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...

Although it is known that parents control the dietary choices of their children during early childhood, the increasing independence experienced during adolescence brings with it more freedom when it comes to food choices. This time of life also brings enormous physical and emotional changes in a young person, which is often associated with an increase in comfort eating, or eating as a means to relieve stress.&nbsp;



A recent study, published in the <a href="http://www.jneb.org/">Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior</a>, investigates how various feeding practices used by parents influence the emotional eating behavior of vulnerable adolescents. The researchers explored the association between intentional parental feeding practices, such as monitoring an adolescent’s caloric intake or restricting access to certain foods, and the adolescent’s emotional eating. In addition, the role of the parent’s own eating behavior was investigated.&nbsp;



“Emotional eating was previously found to be more learned than inherited. This study examined not only the interaction between parents when feeding their children, but also what children learned from watching their parents eat,” said study lead author Joanna Klosowska, an expert in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at Ghent University.



The initial study was conducted in 2017 with 218 families. Additionally, longitudinal data collected in 2013 were also available. One parent from each family completed the Child Feeding Questionnaire, as well as the Child Feeding Practices Questionnaire, and both adolescent and parent completed the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Emotion regulation was assessed with the Dutch version of the child-reported FEEL-KJ questionnaire. The adolescent's body weight and height were measured by researchers.



Over the four years between 2013 −2017, covering the years from late childhood to mid-teens, adolescents reported a considerable increase in emotional eating, from below the average in 2013 to above the average in 2017, according to the norms for the Dutch population. Emotional eating is characterized by reaching for food in times of stress or discomfort, as a way of regulating one’s emotions, easing one’s emotional distress and finding comfort. Using food in this way during adolescence can lead to life-long problems with weight control.



During the same time period, adolescents who battled to regulate their own emotions were more likely to show emotional eating patterns. Emotional regulation is the process whereby a person regulates the emotions they have, how they experience them and how they express them. Resorting to emotional eating, or “eating one’s stress away” can be seen as a maladaptive way of regulating one’s emotions during adolescence.&nbsp;



The study found that when parents use food as a reward, or restrict and monitor an adolescent’s access to food, this is associated with an increased tendency by the adolescent to use emotional eating as a coping strategy. On the other hand, involving a child in meal preparations had the opposite effect – it was associated with higher levels of emotional regulation and lower levels of emotional eating in the adolescent participants.



Additionally, the researchers found a negative link between the extent to which parents restrained their own eating behavior and the use of emotional eating by their adolescent children. This means that the more a parent limited his or her own consumption of food for the purpose of health or dietary goals, the less the adolescent child resorted to emotional eating as a means of regulating his or her own emotions.&nbsp;



According to Klosowska, restrictive parenting was most damaging, whereas restrained eating by the parent seemed to be the most beneficial. Clearly, the different feeding practices used by parents can influence adolescent eating behavior, particularly in instances of increased vulnerability to maladaptive approaches to emotional regulation.&nbsp;



“This study suggests that parents continue to play an important role in their child's eating behavior into their teen years,” said Klosowska. “Additional research is needed to understand the [way in which] restrained eating demonstrated by a parent impacts the emotional eating of a child.”



The full article is available at: <a href="https://www.jneb.org/article/S1499-4046(22)00371-2/fulltext">https://www.jneb.org/article/S1499-4046(22)00371-2/fulltext</a>.&nbsp;



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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

Emotional eating by teens is influenced by their parents

Although it is known that parents control the dietary choices...

A new comprehensive study on sleep disorders in older adults has been conducted by researchers at <a href="https://www.concordia.ca/">Concordia University</a>. The team has found that middle-aged and older adults who suffer from insomnia symptoms are more likely to develop <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/digital-devices-can-actually-improve-our-memory-skills/">memory</a> loss disorders, such as dementia.



By using data from the <a href="https://www.clsa-elcv.ca/">Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging</a>, the experts were able to collect information from over 26,000 adults between the ages of 45 and 85.&nbsp;



To conduct the analysis, the researchers compared self-reported evaluations from an initial report in 2019 and a follow-up evaluation in 2022. They found that individuals with declining sleep quality in the three years between evaluations were more likely to report memory decline.&nbsp;



“We found that insomnia specifically was related to worse memory performance compared to those who have some insomnia symptoms alone or no sleep problems at all. This deficit in memory was specific, as we also looked at other cognitive function domains such as attention span multi-tasking.[sic] We only found differences in memory," said study co-lead author Nathan Cross, a postdoctoral fellow at the Sleep, Cognition and Neuroimaging Lab.



According to the analysis, individuals with worsening insomnia had more psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, due to their insomnia. They were also more likely to have a higher BMI and smoke.&nbsp;



The researchers discovered that women with insomnia perform better than men with the disease, which puts men at a greater risk of developing memory decline.&nbsp;



Despite the grim findings, the authors are optimistic about the results of their study. According to Cross, the good news is that sleep disorders like insomnia can be treated.&nbsp;



“This highlights the importance of properly diagnosing and managing insomnia as early as possible in older adults. Adequately treating insomnia disorder might become an important preventive measure for cognitive decline and mitigate the incidence of dementia in later life," said Cross.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/advance-article/doi/10.1093/sleep/zsac176/6649765?guestAccessKey=be5fbfeb-51c4-4760-b838-33a967348324">SLEEP</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

Insomnia may lead to memory loss in adults

A new comprehensive study on sleep disorders in older adults...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> has evaluated the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-production-environmental-impact/">environmental impacts</a> of over 57,000 food products that people consume on a daily basis. While many previous studies have assessed the environmental impact of food commodities such as fruits, wheat, or beef, most food products contain a variety of different ingredients that all have an impact on the environment during processes of production, harvesting, transporting, and processing. Better understanding the environmental footprint of each of these processes and ingredients could enable the transition to a more sustainable food system, while also improving people’s health.



“The goal is to have a simpler, and more rigorous quantitative way to inform consumers about the tens of thousands of different items they might buy in a grocery store,”&nbsp;said study co-author David Tilman, an ecologist at the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California, Santa Barbara</a>.



The analysis revealed that beef and lamb take the greatest toll on the environment, with impacts far superseding those of other products on the higher end of the environmental impact scale, such as chicken, fish and seafood, or nuts. By contrast, plant-based grocery foods like rice or flat-breads, as well as processed drinks such as sodas or energy drinks were rated at the lowest impact level among the food products that were assessed.



According to the scientists, diets that include healthy, less processed foods also tend to be healthier for the environment. Thus, plant-based foods are on the healthier end of the scale for both humans and the environment, while highly-processed grains or dairy products verge towards the less-healthy end.



“The healthiest diets that we know of are variants on the classical Mediterranean diet, which has many servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and whole grains,” Dr. Tilman explained. “Whole grain has the advantage of having fiber, which helps slow the rate at which starch becomes sugars.” Other healthy, nutritious, and environmentally-friendly diets include vegetarian and pescatarian diets.



Further research is needed to refine the scientists’ assessment, since there is a lot of variability in the proportion and type of ingredients in similar foods, which can lead to differences in health and environmental impacts. However, if more comprehensive information about the impacts of food products on both human health and the environment becomes more widely available, consumers will be able to make better, more informed choices for their diets.



“I hope this information ends up on packages. And I hope because it’s on packages that companies that make different foods will willingly tell us the exact ingredients and amounts in their foods, so we can give the most rigorous, honest evaluation of their product,” Dr. Tilman concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2120584119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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

Food products need environmental impact labels

A new study led by the University of Oxford has...

Children,With,Rucksacks,Riding,On,Bikes,In,The,Park,Near

According to data from the <a href="https://nhts.ornl.gov/">National Household Travel Survey</a>, about 11 percent of American <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/good-news-for-active-children-moving-helps-them-learn/">children</a> walk or bike to and from school. Now, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> (ASU) and <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> has found that young children who do this are more likely to continue such heathy habits as they age. Thus, if children are taught early to actively commute, they will often keep doing so later in their educational career.



“The walk to school is a wonderful moment in the day that provides children a glimpse of living an active lifestyle,” said study co-author David Tulloch, a professor of Landscape Architecture at Rutgers. “When people start walking early, it can have a lasting impact on their health.”



To clarify whether active commuting persists over time, the scientists surveyed parents and caregivers from 587 households about the school travel habits of their children on two different occasions two to four years apart, between 2009 and 2017, in four predominantly low-income cities in New Jersey (Camden, New Brunswick, Newark and Trenton).



The analysis revealed that over three quarters of children who engaged in active commuting at the beginning of the study continued to do so two to four years later, while those who did not perform such activities early on were less likely to start later.&nbsp;



“Most kids don’t achieve the 60 minutes per day of physical activity that they’re recommended to get,” said study lead author Robin DeWeese, an assistant professor of Health Solutions at ASU. “Active commuting to school is one way to get more of that activity.” To promote such activities, “schools and communities [should] encourage active commuting during early grades as that may yield benefits even for students in higher grades.”



The scientists found that active commuting varied according to demographic features and perceptions of the safety of the neighborhood. Children with at least one parent born outside the U.S. were less likely to actively commute, while children of parents who perceived their neighborhood safe from crime were over 2.5 times more likely to engage in active commuting.



However, the greatest barrier to active commuting appeared to be the distance between home and school, which often increases as children age, because middle and high schools are larger and less prominent than elementary schools. Thus, the likelihood of active commuting tends to decrease in high school.



According to the researchers, smarter urban design, infrastructure improvements, remote drop-offs, or “walking school buses” (groups of students chaperoned by volunteer parents) could encourage children to actively commute from a young age.



“One of the most visited tourist sites in New York City is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thehighline.org/">High Line</a>, a green walkable space with no cars. We should be doing this type of planning everywhere – especially in school zones,” Tulloch concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101718">Preventive Medicine Reports</a>.



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

Children who actively commute are likely to make it a habit

According to data from the National Household Travel Survey, about...

The air in UK public schools doesn't meet the safety standards issued by the World Health Organization. Air pollution has serious consequences, especially for developing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-on-playgrounds-help-protect-children-from-air-pollution/">children</a> who spend 30 percent of their day in polluted schools. According to a new paper published in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231022003685?via%3Dihub">Atmospheric Environment</a>, there are straightforward ways to remedy the situation.&nbsp;



The health impacts of air pollution include behavioral problems; increased risk of cancer; and respiratory, lung, and brain diseases.



"Everybody, especially our children, deserves to live and work where the air is as clean and safe as possible," said study co-author Prashant Kumar. "Unfortunately, the reality is far from ideal, with many of our schools unwittingly exposing children to harmful pollutants. The problem is particularly bad at schools near busy roads."



Scientists with the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/">University of Surrey</a> Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) explored three ways to reduce indoor air pollution in schools. They tested installing a green screen along the school's perimeter and putting air purifiers in classrooms. The team also implemented a "school streets" initiative, which prevents cars from driving past schools at drop-off and pick-up times.&nbsp;



The researchers found that all of these methods improved air quality. Air purifiers lead to a 57 percent decrease in indoor air pollution, and the school streets initiative reduced pollutants by 36 percent. In addition, green screens reduced outdoor contaminants by up to 44 percent.



"Our partnership with Arup, Global Action Plan and the University of Surrey has shown there are practical ways that we can protect children in and around schools and can help guide schools to implement these solutions," said Kate Langford with the Health Effects of Air pollution program at <a href="https://urbanhealth.org.uk/">Impact on Urban Health</a>.



"These measures now need to be combined with efforts from local authorities at regional and national levels to improve air quality and create healthier places for children to live, learn and play."&nbsp;



"My simple plea to decision-makers in the UK is this: simple actions speak louder than words," said Kumar. "By giving every school resources to implement one of the measures detailed in our research, they could make a world of difference to tens of thousands of children in this country."&nbsp;



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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

Simple actions can reduce air pollution in schools

The air in UK public schools doesn't meet the safety...

COVID-19 has affected people in almost all countries and territories in the world. Some of these are low-resource countries where free <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/do-wind-instruments-spread-covid-19/">COVID</a> testing is not available, nor is the testing of waste water to give warning of imminent waves of the disease. In these countries, an affordable, accessible, non-invasive method of identifying those who have COVID-19 would help to manage and control the spread of the disease more effectively.&nbsp;



This is what led scientists from the Maastricht University in the Netherlands to design a mobile phone app that identifies COVID-19 sufferers from the sound of their voices. One of the main symptoms of this disease is inflammation in the upper respiratory tract and vocal cords, which usually leads to changes in the patient’s voice. The scientists wondered whether these symptoms could be used as an accurate method of diagnosis, and set about collecting data from the voices of ill and well people.



Their results were presented recently at the European Respiratory Society International Congress in Barcelona, Spain.&nbsp;



Ms. Wafaa Aljbawi from the Institute of Data Science at Maastricht University, and her supervisors - Dr Sami Simons, pulmonologist at Maastricht University Medical Centre, and Dr Visara Urovi, also from the Institute of Data Science - used data from the University of Cambridge’s crowd-sourcing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.covid-19-sounds.org/en/">COVID-19 Sounds App</a>&nbsp;that contains 893 audio samples from 4,352 participants, 308 of whom had tested positive for COVID-19. They then analyzed the voice sounds using a technique called Mel-spectrogram analysis, which identifies different voice features such as loudness, power and variation over time.&nbsp;



“In this way we can decompose the many properties of the participants’ voices,” said Ms. Aljbawi. “In order to distinguish the voice of COVID-19 patients from those who did not have the disease, we built different artificial intelligence models and evaluated which one worked best at classifying the COVID-19 cases.”&nbsp;



The experts found that one model, called Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM), out-performed the other models. LSTM is based on neural networks, which mimic the way the human brain operates and recognizes the underlying relationships in data. It works with sequences, which makes it suitable for modelling signals collected over time, such as from the voice, because of its ability to store data in its memory.&nbsp;



At the congress of the <a href="https://www.ersnet.org/">European Respiratory Society</a>, Ms. Aljbawi reported that the AI model they had decided to use was accurate in identifying positive cases of COVID-19 in 89 percent of cases, whereas the accuracy of lateral flow tests varied widely depending on the brand of test kit used. Also, lateral flow tests were considerably less accurate at detecting COVID infection in people who showed no symptoms.



“These promising results suggest that simple voice recordings and fine-tuned AI algorithms can potentially achieve high precision in determining which patients have COVID-19 infection,” she said. “Such tests can be provided at no cost and are simple to interpret. Moreover, they enable remote, virtual testing and have a turnaround time of less than a minute. They could be used, for example, at the entry points for large gatherings, enabling rapid screening of the population.”



The app is installed on a user’s mobile phone and then, to make use of it, the user first reports some basic information about demographics, medical history and smoking status, and records some respiratory sounds. These include coughing three times, breathing deeply through the mouth three to five times, and reading a short sentence on the screen three times.&nbsp;



The app’s overall accuracy was 89 percent, the same as its ability to detect positive cases correctly (the true positive rate or ‘sensitivity’). Its ability to identify negative cases correctly (the true negative rate or ‘specificity’) was 83 percent.



In contrast, lateral flow tests have a sensitivity of 56 percent, but a higher specificity rate of 99.5 percent. This would mean that the tests misclassify infected people as COVID-19 negative more often than the scientists’ AI model.&nbsp;



“These results show a significant improvement in the accuracy of diagnosing COVID-19 compared to state-of-the-art tests such as the lateral flow test,” said Ms. Aljbawi. “The lateral flow test has a sensitivity of only 56 percent, but a higher specificity rate of 99.5 percent. This is important as it signifies that the lateral flow test is misclassifying infected people as COVID-19 negative more often than our test. In other words, with the AI LSTM model, we could miss 11 out 100 cases who would go on to spread the infection, while the lateral flow test would miss 44 out of 100 cases."



“The high specificity of the lateral flow test means that only one in 100 people would be wrongly told they were COVID-19 positive when, in fact, they were not infected, while the LSTM test would wrongly diagnose 17 in 100 non-infected people as positive. However, since this test is virtually free, it is possible to invite people for PCR tests if the LSTM tests show they are positive,” added Ms. Aljbawi.



The researchers say that their results need to be validated with larger numbers of participants. Since the start of this project, 53,449 audio samples from 36,116 participants have now been collected and can be used to improve and validate the accuracy of the model. They are also carrying out further analysis to understand which parameters in the voice are influencing the AI model.



The researchers conclude that deep-learning can indeed detect subtle changes in the voice of COVID-19 patients. This method of diagnosis is free, readily available contactless and non-invasive, and can be used, in conjunction with other testing methods, to diagnose COVID-19 cases rapidly and accurately.



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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

Smartphone app can detect COVID-19 infection in your voice

COVID-19 has affected people in almost all countries and territories...

A research team led by <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> has developed a new metric called “sleep age” which they hope could help clinicians predict emerging health issues and even mortality. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-reduces-sleep-quality-elevates-disease-risk/">Sleep</a> age is a projected age which correlates to an individual health based on their chronological age and quality of sleep. 



According to the experts, people with older sleep ages compared to their actual age are at an increased risk of mortality, and often suffer from various diseases, including sleep apnea, neurodegeneration, obesity, and chronic pain. However, how poor sleep causes, exacerbates, or results from such health conditions remains unclear.



By analyzing the sleeping patterns of over 12,000 individuals and feeding the data into a machine learning algorithm, the scientists manage to develop a system that could reliably assign one’s sleep age and identify the variations in sleep more closely related to illness and mortality. They discovered that sleep fragmentation – waking up multiple times throughout the night for less than a minute without remembering it – was the strongest predictor of mortality. However, how this contributes to mortality is not yet clear.



Moreover, the researchers stressed that a person’s sleep age is not necessarily deterministic. “There is enormous variation. Even if you have an older sleep age&nbsp;than your chronological age, it doesn’t mean that your mortality risk is going to be higher. You see people chain smoking and drinking alcohol at 90 years old and you wonder, “How is this person surviving so long?” There is always huge natural variation,” explained study senior author Emmanuel Mignot, an expert in Sleep Medicine at Stanford.



According to Professor Mignot, going to bed and waking up at regular hours is key to improving sleep. In addition, “getting solid light exposure - preferably with outside light - during the day, keeping the sleep environment dark at night, exercising regularly but not too close to bedtime, not drinking alcohol and caffeine around bedtime, and avoiding heavy nighttime meals all contribute to healthy sleep. And, of course, make sure any sleep disorder is treated.”



In further research, the scientists aim to extend their cohort and refine their algorithms in order to use this newly developed metric to predict more accurately the future occurrence of illnesses such as heart disease, strokes, or Alzheimer’s. “Can you imagine if we could use sleep studies to predict a person's heart attack risk and then use that information to start early interventions? That would be a big deal,” Professor Mignot concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-022-00630-9">npj Digital Medicine</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;

“Sleep age” could predict health and lifespan

A research team led by Stanford University has developed a...

Interest in climate, or eco-anxiety – characterized as the chronic fear of environmental doom emerging from observing the impacts of climate change – has increased over the past years, and is particularly prevalent among young people. A recent study led by the&nbsp;<a href="https://cast.ac.uk/">Center for Climate Change and Social Transformations</a> at the University of Bath has now found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pandemic-stress-is-compounded-by-climate-anxiety/">climate anxiety</a> might be an important trigger for climate action, by helping eco-anxious people adapt their high-carbon lifestyles to become more environmentally friendly.&nbsp;



The scientists investigated the views of 1,338 UK adults over two time points, in 2020 and 2022, to assess the prevalence of eco-anxiety, identify the factors that predict it, and find out whether it could lead to behavioral changes and climate action. Although over three-quarters of the UK populations claim to be worried about climate change, the analysis revealed that only 4.6 percent reported experiencing climate anxiety in 2022 (a small increase from four percent in 2020). Younger individuals and those with higher generalized anxiety were more likely to experience eco-anxiety.



According to the scientists, this phenomenon should not be seen as a purely negative one. Instead, for many people it could be a motivating force for taking actions to reduce greenhouse emissions, such as saving energy, buying second-hand, borrowing, renting, or repurposing various items.



Interestingly, the researchers discovered that media exposure - for instance, TV images of raging storms and other extreme weather events - seemed to have a stronger influence on climate anxiety than direct, personal experience of climate impacts.



“With increasing media coverage of climate impacts, such as droughts and fires in the UK and devastating flooding in Pakistan, climate anxiety may well increase,” said study lead author Lorraine Whitmarsh, an environmental psychologist at the University of Bath. “Our findings suggest this can spur some people to take action to help tackle the issue – but we also know there are barriers to behavior change that need to be addressed through more government action.”



The experts highlight the importance of media as a motivating force for the lifestyle changes that are needed to mitigate climate change. “Our results suggest that the media could play an important role in creating positive pro-environmental behavior change, but only if they carefully communicate the reality of climate change without inducing a sense of hopelessness,” concluded co-author Lois Player, a graduate student in Psychology at Bath.&nbsp;



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101866">Journal of Environmental Psychology</a>. &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;

Climate anxiety can lead to climate action

Interest in climate, or eco-anxiety – characterized as the chronic...

A widespread stereotype of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-use-is-up-by-20-percent-in-states-where-its-legal/">cannabis</a> users – possibly emerging from a variety of movies and TV series - is that they are generally lazy, apathetic, and largely unable to enjoy life. However, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> and <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King’s College London</a> has found that adult and adolescent users are no more likely than non-users to lack motivation or experience pleasure, suggesting that there is no scientific basis for the stereotype often portrayed in the media.



The scientists recruited 274 adult and adolescent who had used cannabis at least weekly over the past three months (with an average of four times per week) and compared them with a cohort of non-users of the same age and gender to test whether users show higher levels of apathy (loss of motivation) and anhedonia (loss of interest in or pleasure from rewards). While users scored slightly lower on anhedonia, there was no difference when it came to apathy.



“We were surprised to see that there was really very little difference between cannabis users and non-users when it came to lack of motivation or lack of enjoyment, even among those who used cannabis every day. This is contrary to the stereotypical portrayal we see on TV and in movies,” said study lead author Martine Skumlien, a doctoral student in Psychiatry at Cambridge.



Although adolescents tended to score higher than adults on anhedonia and apathy in both cannabis user and non-user groups, cannabis did not seem to significantly augment this this difference.&nbsp;



“There’s been a lot of concern that cannabis use in adolescence might lead to worse outcomes than cannabis use during adulthood. But our study, one of the first to directly compare adolescents and adults who use cannabis, suggests that adolescents are no more vulnerable than adults to the harmful effects of cannabis on motivation, the experience of pleasure, or the brain’s response to reward,” explained study co-author Will Lawn, an expert in addiction at King’s College.



“In fact, it seems cannabis may have no link – or at most only weak associations – with these outcomes in general. However, we need studies that look for these associations over a long period of time to confirm these findings.”



This confirms the results of a previous <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-022-01316-2">study</a> that used functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI) to assess cannabis’ impact on the brain’s reward processing centers, and found no relationship between activity in this brain region and cannabis use.



“We’re so used to seeing ‘lazy stoners’ on our screens that we don’t stop to ask whether they’re an accurate representation of cannabis users. Our work implies that this is in itself a lazy stereotype, and that people who use cannabis are no more likely to lack motivation or be lazier than people who don’t. Unfair assumptions can be stigmatizing and could get in the way of messages around harm reduction. We need to be honest and frank about what are and are not the harmful consequences of drug use,” Dr. Skumlien concluded.



The study is published in the International Journal of <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyac056">Neuropsychopharmacology</a>.&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;

Cannabis users do not lack motivation or enjoyment

A widespread stereotype of cannabis users – possibly emerging from...

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/">George Washington University</a> (GW) has recently investigated how the human brain processes objects in its visual system, and found that object <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-have-superior-acoustic-perception-but-still-fly-into-walls/">perception</a> strongly depends on people’s prior knowledge and experience of the specific objects. These findings could have important implications in a variety of applied settings, including medical displays, cognitive assistants, and product and environmental design.



“Since the way we perceive objects determines how we interact with them, it is important to visually process them quickly and with high detail,” explained study senior author&nbsp;Sarah Shomstein, a professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at GW. “However, the way our eyes perceive and process an object can be different depending on what we know about this object. Our study shows, for the first time, that if we recognize an object as a tool, we perceive it faster but with less detail. If we recognize an object as a non-tool, we perceive it slower but with higher detail.”



The scientists showed participants images of objects which can be easily manipulated by hand, such as coffee mugs, screwdrivers, or snow shovels, as well as of objects that are rarely manipulated by hand, like a potted plant, a fire hydrant, or a picture frame. For half of the experiment a small gap could be cut out at the bottom of each object, while for the other half, the object would flicker on the computer screen. The participants were asked to report the presence of the gap or flicker, in order for the researchers to assess the speed and detail of object processing, and to identify the brain regions responsible for object perception.



The results revealed that objects usually manipulated by hand are perceived faster than non-manipulable objects, making it easier for participants to notice the flicker, while objects that are usually not manipulated by hand are perceived with greater detail, making it easier to spot the small gaps in them.



“The differences in perception between ‘mugs’ and ‘plants’ in both speed and detail of perception means that these objects are sorted by the visual system for processing in different brain regions,” said study lead author Dick Dubbelde, a recent doctoral graduate at GW. “In other words, your knowledge of the object’s purpose actually determines where in the brain object processing will occur and how well you will perceive it.”



Moreover, if researchers interfered with object recognition by making it harder to realize if the object is manipulable or not – for instance, by turning it upside-down – the differences in the speed and detail of perception vanish.



These findings – published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09567976221097497">Psychological Science</a> - could explain individual differences in object perception, by showing that previous knowledge and experience structures perception.&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;

Past experiences can literally change how we see things

A team of researchers from George Washington University (GW) has...

A new study from <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">Kings College London</a> confirms that spending time by rivers and canals can enhance your sense of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nurturing-benefits-of-nature-are-crucial-for-human-well-being/">well-being</a>. The experts have found that the combination of blue space and green space is more effective in making people feel happy and healthy than green space alone.&nbsp;



In partnership with the Canal &amp; River Trust, the researchers used data from a smartphone-based app called Urban Mind. The team analyzed thousands of entries about the participants’ location and mental well-being.



The results showed that visits to canals and rivers boosted mental well-being and feelings of safety and social inclusion.



According to Professor Andrea Mechelli, canals and rivers contain not only water but also an abundance of trees and plants, which means their capacity to improve mental well-being is likely to be due to the multiple benefits associated with both green and blue spaces.&nbsp;



"Canals and rivers also provide homes to a range of wildlife, and we know from other research that there is a positive association between encountering wildlife and mental well-being," said Professor Mechelli.



"Taken collectively, these findings provide an evidence base for what we thought about water and well-being and support the proposal that visits to canals and rivers could become part of social prescribing schemes, playing a role in supporting mental health.”



The participants reported that they experienced improvements in their mental well-being for up to 24 hours after their visits.&nbsp;



“Once the arteries of the Industrial Revolution, canals are today playing an equally important role in society as green corridors that bring nature into cities, improving community wellbeing and tackling health inequalities, as well as supporting jobs and local economies," said Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal &amp; River Trust.



“The powerful mix of blue, green and wildlife-rich space shows that although built for industry, repurposed canals are actually amongst our most important places of health and wellbeing in our towns and cities."



“With the 250-year-old canal network vulnerable to climate change, keeping them safe and attractive places requires significant ongoing expenditure and – to retain these benefits – it is vital that the necessary funding to maintain their condition is secured.”



“As a GP and nature lover, it’s great to see that scientific studies have confirmed what many of us intuitively knew already: that spending time by water, and canals in particular, is good for your well-being," said Dr. Amir Khan, Canal &amp; River Trust Ambassador.



“An astonishing nine million people live within 1km of a canal and whether you’re looking for a free alternative to the gym, a car-free commute to work or the shops, or perhaps just somewhere to hang out with family or friends, I really do urge everyone to find their #HappyPlaceByWater this summer.”



The study was partially funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.



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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

Visits to canals make people feel healthy and happy

A new study from Kings College London confirms that spending...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dementia-will-affect-most-dogs-if-they-live-long-enough/">Dementia</a> is a devastating disease that robs individuals of their connections with others. Researchers at <a href="https://www.nm.org/">Northwestern Medicine</a> wanted to explore a unique way that music could help alleviate the isolation that comes with the disease.&nbsp;



The study, recently published in <a href="https://journals.lww.com/alzheimerjournal/Fulltext/9900/Musical_Bridges_to_Memory__A_Pilot_Dyadic_Music.25.aspx">Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders</a>, looked specifically at how music could help bridge communication between patients and their caregivers. The research is unique because previous studies were focused solely on the patient, but the current study also considered the caregiver.&nbsp;



The experts wanted to determine whether playing music from the patients' youth while interacting (singing, dancing, and playing instruments) with their caregivers could illicit an emotional connection. Music is an ideal medium because the parts of the brain responsible for musical memory are some of the last affected by Alzheimer's or dementia.&nbsp;



Study lead author <a href="https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=25516">Dr. Borna Bonakdarpour</a> explains the results: "Patients were able to connect with partners through music, a connection that was not available to them verbally. The family and friends of people with dementia also are affected by it. It's painful for them when they can't connect with a loved one. When language is no longer possible, music gives them a bridge to each other."



Beyond improving the patients' social engagement, the study revealed that participants and caregivers were less agitated and reported less anxiety and depression when connecting through music.



To carry out the study, the researchers observed two groups of individuals over three months. One group participated in interactive music therapy, and the other did not. Group discussions were held after each therapy session, and the researchers noticed that members of the group who participated in the music therapy made more eye contact and were less distracted than the control group.&nbsp;



In fact, some therapy patients were barely verbal before the intervention and became conversational during the course of therapy. The researchers noted that the control group did not display the same changes. The positive effects were observed outside of therapy and with family members as well.



"As the program progressed, caregivers invited multiple family members," said study co-author Jeffrey Wolfe. "It became a normalizing experience for the whole family. All could relate to their loved one despite their degree of dementia."&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to the experts, their next step is to repeat the study with a larger sample size. The research is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.lww.com/alzheimerjournal/pages/default.aspx">Alzheimer Disease &amp; Associated Disorders</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

Music helps dementia patients connect with caregivers

Dementia is a devastating disease that robs individuals of their...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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