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...

Archaeologists at <a href="https://wsu.edu/">Washington State University</a> have discovered the oldest tattooing artifact in western North America. The tool was made about 2,000 years ago by the Ancestral Pueblo people in what is now southeastern Utah.

Study lead author Andrew Gillreath-Brown stumbled upon the instrument while taking an inventory of artifacts that had been in storage for more than four decades. His discovery pushes back the earliest evidence of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tattoos-health-risks-immune-systems/">tattooing</a> in western North America by more than 1,000 years. It also provides new insight into the lives of prehistoric people.

“Tattooing by prehistoric people in the Southwest is not talked about much because there has not ever been any direct evidence to substantiate it,” said Gillreath-Brown. “This tattoo tool provides us information about past Southwestern culture we did not know before.”

Although tattooing is a common form of expression among indigenous cultures worldwide, little is known about when or why the practice began. This is particularly true in places like the southwestern United States, where no tattoos have been identified on preserved human remains. Archaeologists have relied on visual depictions in ancient artwork to trace the origins of tattooing in the region.

[caption id="attachment_1868896" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/tattoo-tool.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1868896" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/tattoo-tool.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" /></a> 2,000 year-old-cactus spine tattoo tool, Image Credit: Bob Hubner/WSU[/caption]

The newly identified tool consists of a 3.5 inch wooden skunkbush sumac handle that is bound with split yucca leaves and holds two cactus spines that are stained black at the tips. “The residue staining from tattoo pigments on the tip was what immediately piqued my interest as being possibly a tattoo tool,” said Gillreath-Brown. 

He analyzed the tips with a scanning electron microscope, X-ray fluorescence, and energy dispersive ray spectroscopy, and then tested them out on pig skin. The crystalline structure of pigment was visible and appeared to contain carbon, which is commonly used for tattooing.

According to Gillreath-Brown, the finding “has a great significance for understanding how people managed relationships and how status may have been marked on people in the past during a time when population densities were increasing in the Southwest.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-archaeological-science-reports">Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People in North America were getting tattoos 2,000 years ago

Archaeologists at Washington State University have discovered the oldest tattooing...

The United States may be a leading country in the global economy, but when it comes to life expectancy, the US keeps dropping in the ranks. 

Rising drug overdose death rates in recent years have begun to impact <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-expectancy-overdose-us/">life expectancy</a>, and now a new study found that the US has the highest number of drug overdose deaths compared to other high-income countries like Sweden or Japan. 

In the past two decades alone, drug overdose mortality has more than tripled, and researchers from the<a href="https://www.usc.edu/"> University of Southern California</a> examined how life expectancy and drug overdose death rates in the U.S. compared to 18 other “peer countries,” or countries with similar economies. 

The study, published in the journal Population and Development Review, is the most comprehensive international comparison of its kind to date. 

“The United States is experiencing a drug overdose epidemic of unprecedented magnitude, not only judging by its own history but also compared to the experiences of other high-income countries,” said Jessica Ho, an author of the study. “For over a decade now, the United States has had the highest drug overdose mortality among its peer countries.”

Data from the <a href="https://www.mortality.org/">Human Mortality Database</a>, <a href="https://www.who.int/healthinfo/mortality_data/en/">World Health Organization Mortality Database</a>, and several statistics agencies in the US and Canada were reviewed and analyzed for the study. 

The researchers used the data to compile drug overdose death rates for 18 countries based on year, sex, country and age between 1994 and 2015. 

Before the early 2000s, Finland and Sweden had the highest rates of drug overdose deaths, but the researchers identified a shift and widening gap in life expectancy in the US. 

By 2013, drug overdose in the US accounted for a 12 percent gap in life expectancy for men between the US and other high-income countries and an eight percent gap for women. 

Now, the drug overdose death rates in the US are 3.5 times higher than the other countries in the study. Italy and Japan have the lowest drug overdose death rates, and the US’s rates are double that of Finland and Sweden, the countries with second highest drug overdose mortalities behind the US. 

“On average, Americans are living 2.6 fewer years than people in other high-income countries,” said Ho. “This puts the United States more than a decade behind the life expectancy levels achieved by other high-income countries. American drug overdose deaths are widening this already significant gap and causing us to fall even further behind our peer countries.” 

The <a href="https://www.nsc.org/">National Safety Council </a>announced that Americans are more likely to die of an accidental opioid overdose than in a car crash, which is a core part of the problem. 

One potential driver of US drug overdose deaths is the opioid crisis along with a lack of substance abuse treatment available. 

While the US is struggling with opioid dependency and high drug overdose deaths, the researchers say that soon other high-income countries may face similar problems and only further drive down life expectancies.

“The use of prescription opioids and synthetic drugs like fentanyl are becoming increasingly common in many high-income countries and constitute a common challenge to be confronted by these countries,” said Ho.
--
By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

U.S. drug overdose death rates rank highest among wealthy countries

The United States may be a leading country in the...

According to new research from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a>, creativity does not peak just once in our lifetime. The experts found that creativity has two separate life cycles - one that peaks during the early adult years and one that heightens much later in life. 

The study, which was focused on winners of the Nobel Prize in Economics, revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microdosing-mushrooms-solving-creativity/">creativity</a> hits a high point in the mid-20s and again in the mid-50s. The findings support previous work by the same research team, which identified similar trends in the arts and also in other fields of science.

“We believe what we found in this study isn't limited to economics, but could apply to creativity more generally,” said study lead author Professor Bruce Weinberg. “Many people believe that creativity is exclusively associated with youth, but it really depends on what kind of creativity you're talking about.”

The analysis showed that the Nobel Prize winners who had their biggest achievements early in their career were most often “conceptual” innovators. According to Weinberg, these individuals challenge conventional wisdom and have a sudden breakthrough early on, before becoming immersed in the traditionally accepted theories of the field.

On the other hand, there are also “experimental” innovators, who accumulate knowledge throughout their careers and find new ways of analyzing and interpreting the information. After long periods of trial and error, the effort often pays off late in their career.

“Whether you hit your creative peak early or late in your career depends on whether you have a conceptual or experimental approach,” said Weinberg.

The researchers arranged 31 laureates on a list from the most experimental to the most conceptual based on specific characteristics of their most significant work. Next, the team used two different methods to calculate at which age the laureates were at the height of their creativity, which was measured by when they were cited most often.

The study revealed that conceptual laureates peaked at about 25 or 29 years of age, while experimental laureates peaked when they were in their mid-50s to 57 years old.

“These studies attribute differences in creative peaks to the nature of the scientific fields themselves, not to the scientists doing the work,” said Weinberg. “Our research suggests than when you're most creative is less a product of the scientific field that you're in and is more about how you approach the work you do.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/10645">De Economist</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Creativity does not necessarily peak during youth, research shows

According to new research from The Ohio State University, creativity...

A new health advisory from the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> is describing potential changes to the U.S. food system that would make it easier for consumers to choose healthier foods. The paper lays the groundwork for a strategic policy agenda that could help provide nutritious, affordable food to everyone.

Dr. Cheryl A.M. Anderson is a professor in the School of Medicine at <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">UC San Diego</a> and the chair of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee.

“Innovation in the food system is needed at multiple levels - the food industry, agricultural industry, public health and medicine, policy, and among communities, worksites, schools, and families. In a healthy food system, the healthy choice would be the default choice,” explained Dr. Anderson.

“To create a healthier and sustainable food system and optimal environments where consumers purchase and consume foods, we need improvements in food production and distribution so that consumers have a wide variety of healthy foods readily available.”

According to the report, health behaviors can also be positively impacted by practices that are initiated and implemented in the private sector.

“Examples include formulating new food products that are lower in calories and/or packaged as smaller serving sizes to reduce population-wide calorie consumption; improving the nutritional value of manufactured foods, product placement of healthier foods on grocery store shelves and pricing strategies to encourage purchasing healthier foods,” said Dr. Anderson.

Previous research has shown that community-based interventions can lead to positive changes in food selection and eating patterns. For example, some schools have noted that students drink more water when it is made readily available to them.

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy diet is needed to reduce the risk of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/heart-attacks-less-deadly/">heart attacks</a>, heart failure, and the most common type of stroke. Good eating habits are also known to enhance overall well-being and brain health. 

Most Americans need to make improvements in their diets. A healthy diet should include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, legumes, and nuts, and should limit sugary foods and red meat.

“There is a need for immediate action to promote, fund and evaluate healthful changes to the food system. Innovation at multiple levels is necessary to see improvements in the public's health,” said Dr. Anderson.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/circ">Circulation</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Changes to the U.S. food system could promote healthier choices

A new health advisory from the American Heart Association is...

Envy and jealousy can bring about some ugly emotions and responses in people, including resentment and self-loathing. Now with social media, we have more access to enviable moments than ever before, especially as people tend to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-critical-bodies/">highlight the best parts of their lives</a> on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.chicagobooth.edu/">University of Chicago Booth School of Business</a> wondered if people were more or less envious of another person’s experience or opportunity before or after it occurred. 

Previous studies have found that people have heightened emotions about future events and those feelings dissipate after the moment has passed. For example, think about a party you were really excited to attend or host, and how those anticipatory feelings leading up the party were stronger than the happy memories after. 

The new study, published in the journal Psychological Science, a journal of the <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/">Association for Psychological Science</a>, shows that like other emotions, envy fades over time.

“Enviable events lose some power over us once those events are in our past,” said Ed O’Brien, a co-author of the study.” This occurs even when people are left to their own devices -- in our studies, we didn’t instruct participants to engage in any particular distraction task or coping strategy, yet they still felt better as long as some time passed.”

O’Brien and a team of colleagues conducted several experiments. In the first, 620 participants were asked to imagine a close friend getting something the participants wanted themselves. The researchers asked the participants to imagine how they would feel before and after the event or experience passed. 

Although the participants imagined hypothetical scenarios, the researchers found that timing made a difference in how strong the feelings of envy were. 

In another experiment, the researchers followed participants every day in February of 2017 and 2018, assessing how the participants felt about a peer’s upcoming or past Valentine’s Day date. 

Overall, the participants were most envious of their friend’s date on February 14th and 13th, but were less resentful as soon as February 15th rolled around. 

The researchers found that specifically negative feelings were stronger leading up to the date, but envy became more benign after Valentine’s Day. 

“Previous research uniformly suggests that events in the future will prompt more extreme reactions because it’s more relevant to pay attention to things that might still happen to us,” said O’Brien. “But these findings suggest that the passing of time may be particularly linked with reducing the intensity of negative experiences, rather than reducing the intensity of all experiences.”

The results could help researchers better understand how social media prompts different responses and insecurities, and could better inform the difference between malicious and benign envy. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Envy fades over time, new study shows

Envy and jealousy can bring about some ugly emotions and...

<div class="inside"></div>
While many health professionals used to warn that drinking coffee (and the caffeine included) might not be so great for your health, recent research has shown that coffee drinkers tend to live <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-drinkers-lower-risk-death/">longer lives</a>.

These days, the general consensus does show that coffee is indeed beneficial to heart health, but up to a point. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/">University of South Australia</a> set out to examine the link between a certain gene variant CYP1A2, drinking coffee and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Drinking a reasonable amount of coffee won’t harm heart health

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found little correlation between genetic variants, coffee consumption, and disease risk. However, the results do show that drinking more than six cups of coffee a day can increase the risk of heart disease. Drinking a reasonable amount of coffee won’t harm heart health 

Luckily for most people in the US who drink fewer than 2 cups of coffee a day, the results are not a major cause for concern. 

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the <a href="https://mrc.ukri.org/research/facilities-and-resources-for-researchers/biobank/">UK Biobank</a> and were able to review genetic data, coffee consumption history, and health records from 347,077 UK Biobank participants.  

On average, the participants were between 37 and 73 years old, and the researchers found 8,368 incidents of cardiovascular disease. 

Drinking more than six cups of coffee a day was associated with a 22 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease regardless of genotype or metabolism, the researchers found. 

Coffee has been shown to help release fatty acids from fatty tissue and stimulate the nervous system, according to the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a>. However, coffee is also a diuretic and can negatively impact the kidneys, cause dehydration, and increase the risk of acid reflux. 

Since most people aren’t likely to down gallons of coffee every day, heart disease risks are minimal. Rather, people should be more worried about what they put in their coffee instead of how much they drink. 

“One big caveat is that, with all the cream and sugar and flavorings that people add to coffee, it contains a lot of calories that people don’t need and will probably make things [like heart health] worse,” Chris Labos, MD, a cardiologist at<a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/"> McGill University</a> who was not involved with the research, told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7016703/Coffee-NOT-bad-heart-drink-fewer-6-day.html">Daily Mail</a>. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Drinking a reasonable amount of coffee won’t harm heart health

While many health professionals used to warn that drinking coffee...

A researcher at <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a> has introduced a new theory about why time seems to pass by so much faster as we get older. Professor Adrian Bejan proposes that physical changes in our nerves and neurons influence our perception as our lives progress.

Images are captured and processed at a slower pace as the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/link-vascular-health-brain-health/">brain</a> ages. Younger brains, on the other hand, process more information in less time. According to Professor Bejan, this may explain why the endless days of childhood seemed to last so much longer. 

“People are often amazed at how much they remember from days that seemed to last forever in their youth,” said Professor Bejan. “It's not that their experiences were much deeper or more meaningful, it's just that they were being processed in rapid fire.”

Interconnected webs of nerves and neurons grow in size and complexity as they mature, which means that signals have longer paths to navigate. These paths also begin to deteriorate with age, and become less receptive to the flow of electrical signals.

This resistance to electrical activity slows the rate at which we obtain and process mental images. Professor Bejan pointed out that the eyes of infants move much more frequently compared to adults because they are rapidly capturing and processing and information.

Ultimately, time seems to be passing more quickly to older people because they are experiencing fewer new images in the same amount of time as younger people.

“The human mind senses time changing when the perceived images change,’ said Professor Bejan. “The present is different from the past because the mental viewing has changed, not because somebody's clock rings. Days seemed to last longer in your youth because the young mind receives more images during one day than the same mind in old age.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-review">European Review</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why time seems to fly faster as we get older

A researcher at Duke University has introduced a new theory...

Exposure to air pollution may cause lower sperm production in mice, a new study has found.

And if air pollution is affecting sperm in mice, it may be affecting other species as well, according to scientists who worked on the study.

"Infertility rates are increasing around the world, and air pollution may be one of the main factors," lead researcher Dr. Elaine Maria Frade Costa of <a href="https://www5.usp.br/">Sao Paulo University</a> said in a press release.

About 15 percent of the world’s population – men and women alike – struggle with infertility, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a>. That rate is higher in developing countries.

“One in every four couples in developing countries had been found to be affected by infertility, when an evaluation of responses from women in Demographic and Health Surveys from 1990 was completed in collaboration with WHO in 2004,” the organization states on its website.

Costa and her team suspected pollution played a role, specifically by lowering sperm production. 

So they studied four groups of mice. One was exposed to air pollution containing high levels of particulate matter – soot, smoke, dust, pollen and more – both before and after birth, all the way to adulthood. The second group was exposed to pollution during gestation, but not after birth; the third was exposed after birth to adulthood, and the fourth was only exposed to filtered air.

Then, the researchers examined the animals’ testes, including DNA analysis of the sperm.

The sperm production of all three groups exposed to pollution showed damage, compared to the control group that only breathed filtered air. 

The damage was found to be epigenetic – that is, not caused by the animals’ DNA, but by environmental factors.

The study is concerning, especially in areas with high levels of air pollution.

"These findings provide more evidence that governments need to implement public policies to control air pollution in big cities," she said.

The study will be presented Monday in New Orleans at <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/endo2019">ENDO 2019</a>, the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/">Endocrine Society</a>.

—
By <a href="mailto:kyla.cathey@gmail.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Air pollution linked to lower sperm production

Exposure to air pollution may cause lower sperm production in...

Being near your spouse has a measurable calming effect, research shows. A new study from <a href="https://www.byu.edu/">Brigham Young University</a> has demonstrated that being close to your significant other has a measurable calming effect. The researchers analyzed the pupils of individuals to measure their stress levels, which were found to return to normal much faster in the presence of a spouse.

Working in the lab of Wendy Birmingham, a psychology professor at BYU, researchers designed an experiment using an infrared camera to study the pupils of 40 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/couples-arguments-live-longer/">couples</a> as they attempted to complete a challenging computer task.

Some of the couples were instructed to work alone, while the others were allowed to sit next to their spouse and hold hands. As the participants worked, the camera was continuously measuring their pupil diameter, which directly reflects the body's physiological stress response.

“The neat thing is that the pupils respond within 200 milliseconds to the onset of a stressor,” said study co-author Professor Steven Luke. “It can immediately measure how someone responds to stress and whether having social support can change that. It's not just a different technique, it's a different time scale.”


Initially, all of the participants in both groups experienced stress. However, the spouse support group calmed down much faster and completed the task at reduced stress levels.

The study is exceptional because it is rare that experts are able to measure health benefits from social interaction in real-time. The investigation also builds upon landmark research at BYU showing that relationships help people live longer.

“When we have a spouse next to us and with us, it really helps us navigate and get through the stress we have to deal with in life,” said Professor Birmingham.

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

Being near your spouse has a measurable calming effect, research shows

Being near your spouse has a measurable calming effect, research...

The popular tourist destination of Santorini, Greece is iconic for its striking, stark white buildings scaling up the mountainside. Tourists visiting the island often jump on the opportunity to have donkeys transport them up and down the steep slopes. But now, the “In Their Hooves” <a href="https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/what-we-do/issues/donkeys-in-tourism-and-leisure/in-their-hooves">campaign</a> is urging tourists to think before they support this practice.

Local merchants sell donkey rides to help carry passengers and their luggage from the island’s port to its capital, some<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/02/tourists-avoid-riding-donkeys-santorini-steps"> 600 steep steps up</a>. Working donkeys are at risk of spinal injuries, sores and exhaustion, but as prey animals, they naturally hide signs of distress. Heartbreaking online videos have shown the donkeys working with open wounds, struggling to carry heavy loads and being beaten by their handlers.

With around <a href="https://news.gtp.gr/2018/10/29/thira-mayor-santorini-365-day-tourism-destination/">two million visitors a year</a>, there is no shortage of demand for the donkey rides. The donkeys often work twelve hour days, making four to five trips up the stairs, according to<a href="https://www.cntraveler.com/story/tourists-are-injuring-santorinis-overworked-donkeys"> local animal advocates.</a>

When the donkeys become too old to continue working, they may be abandoned, killed or even pushed off the cliff, <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/996150/donkeys-crippled-heavyweight-tourists-Greece-Santorini-nature-animals-holiday-health">local animal advocates</a> say.

This is why the campaign, launched by the local government, animal welfare group The Donkey Sanctuary and Cruise Line International Association, asks travelers to put themselves in the hooves of the estimated 360 donkeys lugging tourists and their bags up and down the island without access to water or shade.

[caption id="attachment_1870999" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/donkey-taxi.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1870999" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/donkey-taxi.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="432" /></a> Donkeys carry tourists up the steep steps of Santorini, Image Credit: Marco Bicci/Shutterstock[/caption]

The campaign pinpoints a problem that has existed for years in animal tourism and entertainment. Well-meaning people visit and partake in animal attractions because they love animals or want to enjoy a fun experience but they often fail to consider the welfare of the animals who are entertaining them. By asking tourists to think “in their hooves”, the campaign is driving people to empathize with the animals.

Slowly, the public’s view of animals has been moving this way in recent years. While people used to happily visit <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scotland-bans-animals-circuses/">circuses</a>, orca shows and roadside zoos without any ethical qualms, many are now questioning the effect these attractions have on animal welfare.

The Santorini donkeys have benefited from this recent change in mindset. In 2018, photos of overweight tourists riding donkeys caused international backlash. In response, Santorini passed a law prohibiting animals from carrying any load exceeding one-fifth of their body weight and requiring animals be provided with food, water and shade. Additionally, cruise liners joined the “In Their Hooves” campaign after hearing from multiple passengers who were upset by the condition of the donkeys, The Guardian<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/02/tourists-avoid-riding-donkeys-santorini-steps"> reports</a>.

The “In Your Hooves” campaign asks tourists to be on the lookout for signs of poor welfare such as lack of shelter and water, abusive handling practices and open wounds. But the layman may not always be able to recognize animal abuse.

The most concrete way a tourist can ensure they are not supporting an exploitative animal attraction is to simply refuse the attraction. As the campaign states, “If you have doubts about any of these questions and still use a donkey then you could be contributing to the animal’s suffering.”

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Main Image Credit: Oleg Voronische/Shutterstock

Campaign urges tourists to think before supporting donkey taxi rides

The popular tourist destination of Santorini, Greece is iconic for...

According to a new study published in <a href="https://diabetologia-journal.org/">Diabetologia</a>, short periods of sedentary behavior can negatively impact health. At the same time, the researchers found that these adverse effects could be mitigated by resuming <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/physical-activity-teens-sleep/">physical activity</a> for the same short time period. 

Low levels of physical activity are known to significantly increase the risk of metabolic problems including obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The experts set out to investigate whether adverse effects associated with these conditions would begin to appear in previously active individuals after 14 days of reduced physical activity.

Study participants reduced their daily step count by an average of 10,000 steps and increased their waking sedentary time by an average of 103 minutes for two weeks. As a result, cardiovascular function decreased by 1.8 percent among the group, yet returned to comparable baseline levels after 14 days of resumed activity. 

"In parallel, total body fat, waist circumference, liver fat, insulin sensitivity and cardiorespiratory fitness were all adversely affected by 14 days step-reduction, but returned to comparable baseline levels following resumption of habitual activity," said the researchers. 

Led by Dr. Kelly Bowden Davies of Newcastle University, the study was particularly focused on how a short-term reduction in physical activity would affect metabolic profiles, body composition, and cardiovascular function.

"In young non-obese adults, short-term physical inactivity and increased sedentary behavior led to decreased cardiorespiratory fitness and increasing waist circumference, liver fat deposition and insulin resistance, and led to a significant decline in endothelial function, a sign of developing cardiovascular disease," said the study authors. 

"Public health messages need to emphasise the harmful effect of even short-term physical inactivity, and that habitual activity appears to offset these negative consequences. Even small alterations in physical activity in daily living can have an impact on health - positively, or negatively." 

"People should be encouraged to increase their physical activity levels, in any way possible. Often, we hear of 'barriers to exercise,' such as energy or lack of enjoyment, but simply increasing daily physical activity can have benefit, as shown here by only changes daily steps."

The research was presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the <a href="https://www.easd.org/">European Association for the Study of Diabetes</a> (EASD) in Barcelona, Spain.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rawpixel.com

Two weeks of reduced activity is all it takes to negatively impact health

According to a new study published in Diabetologia, short periods...

According to a new study from <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a>, teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/posting-social-media-high/">social media</a> have an increased risk of mental health issues. The most frequent Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter users were more likely to report internalizing problems, such as feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression.

At the same time, this group of adolescents was also found to have more externalizing problems, such as aggressive and antisocial behavior or a higher likelihood of bullying others. 

The researchers said that the findings are concerning, but they also indicate that warning signs of mental health issues could be detected early by tracking how much time high schoolers are spending online.

"Social media use may be a risk factor for mental health problems in adolescents," wrote the study authors. "However, few longitudinal studies have investigated this association, and none have quantified the proportion of mental health problems among adolescents attributable to social media use."

Almost every teenager in the United States is now accessing social media on a frequent basis. In 2018, a study from the Pew Research Center revealed that 97 percent of teens are using at least one of the seven most popular social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. 

The Pew Research Center also found that 95 percent of American teens have access to a smartphone, and nearly half of teenagers reported that they were online "almost constantly."

The current study was focused on 6,595 American teens between the ages of 12 and 15. The teenagers were asked how much time they spent engaged on social media on a typical day: up to 30 minutes, more than 30 minutes, up to three hours, more than three hours, up to six hours, or more than six hours. 

To assess mental health, the experts used a screener called GAIN-SS that identifies behavioral health issues and the severity of the associated symptoms.

The study revealed that using social media for more than three hours per day was linked to "increased odds of reporting high levels of internalizing and comorbid internalizing and externalizing problems, even after adjusting for history of mental health problems."

"Future research should determine whether setting limits on daily social media use, increasing media literacy, and redesigning social media platforms are effective means of reducing the burden of mental health problems in this population," concluded the researchers.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry">JAMA Psychiatry</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: Shutterstock/carballo

Frequent social media use linked to mental health issues for teens

According to a new study from Johns Hopkins University, teenagers...

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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"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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