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...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antimicrobial-resistance-worldwide/">Antimicrobial resistance </a>(AMR) is a growing global public health crisis, particularly in developing nations where unregulated antibiotic use and poor waste management practices are common. 

Health officials estimate that this year alone, 700,000 people will die globally from antimicrobial resistance, and in the next 30 years the annual death toll could reach 10 million. 

There are concerns that AMR increases the risk for the spread of untreatable diseases passed from wildlife to humans. 

While this hasn’t happened yet, it’s a threat that researchers are not taking lightly. 

In a new study, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a> and the <a href="https://www.ilri.org/">International Livestock Research Institute</a> surveyed 99 households in Nairobi. Households were picked at random and the researchers collected samples to measure AMR prevalence across different neighborhoods. 

The team found that urban wildlife in Nairobi carry high levels of AMR bacteria resistant to drugs that the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> has said are critically important for medicine. 

There was a greater variety of AMR in livestock and the environment. Both rodents and birds were more likely to carry multiple AMR bacteria when exposed to human and livestock waste. 

The findings are troubling as it points to urban wildlife as a vector for AMR, and if that happens, the resistant bacteria would be able to spread quickly and efficiently through waterways, sewage lines, and carried by migratory birds. 

“This is not just specific to Nairobi, but findings can be extrapolated to other cities in Africa,” said Eric Fèvre, a member of the research team. “We tend to think of AMR in primarily medical terms, of developing new drugs and better using old ones. But we need to take an ecological approach to addressing this threat. Urban cities can address this by better urban planning, better waste disposal, better livestock husbandry practices.”

The study was published in the <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(19)30083-X/fullte">Lancet Planetary Health</a>.  

“As many scientists and policymakers are now realizing, we cannot address the rise of anti-microbial resistance without focusing on the environmental, ecological and social settings in which humans exist,” said James Hassell, the lead author of the study.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: <a href="http://www.zoonotic-diseases.org">Zoonotic and Emerging Diseases (ZED)</a>

Antimicrobial bacteria could soon spread across cities through urban wildlife

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global public health crisis,...

Marijuana use has increased but has moved away from the illegal market. The results of a new study from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> suggest that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/medical-marijuana-treats-chronic-disease/">marijuana</a> use has both increased and substantially shifted away from the illegal market since retail sales began in 2014.

The researchers analyzed wastewater samples collected between 2013 and 2016 from two treatment plants that service 200,000 residents in western Washington.

"We set out to perform a wastewater-based analysis that explored the impact of newly legalized retail cannabis sales on its use, and to determine if this approach could estimate the size of the legal marketplace," said study lead author Professor Dan Burgard, who chairs the Chemistry Department at the <a href="https://www.pugetsound.edu/">University of Puget Sound</a>.

The wastewater samples were tested for the metabolite of psychoactive THC that is created within the human body (THC-COOH). The researchers found that THC-COOH levels in wastewater have increased by an average of nine percent per quarter from 2013 to 2016. Meanwhile, marijuana sales increased at nearly 70 percent per quarter in stores operating from 2014 to 2016.

"Given that wastewater represents a total population measure, these findings suggest that many established users switched very quickly from the illegal to the legal market," said Professor Burgard. "This is the strongest statement possible regarding displacement of the illegal market."

Study co-author Caleb Banta-Green is the principal research scientist at the University of Washington's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute.

"This project was designed to aid the understanding of how the sales of adult recreational cannabis impact its total consumption within a population," said Banta-Green. "We believe this will be a valuable tool for local, state, national and international policy makers as they assess and consider Washington's recreational cannabis law."

"Existing measures, particularly surveys are subject to important biases and limitations, including potential changes in self-report as social norms change as well as very limited information on the amount of THC actually consumed. Wastewater based estimates help address these limitations."

According to the researchers, the findings suggest that legalization is, at least in part, achieving one of its primary objectives to eliminate black market sales.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/addiction">Addiction</a>.

 --

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marijuana use has increased but has moved away from the illegal market

Marijuana use has increased but has moved away from the...

Older adults who engage in word and math puzzles have sharper minds, according to research led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> and <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King's College London</a>. 

The massive online PROTECT study was focused on nearly 20,000 adults over the age of 50. The researchers found that, the more regularly the individuals played Sudoku and crosswords, the higher their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/morning-exercise-improves-cognitive-performance/">brain function</a>. 

The findings link two important papers, which were previously presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in 2018. The participants reported on the frequency of their involvement with mind-bending puzzles. The volunteers were also tested for changes in brain function over time.

Based on the assessment of grammatical reasoning, people who engage in word puzzles have brain function equivalent to ten years younger than their biological age. In addition, these individuals are cognitively eight years younger based on their short-term memory.

“We've found that the more regularly people engage with puzzles such as crosswords and Sudoku, the sharper their performance is across a range of tasks assessing memory, attention and reasoning,” said study lead author Dr. Anne Corbett.

“The improvements are particularly clear in the speed and accuracy of their performance. In some areas the improvement was quite dramatic - on measures of problem-solving, people who regularly do these puzzles performed equivalent to an average of eight years younger compared to those who don't.”

“We can't say that playing these puzzles necessarily reduces the risk of dementia in later life but this research supports previous findings that indicate regular use of word and number puzzles helps keep our brains working better for longer.”

“PROTECT is proving to be one of the most exciting research initiatives of this decade, allowing us to understand more about how the brain ages and to conduct cutting-edge new studies into how we can reduce the risk of dementia in people across the UK,” said study co-author Professor Clive Ballard. “If you're aged 50 or over, you could sign up to take part in research that will help us all maintain healthy brains as we age.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10991166">International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Crosswords and brain puzzles help keep the brain sharp later in life

Older adults who engage in word and math puzzles have...

According to a new study from a team of Swedish and British researchers based at Sweden's <a href="https://www.uu.se/en">Uppsala University,</a> choosing to own a dog is heavily influenced by one’s genetic makeup. 

The researchers used information from 35,035 sets of twins from the <a href="https://ki.se/en/research/the-swedish-twin-registry">Swedish Twin Registry</a> to explore the link between genetic variation and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dogs-recognize-name-noisy-places/">dog ownership</a>.

"We were surprised to see that a person's genetic [makeup] appears to be a significant influence in whether they own a dog,” said lead author Professor Tove Fall, of the University’s <a href="http://www.medsci.uu.se/research">Department of Medical Sciences </a>and the <a href="https://www.scilifelab.se/">Science for Life Laboratory</a>. “As such, these findings have major implications in several different fields related to understanding dog-human interaction throughout history and in modern times.” 

“Although dogs and other pets are common household members across the globe, little is known how they impact our daily life and health,” Professor Fall continued. “Perhaps some people have a higher innate propensity to care for a pet than others." 

"These findings are important as they suggest that supposed health benefits of owning a dog reported in some studies may be partly explained by different genetics of the people studied,” added coauthor Carri Westgarth, Lecturer in Human-Animal interaction at the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a>.

Studying twins in a situation like this is beneficial when comparing environmental factors to genetic factors. Identical twins share their entire genome, whereas non-identical twins share half of their genome. The research team found that concordance rates of dog ownership were much higher within pairs of identical twins than in pairs of non-identical twins, which leads researchers to believe that genetics plays a role in dog ownership.

"These kind of twin studies cannot tell us exactly which genes are involved, but at least demonstrate for the first time that genetics and environment play about equal roles in determining dog ownership,” said senior author Patrik Magnusson, an Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the <a href="https://ki.se/en/meb/startpage">Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet</a>, and Head of the Swedish Twin Registry.

“The next obvious step is to try to identify which genetic variants affect this choice and how they relate to personality traits and other factors such as allergy,” Professor Magnusson added.

Furthermore, coauthor Keith Dobney, a zooarchaeologist and Chair of Human Palaeoecology in the Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, said that this study has major implications for unlocking a deeper understanding of dog domestication.

"Decades of archaeological research have helped us construct a better picture of where and when dogs entered into the human world,” he said, “but modern and ancient genetic data are now allowing us to directly explore why and how?"

These findings are published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Science Advances</a>.  

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The choice to have a dog is influenced by our genes

According to a new study from a team of Swedish...

A new study from <a href="http://global.oup.com/">Oxford University Press</a> has linked exposure to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/harmful-effects-air-pollution-exposure/">air pollution</a>, traffic noise, and living in apartment buildings with a higher risk of developing hypertension and some components of metabolic syndrome. The research also suggests that access to green spaces and natural environments can help mitigate these negative effects. 

Hypertension and metabolic syndrome are often precursors for cardiovascular disease, which is a leading cause of death worldwide. Metabolic syndrome is associated with abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, and elevated blood glucose. 

The causes of these conditions are complex and can be related to genetics, lifestyle, diet, or to environmental factors such as air pollution, noise pollution, and residential housing.

The researchers investigated the correlation between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and residential distance to green spaces with the development of hypertension and metabolic syndrome. The study was focused on people living in private houses or multi-story houses in Kaunas City and the second largest city of Lithuania.

The study revealed that above-average air pollution levels coincided with a higher risk of reduced high density lipoprotein, while traffic-related exposure was associated with a greater risk of hypertension, higher triglyceride level, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The negative impact of traffic air pollutants, however, was only observed among the participants who lived in apartment buildings.

Because there is more traffic near the multi-family buildings, this lifestyle may be associated with the incidence of hypertension as well. 

The greenness and size of the available open public spaces were found to have the opposite effect on health compared to traffic noise and air pollution. 

"Our research results enable us to say that we should regulate as much as possible the living space for one person in multifamily houses, improve the noise insulation of apartments, and promote the development of green spaces in multifamily houses," said study lead author Agn Brazien.

The study is published in the <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/10389">Journal of Public Health</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Creativa Images / Shutterstock

Air pollution and apartment living increase the risk of hypertension

A new study from Oxford University Press has linked exposure...

When you turn up the heat or switch on your <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-conditioners-capture-carbon/">A/C</a>, you’re basically attempting to combat the current climate – whether it be too hot or too cold. Ironically, the use of energy to keep ourselves at a comfortable temperature will be one of the biggest things influenced by our changing climate. In light of this, a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> explored the impacts that climate change may have on energy demand.

Past studies have mainly assessed this topic for a single country or continent, but this research was done on a global scale. The study’s authors performed a global analysis using temperature projections from 21 climate models, and population and economy projections for five socioeconomic scenarios. A statistical model was then used to calculate changes in demand for three fuels and four economic sectors under modest and high-warming scenarios around 2050.

When compared against baseline scenarios where energy demand was driven by population and income growth alone, this study found that climate change increases global demand for energy around 2050 by 11-27% with modest warming, and 25-58% with more significant warming. The highest increases were seen in southern Europe, China, and the US, as well as large areas of the tropics. This is due to electricity needed for cooling, and these increases occur in the industry and service sectors of the economy.

“An important way in which society will adapt to rising temperatures from climate change is by increasing cooling during hot seasons and decreasing heating during cold seasons,” explains study coauthor Enrica de Cian from the <a href="https://www.unive.it/pag/13526">Ca’ Foscari University of Venice</a> and the <a href="http://eurogoos.eu/member/euro-mediterranean-centre-on-climate-change-cmcc-cmcc/">Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change</a> (CMCC). “Changes in space conditioning directly impact energy systems, as firms and households demand less natural gas, petroleum, and electricity to meet lower heating needs, and more electricity to satisfy higher cooling needs.”

The authors qualify their findings by pointing out that these are just representative of the initial impacts of global warming, and do not account for the additional adjustments in fuel supplies and prices or subsequent substitution responses by producers and consumers across the world that impacts may exacerbate.

“Whether future warming will cause the demand for energy to increase or decrease is a crucial question," says study co-author Ian Sue Wing, a researcher at <a href="https://www.bu.edu/">Boston University</a>. “If energy use rises and leads to additional emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, increased energy consumption for space conditioning could make it more difficult and costly to mitigate future warming. Quantifying this risk requires understanding how the demand for energy by different types of consumers in different climates will be affected by warming. The results of our study can in the future be used to calculate how energy market dynamics will ultimately determine changes in energy consumption and emissions.”

The study can also be used to help policymakers begin preparing for the energy increases in areas of the world where they are most likely to occur. It is clear that even the moderate levels of climate change we are likely to experience will have an impact on energy use around the world.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Andrey_Popov

Climate change may lead to significant increases in energy use

When you turn up the heat or switch on your...

Fast walkers could live up to 15 years longer than those who simply stroll. A new study from <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">Leicester University</a> suggests that despite body weight, those who walk quickly could live significantly longer than those who stroll or dawdle.

The researchers say that walking speed does not guarantee a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/happy-spouse-live-longer/">longer life</a>, however, it simply suggests walking speed could be used by doctors to better judge a patient’s overall health, along with testing. 

The findings are published in the journal <a href="https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/">Mayo Clinic Proceedings</a>.

Over the course of ten years, researchers analyzed data from 474,919 people from the U.K. Biobank with an average age of 52. They found that, on average, brisk-walking women had a life expectancy of 86.7 to 87.8 years. Slow-walking women, on the other hand, had a life expectancy of 72.4 years, on average.

Men who walked fast had an average life expectancy of 85.2 to 86.8 years, whereas men who walked slow had an average life expectancy of about 64.8 years. Fast walkers could live up to 15 years longer than those who simply stroll

Previous studies have linked walking speed to life expectancy and risk for heart disease. With the addition of this latest study, which added body weight into the equation, researchers are confident that they have enough evidence for doctors to prescribe faster walking to patients who seek to improve their health.

“Our findings could help clarify the relative importance of physical fitness compared to body weight on life expectancy of individuals,” said researcher Tom Yates, the physical activity professor at Leicester. 

“Studies published so far have mainly shown the impact of body weight and physical fitness on mortality in terms of relative risk,” added coauthor Francesco Zaccardi, a clinical epidemiologist at the <a href="http://leicesterdiabetescentre.org.uk/">Leicester Diabetes Center</a>. “However, it is not always easy to interpret a "relative risk." Reporting in terms of life expectancy, conversely, is easier to interpret and gives a better idea of the separate and joint importance of body mass index and physical fitness.”

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fast walkers could live up to 15 years longer than those who simply stroll

Fast walkers could live up to 15 years longer than...

According to new research from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>, one of the primary reasons that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-waves-weaken-flu/">flu</a> becomes so widespread and can even turn deadly during the winter months is because of low humidity.

It is known that cold temperatures and decreased humidity promote the spread of the flu virus. However, experts have not fully understood the effect of low humidity on the immune system's natural defenses against flu infection.

A team of researchers led by Professor Akiko Iwasaki set out to investigate using mice that were genetically modified to resist viral infection in the same way as humans. The mice were all housed at the same temperature, but were kept in chambers with either normal or low humidity. The mice were then exposed to the influenza A virus. 

The study revealed that low humidity hindered the immune response of the mice in three critical ways. First, hair-like structures found in airway cells called cilia were prevented from removing viral particles and mucus. The low humidity also reduced the ability of airway cells to repair damage caused by the virus in the lungs. 

Furthermore, signaling proteins that typically alert neighboring cells to a viral threat, known as interferons, were not activated by virus-infected cells in the low-humidity environment.

“It's well known that where humidity drops, a spike in flu incidence and mortality occurs. If our findings in mice hold up in humans, our study provides a possible mechanism underlying this seasonal nature of flu disease,” said Professor Iwasaki.

According to the researchers, while humidity is not the only contributor to flu outbreaks, it should be considered during the winter season. They noted that increasing water vapor in the air with humidifiers at home, school, work, and even hospital environments is a potential strategy to reduce flu symptoms and speed recovery.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why low humidity makes the flu much more dangerous

According to new research from Yale University, one of the...

A new study from researchers from <a href="https://en.knu.ac.kr/main/main.htm">Kyungpook National University</a> in the Republic of Korea have determined that significant weight gain and/or weight loss would heighten the risk of dementia in older people. 

By studying an elderly Korean population for two years, the team recognized a link between late-life BMI changes and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-dementia/">dementia</a> in both men and women. 

Their findings are published in <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/5/e021739">BMJ Open</a>.

The research team studied a group of 67,219 participants aged 60 to 79 years who had their BMI measured between 2002 to 2003 and 2004 to 2005 as part of Korea’s National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort. BMI, socioeconomic status, and cardiometabolic risk factors were all recorded during the screening. 

Researchers calculated overall BMI changes of each participant after the two-year period, and then monitored the incidence of dementia in participants for an average 5.3 years (between 2008 and 2013). They recorded 4,887 men and 6,685 women were diagnosed with dementia within that 5.3-year period, which thus proved there is a link between rapid weight change and dementia.

More specifically, a 10% or higher increase or decrease in BMI, over a two-year period, was associated with a higher risk for dementia. This is compared to those who maintained a stable BMI over the same period.

Starting BMI had no influence of future dementia diagnoses, with the exception of a lower BMI in older adult men.

Furthermore, conditions such as pre-existing hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes, and high fasting blood sugar were all noted as significant risk factors for dementia. As were lifestyle choices like smoking, frequent drinking, and less physical activity later in life.

The researchers add that this study is purely observational, and therefore cause can not be established with certainty and recognize there are limitations. However, the evidence they do have is worth taking note of.

"Both weight gain and weight loss may be significant risk factors associated with dementia,” the team concluded. “This study revealed that severe weight gain, uncontrolled diabetes, smoking and less physical activity in late-life had a detrimental effect on dementia development.”

"Our results suggest that continuous weight control, disease management and the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle are beneficial in the prevention of dementia, even in later life."

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Weight fluctuation could increase risk of dementia in older adults

A new study from researchers from Kyungpook National University in...

Reductions in fine particle pollution have improved public health in the US. A new report from the <a href="http://www.thoracic.org/">American Thoracic Society</a> and the <a href="https://marroninstitute.nyu.edu/">Marron Institute</a> at NYU has revealed that air quality improvements over the last decade have resulted in fewer deaths and serious illnesses across the United States. 

While the study was focused on the two most potent air pollutants, fine particle (PM2.5) and ground-level ozone (O3), the progress can be almost entirely attributed to reductions in PM2.5 pollution.

According to the researchers, fatalities from dangerous levels of PM2.5 were nearly cut in half from 2008 to 2017. On the other hand, health impacts from O3 pollution have “remained stubbornly high.”

In addition to the lack of consistent improvement in the health complications associated with O3, the team found that the rate of eradication for PM2.5 pollution has started to level off. 

According to the study authors, it is likely that the health impacts from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-dementia/">air pollution</a> could increase over time as populations grow. The report also emphasized other challenges that could make it difficult to mitigate the public health issues driven by air pollution. 

“The proposed roll back of several Clean Air Act regulations and the proposed roll back of the greenhouse gas standard for automobiles will make it hard for communities to maintain their air quality, and even harder for cities with poor air quality to clean up,” said study co-author Gary Ewart.

“The large number of adverse health impacts attributable to ozone should motivate cities and states to start now to reduce their local emissions of precursors pollutants,” said study lead author Dr. Kevin Cromar. “Coordinated actions at the regional level, as well as strong actions at the federal level, will also be needed in order to make consistent gains in reducing ozone in many parts of the country.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.atsjournals.org/journal/annalsats">Annals of the American Thoracic Society</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reductions in fine particle pollution have improved public health in the US

Reductions in fine particle pollution have improved public health in...

Scientists at <a href="http://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a> have found antiseptic properties in three plants which were recommended for use on soldiers injured in the Civil War. The study revealed that extracts from the white oak, tulip poplar, and the devil's walking stick offer natural protection from dangerous <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-travel-thousands-miles/">bacteria</a> associated with wound infections. 

During the Civil War, the Confederate Surgeon General commissioned a guide to traditional plant remedies that could assist physicians who faced shortages of conventional medicines. The current study identified three plants from the guide as containing antimicrobial activity against one or more strains of the drug-resistant bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Study senior author Cassandra Quave is an assistant professor at Emory's Center for the Study of Human Health and an ethnobotanist, which means that she studies how plants are used in traditional healing practices. 

“Our findings suggest that the use of these topical therapies may have saved some limbs, and maybe even lives, during the Civil War,” said Professor Quave. “Ethnobotany is essentially the science of survival - how people get by when limited to what's available in their immediate environment. The Civil War guide to plant remedies is a great example of that.”

If the researchers can identify the active ingredients responsible for the antimicrobial activity, they will be able to improve upon modern wound care. 

“It is my hope that we can then test these molecules in our world-renowned models of bacterial infection,” said study co-author Daniel Zurawski. “I've always been a Civil War buff. I am also a firm believer in learning everything we can garner from the past so we can benefit now from the knowledge and wisdom of our ancestors.”

“I was surprised to learn that far more Civil War soldiers died from disease than in battle,” said study first author Micah Dettweiler. “I was also surprised at how common amputation was as a medical treatment for an infected wound.”

Francis Porcher, a botanist and surgeon from South Carolina, compiled a book of medicinal plants found in the Southern states, including plant remedies used by Native Americans and enslaved Africans. Published in 1863, “Resources of the Southern Fields and Forests” described 37 species for treating gangrene and other infections. 

Based on Porcher's specifications, the Emory team collected extracts from white oak bark and galls, tulip poplar leaves, and the devil's walking stick leaves. Lab tests showed that extracts from the white oak and tulip poplar inhibited the growth of S. aureus, while the white oak extracts also inhibited the growth of A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae. 

“Plants have a great wealth of chemical diversity, which is one more reason to protect natural environments,” said Dettweiler. “I'm interested in plants because, even though they don't move from place to place, they are extremely powerful and important.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Stephen Nowland, Emory University

Plants used as Civil War injury remedies prove effective against tough bacteria

Scientists at Emory University have found antiseptic properties in three...

Researchers with <a href="https://www.obesity.org/">The Obesity Society</a> have found that partaking in daily self-weighing could prevent the dreaded holiday weight gain. 111 adults between the ages of 18 and 65 partook in the new study, which ran from mid-November 2017 to early January 2018. 

The results are published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1930739x#pane-01cbe741-499a-4611-874e-1061f1f4679e01">Obesity</a>.

The research team followed up with participants 14 weeks after the intervention. Those who weighed themselves daily either maintained or lost weight during the holiday season. Those who did not weigh themselves daily <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/processed-food-weight-gain/">gained weight</a>.

Participants in the intervention group were instructed to attempt to maintain their baseline weight throughout the holiday season, but were not told how to do so. 

"Maybe they exercise a little bit more the next day (after seeing a weight increase) or they watch what they are eating more carefully," said author Jamie Cooper, PhD, an associate professor in the <a href="https://www.fcs.uga.edu/fdn">Department of Foods and Nutrition at the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences</a>. "The subjects self-select how they are going to modify their behavior, which can be effective because we know that interventions are not one-size-fits-all."

"People are really sensitive to discrepancies or differences between their current selves and their standard or goal," added second author Michelle vanDellen, an associate professor in the <a href="http://www.psychology.uga.edu/">University of Georgia Department of Psychology</a>. "When they see that discrepancy, it tends to lead to behavioral change. Daily self-weighing ends up doing that for people in a really clear way."

Weight gained over the holidays can be difficult to lose, and therefore often contributes to annual weight gain, as previous studies have shown. The team hopes to test this new intervention in larger group settings to more accurately examine if daily self-weighing is the key to keeping weight down throughout the holiday season.

"Vacations and holidays are probably the two times of year people are most susceptible to weight gain in a very short period of time," Cooper concluded. "The holidays can actually have a big impact on someone's long-term health."

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How to prevent holiday weight gain? Researchers reveal effective strategy

Researchers with The Obesity Society have found that partaking in...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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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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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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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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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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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



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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...