Egyptian rituals have long captivated the imaginations of 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 the use of hallucinogenic mixtures was 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 fall into place 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 that presents the findings.



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 apparently 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 unusual 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,” explained Tanasi.



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 and induce a trance-like state 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 belief 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 the imaginations of 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 the use of hallucinogenic mixtures was 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...

An intriguing new study has revealed that some of the oldest cave paintings in existence are not simply pictures of wild animals, as they appear to be. Experts have determined that the animals are actually symbols that represent star constellations, which demonstrates that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/stone-tools-ancient-humans/">ancient people</a> had a much more advanced concept of astrology than previously realized.

The analysis of cave paintings located at sites across Europe has revealed that they were used to represent dates and mark events such as comet strikes. As far back as 40,000 years ago, humans were already keeping track of time using knowledge about how the positions of the stars shifted over thousands of years. 

The study findings suggest that ancient people understood an effect caused by the gradual shift of Earth's rotational axis known as precession of the equinoxes. This discovery has long been attributed to the ancient Greeks.


According to the research, people could define dates to within 250 years around the time that Neanderthals became extinct, and possibly even before people settled in Western Europe.

When the team examined artwork featuring animal symbols at cave sites in Turkey, Spain, France, and Germany, they discovered that all of the sites used the same method of date-keeping based on sophisticated astronomy, even though the paintings were separated in time by tens of thousands of years.

Even the world's oldest sculpture from 38,000 BC, the Lion-Man of Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave, was found to conform to this ancient time-keeping system.

Dr. Martin Sweatman of the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a>'s School of Engineering is the lead author of the study. 

“Early cave art shows that people had advanced knowledge of the night sky within the last ice age. Intellectually, they were hardly any different to us today,” said Dr. Sweatnam. “These findings support a theory of multiple comet impacts over the course of human development, and will probably revolutionise how prehistoric populations are seen.”

This study is published in the <a href="https://www.athensjournals.gr/ajhis">Athens Journal of History</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: PA

Oldest known cave paintings show ancient people kept track of time

An intriguing new study has revealed that some of the...

Increases in global temperatures due to climate change are putting more and more people at risk of heat stress and disease, according to a new report. 

Older adults, people living in cities, and people with non-communicable diseases are the most vulnerable to heat-related deaths. 

The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate is an annual report published by the Lancet journal. Researchers from 27 academic institutions contributed to the report which examines major indicators of climate change like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heatwaves-severe-frequent/">extreme heat waves</a>, food security, and air pollution. 

The report also takes into account mitigation efforts and how governments and health agencies are responding to climate change related issues. 

Even though global temperatures only increased by 0.3 degrees Celsius between 1986 and 2017, overall people were exposed to rising temperatures nearly double the global average. 

The report identified a rising trend in heat-related labor capacity and an increase in populations vulnerable to heat exposure. 

“Present day changes in heat waves and labour capacity provide early warning of the compounded and overwhelming impact on public health that is expected if temperatures continue to rise,” said Hilary Graham, an author of the report. “Trends in the impacts of climate change, exposures and vulnerabilities show unacceptably high risk for health now and in the future. The lack of progress in reducing emissions and building adaptive capacity threatens lives and health systems and must be addressed to avoid disruption to core public health infrastructure and overwhelming health services.”

According to the report, vulnerable populations include adults over the age of 65, city residents, and people cardiovascular and respiratory disease. 

Vulnerable populations are more at risk of heat-related death during extreme weather events, and in 2017, over 157 million vulnerable people were exposed to heatwaves compared to 18 million in the year prior. 

Vulnerable populations are only increasing worldwide as the report found 42 percent of Europeans and 43 percents of people from the eastern Mediterranean are susceptible to heat exposure. 

The report also found that increases in temperature are negatively impacting the workforce as extreme temperatures make fore hostile working conditions. In 2017, 153 billion labor hours were lost due to climate change-related increases in temperatures and heat waves. 

The agricultural industry has witnessed the biggest loss in work hours. 

“Vulnerability to extreme heat has steadily increased around the world since 1990,” said Joacim Rocklöv, a researcher for the report. “This has led to vast losses for national economies and household budgets. At a time when national health budgets and health services face a growing epidemic of lifestyle diseases, continued delay in unlocking the potential health benefits of climate change mitigation is short-sighted and damaging for human health.” 

The report also revealed that rising temperatures and changes in precipitation are increasing the spread of water and mosquito-borne diseases around the world. 

Despite these risks and the growing number of people vulnerable to heat-stress and death, climate change is currently moving faster than any plan or action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

--

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>

The number of people vulnerable to heat stress is growing worldwide

Increases in global temperatures due to climate change are putting...

Why our skin loses fat and immunity during aging. A team of researchers from the <a href="https://medschool.ucsd.edu/Pages/default.aspx">University of California San Diego School of Medicine</a> have identified how dermal fibroblasts develop into fat cells and why they stop doing so as people <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/endurance-training-anti-aging/">age</a>. Dermal fibroblasts are cells within our skin that generate connective tissue necessary for injury recovery, and produce fats that give us a youthful appearance while fighting off infections.

"We have discovered how the skin loses the ability to form fat during aging," said the study’s senior author, Richard Gallo, MD, PhD, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "Loss of the ability of fibroblasts to convert into fat affects how the skin fights infections and will influence how the skin looks during aging." Why our skin loses fat and immunity during aging

The team’s study, published December 26th in <a href="https://www.cell.com/immunity/home">Immunity,</a> reveals that a protein called transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) thwarts the process of fibroblasts converting into fat cells. Furthermore, it prevents the cells from producing the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin, which is an infection-fighting peptide. Researchers were able to use chemical blockers to inhibit the TGF-β pathway in mice, thus causing the mice’s skin to revert back to a younger appearance and function. The same occured when the team inhibited the pathway via genetic alterations. 

"Babies have a lot of this type of fat under the skin, making their skin inherently good at fighting some types of infections,” Gallo said. “Aged dermal fibroblasts lose this ability and the capacity to form fat under the skin. Skin with a layer of fat under it looks more youthful. When we age, the appearance of the skin has a lot to do with the loss of fat."

A better understanding of fibroblasts and their relationship with aging could lead to the ability to fight skin infections like Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), a pathogenic bacteria that is the largest cause of major skin and heart infections and is a huge player in the worsening of diseases like eczema, and MRSA, which commonly causes infection-related death.

The team hopes to begin studying infant immune systems to gain a firmer grasp of fibroblast development.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why our skin loses fat and immunity during aging

Why our skin loses fat and immunity during aging. A...

Consumers have proven that they are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmentally-responsible-foods-class/">willing to pay more for better goods</a>, whether it’s fair trade coffee, non-GMO canned items, or organic produce. Whole Foods created a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkirsch/2017/06/16/heres-how-much-john-mackey-whole-foods-cofounder-and-ceo-is-worth/#104bde2b432f">13 billion dollar empire </a>on the promise of providing natural food items not available at regular grocery stores. 

Now, a new study has found that increasing the cost of cocoa could help eliminate child labor from cocoa farms in Ghana, but it would fall on the consumer to pay the premiums. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.uark.edu/">University of Arkansas</a> and <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/">Kansas State University</a>, and published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217230">PLOS ONE.</a>

Even though child labor is illegal in Ghana, these laws are rarely enforced. For many small-plot farms, families need their children to work in order to make enough money to get by. 

In 2015, a little less than 40 percent of children employed in the cocoa-sector were involved in hazardous work, and children often forgo schooling in order to work. 

The researchers used data from a review of agricultural policy in Ghana to develop a new economic model that calculates the cost increases that would reduce or eliminate child labor from cocoa farms. 

The model works under the assumption that an increase in cocoa would provide enough compensation for families without added child labor. 

An increase of 2.8 percent in cocoa would eliminate the very worst forms of child labor the model showed, but eliminating child labor altogether would require a 46.96 percent increase. 

An 11.81 percent increase would reduce child labor and eliminate the very worst of it, and the researchers say that the <a href="https://www.cocobod.gh/">Cocoa Marketing Board in Ghana</a> should promote a similar kind of compensation for cocao farms. 

The researchers did not look into if the price increases would be received favorably by consumers.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: BOULENGER Xavier/Shutterstock

Consumers could reduce cocoa farm child labor if they’re willing to pay more

Consumers have proven that they are willing to pay more...

The US is lagging behind China, Brazil, and the European Union in banning harmful pesticides, according to new research. 

There have been many studies and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jury-orders-bayer-to-pay-80-million-in-roundup-cancer-lawsuit/">lawsuits</a> showing that pesticides negatively impact the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticide-exposure-impairs-flight-bees/">environment </a>and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticides-farmers-lose-smell/">human health</a>. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/">Center for Biological Diversity</a> reviewed pesticide cancellations and approved pesticides in the US, Brazil, China, and the EU to see how the United States compared to other countries in harmful pesticide approval and use. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal<a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-019-0488-0"> Environmental Health</a>. 

“The USA is generally regarded as being highly regulated and having protective pesticide safeguards in place,” said Nathan Donley, the lead author of the study. “This study contradicts that narrative and finds that in fact, in the last couple of decades, nearly all pesticide cancellations in the USA have been done voluntarily by the pesticide industry.”

Donley discovered that 72 pesticides banned or in the process of being phased out in the EU are approved for use in the US. 

In Brazil, 17 banned or phased out pesticides are still approved in the US, and in China, Donley found that 11 banned pesticides are still used in the United States. 

Out of 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides sprayed on crops and other landscapes in the US, 322 million pounds came from pesticides banned in the EU, 40 million pounds belonged to pesticides prohibited in China, and 26 million pounds were from pesticides banned in Brazil. 

Overall, Donley calculated that more than ten percent of the total pesticides used in the US come from pesticides that are banned or being phased out in all three of the regions studied. 

When it came to cancellations and environmental protection regulations, the study showed that the majority of banned pesticides in the US were done so voluntarily. 

Of the 134 pesticides that were canceled since 1970, 97 were canceled by the company or group that had first registered the pesticide. 

The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) canceled 37 pesticides since 1970.

Voluntary cancellations have increased over the years, but EPA cancellations have dropped significantly. 

“These findings suggest that the USA utilizes voluntary, industry-initiated cancellation as the primary method of prohibiting pesticides, which is different from the non-voluntary, regulator-initiated cancellations/bans that are predominant in the EU, Brazil and China,” said Donley. 

Unless more is done by the EPA to ban harmful pesticides, not only can we expect to see an increase in lawsuits related to dangerous pesticide use but also habitat and biodiversity declines. 

“Without a change in the US Environmental Protection Agency's current reliance on voluntary mechanisms for cancellations, the USA will likely continue to lag behind its peers in banning harmful pesticides,” said Donley.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Fotokostic

The US continues to use harmful pesticides that are banned in other countries

The US is lagging behind China, Brazil, and the European...

Yoga reduces pain and depression for those battling arthritis. A new study has revealed that eight weeks of practicing yoga can significantly decrease symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Intensive yoga practice not only reduced pain among study participants, but also reduced the symptoms of depression that are associated with the condition. The findings demonstrate that yoga has preventive, curative, and rehabilitative potential for RA patients.

Millions of people suffer from RA, a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that causes debilitating pain in the joints. The research, which was conducted by the <a href="https://www.aiims.edu/">All India Institute of Medical Sciences</a> in New Delhi, showed that RA patients lowered levels of inflammatory biomarkers in their blood by practicing yoga. 

“Our findings show measurable improvements for the patients in the test group, suggesting an immune-regulatory role of yoga practice in the treatment of RA,” said study lead author Dr. Rima Dada. “An intensive yoga regimen concurrent with routine drug therapy induced molecular remission and re-established immunological tolerance. In addition, it reduced the severity of depression by promoting neuroplasticity.”

Dr. Dada noted that high disease activity and underlying depression are associated with increased disability, reduced quality of life, and minimized rates of treatment response. 

While previous studies have found a link between <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/yoga-music-bedtime-anxiety-heart/">yoga</a> and improved RA symptoms, this study is the first to examine the potential for yoga to reduce inflammation. The research was focused on 72 RA sufferers who were split into two groups: those who practiced yoga while taking conventional medication or those who took the medication without any yoga training. 

To test for inflammatory markers, the researchers collected blood samples from the participants before and after the trial. The team also measured disease severity by assessing pain and swelling in the joints. 


The results showed that the group of participants who engaged in yoga practice had significantly lower levels of inflammatory markers and less pain compared to the group who did not practice yoga. 

Intense yoga practice was also associated with reduced depression, which often makes patients noncompliant with treatment. When their mental health was improved, patients were more willing to take their RA medication as prescribed and performed everyday tasks with less discomfort. 

“Our results provide evidence that yoga positively modifies the pathobiology of autoimmunity at cellular and molecular levels by targeting mind-body communications,” said Dr. Dada.

“Further research is needed for the exploration of possible mechanisms underlying the cumulative effect of yoga on multiple pathways at a cellular level.”

“Yoga facilitates the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms mediated through a variety of downstream pathways and bring about natural immunological tolerance.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.iospress.nl/journal/restorative-neurology-and-neuroscience/">Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Yoga reduces pain and depression for those battling arthritis

Yoga reduces pain and depression for those battling arthritis. A...

There is a growing collection of evidence that Neanderthals were the first to embrace the concept of “home,” according to a report in <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. The new picture that is emerging of our closest extinct relatives suggests that they were much more civilized than what was previously thought. 

Matt Pope, an archaeologist at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>, told New Scientist: “We take for granted that early humans had a home, an address, but it wasn’t always with us. It’s something we evolved.” Pope suggests that the invention of home was a critical step for humans because it changed the way we thought and interacted with each other. 

In Europe, the transition into homes took place long before modern humans arrived from Africa 45,000 years ago. The move into homes may have been a necessity not only to get out of the cold but also for safety. 

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/neanderthal-tools-hunt-distance/">Neanderthals</a> learned how to control fire about 500,000 years ago, which gave them the opportunity to move inside. At the site of Tor Faraj in southern Jordan, which dates back 70,000 years, stones and wood had been piled up for windbreaks inside of the shelter. By 10,000 years later, there is evidence that windbreaks were being built out in the open using wood and animal bones. 

A research team including María Gema Chacón from the Catalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution explored a rock shelter near Barcelona called Abric Romaní to understand how Neanderthals organized their homes. The shelter was occupied on and off for at least 70,000 years, until about 40,000 years ago, by families of 10 to 20 people.

The well-preserved site has one particular level, which dates back 58,000 years, that contains more than 40 hearths. “My students go down there and they’re amazed,” Chacón told New Scientist. “You can still smell the roasted deer.”

According to New Scientist, Neanderthals were quite sophisticated when it came to cooking. There is evidence to suggest they boiled bones to extract nutrients, used wild herbs to season their meat, and were sometimes even vegetarians. Our ancient relatives also socialized and kept medicine to treat wounds and care for each other.

It is not yet clear whether Neanderthals were the first to invent homes, and there is evidence that Homo sapiens were building shelters and inhabiting similar rock dwellings during this same time. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Neanderthals may have been the first to embrace the concept of home

There is a growing collection of evidence that Neanderthals were...

It’s one thing to be told that climate change driven by human-made carbon emissions is causing irreversible changes in precipitation, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uneven-sea-level-rise-climate-change/">sea level rise</a>, sea ice coverage, and temperatures.

These sometimes larger than life projections of a grimly warm future can be challenging to accept outright because it is not always apparent how climate change will impact someone’s immediate surroundings.

But now, a new <a href="http://www.umces.edu/futureurbanclimates.">interactive map</a> created by researchers from the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>, reveals how drastically different the climates of American cities will be by 2080. According to the research, climates will shift so significantly that they will more closely resemble the current climates of cities 500 miles south.

By 2080, San Francisco will feel like Los Angeles, New York City will feel more like Arkansas, and Washington D.C. will be more like northern Mississippi, hot and humid.

[caption id="attachment_1867759" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/climate-change.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1867759" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/climate-change.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="468" /></a> Image Credit: Matthew Fitzpatrick/University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science[/caption]

“Under current high emissions the average urban dweller is going to have to drive more than 500 miles to the south to find a climate like that expected in their home city by 2080," said Matt Fitzpatrick, a co-author of the study. “Not only is climate changing, but climates that don't presently exist in North America will be prevalent in a lot of urban areas.”

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. 

The researchers mapped out the projected climates of different cities in North America by analyzing 540 urban areas in the U.S. and Canada.

Each area’s projected climate in the year 2080 was then compared to a present-day climate north of the Equator by measuring similarities between temperatures and precipitation.

The map projects future climate changes under two different emissions scenarios. In one scenario, emissions go unchecked and the second scenario assumes that successful policy changes will limit emissions.

Using an interactive tool that people can easily access to find out what their city’s climate will look like helps make climate change a more tangible concept and adds to the urgency of reducing emissions before the world’s future climate is unrecognizable.

“We can use this technique to translate a future forecast into something we can better conceptualize and link to our own experiences,” said Fitzpatrick. “It's my hope that people have that ‘wow’ moment, and it sinks in for the first time the scale of the changes we're expecting in a single generation.”

Even if CO2 emissions are limited, many cities will have very different climates by the 2080s, further emphasizing the severity of future climate change.

“Within the lifetime of children living today, the climate of many regions is projected to change from the familiar to conditions unlike those experienced in the same place by their parents, grandparents, or perhaps any generation in millennia,” said Fitzpatrick. “Many cities could experience climates with no modern equivalent in North America.”

--

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>

Climate change will make New York feel like Arkansas by 2080

It’s one thing to be told that climate change driven...

Researchers at the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a>'s Evolution and Human Behavior Laboratory set out to investigate whether or not people are still generous when there is no incentive. The team found that it is easy for people to switch off their natural inclination to share when interacting with strangers.

Study lead author Dr. William H.B. McAuliffe agrees with the idea that our cooperative behavior developed back when early humans lived in small groups. At this time in our evolutionary history, people became <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/people-heartbeat-generous/">generous</a> out of self-interest, never knowing when they may need to ask for someone else's help.

“We are actually walking around with Stone Age minds,” said study co-author Michael McCullough. “Our minds still think how we treat everyone we meet could have consequences - that everyone we run across and are either mean to or nice to will somehow pay us back. We have a natural karma built into us because our minds have evolved into thinking that what goes around really does come around.”


However, the study findings suggest that we can quickly unlearn our cooperative behavior when encountering strangers if we know there will not be any benefits or consequences from our actions.

The study was focused on 200 participants who were brought into the laboratory in small groups on two separate occasions for a social experiment. 

The individuals engaged in a series of games that required them to make decisions about sharing large sums of money with others in the room, and also with a charity. The participants were placed alone at consoles with headphones and had no interaction with each other. Furthermore, the decisions they made were completely anonymous.

During the first trial, the individuals split their money with strangers fairly and shared about half of their earnings with charity. On their return visit, however, they were found to be much less generous, sharing an average of 20 percent less money with others.

“After acclimating to the situation, they realized this was extraordinarily different from the situations they find themselves in everyday life,” explained Dr. McAuliffe. “They realized, ‘What I do doesn’t really matter. It has no social consequences. Nobody is going to pat me on the back if I am generous. No one is going to think I’m stingy if I’m not.’ So, when they come back, they don’t act on that cognitive shortcut because they’ve learned that the same rules don’t apply.”

According to Dr. McCullough, the study findings may explain why people who live in big cities have a reputation for being more rushed and less friendly to strangers compared to people who live in a small town.

“I think what this study says isn’t that generosity towards strangers is part of what humans evolved into, but instead that we evolved in a world where there really weren’t strangers,” said Dr. McCullough. “We knew everybody. They knew us, and if we didn’t know everybody directly, we knew somebody they knew, so if we were bad to someone they could say, ‘That is a terrible person.’”

“Now we live in cities with millions of people and you can legitimately encounter a stranger and say ‘I’ll never see that person again’ - and get away with treating them poorly. That’s less so in small towns, where almost everybody does know everybody.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav">Nature Human Behavior</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People are not as generous when they live among strangers

Researchers at the University of Miami's Evolution and Human Behavior...

The discovery of a new projectile point recovered from an excavation site in Texas has led researchers to believe that there may have been two separate human migrations into <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/insect-eating-birds-declining/">North America</a>. 

A projectile point is a triangular blade often attached to a weapon that would be thrown. The previously unknown style of projectile point dates back between 13,500 and 15,500 years. This is significantly earlier than the Clovis-style weapons that are around 13,000 years old.

While the Clovis-style tools were thought to represent the earliest settlement of North America, the most recent excavations in western North America have identified a different style of point technology - the Western Stemmed Tradition. The connections between the artifact assemblages of Clovis and Western Stemmed Traditions remain unknown. 

A research team led by Michael R. Waters, a professor of Anthropology and Geography at Texas A&amp;M University, are reporting the discovery of more than 100,000 artifacts, including 328 tools and 12 complete and fragmented projectile points, which date back prior to the Clovis history. The artifacts were excavated from the Buttermilk Creek Complex horizon of the Debra L. Friedkin site.

Using a dating technique known as optically stimulated luminescence to test sediment samples, the researchers determined the artifacts were between 13,500- and 15,500- years-old. 

The results of the study suggest that the design of the early tools changed over time from the newly-recovered style to the Clovis-style projectile point. However, according to the study authors, it is also possible that the tool they found in Texas is a distinctive style created by people of an earlier, separate migration into North America. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New artifacts suggest two different migrations into North America

The discovery of a new projectile point recovered from an...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/">George Washington University</a> (GW) have estimated that up to 33 million asthma-related emergency room (ER) visits are triggered by exposure to ozone or fine particulate matter (PM2.5). While it has been long recognized that inhaling polluted air can trigger asthma attacks, this study is the first to quantify the effect of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-intelligence/">air pollution</a> on asthma cases around the globe.

Study lead author Dr. Susan C. Anenberg is an associate professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health.

“Millions of people worldwide have to go to emergency rooms for asthma attacks every year because they are breathing dirty air,” said Dr. Anenberg. “Our findings suggest that policies aimed at cleaning up the air can reduce the global burden of asthma and improve respiratory health around the world.”

Affecting around 358 million people, asthma is the most prevalent chronic respiratory disease in the world. The new research suggests that car emissions and other types of air pollution are severely increasing the frequency of serious asthma attacks.

[caption id="attachment_1861217" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/pollution.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1861217" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/pollution.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="496" /></a> Image Credit: Susan C. Anenberg/GW Milken Institute School of Public Health[/caption]

Dr. Anenberg and her team started their investigation by examining emergency room visits for asthma in 54 countries and Hong Kong. The researchers then combined this data with epidemiological exposure-response relationships, and also with global pollution levels recorded by satellites.

The study revealed that between 9 and 23 million annual asthma emergency room visits may be triggered by ozone worldwide, while another 5 to 10 million asthma emergency room visits were linked to fine particulate matter.

Approximately half of the asthma-related emergency room visits attributed to air pollution occurred in South and East Asian countries, particularly across India and China.

In the United States, where the air is relatively clean compared to South and East Asian countries, ozone and particulate matter were estimated to contribute up to 33 percent of all asthma-related ER visits in the country.

Daven Henze is the principal investigator on the project and an associate professor at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a>.

“The value of using satellites is that we were able to obtain a consistent measure of air pollution concentrations throughout the world,” said Professor Henze. “This information allowed us to link the asthma burden to air pollution even in parts of the world where ambient air quality measurements have not been available.”

Dr. Anenberg concluded, “We know that air pollution is the leading environmental health risk factor globally. Our results show that the range of global public health impacts from breathing dirty air are even more far reaching--and include millions of asthma attacks every year.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution prompts millions of asthma attacks across the world

Researchers at George Washington University (GW) have estimated that up...

While it is known that pain can lead to sleepless nights, scientists at <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">UC Berkeley</a> wanted to know how a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sleep-deprivation-tau-accumulate/">lack of sleep</a> may affect pain. The researchers identified neural glitches in the brain among sleep-deprived individuals that make pain more intense and more persistent. 

In 2015, a survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that two out of three patients with chronic pain suffer from frequent sleep disruptions. The findings of the current study help to explain the overlapping epidemics of sleep loss and chronic pain, as well as opioid addiction.

“If poor sleep intensifies our sensitivity to pain, as this study demonstrates, then sleep must be placed much closer to the center of patient care, especially in hospital wards,” said study senior author Professor Matthew Walker.

The investigation, which was led by UC Berkeley Ph.D. student Adam Krause, was focused on two dozen healthy young adults. The team scanned their brain activity while uncomfortable levels of heat were applied to their legs. 

When the individuals were sleep deprived, the neural mechanisms that respond to pain signals and activate natural pain relief were disrupted. Beyond confirming their theory that sleep deprivation intensifies pain, the researchers were surprised to discover weakened activity in the nucleus accumbens, a region of the brain's reward system that increases dopamine levels to relieve pain. 

“Sleep loss not only amplifies the pain-sensing regions in the brain, but blocks the natural analgesia centers, too,” said Professor Walker.

The researchers also conducted a survey of more than 230 American adults of all ages. The participants reported on their nightly hours of sleep as well as their day-to-day pain levels over the course of a few days. The results showed that even minor shifts in sleep and wake patterns coincided with changes in sensitivity to pain.

“The results clearly show that even very subtle changes in nightly sleep - reductions that many of us think little of in terms of consequences - have a clear impact on your next-day pain burden,” said Krause.

Professor Walker explained, “The optimistic takeaway here is that sleep is a natural analgesic that can help manage and lower pain. Yet ironically, one environment where people are in the most pain is the worst place for sleep - the noisy hospital ward.”

“Our findings suggest that patient care would be markedly improved, and hospital beds cleared sooner, if uninterrupted sleep were embraced as an integral component of healthcare management.”

Professor Walker plans to work with hospitals to create more sleep-friendly inpatient facilities.

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/">Journal of Neuroscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sleep deprivation intensifies our sensitivity to pain

While it is known that pain can lead to sleepless...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[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...