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 new study led by the <a href="https://www.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh</a> has found that people consistently underestimate how much others in their social circles might appreciate an unexpected phone call, email, or text message just to say hello or check up on them. Moreover, the experts discovered that the more surprising the attempt of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-influences-social-connections/">social connection</a>, the greater it will be appreciated.



“People are fundamentally social beings and enjoy connecting with others,” said study lead author Peggy Liu, an associate professor of Marketing and Business Administration at the University of Pittsburgh. “There is much research showing that maintaining social connections is good for our mental and physical health. However, despite the importance and enjoyment of social connection, our research suggests that people significantly underestimate how much others will appreciate being reached out to.”&nbsp;



To explore how accurate people are at estimating how much others might appreciate an attempt to connect, Professor Liu and her colleagues conducted a series of experiments involving 5,900 participants.&nbsp;



In one experiment, half of the people were asked to recall the last time they reached out to someone “just to catch up” after a prolonged period of not interacting with them, while the rest were asked to recall a similar situation when someone reached out to them. Then the participants had to indicate on a seven-point scale how much either they or the person they reached out to appreciated the gesture and felt grateful or pleased.&nbsp;



The experimenters were surprised to find that people who recalled reaching out thought their gesture was significantly less appreciated than those who recalled receiving a communication.



“We found that people receiving the communication placed greater focus than those initiating the communication on the surprise element, and this heightened focus on surprise was associated with higher appreciation,” said Professor Liu. “We also found that people underestimated others’ appreciation to a greater extent when the communication was more surprising, as opposed to part of a regular communication pattern, or the social ties between the two participants were weak.”



Many people have lost touch with others in their lives, particularly in the context of the Covid pandemic. These findings suggest that hesitations to reconnect may be unnecessary since others are likely to appreciate being reached out to more than people may think.&nbsp;



“I sometimes pause before reaching out to people from my pre-pandemic social circle for a variety of reasons. When that happens, I think about these research findings and remind myself that other people may also want to reach out to me and hesitate for the same reasons. I then tell myself that I would appreciate it so much if they reached out to me and that there is no reason to think they would not similarly appreciate my reaching out to them,” Professor Liu concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-pspi0000402.pdf">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.&nbsp;



---



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

Reaching out to your friends means more than you think

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

Juicy,Home,Made,Burger,Served,With,Crispy,Fries.

Being overweight is known to increase the risk of many&nbsp;serious health conditions, including strokes, cancer, diabetes and hypertension. In addition, there is a less well known link between being overweight or obese, and developing brain diseases, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blueberries-may-protect-our-brains-against-dementia/">dementia</a>. Obesity puts severe strain on the cardiovascular system and can damage blood vessels, including those that supply the brain cells.



New research, led by neuroscientists from the <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/">University of South Australia</a>, has established a clear link between mice fed a high-fat diet over 30 weeks, resulting in diabetes, and a subsequent deterioration in their cognitive abilities. UniSA neuroscientist and biochemist&nbsp;<a href="https://people.unisa.edu.au/Larisa.Bobrovskaya">Associate Professor Larisa Bobrovskaya</a>&nbsp;says the research adds to the growing body of evidence linking chronic obesity and diabetes with Alzheimer’s disease, which is predicted to reach 100 million cases by 2050.



“Obesity and diabetes impair the central nervous system, exacerbating psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. We demonstrated this in our study with mice,” explained Professor Bobrovskaya.



In the study, scientists from Australia and China used genetically modified mice that expressed a mutated form of tau protein in their brains. Tau proteins are essential in the normal functioning of the brain, but the accumulation of abnormal tau in the brain cells is associated with cognitive decline and diseases such as Alzheimer’s.&nbsp;



The researchers randomly assigned these mice to a standard diet or a high-fat diet for a period of 30 weeks. They began on the diet at the age of eight weeks and were monitored for various physiological, metabolic and behavioral attributes. Their food intake was measured weekly, body weight and fasting glucose levels were measured fortnightly, and a comprehensive behavioral test battery was performed to assess anxiety, depression and cognitive dysfunction.&nbsp;



Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed on the mice after 30 weeks and, at the conclusion of the dietary experiment, the researchers also investigated the differences in tau proteins in the brains of the mice.&nbsp;



The findings, published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/11011">Metabolic Brain Disease</a>, showed that the genetically modified Alzheimer’s mice on the high-fat diet gained a lot of weight, developed insulin resistance and exhibited abnormal behavior, such anxiety and depression. They also showed significant deterioration in their cognitive abilities. Mice with impaired cognitive function were also more likely to gain excessive weight due to poor metabolism caused by brain changes.



“Obese individuals have about a 55 percent increased risk of developing depression, and diabetes will double that risk,” said Professor Bobrovskaya.



More than 50 million people are thought to be living with Alzheimer’s disease but, despite decades of ground breaking studies and a huge global research effort, there is still no cure for this debilitating disease. What is clear is that being overweight or obese may place an additional burden on brain health and may well exacerbate the disease.&nbsp;



“Our findings underline the importance of addressing the global obesity epidemic. A combination of obesity, age and diabetes is very likely to lead to a decline in cognitive abilities, Alzheimer’s disease and other mental health disorders,” said Professor Bobrovskaya.



---



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

High-fat diet linked to weight gain and cognitive decline

Being overweight is known to increase the risk of many&nbsp;serious...

Scientists have long pondered how the 16 billion neurons of the human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prefrontal-cortex-treating-alcoholism/">cortex</a> integrate or bind the many different types of information they encode into a single coherent experience or memory. A main hypothesis is that such binding involves high-frequency oscillations or “ripples” which promote neural interactions, in a similar way that rhythm operates in music or dance. Now, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California, San Diego</a> has provided the first empirical evidence that such ripples actually occur.&nbsp;



“Think about the experience of petting your cat: its form, location, surroundings, color, feel, movement and sound, plus your own responding emotions and actions. They are all bound together in a coherent whole,” said study senior author Eric Halgren, a professor of Radiology at UC San Diego.



“These different aspects of the experience are encoded in locations distributed across the cortical surface of the brain, and the experience is sub-served by their spatiotemporal firing pattern. The mystery has been how activities in those different locations get connected.”



Previous studies – focused mainly on rodents – have found that ripples in the hippocampus organize the replay of these spatiotemporal patterns during sleep, which is essential for making memories permanent. Now, by analyzing week-long recordings of the brain activity of 18 patients monitored to locate the origin of their epileptic seizures, Professor Hagan and his colleagues discovered that ripples also occur in all areas of the human cortex, both during sleep and wakefulness. The ripples were brief – about one-tenth of a second – and had a consistent narrow frequency close to 90 cycles per second. A typical such ripple event may involve up to 5,000 small modules that are distributed across the cortical surface, and are activated simultaneously.



“Remarkably, the ripples co-occurred and synchronized across all lobes and between both hemispheres, even at long distances,” said study lead author Charles Dickey, a doctoral student in Neurophysiology at UC San Diego. “Cortical neurons increased firing during ripples, at the ripple rhythm, potentially supporting interaction between distant locations.”



“There were more co-occurrences preceding successful memory recall. All of which suggests that distributed, cortical co-ripples promote the integration of different elements that may comprise a particular experiential memory.”



The scientists observed that cortical ripples were often coupled with hippocampal ripples and embedded in slower oscillations (one to 12 cycles per second). These slower ripples are controlled by the thalamus, a central structure that modulate neuronal firing and is crucial for memory consolidation.&nbsp;



“As our experience is organized hierarchically in time, so too are the rhythms that organize our cortical activities that create that experience,” Professor Halgren explained.



These findings could have major implications in better understanding psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, which is characterized by a high degree of mental fragmentation.&nbsp;



“Our findings and those of others indicate that a particular type of inhibitory interneuron is crucial for the generation of ripples, and these cells are known to be selectively affected by schizophrenia, as are high frequency oscillations. Perhaps we are a little closer to finding a mechanism for one aspect of this tragic disease,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2107797119">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;

Brain ripples help us fully recall an experience

Scientists have long pondered how the 16 billion neurons of...

The term “fake news” has made its way into mainstream vocabulary. Though misinformation has always existed, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/goldilocks-amount-of-social-media-time-may-protect-teens/">social media</a> has played a major role in how information can be communicated and manipulated.&nbsp;The ways in which we respond is determined by our brains.&nbsp;



Dr. Andrea Grignolio from National Research Council (CNR, Italy), Dr. Ciara Greene from University College Dublin, and Dr. Maria Antonietta De Luca from the University of Cagliari will discuss the role that neuroscience can play in helping us better understand fake news on July 11, 2022 at the <a href="https://www.fens.org/">Federation of European Neuroscience Societies</a> (FENS) 2022 Forum.



The event aims to support further understanding of fake news development. The forum will also explore the behaviors associated with fake news and the brain areas and neurotransmitters associated with those behaviors.



Studies have shown that unexpected information may be processed differently than information that we have already become familiar with. Fake news often involves attention-grabbing or shocking propositions that make it appealing and help it to spread quickly.&nbsp;



When we encounter novelty, a link is made to motivation since dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with anticipation and reward, increases.&nbsp;



The panel of experts at the event will consider recently published papers and peer review work to unpack the creation and spread of fake news. The following polarized events will be considered:



<ul><li>Ireland’s abortion referendum</li><li>Brexit</li><li>The Covid-19 pandemic</li></ul>



By looking at these divisive political issues, researchers were able to identify some interesting insights:



<ul><li>People are most susceptible to forming false memories for fake news that aligns with their beliefs, particularly if they have low cognitive ability</li><li>Individuals with better knowledge about a given subject matter showed better discrimination between true and false stories</li><li>Warnings about possible misinformation did not have any significant effect</li></ul>



While fake news can be focused on political topics, it is also used to manipulate subjects such as vaccines, GMOs, climate change, renewable energies and so-called alternative therapies for severe health issues. It is critical to understand this phenomenon and the detrimental effects that fake news can have on our individual beliefs, attitudes as well as societies at large.



The FENS Forum features a scientific programme covering all aspects of neuroscience, from basic to translational research. Over the course of five days, attendees will have unprecedented access to a range of symposia, technical workshops, plenary and special lectures like these as well as poster sessions and more.



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

Why are some people fascinated by fake news?

The term “fake news” has made its way into mainstream...

For centuries, people have been using mindfulness <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/daily-meditation-works-wonders/">meditation</a> to help them relieve pain. However, only recently did neuroscientists manage to test if and how this works. By measuring the effects of meditation on brain activity and pain perception, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California, San Diego</a> has found that meditation interrupts the communication between brain areas mediating the sensation of pain and those that produce a sense of self.&nbsp;



Thus, while pain signals still move from the body to the brain during meditation, individuals feel less ownership over these pain sensations, so their pain and suffering are significantly reduced.



“One of the central tenets of mindfulness is the principle that you are not your experiences,” said study senior author Fadel Zeidan, an associate professor of Anesthesiology at UC San Diego. “You train yourself to experience thoughts and sensations without attaching your ego or sense of self to them, and we’re now finally seeing how this plays out in the brain during the experience of acute pain.”



Professor Zeidan and his colleagues enrolled 40 participants who had their brains scanned while painful heat was applied to their legs, and had to rate their average pain levels during the experiment. Afterwards, they were split into two groups: some had to complete four separate 20-minutes mindfulness training sessions, while the rest spent their four sessions listening to an audiobook.&nbsp;



On the final day of the experiment, all participants had their brain activity measured again, but participants in the mindfulness group were instructed to meditate while the painful stimulus was applied to their leg. Participants who actively meditated reported a 32 percent reduction in pain intensity and 33 percent decrease in pain unpleasantness.



“We were really excited to confirm that you don’t have to be an expert meditator to experience these analgesic effects,” said Professor Zeidan. “This is a really important finding for the millions of people looking for a fast-acting and non-pharmacological treatment for pain.”



The brain scans revealed that mindfulness-induced pain relief was associated with reduced association between the thalamus, an area of the brain relaying incoming sensory information to the rest of the brain, and some regions of the default mode network, a collection of brain areas responsible for self-awareness. The more these brain areas were decoupled or deactivated, the less pain the participants reported.



Thus, mindfulness meditation may provide a free and innovative method for pain treatment, and could be fruitfully integrated into standard outpatient procedures.&nbsp;



“We feel like we are on the verge of discovering a novel non-opioid-based pain mechanism in which the default mode network plays a critical role in producing analgesia. We are excited to continue exploring the neurobiology of mindfulness and its clinical potential across various disorders,” Professor Zeidan concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.lww.com/pain/Abstract/9900/Disentangling_self_from_pain__mindfulness.127.aspx">Pain</a>.



---



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;

Mindfulness meditation can reduce pain

For centuries, people have been using mindfulness meditation to help...

Most people all over the world consume too much salt in their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/avocados-improve-diet-quality-and-lower-cholesterol-levels/">diets</a>, leading to high blood pressure and other health problems. If individuals cut back their salt intake to the amount recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) – less than five grams per day – an estimated 2.5 million deaths could be prevented each year.&nbsp;



Now, a research team from <a href="https://www.meiji.ac.jp/cip/english/">Meiji University</a> in Japan and <a href="https://www.kirin.co.jp/">Kirin</a> - a Japanese food and beverage company – has discovered a novel way to enhance the saltiness (and even potentially the savoriness) of low-sodium food, through the electrical stimulation of the tongue with a chopstick-shaped utensil. These findings can lead to healthier ways for people to enjoy the full flavor of salty foods, while still adhering to low-sodium diets.



Previous research has shown that stimulating the tongue with a weak electrical current can affect the charged ions that make up sodium chloride to either inhibit or enhance saltiness. However, the current study is the first to investigate the extent to which people following a low-sodium diet can use electric taste stimulation to cut back on their salt intake.



“Many people consume around twice the salt intake standard recommended by the WHO,” said lead author Yoshinobu Kaji, a Master’s student in the Graduate School of Advanced Mathematical Sciences at Meiji University. “This standard cannot be met with a little effort in salt reduction, and a drastic solution is essential. This study is an important approach because it suggests that a 30 percent reduction in salt can be achieved by electrical stimulation.”



Together with his colleagues, Kaji designed an electrical stimulation waveform with an amplitude and frequency that were optimized to enhance the saltiness of low-sodium foods, and enrolled a group of 31 participants to test it. Each person tasted and rated the saltiness of various saltwater gel samples which had two different levels of sodium. The results suggest that electric stimulation enhanced the saltiness of the low-sodium sample, making it comparable to the control sample, which was about 40 percent saltier. Thus, such electrified utensils could reduce salt intake by 30 percent without sacrificing the experience of saltiness.&nbsp;



Moreover, in a second experiment, the participants had to consume a low-salt miso soup. Many of them found the soup not only saltier but also tastier, suggesting that electric stimulation may also improve umami - an alleged fifth sense described as savoriness in Japanese culture.&nbsp;



Further research is needed to assess this new technology’s possible applications in other fields, such as taste simulation in virtual environments. “In the future, for example, it may be possible to virtually reproduce the taste of food and drink, or to realize taste expressions that are difficult to achieve with conventional eating experiences,” Kaji&nbsp;concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2022.879784">Frontiers in Virtual Reality</a>.&nbsp;



---



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

Zapping our tongues could help reduce salt intake

Most people all over the world consume too much salt...

Oil,Painting,On,Canvas,,Street,View,Of,Paris.,Artwork.,Eiffel

Scientists have long argued that viewing art while visiting museums and galleries can have a strong impact on people’s mood, stress levels, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/helping-others-improves-health-and-well-being/">well-being</a>. But does the same phenomenon happen when viewing art in digital spaces? A new study led by the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> has found that engaging with art online has indeed similar positive effects. According to the experts, a short three-minute visit to an online art or cultural exhibition can have highly positive effects on subjective well-being.



When the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020 and lockdowns were imposed all over the world, arts and cultural institutions shifted from their physical venues to the internet. For the first time in history, digital art galleries and online museums became widespread and the focus of public attention. “Virtual tours emerged, encouraging people to “visit the museum from their couches” and, for the first time, engaging with art and culture online was on the minds of a broad audience,” explained the study authors.



While over the past decade, researchers have conducted a variety of studies demonstrating that art has a positive impact on health and well-being, it was unclear whether these effects can also emerge from engaging with online art. In this new study, scientists asked a group of participants to visit several art exhibitions via smartphones, tablets, and computers, and measured their psychological states and well-being in order to determine to what extent viewing art on the internet might be beneficial.



The results suggest that even very brief viewings of online art can have significant effects, improving participants’ moods and subjective well-being, and reducing feelings of anxiety and loneliness. The more meaningful or beautiful people found the art to be, the more positive feelings they had while viewing it. These effects are comparable to other interventions, including nature experiences or visits to physical art galleries.&nbsp;



These findings highlight the importance of art on health and well-being and opens directions for future research and applications in spaces such as hospitals, waiting rooms, or rural areas where access to art is limited. “Online cultural engagement, including but not limited to fine art, does seem to be a viable tool to support individuals’ mood, anxiety, loneliness, and well-being, especially when such content is beautiful, meaningful, and inspires positive cognitive-emotional states in the viewer,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.782033">Frontiers in Psychology</a>.



---



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;

Art boosts well-being, even when it's viewed online

Scientists have long argued that viewing art while visiting museums...

Pet owners worldwide are significantly happier than people who do not have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/small-pets-have-a-high-risk-of-heatstroke/">pets</a>, according to a new global study led by London-based pet insurance company <a href="https://www.petplan.co.uk/">Petplan</a>. By using Microsoft Azure’s <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/cognitive-services/face/">Artificial Intelligence facial recognition tool</a> (Face API) to analyze over 250,000 pet owner selfies posted on Instagram and Google Images, the experts estimated that pet ownership increases overall happiness by more than 22 percent globally.



The scientists examined photos from dog, cat, and rabbit owners in every OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) country, and used the Face API tool to detect levels of emotions in clear photos with faces, scoring each emotion on a scale from 0 to 100. The analysis revealed that the average happiness score among pet owners was 59.3, compared to 36.8 in people without pets.



Although owning a pet seems to bring people more happiness regardless of where they live, the researchers found that the happiest pet owners live in New Zealand (with an average happiness score of 88.4), followed by Brazil (83.8), and Hungary (81.6). Moreover, in Belgium, the average pet owner was found to be 172.8 percent happier than the average person, followed by Canada (158 percent), and China (150 percent). In the United States, pet owners had an average happiness score of 70.7, and they were 87.3 percent happier than the average person.



In terms of specific pets, Brazil is home to the happiest dog owners (average score of 94.2), while New Zealand’s residents get the biggest boost from cats (89.4), and people in Netherlands from rabbits (78.7). Surprisingly, rabbit owners all over the world publish the highest number of positive social media posts about their pet companions (71.4 percent), followed by dog owners (67.9 percent), and cat owners (64.7 percent).



According to the researchers, pet ownership significantly improves people’s well-being. Pet owners are often fitter and healthier, particularly dog owners who take their companions for regular walks. Moreover, pet owners have better mental health, more organized daily routines, and have a greater chance of picking up new hobbies.



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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;

Pet owners are happier than people who don't have pets

Pet owners worldwide are significantly happier than people who do...

Plants are essential for human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/screen-time-little-impact-wellbeing/">well-being</a>. Plants feed us, supply us with shelter, and in many cases, keep us warm and provide light. It should be no surprise that humans are inherently drawn to these essential beings. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> set out to delve deeper into this relationship by looking at the potential benefits of gardening.



"Past studies have shown that gardening can help improve the mental health of people who have existing medical conditions or challenges," said Professor Charles Guy, the primary investigator for the research. "Our study shows that healthy people can also experience a boost in mental well-being through gardening.”&nbsp;



The study participants were 32 physically and mentally healthy women between 26 and 49 years of age. Half the women gardened twice a week, while the other half participated in art-making sessions twice a week.&nbsp;



Professor Guy explained this approach: "Both gardening and art activities involve learning, planning, creativity and physical movement, and they are both used therapeutically in medical settings. This makes them more comparable, scientifically speaking, than, for example, gardening and bowling or gardening and reading."



To access mental health, the women were asked to complete surveys that measured anxiety, depression, stress, and mood. As time passed, those who gardened had slightly less anxiety than those who made art.



The sample size is notably small, but the researchers hope the findings will inspire further studies with more participants.&nbsp;



“Larger-scale studies may reveal more about how gardening is correlated with changes in mental health," said Guy. "We believe this research shows promise for mental wellbeing, plants in healthcare and in public health. It would be great to see other researchers use our work as a basis for those kinds of studies.”



Ultimately, it seems that gardening is one way to improve mental health. The researchers said that whatever the deeper reasons might be, many of the study participants left the experiment with a newly discovered passion.



“At the end of the experiment, many of the participants were saying not just how much they enjoyed the sessions but also how they planned to keep gardening,’” said Professor Guy.



This study is published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0269248">PLoS ONE</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

Gardening can improve your mental health

Plants are essential for human well-being. Plants feed us, supply...

The word "hangry"’ is one of the most recent additions to the Oxford English Dictionary. It is defined as being irritable or bad tempered as a result of feeling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-is-wiping-out-large-bodied-fish-in-the-amazon/">hungry</a>, and has come into popular use in everyday language in the past few years. Despite this, the phenomenon has not been explored scientifically outside of laboratory conditions.



A new study published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> is the first to investigate how hunger affects people’s emotions in their daily lives. The research, led by academics from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> (ARU) in the UK and the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Austria, involved 64 adult participants from central Europe who recorded their feelings and levels of hunger on a smartphone app, five times a day for 21 days. This meant that data collection took place in the participants’ homes and workplaces and reflected the link between hunger and emotional wellbeing in a natural environment.



“Many of us are aware that being hungry can influence our emotions, but surprisingly little scientific research has focused on being ‘hangry.' Ours is the first study to examine being ‘hangry’ outside of a lab. By following people in their day-to-day lives, we found that hunger was related to levels of anger, irritability, and pleasure," explained study lead author Professor <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/people/viren-swami">Viren Swami</a>.



The results of the research show that people who are hungry are more likely to feel angry and irritable, and also to experience less pleasure from their daily lives. The effects of hunger were substantial, even after the researchers took into account demographic factors such as age and sex, body mass index, dietary behavior and individual personality traits.&nbsp;



Being hungry explained 37 percent of the variance in irritability, 34 percent of the variance in anger and 38 percent of the variance in pleasure recorded by the participants. The research also found that the negative emotions – irritability, anger, and unpleasantness – are related to both day-to-day fluctuations in hunger, and to residual levels of hunger, measured using averages over the three-week period.



“Although our study doesn’t present ways to mitigate negative hunger-induced emotions, research suggests that being able to label an emotion can help people to regulate it, such as by recognizing that we feel angry simply because we are hungry,” explained Swami. “Therefore, greater awareness of being ‘hangry’ could reduce the likelihood that hunger results in negative emotions and behaviors in individuals.”



The field work for the study was carried out by Stefan Stieger, Professor of Psychology at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences. Professor Stieger said: “This ‘hangry’ effect hasn’t been analyzed in detail, so we chose a field-based approach where participants were invited to respond to prompts to complete brief surveys on an app. They were sent these prompts five times a day at semi-random occasions over a three-week period.”



“This allowed us to generate intensive longitudinal data in a manner not possible with traditional laboratory-based research,” he added. “Although this approach requires a great deal of effort – not only for participants but also for researchers in designing such studies – the results provide a high degree of generalizability compared to laboratory studies, giving us a much more complete picture of how people experience the emotional outcomes of hunger in their everyday lives.”



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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

People become "hangry" when their blood sugar is low

The word "hangry"’ is one of the most recent additions...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.weizmann.ac.il/pages/">Weizmann Institute of Science</a>, experts have discovered that body odor may contribute to social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-baboons-live-longer-when-they-have-female-friends/">bonding</a>. The results suggest that people are more likely to develop friendships with individuals who have a similar body scent.



For the investigation, the researchers used a device known as an electronic nose, or eNose, to "smell" study participants. The experts were able to predict the quality of social interactions between complete strangers based on nothing but their body scent.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, the findings suggest that our sense of smell plays a much larger role in human social interactions than what was realized.



“These results imply that, as the saying goes, there is chemistry in social chemistry,” said study lead author Inbal Ravreby, a graduate student in Professor Noam Sobel’s laboratory in the Weizmann Brain Sciences Department.



“This is not to say that we act like goats or shrews – humans likely rely on other, far more dominant cues in their social decision-making," said Professor Sobel. "Nevertheless, our study’s results do suggest that our nose plays a bigger role than previously thought in our choice of friends.”



Ravreby theorized that humans use their sense of smell in social settings just like dogs and other mammals, but do so more covertly. Her theory was based on two previous observations. First, there is evidence that humans are constantly (subconsciously) sniffing themselves. In addition, humans often sniff other people (also subconsciously).&nbsp;



Ravreby proposed that people may be making subliminal comparisons, and that they may gravitate toward people who smell similar to themselves. To investigate, the experts recruited pairs of click friends. These are pairs of same-sex nonromantic friends whose friendships had originally formed very rapidly. Experiments revealed that click friends smelled significantly more like each other compared to individuals who were paired randomly.



"We hypothesized that if body odor similarity plays a role in friendship formation, then this should be particularly pronounced in click friendships, where a sense of friendship was formed before extensive biographical information was exchanged," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



In a separate trial, the researchers used an electronic nose to “smell” a number of volunteers who were complete strangers. The participants were then asked to pair up and engage in nonverbal social interactions. An analysis of the data revealed that individuals who had more positive interactions smelled more similar to each other.



"We conclude in reiterating that several studies converged to suggest that human same-sex nonromantic click friends smell more similar to each other than expected by chance and that complete strangers who smell more similar to each other as determined by an eNose have better dyadic interactions," wrote the study authors. "Thus, there is indeed chemistry in social chemistry."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



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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

Do we bond more with people that smell like us?

In a new study from the Weizmann Institute of Science,...

Paloch,,South,Sudan,-,March,2,,2014:,A,South,Sudanese

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ingenio.upv.es/en">INGENIO Institute</a> in Spain has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-threatens-the-health-of-billions-of-people/">climate change</a> – in combination with the socio-economic characteristics of various regions - influences the likelihood and duration of armed conflicts in Africa. Moreover, the experts discovered that a prolonged increase in temperature and precipitation rises the probability of conflict even beyond the affected areas by four to five times, particularly in populations up to a radius of approximately 550 kilometers.



The researchers used a negative binomial regression mathematical method on data from the African continent from 1990 to 2016 to investigate the relation between climate change and the probability of armed conflicts. Although the results revealed that changes in climatic conditions have significantly influenced the probability of such conflicts over large spatial ranges, the scientists identified certain differences between the impact of various climate phenomena.&nbsp;



For instance, while food shortages due to droughts were found to increase the possibility of conflict, especially if water shortages persist for at least three years, excess rainfall and flooding can also trigger conflict, but in a very short period of time and a less diffuse spatial range.&nbsp;



“The results we have obtained have far-reaching implications for territorial policies on the African continent,” said study co-author Davide Consoli, an expert in the Economics of Innovation at the INGENIO Institute. “For example, changes in climatic conditions influence the likelihood of conflict over large areas, which means that the design of climate adaptation policies must consider the particularities of each territory.”



Moreover, in areas most prone to armed conflict, the persistence of violence requires the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies in combination with peacekeeping measures.&nbsp;



“These measures are essential in the design and implementation of adaptive strategies for climate resilience. In fact, poorly designed adaptation interventions can exacerbate existing inequalities and increase the risk of conflict,” Consoli concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40888-022-00271-x#Sec11">Economia Politica</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;

Climate change increases the risk of armed conflict

A new study led by the INGENIO Institute in Spain...

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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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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