and walk with them for five minutes, followed by sitting and holding infants for another five to eight minutes before putting them to bed. The protocol, unlike other popular sleep training approaches such as letting infants cry until they fall asleep themselves, aims to provide an immediate solution for infant crying. Whether it can improve infant sleep in the long-term requires further research, Kuroda says.



Although the research involved only mothers and their infants, Kuroda expects the effects are likely to be similar for fathers and any other caregivers. She emphasizes that this study only included a small samples of infants and will need to be repeated with bigger sample sizes in order to verify the results. Additionally, this procedure does not address why some babies cry excessively and cannot sleep, but it does offer an immediate solution that can help parents of newborns.&nbsp;



The researchers recognize the usefulness of heartrate data in this approach to soothing a baby and hope to make it accessible to parents. “We are developing a ‘baby-tech’ wearable device with which parents can see the physiological states of their babies on their smartphones in real-time,” says Kuroda. “Like science-based fitness training, we can do science-based parenting with these advances, and hopefully help babies to sleep and reduce parental stress caused by excessive infant crying.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.08.041">Current Biology</a>.



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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

Scientists find the best way to soothe a crying baby

The sound of a crying infant can be very distressing...

People who work at night and sleep during the day often experience disruption of their circadian rhythm and misalignment between the natural biological clock and their patterns of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleeping-heart-disease-risk/">sleeping</a> and eating. Being awake when the circadian drive for alertness is low, and asleep when it is high leads to sleep disruptions and poor health outcomes in the long term. And yet our society is dependent on night-shift workers in fields such as manufacturing, energy production, transportation, healthcare, law enforcement, and the military, among other essential services.



Shift workers account for up to 20 percent of the workforce in industrial societies and these workers - when assigned night shifts, early morning shifts or rotating shifts - must modify their sleep and eating schedules. This places millions of people in the U.S. alone, in positions of sleep disruption and forced wakefulness. The short- and long-term health consequences of this can be significant and can include the development of metabolic and gastrointestinal problems, cancer and cardiovascular issues. Importantly, shift workers also have a 25 to 40 percent higher risk of experiencing depression and anxiety.



In a new research study, investigators from <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/">Brigham and Women’s Hospital</a>, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, have tested whether the timing of eating meals has an impact on the vulnerability of shift workers to depressed mood levels. They designed a study that simulated the timing of night work and then tested the effects of daytime and nighttime eating on depression-like and anxiety-like mood levels among the participants.&nbsp;



To conduct the investigation, the researchers enrolled 19 participants (12 men and 7 women) for a randomized controlled study. The individuals underwent a Forced Desynchrony protocol in dim light for four 28-hour “days,” such that by the fourth “day” their behavioral cycles were inverted by 12 hours, simulating the conditions of night work and causing circadian misalignment.&nbsp;



The participants were also randomly assigned to one of two meal timing groups: the Daytime and Nighttime Meal Control Group, which had meals according to a 28-hour cycle (resulting in eating meals both during the night and day, which is typical among night-shift workers), and the Daytime-Only Meal Intervention Group, which had meals on a 24-hour cycle (resulting in eating only during the daytime). The team assessed the depression- and anxiety-like mood levels of the participants every hour.



The findings, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2206348119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>, showed that meal timing significantly affected the participants’ mood levels. During the simulated night shift (day 4), those in the Daytime and Nighttime Meal Control Group had increased depression-like mood levels and anxiety-like mood levels, compared to baseline (day 1). By contrast, there were no changes in mood in the Daytime Meal Intervention Group during the simulated night shift. Participants with a greater degree of circadian misalignment experienced more depression- and anxiety-like mood.



“Our findings provide evidence for the timing of food intake as a novel strategy to potentially minimize mood vulnerability in individuals experiencing circadian misalignment, such as people engaged in shift work, experiencing jet lag, or suffering from circadian rhythm disorders,” said study co-author Dr. Frank A. J. L. Scheer.



“Shift workers – as well as individuals experiencing circadian disruption, including jet lag – may benefit from our meal timing intervention,” said study co-author Dr. Sarah L. Chellappa. “Our findings open the door for a novel sleep/circadian behavioral strategy that might also benefit individuals experiencing mental health disorders. Our study adds to a growing body of evidence finding that strategies that optimize sleep and circadian rhythms may help promote mental health.”



Shift workers do not only experience disruption of their sleeping and eating patterns when working at night. Since they commonly need to sleep as soon as they return home from work, they forgo other activities such as exercise, personal care and socializing with others in order to catch up on sleep. This makes it difficult for them to live healthy lifestyles. In addition, they may be tempted to opt for fast meals (fast food) because there are fewer healthy eating options at night, or because shopping for and preparing healthy meals is time-consuming. All these aspects of shift work can have negative outcomes on health, both physical and mental.



“Meal timing is emerging as an important aspect of nutrition that may influence physical health,” said Dr. Chellappa. “But the causal role of the timing of food intake on mental health remains to be tested. Future studies are required to establish if changes in meal timing can help individuals experiencing depressive and anxiety/anxiety-related disorders.”



“Future studies in shift workers and clinical populations are required to firmly establish if changes in meal timing can prevent their increased mood vulnerability," said Dr. Sheer. "Until then, our study brings a new ‘player’ to the table: the timing of food intake matters for our mood.”



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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

Eating meals in the daytime is important for mental health

People who work at night and sleep during the day...

Children are nimble learners, using both observation and experimentation to discover things about the world. They also learn from what other people tell them, particularly if they are authority figures, such as parents and teachers. However, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> and <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>, when children are told something surprising, they seek out additional information by asking questions or testing claims. The older they get, the more skeptical children become toward what other people tell them, and start investigating on their own the truthfulness or falsity of adults’ claims.



“The research shows that as children age, they become more skeptical of what adults tell them,” said study lead author Samantha Cottrell, an expert in Childhood Learning and Development at the University of Toronto. “This explains why older children are more likely to try to verify claims and are more intentional about their exploration of objects.”



The researchers performed two experiments to test these hypotheses. In the first one, they enrolled 109 children and presented them with three unfamiliar objects: a rock, a sponge, and a hacky sack. Then, the participants were randomly assigned into two different groups. Children in one group were told something that confirmed their intuitions (for instance, “the rock is hard”), while those in the other were told something that contradicted their beliefs about the world (“the rock is soft”). 



Afterward, the experiments asked them if they thought the rock was hard or soft. While all children who heard claims aligned with their beliefs continued to make the same judgments as before, those who were told surprising, false claims started asking follow-up questions and exploring the object on their own, regardless of their age.



In a second experiment, children were presented with five vignettes with adults making surprising claims (for instance, “the rock is hard” or “the sponge is harder than the rock”). The participants were then asked what another child should do in response to the claims. 



The results revealed that older children (six- and seven-year-olds) were more likely than the younger ones to suggest an exploratory strategy tailored to the claim they heard (that is, touching the rock in the first example, but touching both the rock and the sponge in the second one). Thus, as children age – even if they are equally likely to engage in exploration of surprising claim as the younger ones - they seem to be more aware of their doubts regarding what adults tell them and, consequently, their exploration becomes more intentional, targeted, and efficient.



“There is still a lot we don’t know,” said Samuel Ronfard, an assistant professor of Child Development at the University of Toronto.&nbsp;“But, what’s clear is that children don’t believe everything they are told. They think about what they’ve been told and if they’re skeptical, they seek out additional information that could confirm or disconfirm it.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13847">Child Development</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Children don’t believe everything they are told

Children are nimble learners, using both observation and experimentation to...

Since the 1990s, we've seen an increase in early onset cancer, defined as cancer diagnosed before the age of 50. This phenomenon has been noticed worldwide.



<a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/">Brigham and Women's Hospital</a> researchers wanted to understand why so many adults are diagnosed with cancers, including colon, esophagus, kidney, and breast cancers, at such an early age. The results are alarming.



The team analyzed global data on 14 types of cancer that had increased in adults under 50 from 2000 to 2012. They combed through studies that looked at possible risk factors and reviewed literature that described the clinical and physical aspects of early-onset <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sunlight-helps-green-sea-turtles-with-tumors-recover/">tumors</a>.&nbsp;



The experts determined that early life exposure to unhealthy lifestyle habits has increased throughout the decades. For example, children get less sleep than they did in previous decades.



"From our data, we observed something called the birth cohort effect. This effect shows that each successive group of people born at a later time (e.g., decade-later) have a higher risk of developing cancer later in life, likely due to risk factors they were exposed to at a young age," noted study co-author Dr. Shuji Ogino.&nbsp;



"We found that this risk is increasing with each generation. For instance, people born in 1960 experienced higher cancer risk before they turn 50 than people born in 1950 and we predict that this risk level will continue to climb in successive generations."



Moreover, the researchers believe our gut microbiome is negatively affected by processed food, sugar, and alcohol consumption.&nbsp;



"Among the 14 cancer types on the rise that we studied, eight were related to the digestive system. The food we eat feeds the microorganisms in our gut," said study lead author Dr. Tomotaka Ugai. "Diet directly affects microbiome composition and eventually these changes can influence disease risk and outcomes."



The experts plan to expand their research with a longitudinal cohort study that includes low- and middle-income nations, which they believe is the best way to achieve accurate results that can better inform future healthcare.&nbsp;



The paper is published in &nbsp;<a href="https://rdcu.be/cU24w">Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology.</a>



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why are more adults under 50 diagnosed with cancer?

Since the 1990s, we've seen an increase in early onset...

A team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.crick.ac.uk/">Francis Crick Institute</a> and the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> has recently identified a mechanism through which very small pollutant particles in the air may trigger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/red-wine-lung-cancer-prevention/">lung cancer</a> in people who have never smoked. Such particles – typically found in vehicle exhaust and smoke from burning fossil fuels – appear to be associated with the risk of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), accounting for over 250,000 deaths globally each year.&nbsp;



“The same particles in the air that derive from the combustion of fossil fuels, exacerbating climate change, are directly impacting human health via an important and previously overlooked cancer-causing mechanism in lung cells,” said study lead author Charles Swanton, the Francis Crick Institute and Cancer Research UK Chief Clinician.&nbsp;



“The risk of lung cancer from air pollution is lower than from smoking, but we have no control over what we all breathe. Globally, more people are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution than to toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke, and these new data link the importance of addressing climate health to improving human health.”



The scientists studied mutations in a gene called EGFR, which are found in approximately half of people with lung cancer who are non-smokers. In a study of over half a million participants from the UK, South Korea, and Taiwan, researchers found that exposure to increasing concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) was associated to an increased risk of NSCLC with EGFR mutations.&nbsp;



Moreover, laboratory studies indicated that these pollutants also cause mutations in another gene linked to lung cancer called KRAS, and drive the influx of macrophages that release the inflammatory mediator interleukin-1β, which causes the expansion of cells with the EGFR mutations in response to exposure to PM2.5.



“We found that driver mutations in EGFR and KRAS genes, commonly found in lung cancers, are actually present in normal lung tissue and are a likely consequence of ageing. In our research, these mutations alone only weakly potentiated cancer in laboratory models,” Dr. Swanton explained.&nbsp;



“However, when lung cells with these mutations were exposed to air pollutants, we saw more cancers and these occurred more quickly than when lung cells with these mutations were not exposed to pollutants, suggesting that air pollution promotes the initiation of lung cancer in cells harboring driver gene mutations. The next step is to discover why some lung cells with mutations become cancerous when exposed to pollutants while others don’t,” he concluded.



These findings – to be published in the journal <a href="https://www.annalsofoncology.org/">Annals of Oncology</a> – will be presented at the <a href="https://www.esmo.org/meetings/esmo-congress-2022">ESMO Congress 2022</a>.&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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Air pollution may trigger lung cancer in non-smokers

A team of scientists led by the Francis Crick Institute...

According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC), over 20 percent of Americans who were infected with the coronavirus developed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-long-covid-cases-started-out-as-mild-infections/">long Covid</a>, defined as experiencing Covid-related symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, or respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, or digestive symptoms for more than a month after the initial infection. Although severe acute infections increase the risk of developing long Covid, many people with milder Covid-19 cases are now struggling with this often debilitating – and little understood – condition.



Now, a new study led by <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> has found that psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, stress, worry, and loneliness, before the initial Covid-19 infection is associated with an increased risk for long Covid.



“We were surprised by how strongly psychological distress before a Covid-19 infection was associated with an increased risk of long Covid,” said study lead author Siwen Wang, a research fellow in Nutrition at the Harvard Chan School. “Distress was more strongly associated with developing long COVID than physical health risk factors such as&nbsp;obesity, asthma, and&nbsp;hypertension.”&nbsp;



Scientists have long known that mental health influences the severity and outcomes of a variety of diseases, including respiratory ones, such as influenza or common cold. To clarify the effects of psychological distress before Covid infections on developing long Covid, the scientists enrolled a cohort of 54,000 participants in April 2020 and assessed their mental health. During the following year, 3,000 of the participants were infected with Sars-Cov-2, and the researchers followed them up to investigate their Covid symptoms and symptom duration.



They discovered that psychological distress before Covid-19 was associated with a 32 to 46 increased risk of long Covid, and a 15 to 51 percent greater risk of struggling with daily life impairments due to this condition.



“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first prospective study to show that a wide range of social and psychological factors are risk factors for long Covid and daily life impairment due to long Covid,”&nbsp;said study senior author Andrea Roberts, an expert in Environmental Health at Harvard.



“We need to consider psychological health in addition to physical health as risk factors of long Covid-19. These results also reinforce the need to increase public awareness of the importance of mental health and to get mental health care for people who need it, including increasing the supply of mental health clinicians and improving access to care,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2796097">JAMA Psychiatry</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Psychological distress increases the risk of long Covid

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),...

Green household consumer products are not always less toxic or more degradable than regular products, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.5435">Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry</a>. In fact, the researchers found that some green products were even more toxic than conventional formulas.



"Although it is generally assumed that green household consumer products (HCPs) contain individual compounds that are less toxic and/or more degradable than conventional HCPs, little research on this topic has been conducted," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



Many companies are creating "green" household products to reduce the environmental impacts associated with their manufacturing and disposal. Some examples of household consumer products (HCPs) that are going green include laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners, and toothpaste.



"On a global scale, household cleaning products alone represented a market size of $221.32 billion in 2020, following an 18.2 percent increase related to demand associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has been estimated that two billion kg are used annually," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Relative to other consumer products, such as pharmaceuticals, HCPs have not received as much attention regarding their potential environmental impacts. Unlike pharmaceuticals, HCPs are typically not ingested by humans and therefore do not undergo enzymatically mediated metabolic alteration."



"As a result, large quantities of household consumer products, especially cleaning products, enter the aquatic environment largely unaltered through the release of wastewater effluent and degraded sewage infrastructures."



The new study revealed that compared with conventional formulations, some formulations of green products are less toxic, some are similar, and some are even more toxic. Tests were conducted both before and after degradation of the products.



"The toxicity of green and conventional HCPs was assessed in six different HCP categories using a series of 48-h acute toxicity tests involving larvae of the estuarine daggerblade grass shrimp, Palaemons pugio, and juveniles of the freshwater cladoceran, Daphnia magna," explained the researchers.



Study co-author Austin Gray is a professor of Biological Sciences at <a href="https://vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a>. He explained that although the study is rooted in aquatic toxicology, it has broader implications in fields related to marketing, consumer behavior, and economics.



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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

"Green" products are not always less toxic

Green household consumer products are not always less toxic or...

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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

[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



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 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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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...