Since 1990, childhood obesity has significantly increased on all continents, nearly doubling in prevalence. Although the United States currently has the highest prevalence, many other nations are not very far behind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-childhood-obesity-worldwide-nbsp">Childhood obesity worldwide&nbsp;</h2>



For instance, in Southern European countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, 10 to 15 percent of children are obese, and, although Eastern European countries have for the moment slightly lower rates, they are experiencing a rapid surge which may soon match Southern Europe.&nbsp;



At a global level, Asia has almost half of all overweight children under five, while Africa has one-quarter of such children. Finally, in Latin America, nearly 20% of children under 20 are overweight.&nbsp;



And sadly, a great number of developing countries currently face not only the challenge of&nbsp; overweight/obesity in their children, but also malnutrition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-epidemic-levels-of-childhood-obesity-nbsp">Epidemic levels of childhood obesity&nbsp;</h2>



This obesity epidemic leads to a variety of health issues, including childhood <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-blood-pressure-drug-called-rilmenidine-dramatically-slows-aging-in-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hypertension</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-blood-pressure-drug-called-rilmenidine-dramatically-slows-aging-in-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">type 2 diabetes</a>.&nbsp;



Recently, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.fau.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Atlantic University</a> (FAU) has discussed these challenges and provided possible solutions in a commentary published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10995-024-04001-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Maternal and Child Health Journal</a>.



Study lead author Charles H. Hennekens is a professor of medicine and preventive medicine at FAU.&nbsp;



“Pediatric overweight and obesity have reached epidemic levels in the U.S. and are becoming a pandemic globally. These conditions lead to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and lipid disorders, which contribute to metabolic syndrome,” said Hennekens.



“In adults, these issues significantly increase the risks of heart attacks, stroke, liver disease, obstructive sleep apnea, arthritis and certain cancers - many of which are now occurring at younger ages.”



Hennekens noted that through coordinated clinical and public health efforts, we can address these troubling trends and work toward a healthier future for children and families globally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-misconceptions-about-childhood-obesity-nbsp">Misconceptions about childhood obesity&nbsp;</h2>



In the United States, a preschooler is considered overweight if their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weight-and-bmi-do-not-accurately-reflect-a-persons-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">body mass index</a> (BMI) surpasses the 85th percentile.&nbsp;



Previous research has shown that such children are at a significantly higher risk of being overweight in their adolescence than those with a BMI at the 50th percentile. This highlights the current misconception that children can simply “outgrow” overweight problems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boosting-daily-activity-among-children-nbsp">Boosting daily activity among children&nbsp;</h2>



According to the experts, health care providers and public health practitioners face great challenges in their attempts to boost daily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/any-type-of-physical-activity-can-help-protect-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">physical activity</a> among children, which could significantly increase metabolic rates, lower BMI, and reduce risks of coronary heart disease later in life.



“With declining physical education in schools and excessive time spent on electronic devices, many children fail to meet recommended activity guidelines,” said co-author Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, the chair of FAU’s Department of Population Health and Social Medicine.&nbsp;



“This sedentary behavior contributes to overweight and obesity through poor diet, reduced sleep, and decreased physical activity. Encouraging organized, enjoyable activities rather than competitive ones can help children achieve necessary physical activity levels.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contributing-factors-to-childhood-obesity-nbsp">Contributing factors to childhood obesity&nbsp;</h2>



However, the scientists warn that while increasing the amount of physical activity among children is necessary, it is far from sufficient to have a large impact on the rates of childhood overweight and obesity. 



This is due to the fact that other major contributors are the increase of foods containing high quantities of sugars, together with the consumption of ultra-processed foods.



“Nearly 70 percent of the average U.S.-based child’s diet is made up of ultra-processed foods,” Hennekens said. “Moreover, consumption of ultra-processed foods among children under 24 months is rising worldwide, triggering not only the potential of developing obesity but also decreased immunological protection.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-ultra-processed-foods-nbsp">The role of ultra-processed foods&nbsp;</h2>



Although further research is needed to clarify which components of ultra-processed foods lead to weight gain in children, it is already clear that a diet high in such foods is connected to increasing rates of overweight and obesity.



“Evidence suggests that enhancing school lunch nutritional standards could help reduce obesity, particularly among low-income children,” Kitsantas said.&nbsp;



“We recommend adopting school food policies that remove ultra-processed foods from menus and promote healthier alternatives, alongside educational programs on healthy eating, despite the challenges posed by external influences on children.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-measures-nbsp">Public health measures&nbsp;</h2>



Some of these challenges include the use of social media and advertising, which affects children’s food choices and behaviors such as sharing unhealthy food posts.



“Despite recommendations from the World Health Organization and public health authorities to restrict food marketing aimed at children, few countries have implemented such measures,” Hennekens explained.&nbsp;



“The effectiveness of existing regulations in today’s media landscape is uncertain, creating an opportunity for health providers and public health practitioners to educate families about the impact of this advertising.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-managing-the-public-health-crisis">Managing the public health crisis </h2>



The scientists argue that tackling the rising pediatric obesity epidemic requires a multidimensional approach. In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed World Health Organization’s guidelines, while releasing their own recommendations for managing this public health crisis.&nbsp;



The guidelines suggest that healthcare providers and public health professionals address the social determinants of health, utilize motivational interviewing to encourage changes in nutrition and physical activity habits, and consider options like pharmacotherapy or surgery to achieve individualized patient objectives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reversing-the-troubling-trends">Reversing the troubling trends</h2>



Yet, the study authors argue that although there are approved drug therapies available, maternal and child health care providers should employ therapeutic lifestyle changes before prescribing pharmaceutical interventions.



“While the ultimate goal is prevention of pediatric overweight and obesity as well as metabolic syndrome, to paraphrase Voltaire, we should not ‘let the perfect be the enemy of the good,’” Hennekens said.



“Health care and public health professionals must collaborate across disciplines to address these issues with patients, families, communities and policymakers. United efforts can help reverse these troubling trends and ensure a healthier future for children worldwide,” Kitsantas concluded.



-----



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Childhood obesity rates are surging worldwide

Since 1990, childhood obesity has significantly increased on all continents, nearly doubling in prevalence. Although the United States currently has the highest prevalence, many other nations are not very far behind. Childhood obesity worldwide&nbsp; For instance, in Southern European countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, 10 to 15 percent of children are obese, and, although Eastern European countries have for the moment slightly lower rates, they are experiencing a rapid surge which may soon match Southern Europe.&nbsp; At a global level, Asia has almost half of...

The results of a national survey from <a href="https://www.uofmhealth.org/">Michigan Medicine</a> show that about half of parents clash with grandparents over parenting choices and rules. The research suggests that disagreements over discipline, meals, and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/americans-half-day-screen/">screen time</a> are commonly disputed.

The C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll found that one in seven parents limits a child's visitation with certain grandparents, and discipline was the most frequently reported source of tension. 

"Grandparents play a special role in children's lives and can be an important resource for parents through support, advice and babysitting. But they may have different ideas about the best way to raise the child and that can cause tension," said Mott Poll co-director Sarah Clark.

"If grandparents contradict or interfere with parenting choices, it can have a serious strain on the relationship."

The survey collected more than 2,000 responses from parents on issues ranging from manners to social media. 

While 40 percent of parents said that a grandparent was too easy on a child, 14 percent reported that a grandparent was too tough.

Meanwhile, nearly half of parents said that disagreements arise from grandmother or grandfather being both too lenient and overly harsh.

"Parents may feel that their parental authority is undermined when grandparents are too lenient in allowing children to do things that are against family rules, or when grandparents are too strict in forbidding children to do things that parents have okayed," said Clark.

She added that some disagreements may stem from intergenerational differences. For example, older adults may insist on doing things the way they used to be done, such as not using a booster seat.

Many survey respondents reported that they have tried to get grandparents to be more respectful of their parenting choices. As a result, about half of grandmothers or grandfathers made a noticeable change in their behavior, while 17 percent outright objected.

"Whether grandparents cooperated with a request or not was strongly linked to parents' description of disagreements as major or minor," said Clark. "The bigger the conflict, the less likely grandparents were to budge."

"Parents who reported major disagreements with grandparents were also likely to feel that the conflicts had a negative impact on the relationship between the child and the grandparent."

"These findings indicate that grandparents should strive to understand and comply with parent requests to be more consistent with parenting choices - not only to support parents in the difficult job of raising children, but to avoid escalating the conflict to the point that they risk losing special time with grandchildren."

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Parents and grandparents often clash over raising children

The results of a national survey from Michigan Medicine show...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fasting-diets-are-effective-for-weight-loss/">Weight loss</a> between young and middle adulthood greatly reduces the risk of premature death, according to research from the <a href="https://www.bu.edu/sph/">Boston University School of Public Health</a> (BUSPH). 

"The present study provides important new evidence on the benefit of maintaining a healthy weight across the life course," said lead author Dr. Wubin Xie.

According to the results, individuals who dropped from the obese range in young adulthood to the overweight range in midlife cut their risk of premature death by more than half compared to people who remained in the obese category.

By contrast, weight loss after midlife did not seem to reduce an individual's risk of early death. The team estimated that up to 12.4 percent of early deaths in the United States are attributable to having a higher body mass index BMI at any point during the transition from young to middle adulthood.

"The results indicate an important opportunity to improve population health through primary and secondary prevention of obesity, particularly at younger ages," said study co-author Dr. Andrew Stokes.

The investigation was focused on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was conducted between 1998 and 2015 and involved 24,205 adults. 

After accounting for other risk factors such as smoking, the experts determined that study participants whose BMIs went from the "obese" range at age 25 down to the "overweight" range in midlife were 54 percent less likely to die by the end of the study period compared to participants whose BMIs stayed in the "obese" range. 

According to the researchers, 3.2 percent of deaths in the study would have been avoided if all of the individuals who started in the obese range had brought their weight down to the overweight category. Instead, the experts found that very few of the subjects managed to do this and that weight loss was rare overall.

"Although this study focused on preventing premature deaths, maintaining a healthy weight will also reduce the burden of many chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer," said study co-author Dr. JoAnn Manson.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Losing weight before middle adulthood can save your life

Weight loss between young and middle adulthood greatly reduces the...

Sensory overload can cause us to overeat when our <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brains-shift-understand-language/">attention</a> is focused on other things, such as the television, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.sussex.ac.uk/">University of Sussex</a>. The researchers found that eating while doing something that is perceptually-demanding makes it more difficult to notice when you feel full.

The experts explained that when your senses are engaged elsewhere, you are less likely to be able to adjust how much extra food or drink you consume. They referred to this behavior as "inattentive eating."

"Our study suggests that if you're eating or drinking while your attention is distracted by a highly engaging task, you're less likely to be able to tell how full you feel," said study co-author Professor Martin Yeomans."You're more likely to keep snacking than if you'd been eating while doing something less engaging." 

"This is important for anyone wanting to stay a healthy weight: if you're a habitual TV-watching snacker - watching, say, an engaging thriller or mystery, or a film with a lot of audio or visual effects - you're not likely to notice when you feel full. Video-gamers and crossword solvers should also take note!"

The study involved 120 participants, who were assigned tasks that required either a high or a low level of attention. They were also given drinks with either high or low calories. Next, while still engaged their tasks, the participants were given a snack to eat. 

The researchers discovered that participants who were busy with a perceptually-demanding task ate roughly the same amount of crisps regardless of whether or not they were initially given a high or low calorie drink. 

By contrast, the individuals who were engaged in a task that was less demanding adjusted the amount of snacks they consumed. In this group, participants ate nearly half as many crisps after the high energy drink compared to the low energy drink.

Previous studies have shown that when perceptual demand is high, and the senses are fully engaged, the brain filters out some sensory information. The current study is the first to demonstrate that nutrient cues associated with becoming full can be filtered out in this manner.

"We already knew that feeling full could be affected by the texture and appearance of food, as well as pre-existing expectations about how full we think a type of food should make us feel," said Professor Yeomans. "Now we also know that feeling full depends on how much sensory information our brains are processing at the time."

The findings provide the very first evidence that Load Theory of attention, or the idea that a person can only handle a limited amount of sensory information at any given time, can be applied to eating habits. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/appetite">Appetite</a>

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Why eating gets out of hand in front of the TV

Sensory overload can cause us to overeat when our attention...

In new study from <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford Medicine</a>, researchers have found evidence that plant-based meat alternatives are better for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/heat-related-cardiovascular-hospitalizations-are-on-the-rise/">cardiovascular</a> health. The experts report that swapping out red meat for plant-based alternatives can improve cardiovascular risk factors. 

While a patty made of plants should obviously be healthier than a hamburger, many of the new meat alternatives are processed foods that contain high levels of saturated fat and added sodium. All of these factors have been shown to contribute to cardiovascular disease risk, noted study senior author Dr. Christopher Gardner.

"There's been this sort of backlash against these new meat alternatives. The question is, if you're adding sodium and coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat, and using processed ingredients, is the product still actually healthy?" 

To investigate, Dr. Gardner and his team assigned 36 participants to two different diets. One diet included at least two daily servings of meat and the other included at least two daily servings of plant-based meat. After eight weeks, the volunteers switched to the other diet.

The researchers measured the levels of the molecule trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in the body. This particular molecule has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. 

The study revealed that TMAO levels were lower when study participants were eating plant-based meat.

Red meat contains two precursors to TMAO, carnitine and choline, so it is possible that individuals who regularly eat beef, pork or lamb will simply have higher levels of TMAO.

"At this point we cannot be sure that TMAO is a causal risk factor or just an association,"said Dr. Gardner. However, he said there is good reason to pay attention to TMAO levels. Recent studies have shown that high levels of TMAO are consistent with increased inflammation and blood clotting, among other health concerns.

According to Dr. Gardner, one particular study found that people with elevated TMAO had a 60 percent higher risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular events.

In the current study, participants who ate the red-meat diet during the first eight weeks had an increase in TMAO that was not observed among individuals who ate the plant-based diet first. 

In addition, something unexpected happened when the volunteers switched diets. Those who transitioned from meat to plant had a decrease in TMAO levels, which came as no surprise. However, individuals who switched from plant to meat did not see an increase in TMAO.

"It was pretty shocking; we had hypothesized that it wouldn't matter what order the diets were in," said Dr. Gardner. 

The experts determined that there are bacterial species responsible for triggering the development of TMAO in the gut. These bacterial species are thought to flourish in people who eat a lot of red meat, but may be less abundant or absent in vegetations.

"So for the participants who had the plant-based diet first, during which they ate no meat, we basically made them vegetarians, and in so doing, may have inadvertently blunted their ability to make TMAO," explained Dr. Gardner. This indicates that a similar approach could be used as a strategy to lower cardiovascular disease risk.

Beyond TMAO, plant-based meats were also linked to less weight and lower levels of bad cholesterol, regardless of which diet the participants ate first.

"The modest weight loss observed when participants substituted the plant-based meats in place of the red meats is an unexpected finding, since this was not a weight-loss study," said study lead author Dr. Anthony Crimarco. "I think this indicates the importance of diet quality. Not all highly processed foods are created equal."

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Plant-based meats are better for heart health

In new study from Stanford Medicine, researchers have found evidence...

The worst case scenario should be used in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-extremes-make-reef-fish-less-diverse-and-productive/">climate</a> models to accurately represent C02 emissions through 2050, according to experts at the <a href="https://whrc.org/">Woods Hole Research Center</a>.

In 2005, four scenarios known as Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) were developed to inform the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report. The RCP scenarios, which include historical greenhouse gas emissions until 2005, are used in global climate models to project future emissions.

RCP 8.5 represents the highest theoretical use of fossil fuels, which would result in an additional 8.5 watts per square meter of radiative forcing by 2100.

RCP 8.5 has been dismissed by many experts as being a scare tactic that is unrealistic or misleading. However, a team including WHRC President Dr. Philip Duffy has now determined that RCP 8.5 is actually the closest approximation of both historical emissions and the expected outcomes of current global climate policies - tracking within one percent of actual emissions.

"Not only are the emissions consistent with RCP 8.5 in close agreement with historical total cumulative CO2 emissions, but RCP8.5 is also the best match out to mid-century under current and stated policies with still highly plausible levels of CO2 emissions in 2100," wrote the study authors. 

"Not using RCP8.5 to describe the previous 15 years assumes a level of mitigation that did not occur, thereby skewing subsequent assessments by lessening the severity of warming and associated physical climate risk."

The researchers emphasized that while there are signs of progress on bending the global emissions curve and that our emissions picture may change significantly by 2100, focusing on the uncertain and distant future may distort the current debate on these issues. 

"For purposes of informing societal decisions, shorter time horizons are highly relevant, and it is important to have scenarios which are useful on those horizons. Looking at mid-century and sooner, RCP8.5 is clearly the most useful choice," wrote the experts.

"Given the agreement of 2005-2020 historical and RCP8.5 total CO2 emissions and the congruence between current policies and RCP8.5 emission levels to mid-century, RCP8.5 has continued utility, both as an instrument to explore mean outcomes as well as risk. Indeed, if RCP8.5 did not exist, we'd have to create it."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Worst case emissions scenario is the most realistic

The worst case scenario should be used in climate models...

A growing collection of research continues to expose the negative consequences of helicopter parenting. For example, a study published in the journal Developmental Psychology found that overcontrolling parents interfere with the ability of children to regulate their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-and-diverse-experiences-spark-positive-emotions/">emotions</a> and control their behavior.

Parents that recognize when kids can handle certain situations on their own, instead of constantly offering guidance, promote better mental health and social skills among children.

Now, a new study has revealed that a less controlling approach to supervision is good for the mental health of parents as well. PhD student Mandy Richardson of <a href="http://www.ecu.edu.au/">Edith Cowan University</a> has found that parents who can take a step back - and simply observe their toddlers as they explore and play - have less stress and a better grasp on their child's capabilities.

The Respectful Approach intervention is a program that guides parents to treat young children as capable and independent humans who can flourish if given freedom from too much adult direction in a safe space.

For the study, parents of infants and toddlers over the age of six weeks observed as their children engaged in uninterrupted play. The toddlers freely explored their environment and interacted with other children as parents sat and watched with a facilitator. In addition to the observation period, each class introduced a new topic related to the Respectful Approach.

Upon completion of the program, the parents reported significantly reduced stress, higher levels of confidence, and a better understanding of their children's capabilities.

According to Richardson, the Respectful Approach is ultimately about building a trusting, lasting bond with positive communication between parents and children. There is less focus on achieving milestones, and more acknowledgement that each child is unique and learns at a different pace.

"Participants in the study reported worrying less about performance pressure after attending the classes, which let them refocus on their relationship with their children," said Richardson.

"As parents we tend to go and 'save' our children when they start to struggle with something, instead of letting them try to resolve their own challenges. But if the children aren't looking for help, perhaps they can be left to do their own thing and work it out themselves."

The Respectful Approach helps to establish good patterns in early years so children learn to build confidence in their abilities and to deal with conflict in emotionally intelligent ways, explained Richardson.

"Traditionally early behavioral interventions have predominantly focused on modifying undesirable child behaviors. By building good communication and a close parent-child bond, we can potentially prevent problems occurring in the long term."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/10826">Journal of Child and Family Studies</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Hands-off approach to parenting is better for mental health

A growing collection of research continues to expose the negative...

Coral reef fish communities that are exposed to heat are much less diverse and abundant compared to fish in nearby reefs with less extreme <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/desert-shrubs-become-more-efficient-as-temperatures-rise/">temperatures</a>. An international team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">NYU</a> Abu Dhabi compared bottom-dwelling reef fish in the southern Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

"The Arabian Gulf is the world's hottest sea each summer with temperatures well beyond those experienced by fishes elsewhere in the tropics, while the adjacent Sea of Oman is considerably more benign," said study senior author Professor John Burt. "This makes this region a useful natural laboratory for understanding how climate extremes affect fish function and diversity."

The researchers found that the more thermally intense habitat in the Arabian Gulf lowers the diversity and productivity of cryptobenthic reef fish, which are important species that form the base of coral reef food webs.

The team used a variety of techniques to investigate how the small, bottom-dwelling reef fish varied as a result of different environmental conditions.

Cryptobenthic fish communities in the Arabian Gulf were found to be half as diverse and less than 25 percent as abundant as those in the Gulf of Oman, even though the amount of live corals were largely similar.

The researchers were surprised to find that variations in cryptobenthic fish diversity and abundance were not the result of differing temperature tolerances.

"We expected to see much lower temperature tolerances in species that occur in the Sea of Oman, but not in the southern Arabian Gulf," said study co-lead author Professor Jacob Johansen. "Yet, the critical thermal tolerances of all species found in the Sea of Oman were, in theory, sufficient to survive even the maximum summer temperatures of 36°C in the southern Arabian Gulf."

The team determined that the thermal extremes of the Arabian Gulf are more energetically challenging for the small fish. Beyond the fact that warmer water temperatures require more energy, fewer prey are present in the Arabian Gulf to satisfy the energetic needs of cryptobenthic fish.

According to the researchers, the reduced diversity and abundance of cryptobenthic fish greatly impairs their ability to fulfill their unique functional role.

"These tiny fishes normally feed a lot of the larger, predatory animals on coral reefs by growing and dying rapidly, while constantly replenishing their populations," said study co-lead author Simon Brandl. "But on reefs in the southern Arabian Gulf, cryptobenthic fish communities provide only a fraction of the fish flesh that they can produce in more benign environments."

"Our findings highlight an imminent threat to cryptobenthic reef fishes and their essential role for coral reef functioning. These smallest marine ectotherms may struggle to compensate for increasing costs of growth and maintenance as they adapt to more extreme temperatures," said Professor Johansen. 

"Extreme environmental conditions, as predicted for the end of the 21st century, could, therefore, disrupt the community structure and productivity of coral reefs in the Arabian Gulf and beyond."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Climate extremes make reef fish less diverse and productive  

Coral reef fish communities that are exposed to heat are...

In the pursuit of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/long-term-happiness-marriage-genetic/">happiness</a>, self-indulgence is just as important as self-control, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>. The researchers found that the capacity to experiences life's simple pleasures, also known as hedonism, leads to a greater sense of well-being and satisfaction.

A lot of emphasis is placed on prioritizing self-restraint to achieve success and happiness through long-term goals. But these goals often clash with momentary pleasures. The goal of eating healthier and losing weight, for example, does not always coincide with enjoying a delicious meal. 

Study lead author Katharina Bernecker is a researcher in motivational psychology at the University of Zurich.

"It's time for a rethink. Of course self-control is important, but research on self-regulation should pay just as much attention to hedonism, or short-term pleasure," said Bernecker.

In collaboration with Daniela Becker of Radboud University, Bernecker set out to investigate how a hedonistic approach may influence well-being, and whether an individual's capacity for hedonism varies in different contexts.

The team designed a survey to measure respondents' capacity for hedonism - their ability to focus on immediate needs by indulging in and enjoying short-term pleasures. 

The study revealed that some people get distracted by intrusive thoughts in moments of relaxation or enjoyment by thinking about what they should be doing instead. 

"For example, when lying on the couch you might keep thinking of the sport you are not doing," said Becker. "Those thoughts about conflicting long-term goals undermine the immediate need to relax." 

By contrast, the researchers found that people who can fully enjoy themselves during pleasurable moments tend to have a higher overall sense of well-being. A greater hedonistic capacity was also linked to a reduced risk of depression and anxiety.

"The pursuit of hedonic and long-term goals needn't be in conflict with one another," said Bernecker. "Our research shows that both are important and can complement each other in achieving well-being and good health. It is important to find the right balance in everyday life."

Unfortunately, relaxing on the couch or eating out more often does not automatically lead to happiness.

"It was always thought that hedonism, as opposed to self-control, was the easier option," said Bernecker. "But really enjoying one's hedonic choice isn't actually that simple for everybody because of those distracting thoughts."

With more people working from home, the resting environment is now suddenly associated with work. "Thinking of the work you still need to do can lead to more distracting thoughts at home, making you less able to rest," said Bernecker.

The solution, according to the researchers, may be the conscious planning of downtime. They theorize that setting limits and establishing periods of enjoyment could help to separate down time more clearly from work and other activities, allowing pleasure to take place undisturbed.

The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/psp">Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Hedonistic pleasures promote long-term happiness

In the pursuit of happiness, self-indulgence is just as important...

A positive mindset may be more important for staying <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/blood-iron-levels-may-be-key-to-a-long-healthy-life/">healthy</a> than previously realized. A new study confirms that psychological well-being can have a very real impact on physical health.

The research was focused on psychological interventions that were specifically designed to boost emotional well-being. The study revealed that both in-person and online interventions positively impacted the physical health of the participants.

Study co-author Kostadin Kushlev is a professor in the Department of Psychology at <a href="https://www.georgetown.edu/">Georgetown University</a>.

"Though prior studies have shown that happier people tend to have better cardiovascular health and immune-system responses than their less happy counterparts, our research is one of the first randomized controlled trials to suggest that increasing the psychological well-being even of generally healthy adults can have benefits to their physical health," said Professor Kushlev.

In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Virginia and the University of British Columbia, Professor Kushlev examined how a program called <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03257527">Enduring Happiness and Continued Self-Enhancement (ENHANCE)</a> may improve physical health among people who were not hospitalized or undergoing medical treatment. 

A total of 155 adults between the ages of 25 and 75 were randomly assigned either to a wait-list control condition or a 12-week positive psychological intervention that addressed three different sources of happiness. 

The first 3 weeks of the program focused on the "Core Self," helping individuals identify their personal values, strengths, and goals. The next 5 weeks focused on the "Experiential Self," which trained the participants in emotion regulation and mindfulness. The final 4 weeks of the program addressed the "Social Self," teaching techniques to cultivate gratitude, positive social interactions, and community engagement.

Upon completion of the program, the participants were given individual evaluations and recommendations for improving their happiness in the long term. Three months after the conclusion of the trial, the researchers followed up with the volunteers to evaluate their well-being and health.

The participants who received the intervention reported increasing levels of subjective well-being. They also reported fewer sick days throughout the program and during the months that followed.

"These results speak to the potential of such interventions to be scaled in ways that reach more people in environments such as college campuses to help increase happiness and promote better mental health among students," said Professor Kushlev.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/pss">Psychological Science</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

&nbsp;

Emotional well-being has a real impact on physical health

A positive mindset may be more important for staying healthy...

In a perspective written for the <a href="https://www.nejm.org/">New England Journal of Medicine</a>, experts are calling for mind-body medicine to be fully integrated into patient treatment plans and medical research. Relaxation techniques such as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/meditation-breathing-brain-health/">meditation</a> and yoga are not just good for general well-being, but can also buffer some of the dangerous health effects of stress.

According to study lead author Michelle Dossett of <a href="https://health.ucdavis.edu/medicalcenter/">UC Davis Health</a>, stress exacerbates anxiety and depression and plays a role in many conditions such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic pain. 

"By reducing the body's stress response, mind-body practices can be a powerful adjunct in medicine by helping to decrease patients' symptoms and improving their quality of life," explained Dossett.

She pointed out that mind-body practices can also reduce stress related to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Study senior author Dr. Herbert Benson is the founder of the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Benson was one of the first Western physicians to bring spirituality and healing into medicine, and is well-known for his work with the Relaxation Response. 

"The Relaxation Response is an inborn, anti-stress capacity that transcends the differences that separate mind from body, science from spirituality and one culture from another," Dr. Benson stated previously. 

At BHI, mind-body medicine is known as the third leg of a three-legged stool. The first leg is surgery, the second is treatment with pharmaceuticals, and the third is self-care. For the self-care approach, patients learn about health and fitness interventions such as exercise, nutrition, and mind-body medicine.

"Western medicine has produced revolutionary health benefits through advances in pharmacotherapies and procedures," wrote the researchers. "It now faces enormous challenges in battling stress-related noncommunicable diseases."

"Chronic pain, often perpetuated by psychosocial stress, has become an epidemic that our pharmaceutical arsenal is poorly equipped to handle and medical costs continue to soar. Mind-body therapies can be a helpful adjunct in managing chronic pain and other stress-related noncommunicable diseases by fostering resilience through self-care."

The research is published in the the <a href="https://www.nejm.org/">New England Journal of Medicine</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

&nbsp;

Mind-body medicine can greatly improve health 

In a perspective written for the New England Journal of...

People who base their self-worth on financial success often end up feeling <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lonely-dogs-anxious-owners-can-help/">lonely</a> and detached, according to a new study. Those who invest too much time in work may inadvertently put a strain on their most important relationships and social connections.

The research team, including experts from the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University at Buffalo</a> and Harvard Business School, set out to investigate why people who place a lot of emphasis on financial success tend to feel isolated in everyday life. 

"Feeling that pressure to achieve financial goals means we're putting ourselves to work at the cost of spending time with loved ones, and it's that lack of time spent with people close to us that's associated with feeling lonely and disconnected," explained study lead author Deborah Ward.

"When people base their self-worth on financial success, they experience feelings of pressure and a lack of autonomy, which are associated with negative social outcomes," said study co-author Professor Lora Park.

The researchers emphasize that personal relationships play a significant role in positive mental health. Even when pursuing goals that are difficult and challenging, it is important to maintain strong social connections.

"Depression and anxiety are tied to isolation, and we're certainly seeing this now with the difficulties we have connecting with friends during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Ward. "These social connections are important. We need them as humans in order to feel secure, to feel mentally healthy and happy. But much of what's required to achieve success in the financial domain comes at the expense of spending time with family and friends."

The desire for wealth or financial success is not the biggest problem, according to Ward. Instead, the main issue is something that psychologists refer to as "financial contingency of self-worth." 

When a person's self-worth is defined by money, the individual feels worthless when they are struggling financially.

In a study that involved more than 2,500 participants, the researchers analyzed the potential link between financial contingency and self-worth. The team studied other key variables as well, such as social interaction and social disconnection. 

The participants kept a daily diary for two weeks, providing the researchers with insight into how they felt about money and how much time they spent socializing. 

"We saw consistent associations between valuing money in terms of who you are and experiencing negative social outcomes in previous work, so this led us to ask the question of why these associations are present," said Ward. 

"We see these findings as further evidence that people who base their self-worth on money are likely to feel pressured to achieve financial success, which is tied to the quality of their relationships with others."

"I hope this is part of what becomes a longer line of research looking at the mechanisms between valuing money and social-related variables. We don't have the final answer, but there is a lot of evidence that pressures are largely playing a role."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/psp">Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</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

&nbsp;

Too much emphasis on money can lead to social isolation 

People who base their self-worth on financial success often end...

Even in middle age, women can significantly reduce their risk of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/insomnia-heart-failure-stroke/">stroke</a>. A study published by the <a href="https://www2.heart.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=donatenow_heart&amp;s_src=pmxsem19&amp;&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjw7LX0BRBiEiwA__gNwxjZ_tZ981uSpd5XcXUXtRCdRzotUbGyUqKAr9kYVM121IVS6rwu1hoCG-UQAvD_BwE">American Heart Association</a> recommends simple lifestyle choices to minimize stroke risk, including regular exercise, weight loss, and a healthy diet. 

Compared to men, women are more likely to die from a stroke and survivors tend to have poorer health outcomes. Since the average age for a woman to have a stroke is 75, experts wanted to investigate whether lifestyle changes during middle age may help to mitigate the risk. 

Study lead author Dr. Goodarz Danaei is a professor of Cardiovascular Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"We found that changing to a healthy lifestyle, even in your 50s, still has the potential to prevent strokes," said Dr. Danaei. "Women who made lifestyle modifications in middle age reduced their long-term risk of total stroke by nearly a quarter and ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, by more than one-third."

The research was focused on data from the Nurses' Health Study, which involved nearly 60,000 women with an  average enrollment age of 52. The study followed up with participants for an average of 26 years. 

The team analyzed the health impacts of smoking cessation, exercising 30 minutes or more daily, and gradual weight loss. The researchers also accounted for the effects of a modified diet, which included eating more fish, whole grains, nuts, and fruits and vegetables.

The results of the study showed that smoking cessation, daily exercise, and weight loss reduced the risk of total stroke by 25 percent and ischemic stroke by 36 percent. When the dietary modifications were sustained over time, the risk of total stroke was diminished by 23 percent.

"There are other studies to support that the proportional changes in stroke risk from lifestyle and dietary modifications may be generalizable to men," said Dr. Danaei. "We also estimate that exercising 30 minutes or more daily may reduce the risk of stroke by 20%."

The study is published by the American Heart Association in the journal <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/str">Stroke</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

&nbsp;

Lifestyle changes in middle age lower future stroke risk 

Even in middle age, women can significantly reduce their risk...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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