A recent study is the first to suggest that the use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA, providing valuable insights into the biological impact of cannabis use.&nbsp;



High-potency cannabis is defined as having Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis - content of 10% or more.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biological-impact-of-high-potency-cannabis-nbsp">Biological impact of high-potency cannabis&nbsp;</h2>



The research also showed the effect of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-cannabis-use-disorder-risk-varies-among-young-adults/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cannabis</a> use on DNA is different in people experiencing their first episode of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-sleep-deprivation-linked-to-adult-psychosis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychosis</a> compared to users who have never experienced psychosis. 



This suggests there could be potential for DNA blood tests to help characterize those cannabis users at risk of developing psychosis to inform preventative approaches.



“With the increasing prevalence of cannabis use and more availability of high-potency cannabis, there is a pressing need to better understand its biological impact, particularly on mental health,” said senior author Marta Di Forti, a professor of drugs, genes and psychosis at <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">King's College London</a> (KCL).



“Our study is the first to show high-potency cannabis leaves a unique signature on DNA related to mechanisms around the immune system and energy production.”



According to Professor Forti, future research needs to explore if the DNA signature for current cannabis use - in particular the one of high-potency types - can help identify those users most at risk to develop psychosis, both in recreational and medicinal use settings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-potency-cannabis-and-dna-methylation-nbsp">High-potency cannabis and DNA methylation&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers explored the effects of cannabis use on DNA methylation - a chemical process detected in blood samples that alters how genes are functioning (whether they are switched “on” or “off”).&nbsp;



DNA methylation is a type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-status-linked-to-lasting-epigenetic-changes-in-hyenas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">epigenetic change</a>, which means it alters gene expression without affecting the DNA sequence itself and is considered a vital factor in the interplay between risk factors and mental health.



The laboratory team at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Exeter</a> conducted complex analyses of DNA methylation across the whole human genome using blood samples from both people who have experienced first-episode psychosis and those who have never had a psychotic experience. 



The researchers investigated the impact of current cannabis use, including frequency and potency, on the DNA of 682 participants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genes-related-to-energy-and-immune-function">Genes related to energy and immune function</h2>



The analysis showed that frequent users of high-potency cannabis had changes in genes related to mitochondrial and immune function, particularly the CAVIN1 gene, which could affect energy and immune response.&nbsp;



These changes were not explained by the well-established impact that tobacco has on DNA methylation, which is usually mixed into joints by most cannabis users.



“This is the first study to show that frequent use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct molecular mark on DNA, particularly affecting genes related to energy and immune function,” said study lead author Emma Dempster, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter.



“Our findings provide important insights into how cannabis use may alter biological processes. DNA methylation, which bridges the gap between genetics and environmental factors, is a key mechanism that allows external influences, such as substance use, to impact gene activity.”&nbsp;



Dempster noted that these epigenetic changes, shaped by lifestyle and exposures, offer a valuable perspective on how cannabis use may influence mental health through biological pathways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-valuable-new-insights">Valuable new insights</h2>



Dempster meta-analyzed data from two cohorts: the GAP study, which consists of patients with first-episode psychosis in <a href="https://slam.nhs.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust</a>, and the EU-GEI study, which consists of patients with first-episode psychosis and healthy controls across England, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.



This totaled 239 participants with first-episode psychosis and 443 healthy controls representing the general population from both study sites who had available DNA samples.&nbsp;



Most of the cannabis users in the study used high-potency cannabis more than once a week (defined as frequent use) and had first used cannabis at the age of 16 years old, on average.



This study, published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02689-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Molecular Psychiatry</a> provides crucial insights into how high-potency cannabis use may impact DNA and lead to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-potency-linked-to-dramatic-rise-in-psychiatric-disorders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychiatric disorders</a>, highlighting the need for further research to understand the biological mechanisms at play and to develop preventative strategies for those at risk of psychosis.



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High-potency cannabis use linked to epigenetic changes

A recent study is the first to suggest that the use of high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA, providing valuable insights into the biological impact of cannabis use.&nbsp; High-potency cannabis is defined as having Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the principal psychoactive constituent in cannabis - content of 10% or more.&nbsp; Biological impact of high-potency cannabis&nbsp; The research also showed the effect of cannabis use on DNA is different in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis compared to users who have never experienced psychosis. This suggests...

The harmful relationship between sea turtles and light pollution has emerged as an important consideration in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/baby-sea-turtles-dying-plastic/">sea turtle</a> conservation. What is less known is the relationship between sea turtles and the tourists who visit them, and subsequently encourage increased development along pristine shorelines.

Light is an important navigation tool for sea turtles. But human interference through artificial light threatens to distort sea turtles’ ability to navigate and survive.

When newborn sea turtles first hatch on the beach they will stay beneath the sand and wait to emerge until nighttime after the temperature has cooled down, according to the<a href="https://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/threats/artificial-lighting/"> Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission</a>.

Hatchlings will instinctively move towards the brightest area, which would naturally be the ocean, glowing from the reflection of the night sky. In an era of rapid human expansion, this is often not the case. Turtles may mistakenly follow the light shining from street lights and buildings where they are at an increased risk of mortality from fatigue, predation, dehydration, and collision with vehicles.

Light pollution may also impact mother sea turtles as they attempt to nest. In 2014, a<a href="https://conserveturtles.org/lights-out-for-sea-turtles/"> loggerhead turtle</a> looking to nest became disoriented by lights from a nearby condo and wandering into a street where she was struck and killed by a vehicle. Mothers may also refuse to nest on beaches where there are high levels of light pollution making it more difficult for her to successfully nest.

Similar to the glow of artificial lights, the scale of this problem is wide-reaching. It is<a href="https://www.darksky.org/our-work/sea-turtle-conservation/"> estimated</a> that millions of sea turtle hatchlings die as a result of light pollution every year in Florida alone. Sea turtles are considered among the<a href="https://www.fws.gov/home/feature/2007/seaturtles2.pdf"> world’s most imperiled wildlife</a> and six of the seven species are at risk of extinction.

Despite the dire state of the world’s sea turtles, light pollution is becoming increasingly more prevalent. A 2019<a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/acv.12480"> study</a> found that less than one-third of the world’s Key Biodiversity Areas have completely pristine night skies and around one-half lie entirely under artificially bright skies.

Light pollution may be especially exacerbated near coastal destinations where tourists flock to visit sea turtles in person. Although many tourists likely visit sea turtles for altruistic reasons, the boom of this industry encourages increased development along shorelines. With urbanization comes lights from hotels, condos, restaurants, street lights and vehicles.

Compounding the issue further is the fact that many sea turtles hatch during the peak tourist season of summer and early fall.

Researchers examining the effect of tourism on sea turtle conservation on the island of Sal, Cape Verde Islands<a href="http://193.136.21.50/bitstream/10961/1547/1/Taylor%20%26%20Cozens%20Tourism-Turtles%20Sal.pdf"> found</a> a marked increase in the percentage of nests that needed to be moved each year due to light pollution. At one popular tourist spot, all of the sea turtle nests needed to be moved for two consecutive years.

In the United States, sea turtle tourism is prevalent in Florida, the home to<a href="https://conserveturtles.org/information-sea-turtles-threats-artificial-lighting/"> over 90%</a> of all sea turtle nesting in the continental United States and the largest population of loggerheads in the Western Hemisphere.

As an ecologically significant sea turtle hot-spot, the government and conservation groups have worked to control the state’s light pollution. These programs look to use the latest technology to mitigate the glow of artificial lights or simply encourage private properties to use less light altogether. To date,<a href="https://f50006a.eos-intl.net/ELIBSQL12_F50006A_Documents/TR-2Rev2.pdf"> at least 82 municipalities</a> in Florida have adopted lighting ordinances to regulate artificial lighting.

<a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rse2.12">Research</a> shows that these conservation initiatives have successfully reduced light pollution on beaches despite Florida’s expanding coastal development.

Mitigating light pollution can be an opportunity for the tourism sector to attract eco-conscious travelers and create a cozy and intimate environment by using soft lighting and candles at night.

Tourists can help encourage sustainable tourism by enquiring about light pollution before booking a stay at a coastal hotel. Additionally, local governments should not wait on private businesses to address light pollution and should designate priority areas for sea turtle conservation and adopt lighting ordinances.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Tourism can worsen deadly light pollution in sea turtle habitats

The harmful relationship between sea turtles and light pollution has...

Climate change will expose more people to mosquito-borne viruses. Globally, over a billion people are threatened by mosquito-borne viruses, such as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-dengue-fever/">dengue</a>, chikungunya, and Zika. A new study published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/">PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases</a> is warning that the combination of climate change and rising temperatures will expose more people to diseases carried by mosquitoes.

The most extreme increases in disease transmission are predicted to occur under intermediate climate change conditions. In particular, the study was focused on Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, mosquitoes that were once found mainly in Africa and the tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia.

A team led by Sadie Ryan at the <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> modified a previously developed Bayesian transmission model to analyze how climate change will impact virus-carrying mosquitoes. The adapted model enabled the researchers to track shifting global warming scenarios to determine where mosquitoes will migrate and how the number of disease transmissions will change over the next century.

The study results show that when the mosquito range shifts within optimal temperature ranges for transmission, we can expect poleward shifts in Aedes-borne virus distributions. 

Human exposure to mosquito-borne viruses is predicted to increase in Europe, while transmission from Ae. albopictus may decrease in southeast Asia and west Africa when when the worst-case scenario is applied. Surprisingly, a middle-of-the-road temperature increase could produce the largest expansion in viral transmission by Ae. albopictus. This contradicts theories that predict an increase in temperature will run parallel with a rise in illness.

“The dynamics of mosquito-borne illnesses are climate-driven, and current work suggests that climate change will dramatically increase the potential for expansion and intensification of Aedes-borne virus transmission within the next century,” wrote the researchers.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Climate change will expose more people to mosquito-borne viruses

Climate change will expose more people to mosquito-borne viruses. Globally,...

Climate change contributes to global economic inequality. Economic inequality between lower income and more prosperous countries has decreased in recent years, narrowing a problematic gap in national GDPs worldwide. 

However, a new study has found that global warming is providing ample room for colder climate countries like Norway to thrive while warm climate countries like India suffer economic declines. 

In the world’s poorest countries, global warming decreased potential income earnings per person by 17 to 30 percent. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> conducted the study, and the results show that the gap between countries with the lowest and highest economies is 25 percent larger than it would have been due to climate change. 

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Our results show that most of the poorest countries on Earth are considerably poorer than they would have been without global warming,” said Noah Diffenbaugh, the lead author of the study. “At the same time, the majority of rich countries are richer than they would have been.”

The researchers built on previous data covering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-global-warming-hurts-the-world-economy/">50 years of annual temperature and GDP measurement comparisons</a> for 165 countries. 

Climate warming over the past 50 years benefitted colder countries but dragged down warm climate countries. 

“The historical data clearly show that crops are more productive, people are healthier and we are more productive at work when temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold,” said Marshall Burke, a co-author of the study. “This means that in cold countries, a little bit of warming can help. The opposite is true in places that are already hot.”

For this study, the researchers wanted to see how economic outputs would have changed given different climate scenarios depending on the country. 

The researchers analyzed data from more than 20 climate models and calculated more than 20,0000 annual economic growth rates per country under a no climate change scenario. 

The decline in economic growth rate for many warm, low-income countries, is the result of years and years of accumulating impacts from climate change. In India, the researchers found that the economy is 31 percent smaller than it would have been without global warming. 

“For most countries, whether global warming has helped or hurt economic growth is pretty certain,” said Burke. “There's essentially no uncertainty that they've [tropical countries] been harmed. It's a huge loss compared to where these countries would have been otherwise."

The study shows how climate change has impacted national economies for countries at either end of the climate spectrum, but for middle latitude countries like the US where climate change has been less pronounced, economic output has not been as greatly impacted. 

“A few of the largest economies are near the perfect temperature for economic output. Global warming hasn't pushed them off the top of the hill, and in many cases, it has pushed them toward it,” said Burke. “But a large amount of warming in the future will push them further and further from the temperature optimum.”

The researchers warn that as climate change increases and global temperatures rise, vulnerable economies will be further impacted. 

“The more these countries warm up, the more drag there's going to be on their development,” said Diffenbaugh said. “Historically, rapid economic development has been powered by fossil fuels. Our finding that global warming has exacerbated economic inequality suggests that there is an added economic benefit of energy sources that don't contribute to further warming.”

--

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 contributes to global economic inequality

Climate change contributes to global economic inequality. Economic inequality between...

Americans now spend even more time sitting, study shows. Health warnings have urged modern adults to get up and moving throughout the day, noting that long periods of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sitting-watching-tv-colorectal-cancer/">sedentary behavior</a> can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and shorten life spans. 

But according to new research from <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/">Washington University School of Medicine</a>, Americans spend more time sitting now than in years prior. 

Study leader Yin Cao, M.P.H., Sc.D. and team saw a 6 to 8 hour jump in the amount of hours adolescents and adults spent sitting between 2007 and 2016.

Compared to sitting for about an hour per day in 2007, adolescents in 2016 spent about 8.2 hours per day sitting. And adults in 2016 sat for about 6.4 hours per day.

To come to their conclusion, published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2731178?guestAccessKey=7a264df9-860b-4443-b743-87fc1d7f6b2b&amp;utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_content=tfl&amp;utm_term=042319">JAMA Network</a>, Cao and her team used data from nearly 52,000 kids, adolescents, and adults collected within the U.S. between 2001 and 2016. 

Between 2015 and 2016, an estimated 62% of children, 59% of adolescents, and 65% of adults sat and watched television or videos for at least two hours per day.

Furthermore, computer time among all age groups increased between the 15-year period, with the largest jump being in adults. 50% of adults spent more than an hour on the computer in 2016 compared to just 29% in 2003.

Most of the data was collected from self reporting, so the authors realize that their findings may not be completely accurate because of the potential for error. However, they note that the trends they found over the 15-year period are most likely not affected by incorrect self reporting. 

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Americans now spend even more time sitting, study shows

Americans now spend even more time sitting, study shows. Health...

A need to prevent danger or harm. Feeling to blame for negative events. Focusing on a problem, even when there isn’t a solution. These mindsets can lead to a sense of inflated responsibility, and that in turn can trigger OCD or an anxiety disorder, according to new research.

Occasional worrying is normal, and everyone thinks negative thoughts down and then. But when these thoughts begin disrupting day-to-day life, they could indicate obsessive-compulsive disorder or generalized anxiety disorder.

"People with OCD [are] tortured by repeatedly occurring negative thinking and they take some strategy to prevent it … GAD is a very pervasive type of anxiety. [Patients] worry about everything," co-author Dr. Yoshinori Sugiura of the <a href="https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en">University of Hiroshima</a> said in a press release.

It’s the difference between checking that the stove is off after dinner, and checking repeatedly throughout the evening and even into the next day even though you know it’s off, just in case.

 Sugiura and his co-author, Dr. Brian Fisak of the <a href="https://www.ucf.edu/">University of Central Florida</a>, took a look at “inflated responsibility” as a potential cause of these disabling mental health challenges. They hoped to streamline several competing theories about what triggers OCD and GAD.

For their study, Sugiura and Fisak sent online questionnaires to U.S. university students asking questions about responsibility and about thoughts and behaviors common in OCD and GAD. They found that the students who reported feeling a higher sense of responsibility also tended to show more anxiety and compulsive behaviors.

Sugiura and Fisak were quick to note that more research is needed before doctors can settle on inflated responsibility as the cause of these disorders. Their sample size was not large, and the majority of respondents were female university students, they said.

But they believe that helping patients reduce their sense of responsibility may help bring these disorders under control. 

"[A] very quick or easy way is to realize that responsibility is working behind your worry,” Sugiura said. “I ask [patients], ‘Why are you worried so much?’ so they will answer, ‘I can't help but worry,’ but they will not spontaneously think, ‘Because I feel responsibility’ ... just realizing it will make some space between responsibility thinking and your behavior."

The study has been published in the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41811-019-00041-x">International Journal of Cognitive Therapy</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

'Inflated responsibility' may trigger OCD and anxiety

A need to prevent danger or harm. Feeling to blame...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a> has found that interference with natural circadian rhythms promotes tumor growth and suppresses the effects of a tumor-fighting drug. The findings highlight the need for “chronotherapy,” which is the delivery of cancer drugs timed to the internal <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/circadian-rhythm-light-melatonin/">circadian rhythm</a>.

In the background of our brain, a 24-hour clock keeps time for changes in our physical and mental cycles in response to environmental cues such as light and darkness. This natural circadian rhythm regulates many important aspects of our lives. 

Disruption of the brain’s circadian clock through sleep disturbances or shift work, for example, is a known risk factor for several types of cancer. While it is known that hormonally-induced circadian disruption promotes tumor growth in animal models, the underlying mechanism has not been clear.

To investigate, the researchers used the hormone dexamethasone to advance daily rhythms in cultured cells. The treatment was found to alter the expression of multiple genes, especially those involved in regulating the cell cycle. 

In particular, circadian rhythm disruption increased the expression of a cell-cycle control protein called cyclin D1. This activated cyclin D-dependent kinase 4/6, a step that ultimately leads to cell division.


[caption id="attachment_1871951" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/circadian-rhythm-disruption.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871951" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/circadian-rhythm-disruption.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="448" /></a> Circadian dysregulation of the cell cycle increases tumor growth, Image Credit: Amita Sehgal[/caption]

Tumor growth is closely tied to cell division, so many cancer treatments aim to inhibit the progression of the cell cycle. The researchers found that the tumor-fighting ability of a drug called PD-0332991, which inhibits CDK4/6 activity, varies according to the time of the day. 

Essentially, the treatment was found to be more effective in the morning than at night. Furthermore, the efficacy of the drug was reduced in mice when their circadian rhythms were disrupted.

“We suggest that chronic disruption of the normal circadian rhythm tips the balance between tumor-suppressive and tumor-progressive gene expression to favor tumor growth,” said study co-author Amita Sehgal. “Better understanding the molecular effects of jet lag, shift work, and other sources of chronic disruption may lead to strategies to minimize the increased cancer risk associated with these behaviors, and to better treatment strategies, including timing delivery of cancer therapy for maximum benefit.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Disruption of the body’s circadian rhythm promotes tumor growth

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania has found...

The next time you go in for your annual checkup, you might consider having your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smell-mixtures-scents/">sense of smell </a>checked too, as a new study has found surprising links between poor sense of smell and a higher risk of early death.

Although the reasons behind this correlation between sense of smell and increased risk of death remain unknown, researchers from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> conducted the first study of its kind to examine how the two are connected.

The study was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, and the results show that older adults who have a poor sense of smell have a nearly 50 percent increased risk of dying within ten years.

“Poor sense of smell becomes more common as people age, and there's a link to a higher risk for death,” said Honglei Chen, an epidemiologist and member of the research team. “Our study is the first to look at the potential reasons why it predicts a higher mortality.”

The researchers reviewed and analyzed data from nearly 2,300 participants aged 71 to 82 who were part of the <a href="https://healthabc.nia.nih.gov/">National Institute on Aging's Health ABC study</a>. Participants were followed for 13 years and the assessment included a smell test of 12 odors.

A poor sense of smell correlated with a 46 percent higher risk of death after 10 years and a 30 percent risk at 13 years.

The researchers accounted for several factors including sex, race, and lifestyle factors but the links stayed consistent.

Surprisingly, participants who were in good health at the start of the ABC study were at a higher risk which indicates that sense of smell should be taken seriously as a predictor of potential health problems.

A reduced sense of smell is an early sign of dementia and Parkinson’s, but these factors were not enough to explain the increased risk of death linked to smell and more research is needed to solve this connection.

“We don't have a reason for more than 70% of the increased risk. We need to find out what happened to these individuals,” said Chen. “It tells us that in older adults, impaired sense of smell has broader implications of health beyond what we have already known. Incorporating a sense of smell screening in routine doctor visits might be a good idea at some point.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Poor sense of smell linked to higher risk of early death in older adults

The next time you go in for your annual checkup,...

Both drug-induced and spontaneous encounters with a higher power or “God” can be life changing for people both on a spiritual and physical level. 

There have been countless reports of people having deeply religious experiences, some drug-induced through the use of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-vote-medicinal-benefits/">psychedelics</a> and some spontaneous.

Given the significance that religious experiences and God encounters hold for people, researchers from<a href="https://www.jhu.edu/"> John Hopkins University</a> conducted a study to examine the potential healing properties that these deeply meaningful experiences can have.

The point of the study was not to prove the existence of a God or religion, although more than two-thirds of the survey respondents admitted to changing their atheist beliefs after an encounter. But the main objective was to assess the lasting positive changes attributed to a drug-induced or spontaneous religious experience. 

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE. 

“Experiences that people describe as encounters with God or a representative of God have been reported for thousands of years, and they likely form the basis of many of the world’s religions,” said Roland Griffiths, the lead researcher of the study. “And although modern Western medicine doesn't typically consider ‘spiritual’ or ‘religious’ experiences as one of the tools in the arsenal against sickness, our findings suggest that these encounters often lead to improvements in mental health.”

The researchers surveyed 4,285 participants worldwide who took part in one of two online surveys after responding to an online advertisement. 

Questions on memorable encounters with the “God of their understanding,” a “higher power,” “ultimate reality” or “an aspect or representative of God, such as an angel,” were included in the survey. 

Participants were also asked about how the experience impacted their lives.

Of the participants, 1,184 reported taking magic mushrooms prior to their encounter. 1,251 took LSD, 606 took DMT, a naturally occurring psychedelic substance, and 435 said they took ayahuasca. 

Overall, regardless of whether the encounter was catalyzed by psychedelics or spontaneous, 75 percent of the participants said their personal religious experience was one of the most meaningful and significant experiences of their lives. 

70 percent of the participants that took psychedelics admitted feeling less afraid of death after their encounter, and the encounter was linked to positive and lasting changes in happiness, wellbeing, and added meaning and purpose to the participant's lives. 

It is important to note that because the study relied on self-reported information, there are many limitations to the research. 

However, the results indicate that deeply religious experiences can have a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, a fact that deserves further explanation, according to the researchers. 

“Continuing to explore these experiences may provide new insights into religious and spiritual beliefs that have been integral to shaping human culture since time immemorial,” said Griffiths.

--

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>

Experiencing a ‘higher power’ has a positive impact on mental health, wellness

Both drug-induced and spontaneous encounters with a higher power or...

A report from the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/">Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development</a> (OECD), a coalition of 36 countries across the globe, has revealed that half of all jobs will be substantially changed by technology within the next two decades. In this time frame, the OECD predicts that 14 percent of jobs will be completely automated, while 32 percent of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/outsource-jobs-health-risks/">jobs</a> will be significantly different than they are today.


According to the research, the technological transformation of jobs will not necessarily mean that there will be less jobs available, but that new jobs will require updated skills. “The OECD Employment Outlook does not envisage a jobless future. But it does foresee major challenges for the future of work,” explained OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría.

The number of highly-skilled jobs which require information and communications technology (ICT) experience has increased by 25 percent over the last 20 years. However, only six out of 10 adults currently have ICT training. The OECD says that a robust adult training program is critical to help workers adapt to the changing workforce.

“In all OECD countries, training participation is lowest among those who need it most, including the low-skilled, older adults and non-standard workers,” the coalition states. “A major overhaul of adult learning programs to increase their coverage and promote quality is needed to harness the benefits of the changing world of work. Measures should include removing time and financial constraints to participation in training, making training rights portable, and providing quality information and counseling.”

Some policy makers have even proposed what is known as a Universal Basic Income, which would be given to all citizens, to ease the burden of an automated future. The money would allow workers to seek additional training for new jobs and provide support for those in positions that will become obsolete.

“Adapting and extending social protection is essential to ensure better coverage for workers in non-standard forms of employment,” states OECD. “Non-standard workers are, in some countries, 40-50% less likely to receive any form of income support while out of work than standard employees. Benefit entitlements should be made portable across jobs and targeted social protection measures complemented with more universal and unconditional support.”

“Even with a rapidly changing economy and the forward march of technology, all we need is a plan,” said Gurria. “With the right policies, we can manage these challenges. We face significant transformation, but we have the opportunity and the determination to use this moment and build a future of work that benefits everyone.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/">Environmental Health</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Half of all jobs will be transformed by automation, report shows

A report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development...

A recent study of global trends in body-mass index (BMI) has revealed that rates of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/obesity-related-cancers-young-adults/">obesity</a> are rising faster in rural areas compared to cities. A team led by <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> analyzed height and weight data for more than 112 million adults across 200 countries between 1985 and 2017.

The study, which involved a network of more than 1,000 researchers, found that more than half of the average increase in BMI was due to gains in rural areas. In some low- and middle-income countries, rural areas contributed more than 80 percent of the BMI increase.

In 1985, urban men and women in over 75 percent of the countries had a higher BMI than those living in rural regions. Over the next three decades, the gap between urban and rural BMI shrank or even reversed in many of the countries.

“The results of this massive global study overturn commonly held perceptions that more people living in cities is the main cause of the global rise in obesity,” said study senior author Professor Majid Ezzati. “This means that we need to rethink how we tackle this global health problem.”

In high-income countries, BMI has been generally higher in rural areas since 1985, especially for women. The researchers said this may be due to disadvantages associated with living outside of cities, including lower income and education, limited availability and higher price of healthy foods, and fewer leisure and sports facilities.

[caption id="attachment_1872363" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/obesity-rates.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1872363" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/obesity-rates.jpeg" alt="" width="650" height="322" /></a> A positive number shows a higher urban mean BMI, and a negative number a higher rural mean BMI. Image Credit: Ezzati et al. Nature 2019[/caption]

“Discussions around public health tend to focus more on the negative aspects of living in cities,” said Professor Ezzati. “In fact, cities provide a wealth of opportunities for better nutrition, more physical exercise and recreation, and overall improved health. These things are often harder to find in rural areas.”

At the same time, rural areas in low- and middle-income countries have shifted toward higher incomes, improved infrastructure, and increased car use. While all of these factors lead to numerous health benefits, they also lead to lower energy expenditure and to more spending on food.

“As countries increase in wealth, the challenge for rural populations changes from affording enough to eat, to affording good quality food,” said Professor Ezzati.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Obesity rates are rising faster in rural areas

A recent study of global trends in body-mass index (BMI)...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society of Cardiology</a> has revealed that people who skip breakfast and eat a late dinner have a more difficult time recovering after a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/heart-attacks-less-deadly/">heart attack</a>. 

The researchers found that individuals with both of these detrimental eating habits were up to five times more prone to another heart attack, chest pain, or even death within 30 days of being discharged from the hospital after a heart attack. 

The investigation was focused on 113 patients with an average age of 60 who had experienced a particularly serious form of heart attack called ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Among the study participants, 58 percent skipped breakfast, 51 percent ate late-night dinner, and 41 percent had both habits.


“One in ten patients with STEMI dies within a year, and nutrition is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to improve prognosis,” said study co-author Dr. Marcos Minicucci of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Paulo_State_University">São Paolo State University</a>.

“It is said that the best way to live is to breakfast like a king. A good breakfast is usually composed of dairy products (fat-free or low fat milk, yogurt and cheese), a carbohydrate (whole wheat bread, bagels, cereals), and whole fruits. It should have 15 to 35% of our total daily calorie intake.”

Dr. Minicucci noted that late-night dinner eating was defined by less than two hours between dinner and bedtime. Previous studies have found that people who miss breakfast and have a late dinner are more likely to have other unhealthy habits as well, such as smoking and low levels of physical activity. 

“Our research shows that the two eating behaviors are independently linked with poorer outcomes after a heart attack, but having a cluster of bad habits will only make things worse,” said Dr. Minicucci. “People who work late may be particularly susceptible to having a late supper and then not being hungry in the morning.”

“We also think that the inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and endothelial function could be involved in the association between unhealthy eating behaviors and cardiovascular outcomes."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/Journals/ESC-Journal-Family/European-Journal-of-Preventive-Cardiology">European Journal of Preventive Cardiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Skipping breakfast and eating late can worsen cardiovascular issues

A new study from the European Society of Cardiology has...

Skipping breakfast linked to 87 percent higher risk of heart disease. A new study published by the <a href="https://www.acc.org/">American College of Cardiology</a> is providing new evidence to suggest that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/skipping-breakfast-cardiovascular-issues/">breakfast</a> really is the most important meal of the day. 

The researchers found that individuals who skipped breakfast on a regular basis were more likely to die from cardiovascular disease. By contrast, those who ate breakfast every day had a substantially reduced risk of death from heart disease.

The experts analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was conducted from 1988 to 1994, with an average follow-up of 18 years. The researchers had access to relevant information on more than 6,000 participants between the ages of 40 and 75, who had no history of cardiovascular disease or cancer. 

The participants were asked to report how often they ate breakfast, and the possible responses ranged from every day, some days, rarely, or never. Overall, 5.1 percent of the individuals never ate breakfast, 10.9 percent rarely ate breakfast, 25 percent ate breakfast some days, and 59 percent ate breakfast every day.

The study revealed that individuals who never consumed breakfast had an 87 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease-specific mortality compared to those who consumed breakfast every day. 

According to the researchers, skipping breakfast was found to be associated with changes in appetite and decreased satiety, elevated blood pressure, and harmful changes in lipid levels. The experts also noted that neglecting to eat breakfast appeared to be a behavioral marker for unhealthy lifestyle habits.

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.onlinejacc.org/">Journal of the American College of Cardiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Skipping breakfast linked to 87 percent higher risk of heart disease

Skipping breakfast linked to 87 percent higher risk of heart...

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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

[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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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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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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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...