Egyptian rituals have long captivated scholars and enthusiasts alike, and a recent breakthrough has demystified some of their most mysterious aspects.



In an incredible leap forward for archaeology and anthropology, a new study has provided tangible proof that hallucinogenic mixtures were an integral part of this ancient civilization's sacred practices.



The physical evidence of hallucinogens was found in an Egyptian Bes mug, a rare relic stored in a collection at the Tampa Museum of Art.



These curious objects are distinctively adorned with the ferocious face of Bes, a protective deity linked to everything from fertility to magical healing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-the-roots-of-ritualistic-practices">Tracing the roots of ritualistic practices</h2>



This research didn't materialized overnight. The role of the Bes mugs in ancient Egyptian society has been a topic of debate for a long stretch of time.



“For a very long time now, Egyptologists have been speculating what mugs with the head of Bes could have been used for, and for what kind of beverage, like sacred water, milk, wine or beer,” noted Branko van Oppen, a museum curator at the Tampa Museum of Art.



The ubiquity of the mugs throughout different epochs made it tough to pinpoint their exact use and significance.



The cryptic puzzle finally began to unravel when researchers from the <a href="https://www.usf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of South Florida</a> embarked on an ambitious project to explore the unknown. 



“There’s no research out there that has ever found what we found in this study,” said Davide Tanasi, lead author of the research paper. 



The team managed to dissect the chemical signatures of a long-dried liquid inside one of the Tampa Museum's Bes mugs, providing a concrete clue to its past use.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-secret-concoction-used-in-egyptian-rituals">The secret concoction used in Egyptian rituals</h2>



The result was nothing short of astounding. The researchers discovered a blend of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/psychedelic-drugs-secreted-from-toad-skin-greatly-improve-cognitive-functioning/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychedelic drugs</a>, bodily fluids, and alcohol inside the mug - a "cocktail" likely used in a ritual re-enacting an Egyptian myth.



The mysterious brew was sweetened with popular ingredients of the time like honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice, and grapes, quite possibly to mimic the appearance of blood.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-glimpse-into-ancient-life">A glimpse into ancient life</h2>



This astounding find has brought to life vivid images of the Greco-Roman period in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/egypts-pyramids-were-built-along-a-buried-branch-of-the-nile-river/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Egypt</a>. 



The historical significance of the discovery underlines the importance of the Bes Chambers at Saqqara, a site frequented by individuals hoping to confirm a successful pregnancy - a perilous phase in the ancient world.



“Egyptologists believe that people visited the so-called Bes Chambers at Saqqara when they wished to confirm a successful pregnancy because pregnancies in the ancient world were fraught with dangers," explained Van Oppen. 



He believes the special brew was likely used in a dream-vision inducing ritual during this fraught period.



This groundbreaking study has helped us connect the dots between myths and reality. 



“With this study, we’ve found scientific proof that the Egyptian myths have some kind of truth and it helps us shed light on the poorly understood rituals that were likely carried out in the Bes Chambers in Saqqara, near the Great Pyramids at Giza,” Tanasi said. 



Thus, the shroud of mystery surrounding ancient Egyptian rituals is gradually lifting, one artifact at a time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-symbolism-of-bes-in-egyptian-rituals">Symbolism of Bes in Egyptian rituals</h2>



The discovery of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/peruvian-empire-kept-control-with-beer-and-hallucinogens/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hallucinogenic substances</a> within the Bes mug not only sheds light on the practices of ancient Egyptian rituals but also emphasizes the cultural weight carried by Bes, the deity represented on the artifact. 



Known for his lion-like visage and protective nature, Bes held an essential place in daily life and spiritual practices. He was not just a guardian deity; he was seen as a figure that could ward off evil spirits, promote <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-diet-improves-sperm-quality-and-fertility/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fertility</a>, and bring joy through music and dance.



In ancient Egypt, rituals involving Bes were believed to harness his powerful essence, particularly in times of vulnerability, such as childbirth and healing. 



The presence of hallucinogenic elements in the brew suggests that these ceremonies aimed to elevate participants' consciousness, inducing trance-like states for divine communication or visionary experiences.



Such practices aligned with the belief that connecting with deities like Bes could provide spiritual protection and guidance.



This new understanding of Bes' involvement in these rituals deepens our appreciation for how ancient <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mystery-how-ancient-egyptians-built-pyramids-djoser-may-be-solved/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Egyptians</a> intertwined the mystical with the tangible, creating sacred ceremonies that reflected their beliefs in the interconnectedness of the human and divine realms.



The study was published in the journal <a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41598-024-78721-8&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



Image Credit:&nbsp;Scientific Reports&nbsp;(2024).



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Hallucinogens were used in ancient Egyptian rituals

Egyptian rituals have long captivated scholars and enthusiasts alike, and a recent breakthrough has demystified some of their most mysterious aspects. In an incredible leap forward for archaeology and anthropology, a new study has provided tangible proof that hallucinogenic mixtures were an integral part of this ancient civilization's sacred practices. The physical evidence of hallucinogens was found in an Egyptian Bes mug, a rare relic stored in a collection at the Tampa Museum of Art. These curious objects are distinctively adorned with the ferocious face of Bes,...

The psychological impact of being overweight often causes depression. A research team from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and the <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/">University of South Australia</a> has found that the psychological impact of being overweight, rather than its associated illnesses, is responsible for depression. 

While previous research into the complex relationship between <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/societal-changes-obesity-epidemic/">obesity</a> and depression has confirmed that there is a link, the new study is the first to demonstrate that being overweight can cause depression on its own, without the presence of other health issues. 


Using UK Biobank data, the experts compared data from 48,000 people with depression to 290,000 people born between 1938 and 1971 who had provided medical and genetic information. They determined which of the individuals had depression by using hospital admission data and self-reporting. 

The researchers used a genetic approach to explore the causal link between depression and obesity by separating out the psychological component of obesity from the impact of obesity-related health problems. 

Genes associated with higher BMI but lower risk of diseases like diabetes were just as strongly associated with depression as those genes associated with higher BMI and diabetes. This suggests that higher BMI is capable of triggering depression regardless, and the effect was found to be stronger in women than in men.

“Obesity and depression are both global health problems that have a major impact on lives and are costly to health services,” said study co-author Dr. Jess Tyrrell. “We've long known there's a link between the two, yet it's unclear whether obesity causes depression or vice-versa, and also whether it's being overweight in itself or the associated health problems that can cause depression.” 

“Our robust genetic analysis concludes that the psychological impact of being obese is likely to cause depression. This is important to help target efforts to reduce depression, which makes it much harder for people to adopt healthy lifestyle habits.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije">International Journal of Epidemiology</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The psychological impact of being overweight often causes depression

The psychological impact of being overweight often causes depression. A...

Research from <a href="http://www.brunel.ac.uk/">Brunel University London</a> has found that listening to music during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-improve-tolerance-cold/">exercise</a> can fight off fatigue. The study has revealed that the rhythm of music activates a region of the brain that helps keep us from becoming tired. 

“The effects of music on exercise have been systematically investigated for more than 100 years, and we are still not completely sure how music enhances exercise performance, assuages fatigue, and elicits positive affective responses,” said study author Marcelo Bigliassi.

“I have spent the past decade trying to answer this research question and, finally, after a series of fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy), EEG (electroencephalography), and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) experiments, we can now understand how music is processed in the brain during exercise.”

The study was focused on 19 healthy adults who performed hand grip exercises while their brain activity was recorded by an MRI scanner. The individuals engaged in 30 sets of exercises, which involved ten seconds of gripping followed by ten seconds of rest. 

During some of the workout sets, the participants listened to the song “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye. 

The researchers found that music was associated with greater stimulation during exercise and increased thoughts that were unrelated to the physical activity. In addition, there were changes observed in one particular region of the brain.

Bigliassi told <a href="https://www.psypost.org/">PsyPost</a>: “Music is a very powerful auditory stimulus and can be used to assuage negative bodily sensations that usually arise during exercise-related situations. This psychophysical response is triggered by an attentional mechanism that will ultimately result in a more efficacious control of the musculature.”

“What we have identified in this study was that the left inferior frontal gyrus activates when individuals exercise in the presence of music. This region of the brain appears to be a hub of sensory integration, processing information from external and internal sources (e.g., music and limb discomfort, respectively).”


Bigliassi said that increased activation in this region coincided with decreased fatigue among the participants. 


“It is important to emphasise that the practical implications of this study might be very similar to other applied studies in the field of sport and exercise,” said Bigliassi. “However, unravelling these mechanisms can actually open a new avenue for scientific investigation into the effects of sensory modulation on attentional responses and subsequent fatigue-related sensations.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-psychophysiology">International Journal of Psychophysiology</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

Listening to music during exercise actually helps fight fatigue

Research from Brunel University London has found that listening to...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.dukehealth.org/locations/duke-university-medical-center">Duke University Medical Center</a>, cutting just 300 calories can help reduce the risk of serious conditions such as diabetes and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/celery-heart-disease-cancer/">heart disease</a>. Calorie restriction was found to improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar among individuals who were already at a healthy weight. 

The results of the two-year trial, which is part of an ongoing project with the National Institutes of Health, supports the idea that weight loss is not the only way to prevent metabolic issues. The research suggests that a complex metabolic change is triggered by burning more calories than we consume. 

"There's something about caloric restriction, some mechanism we don't yet understand that results in these improvements," said study lead author Dr. William E. Kraus. "We have collected blood, muscle and other samples from these participants and will continue to explore what this metabolic signal or magic molecule might be."

During the first month of the trial, participants trained for a new diet by eating three meals a day that cut one-fourth of their daily calories. They also attended group and individual counseling sessions for six months. Meanwhile, members of a control group simply continued their usual diet.

The participants were asked to maintain the 25-percent calorie reduction for two years. Some were more successful than others, and the average calorie reduction among all of the volunteers was around 12 percent. 

Regardless, the participants managed to drop ten percent of their weight, and the researchers determined that 71 percent of this weight loss was fat. 

In markers that measure risk for metabolic disease, there were a number of improvements. The participants also showed a reduction in a biomarker that indicates chronic inflammation, which has been linked to heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline.

"This shows that even a modification that is not as severe as what we used in this study could reduce the burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease that we have in this country," said Dr. Kraus. "People can do this fairly easily by simply watching their little indiscretions here and there, or maybe reducing the amount of them, like not snacking after dinner."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/home">The Lancet Diabetes &amp; Endocrinology</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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Odua Images

Calorie restriction greatly reduces risk of heart disease and diabetes

According to a new study from the Duke University Medical...

Regular exercise slows down the body’s aging process. Experts at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/">University of Birmingham</a> and <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King's College London</a> have found that a lifetime of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-brain-major-boost/">exercise</a> does not only keep a person feeling healthier, but also slows down the process of aging. 

“Hippocrates in 400 BC said that exercise is man's best medicine, but his message has been lost over time and we are an increasingly sedentary society,” said study co-author Janet Lord. “However, importantly, our findings debunk the assumption that aging automatically makes us more frail.”

“Our research means we now have strong evidence that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we are living longer but not healthier.”

The researchers focused their study on over 100 amateur cyclists between the ages of 55 and 79 to investigate the health of older individuals who had exercised for most of their adult lives.

After undergoing a series of tests, the study participants were compared to a group of healthy individuals between the ages of 20 and 80 who were not involved in regular exercise.

The study revealed that those who had participated in regular physical activity retained their muscle mass and strength. In addition, the cyclists did not increase their body fat or cholesterol levels with age. 

Furthermore, testosterone levels in the men who exercised regularly were found to stay high, suggesting that they may have dodged most of the effects of male menopause.

The researchers were most surprised to find that individuals who were more active had maintained an immune system that also seemed to defy the test of time.

‘We hope these findings prevent the danger that, as a society, we accept that old age and disease are normal bedfellows and that the third age of man is something to be endured and not enjoyed,” said co-author Dr. Niharika Arora Duggal.Master cyclist Norman Lazarus said: “Most of us who exercise have nowhere near the physiological capacities of elite athletes. We exercise mainly to enjoy ourselves. Nearly everybody can partake in an exercise that is in keeping with their own physiological capabilities.”

“Find an exercise that you enjoy in whatever environment that suits you and make a habit of physical activity. You will reap the rewards in later life by enjoying an independent and productive old age.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1474-9726">Aging Cell </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

Regular exercise slows down the body’s aging process

Regular exercise slows down the body’s aging process. Experts at...

Beer before liquor? Quantity, not drinking order, gets you hungover “Beer before liquor, never been sicker” but “beer before wine and you’ll feel fine” have long been catchy Beer before liquor? Quantity, not drinking order, gets you hungover sayings offering caution to the order of drinking different types of alcohol. 

Whichever way the saying goes, a new study has found that no matter how you strategize the order of your drinks, you’ll still get a hangover.

A <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/holiday-parenting-hangovers/">bad hangover</a> is more than just an unpleasant side-effect of drinking too much, and hangovers can make people sick, sensitive to light and sounds, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hangovers-induce-anxiety/">anxious</a>, and decrease performance at work or school. 

Hangovers occur when blood-alcohol levels decrease and return to zero. While everyone seems to have their own tried and true hangover remedy, people also spout old folk sayings as a way to prevent a severe hangover episode the morning after a night of drinking. 

These sayings aren’t just specific to the  English language, and other countries like France and Germany have their own old sayings when it comes to what someone should drink and the best order to drink in.  Even though there is little evidence to prove these claims, they remain popular aphorisms that have stood the test of time. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uni-wh.de/en/uwh-international/start/">Witten/Herdecke University</a> in Germany and the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge </a>conducted a study to put the matter to rest once and for all and to see there was any truth to these folk sayings. Beer before liquor? Quantity, not drinking order, gets you hungover 

The results of the study were published in the journal American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 

For the study, the researchers recruited 90 volunteers between the ages of 19 and 40, and participants were split into three groups. One group drank two and a half pints of beer followed by four large glasses of wine. The members of the second drank the same quantities as the first group but in the opposite order. The third group was allowed only to drink wine or beer but never mix the two. 

A week later, the researchers switched up the drinking order of the groups which allowed both the researchers and the participants themselves to better assess if drinking different beverages impacts hangover severity. Beer before liquor? Quantity, not drinking order, gets you hungover 

The participants recorded their level of drunkenness at the end of each session, and the next day the researchers asked the participants to rather their hangovers on a scale of 0 to 56. 

None of the participants had a comparatively worse hangover, and all hangovers were rated generally the same. The researchers also couldn’t find any determining factors like age, sex, body weight, or drinking habits that predicted hangover intensity. 

“Using white wine and lager beer, we didn't find any truth in the idea that drinking beer before wine gives you a milder hangover than the other way around,” said Jöran Köchling the first author of the study. “The truth is that drinking too much of any alcoholic drink is likely to result in a hangover. The only reliable way of predicting how miserable you'll feel the next day is by how drunk you feel and whether you are sick. We should all pay attention to these red flags when drinking.” 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Beer before liquor? Quantity, not drinking order, gets you hungover

Beer before liquor? Quantity, not drinking order, gets you hungover...

It’s been a commonly held stereotype that smart people wear glasses, but a new genetic study found there is some truth to the famous trope. 

The study, which is the largest genetic study of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fetal-exposure-air-pollution/">cognitive function</a> ever conducted, shows that people with higher intelligence are more likely to have poor eyesight. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> reviewed data from over 300,000 people from North America, Australia, and Europe. 

The data came from previous studies with participants ages 16 to 102 who had been asked to take several tests that measured general cognitive ability. 

According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5783453/Scientists-148-DNA-regions-impact-intelligence.html">Daily Mail</a>, the data showed that people with higher cognitive functions were 30 percent more likely to need glasses than people who had lower cognitive abilities.

Intelligence was linked to good cardiovascular and mental health as well as a longer lifespan. 

Researchers also found connections between reaction time and bipolar and ADHD as well as genetic links between cognitive ability and hypertension. 

The results, published in the journal Nature, could help with better-understanding diseases that cause cognitive decline like Alzheimer's and how intelligence and genetics influence longer, healthier lives. 

“The discovery of shared genetic effects on health outcomes and brain structure provides a foundation for exploring the mechanisms by which these differences influence thinking skills throughout a lifetime,” said Gail Davies, an author of the study in a statement. 

The researchers identified 148 genomic regions that correlate with intelligence, memory, mental processing time, and spatial awareness. 

58 of the genes identified had never been reported before, emphasizing the importance of large sample sizes in studies in order to truly understand trends, associations, and risk factors. 

“I am surprised by the long list of health-related traits that show genetic overlaps with performance on cognitive tests. I've been working on human intelligence for years, and it was a long time before I appreciated how health relevant it is; our new study reinforces that appreciation,” Ian Deary, the lead author of the study, told <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/does-wearing-glasses-mean-you-are-smarter-yes-suggests-new-genetic-study-948629?spJobID=1031401659">Newsweek.</a>

The researchers were not able to explain why certain genetic traits were linked to intelligence and poor eyesight, but the study could help pave the way for studies that further investigate these findings. 

“Genetic studies of cognitive function are in their infancy, but this study is important in its sample size and power to detect novel associations between genes and traits,” Natasha Sigala, a neuroscience professor who was not involved in the research, told Newsweek. “We are trying to map out constellations of genes that work together to create our amazingly complex and adaptive brain. In that sense, this study boldly goes further than anyone has gone before.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study finds that people who wear glasses actually are smarter

It’s been a commonly held stereotype that smart people wear...

Coping with a terminal illness can be exceedingly difficult, but new research finds that it also offers a unique opportunity for growth and wisdom. 

Most people would define wisdom as the accumulation of all the knowledge, lessons and experiences at any given point in one’s life. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://som.ucsd.edu/">University of California San Diego School of Medicine</a> were curious to see if the nature of wisdom changed for those people who knew they were nearing the end of their time, such as those diagnosed with a terminal illness or in hospice care. 

“This is an extremely challenging time, a confluence of learning to accept what's happening while still striving to grow and change and live one's remaining life as best one can,”  said Dilip V. Jeste, the senior author. “It's this paradox that, if embraced, can lead to even greater wisdom while confronting one's own mortality.”

The study was published in the journal International Psychogeriatrics. 

For the study, 21 hospice patients ages 58 to 97 in the last six months of their lives were asked to describe the core characteristics of wisdom and how their illness had affected their definition of wisdom. 

The participants were interviewed by mental health professionals and asked questions about how they define wisdom. The interviews were taped and later analyzed by the researchers. 

The components of wisdom as defined by the patients were prosocial behaviors, social decision making, emotional regulation, openness to new experience, acknowledgment of uncertainty, spirituality, self-reflection, sense of humor and tolerance.

After speaking with the patients and evaluating the interviews, the researchers found that the nature of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/working-class-smarter-relationships/">wisdom</a> changed for the patients and that growth and acceptance had become a central part of their lives. 

Acceptance and learning to cope with the challenges while still embracing opportunities for growth and change was often discussed in the interviews.   

“It wasn't passive 'giving up,' but rather an active coping process,” said Dr. Lori P. Montross-Thomas, the study’s first author. “They emphasized how much they appreciated life, taking time to reflect. There was a keen sense of fully enjoying the time they had left and in doing so, finding the beauty in everyday life.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The nature of wisdom changes toward the end of life

Coping with a terminal illness can be exceedingly difficult, but...

Based on the carbon footprint of what more than 16,000 Americans eat in a day, researchers have found that diets which are environmentally friendly are also healthier. The study is the first to compare the climate impact of foods to their nutritional value using real-world data about what Americans are eating.

“The good news here is that there are win-win solutions with diets that are healthier for people and planet,” said study co-author Martin Heller of the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> Center for Sustainable Systems.

“Big reductions in food-related emissions don't require eliminating foods entirely: moderate shifts away from red meat and toward beans, eggs or chicken can lead to significant improvements in both health and our diet's carbon footprint.”


Study lead author Diego Rose is a professor of Nutrition and Food Security at <a href="https://tulane.edu/">Tulane University</a>'s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

“People whose diets had a lower carbon footprint were eating less red meat and dairy - which contribute to a larger share of greenhouse gas emissions and are high in saturated fat - and consuming more healthful foods like poultry, whole grains and plant-based proteins,” said Professor Rose. 

The researchers developed an extensive database linking <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-cattle-feed-methane-emissions/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> to the production of specific foods, and incorporated the results of a large national survey which revealed what the respondents were eating in a typical 24-hour period. Next, the team ranked diets by the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per 1,000 calories consumed and then divided them into five equal groups.

After assessing the nutritional value of foods using the U.S. Healthy Eating Index, the experts determined that Americans in the lowest-carbon footprint group ate a healthier diet. However, these diets also contained some low-emission items that are not healthy, such as added sugars and refined grains. Furthermore, the diets among this group had lower amounts of iron, calcium, and vitamin D.

The highest-impact diets had greater quantities of meat, dairy, and solid fats per 1,000 calories. Diets in this category were found to contribute to five times the amount of emissions compared to those in the lowest-impact group.

Heller concluded, “We hope these findings will help the public and policymakers recognize that improving diet quality can also help the environment.”


The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</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

Diets that are better for the environment are also healthier

Based on the carbon footprint of what more than 16,000...

Air pollution increases the risk of miscarriage as much as smoking. Air pollution increases the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/london-air-pollution-deadly-asthma-attack/">cardiovascular and respiratory disease</a> and is responsible for millions of deaths every year.

Children are especially vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution, and now a new study has found that air pollution can also negatively impact fetal development during pregnancy. 

Researchers led by the <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/huntsmancancerinstitute/">Huntsman Cancer Institute</a> in Salt Lake City and the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> discovered that air pollution increases the risk of miscarriage as much as smoking does. 

The study, which was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S001502821832154X#!">Fertility and Sterility</a>, is the first of its kind to examine how short-term exposure to air pollution impacts pregnancy.

“It’s pretty profound,” Matthew Fuller, a co-author of the study, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/11/air-pollution-as-bad-as-smoking-in-increasing-risk-of-miscarriage">The Guardian</a>. “If you compare that increase in risk to other studies on environmental effects on the foetus, it’s akin to tobacco smoke in first trimester pregnancy loss.” 

The researchers reviewed 1,398 cases of women who had experienced a miscarriage in and around Salt Lake City between 2007 and 2015 in the hopes of establishing a link between air pollution and spontaneous pregnancy loss. 

After analyzing the different cases, the researchers found that exposure to increases levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in particular over a period of one week correlated with a 16 percent increase in miscarriage. 

Nitrogen dioxide is emitted from diesel vehicles. NO2 levels in Salt Lake City are comparable to other large cities like London and Paris, and the study shows how dangerous exposure to diesel fumes and air pollution is to pregnancy. 

“Many of us think there is an effect [of air pollution] on our health, but to find out there are actual effects on unborn children is very upsetting,” Fuller told The Guardian.

Global CO2 and NO2 emissions will need to be mitigated in order to reduce the negative health impacts of air pollution including disease and early death. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Air pollution increases the risk of miscarriage as much as smoking

Air pollution increases the risk of miscarriage as much as...

A new study from <a href="https://www.bcm.edu/">Baylor College of Medicine</a> has revealed that twins have more corresponding traits than what was previously realized. An international team of experts has found that twins share a molecular level of similarity beyond their identical genes which has an influence on their biological qualities, and may even influence their risk of getting cancer.

“The characteristics of an individual depend not only on genes inherited from the parents but also on epigenetics, which refers to molecular mechanisms that determine which genes will be turned on or off in different cell types,” said senior author Dr. Robert A. Waterland. “If we view one's DNA as the computer hardware, epigenetics is the software that determines what the computer can do.”

Epigenetics is a process by which chemical tags are used to mark which genes will be expressed in different types of cells. A lot of previous research has been focused on methyl chemical tags, in particular, because of their association with the development of cancer.

For the current study, the team examined a group of genes called metastable epialleles. It has been suggested that methyl tags are randomly added to metastable epialleles during early embryonic development and maintained throughout life.

“We expected that the patterns of methyl tags added to metastable epialleles would be equally random in identical twins and fraternal twins,” said Waterland. “Instead, we found that the methylation patterns matched almost perfectly in identical twins, a degree of similarity that could not be explained by the twins sharing the same DNA. We call this phenomenon 'epigenetic supersimilarity.’"

Identical twins form when the embryo splits into two parts and each continues to develop. The authors created and tested a simple model to demonstrate the occurrence of epigenetic supersimilarity.

“If, in this group of genes, the epigenetic markers are established before the embryo splits into two, then the markers will be the same in both twins,” said Waterland. “In essence, both twins inherit an intimate molecular memory of their shared developmental legacy as a single individual. On the other hand, genes at which epigenetic markers are set after the embryo splits can have greater epigenetic differences between the two twins.”

Even though there are a relatively small group of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genes-body-stays-sleep/">genes</a> that are affected by epigenetic supersimilarity, the researchers discovered that many of these genes are associated with cancer. To determine whether these epigenetic markers might influence the risk of cancer, the team collaborated with experts in Melbourne, Australia. 

“By analyzing peripheral blood DNA samples from healthy adults in our study, we have been able to show that methylation at epigenetically supersimilar genes is associated with risk of subsequently developing several types of cancer, including lung, prostate and colorectal cancer,” said study co-author Dr. Roger Milne, head of Cancer Epidemiology at <a href="https://www.cancervic.org.au/">Cancer Council Victoria</a>.

“Our findings should prompt a re-evaluation of previous genetic studies on twins,” said Waterland. "For decades, researchers have studied genetically identical twins to estimate what proportion of disease risk is determined by one's genes. To the extent that epigenetic supersimilarity affects risk of disease, as our results indicate, genetic risk estimates based on twin studies have been inflated.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/">Genome Biology</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

Twins have more in common than just identical genes

A new study from Baylor College of Medicine has revealed...

A new study from <a href="http://www.physoc.org/">The Physiological Society</a> has found that genetics can influence how the heart responds to exercise. An individual's heart rate and blood pressure during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/listening-music-exercise-fight-fatigue/">physical activity</a> may provide early warning signs of future issues with the heart or blood vessels.

People experience an increase in heart rate and blood pressure when they exercise, but the extent of this increase varies among different individuals. The reason for this variation has been unclear, but the new study provides evidence that genetic differences in receptors across skeletal muscles make a significant contribution. 

Previous research has found that abnormally large spikes in blood pressure during exercise are a strong predictor of high blood pressure later in life. It is important to understand why people react differently to exercise in order to identify risk factors, which could lead to early monitoring and treatment for future issues. 

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/">University of Guelph</a> in Canada measured the heart rate and blood pressure of 200 healthy young men and women before and during a handgrip exercise. The DNA of the individuals was also evaluated for genetic risk factors.

The scientists determined that the presence of two common genetic mutations in skeletal muscle receptors led to higher blood pressure during exercise compared to people who did not have them. The effect was found to be particularly strong in men.

“This research suggests the presence of these receptors can contribute to larger blood pressure responses during exercise - a risk factor for future problems with the heart or blood vessels,” said study co-author Philip J. Millar. “It is important to examine why we saw this difference mainly in men, and to understand the specific mechanisms behind how these genetic variants influence their heart rate and blood pressure responses to exercise.”

The study is published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14697793">The Journal of Physiology</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

Genetics determine how your heart responds to exercise

A new study from The Physiological Society has found that...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">Exeter University</a> and the <a href="https://www.brighton.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Brighton</a> have found that chocolate and red wine are “the secret to beating wrinkles.” The surprising new study found that substances which occur naturally in red wine and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-chocolate-cardiovascular-health/">dark chocolate</a> can revitalize old cells.

“This is a first step in trying to make people live normal lifespans, but with health for their entire life,” said lead researcher Lorna Harries. “Our data suggests that using chemicals to switch back on the major class of genes that are switched off as we age might provide a means to restore function to old cells.”

As we age, our skin tissues accumulate senescent cells. These cells are metabolically active but have lost the ability to replicate and to correctly regulate the output of their genes. Senescent cells also have fewer splicing factors, which help cells to effectively respond to challenges in their environment.

The researchers applied compounds called resveratrol analogues - chemicals based on a substance naturally found in red wine, dark chocolate, red grapes and blueberries - to cells in culture. The chemicals caused splicing factors, and the cells started to look younger and began replicating within hours.

“When I saw some of the cells in the culture dish rejuvenating I couldn’t believe it. These old cells were looking like young cells. It was like magic,” said co-author Dr.Eva Latorre. “I repeated the experiments several times and in each case the cells rejuvenated. I am very excited by the implications and potential for this research.”

The study, which is published in the journal <a href="http://www.bmj.com/content/295/6598/587">BMJ Cell Biology</a>, may lead to more effective anti-aging treatments. Professor Richard Faragher says that the discovery of cell rejuvenation shows “the enormous potential of aging research to improve the lives of older people.”

“At a time when our capacity to translate new knowledge about the mechanisms of aging into medicines and lifestyle advice is limited only by a chronic shortage of funds, older people are ill-served by self-indulgent science fiction. They need practical action to restore their health and they need it yesterday,” said Professor Faragher.

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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

Chocolate and red wine can actually help you fight wrinkles

Researchers from Exeter University and the University of Brighton have...

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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?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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

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