Bad habits are repetitive behaviors or patterns that may have negative consequences on physical health, mental well-being, relationships, or productivity. 



They often develop unconsciously and can be challenging to break because they are reinforced by habit loops, which consist of a cue, a routine, and a reward.



But what if you could easily change your habits? What if you had the power to take control of your brain's habit-making mechanism and use it to your advantage?



Enter cognitive neuroscience, a field that offers fresh insights into how our brains form habits. In a recent study, scientists at Trinity College Dublin have proposed a new approach to changing habits that promise lasting results.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-habits">The power of habits</h2>



Led by Dr. Eike Buabang, postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Professor Claire Gillan, the study explores how habits drive our daily lives.



"Habits play a central role in our daily lives, from making that first cup of coffee in the morning to the route we take to work, and the routine we follow to prepare for bed," said Dr. Buabang.



"Our research reveals why these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/happiness-influences-online-shopping-habits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automatic behaviors</a> are so powerful - and how we can harness our brain's mechanisms to change them."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-brain-systems">Two brain systems</h2>



Our habits are driven by two brain systems. One triggers automatic responses to familiar cues, while the other enables goal-directed control.



Take, for instance, the habit of scrolling through social media when you're bored - this is the result of an automatic response system. But when you put your phone away to focus on work - that's the goal-directed brain control system at work.



When these two systems are imbalanced, it can lead to action slips like entering an old password instead of the new one. 



In more severe cases, it can contribute to compulsive behaviors seen in conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance-use disorders, and eating disorders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-switching-from-bad-habits-to-good-ones">Switching from bad habits to good ones</h2>



Understanding the interplay between these two systems can pave the way for personal development and clinical treatment of compulsive disorders. 



"Good and bad habits are two sides of the same coin - both arise when automatic responses overpower goal-directed control. By understanding this dynamic, we can start to use it to our own advantage, to both make and break habits," noted Dr. Buabang.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-involved-in-habit-change">Factors involved in habit change</h2>



Dr. Buabang's research provides a playbook for behavior change, bridging brain science with practical applications. The framework describes several factors crucial for influencing the balance between automatic responses and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-to-set-realistic-goals-and-achieve-them-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">goal-directed control</a>.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-repetition-and-reinforcement">Repetition and reinforcement</h3>



Repeating a behavior builds strong associations between cues and responses, while rewarding the behavior makes it more likely to be repeated. 



The same mechanism can be leveraged to break habits, by replacing old behaviors with new ones to create competing automatic responses.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environment">Environment</h3>



Your surroundings play a significant role in habit change. Tweaking your environment to make desired behaviors easier to access encourages good habits, while removing cues that trigger unwanted behavior disrupts the bad ones.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-goal-directed-system">Goal-directed system</h3>



Knowing how to engage your goal-directed system can help strengthen and weaken habits. 



However, stress, time pressure, and fatigue can trigger a return to old patterns, so staying mindful and intentional is crucial when trying to break them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-theory-to-real-world-applications">From theory to real-world applications</h2>



The theory doesn't stop at habit change; it also opens the door to personalizing treatments based on how different people <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-long-does-it-take-to-form-a-habit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">form</a> and break habits.



"We are all different; depending on your neurobiology, it might make more sense to focus on avoiding cues than reducing stress or allowing yourself more time for your daily routine," said Professor Gillan.



These insights have far-reaching implications. They could reshape public health strategies and help policymakers design more effective health campaigns. 



"By working with - rather than against - how our brains naturally form habits, we can create strategies that make healthier choices more automatic at both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shopping-habits-have-remained-consistent-for-3500-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">individual</a> and societal levels," noted Professor Gillan.



In conclusion, this new approach to habit change has the potential to revolutionize both personal development and the treatment of compulsive disorders. 



The exciting findings from the <a href="https://www.tcd.ie" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trinity College Dublin</a> team have provided a new avenue for tapping into our brain's potential, making habit change achievable and lasting.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(24)00266-3?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS1364661324002663%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trends in Cognitive Sciences</a>.



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Brain science: A new approach to breaking bad habits

Bad habits are repetitive behaviors or patterns that may have negative consequences on physical health, mental well-being, relationships, or productivity. They often develop unconsciously and can be challenging to break because they are reinforced by habit loops, which consist of a cue, a routine, and a reward. But what if you could easily change your habits? What if you had the power to take control of your brain's habit-making mechanism and use it to your advantage? Enter cognitive neuroscience, a field that offers fresh insights into how...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/mapping-temperatures-across-urban-heat-islands/">urban heat island</a> effect refers to when a city or highly populated area has higher temperatures compared to the surrounding average air temperatures. 

Vast expanses of impermeable pavement and concrete that absorb the sun’s rays are the biggest contributors to the urban heat island effect. 

Surprisingly, though, pavement could be the solution to the problem as well. 

A team of engineers from <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> has developed a new kind of permeable pavement. 

On a hot summer day, concrete or asphalt roads and sidewalks can reach temperatures above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. One recent study found that hot pavement in the southwestern United States can cause <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hot-sidewalks-second-degree-burns/">second-degree burns in a matter of minutes</a>. 

Cities with a population of one million or more can have average air temperatures that are 1.8 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit higher than surrounding rural areas, according to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands/learn-about-heat-islands">Environmental Protection Agency</a>. At night, the effect is especially pronounced. 

Not only does the urban heat island cause temperatures to climb, but it also poses a significant risk to public health and safety.  

To combat this effect, engineers at Rutgers created a porous concrete that doesn’t absorb as much heat. Its permeable structure means that water can filter through, cooling the pavement down in the process. 

Permeable concrete does give off more heat on sunny days, but 25 to 30 percent less after it rains. The engineers fine-tuned the porous concrete and reduced its heat output by as much as 5.2 percent. 

“Highly efficient permeable concrete pavement can be a valuable, cost-effective solution in cities to mitigate the urban heat island effect, while benefiting stormwater management and improving water quality,” said Hao Wang, a corresponding author of the study. 

Wang was also part of a team that improved the sustainability of permeable concrete by using fly ash and steel slag, which could help reduce manufacturing costs and emissions. 

The engineers are working on how to make the concrete stronger so that it can be used on streets and roads. 

The new permeable concrete was detailed in a study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Hao Wang/Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Special pavement could help combat the urban heat island effect

The urban heat island effect refers to when a city...

A new study has revealed that technology has taken over much of the vocabulary that was once used to describe things in nature. The shift is concerning because as more emphasis is placed on technology, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nature-boosts-health-well-being/">nature</a> seems to be becoming less important to people.

According to the researchers, nature may be "losing its voice" in the age of computers. For example, the word "tweet" now only refers to a bird song one percent of the time, while social media posts are mentioned 99 percent of the time.  

In the 1990s, the word “web” referred to a spider’s web in 70 percent of cases. By the 2010s, this rate dropped to less than ten percent because the term "web" now usually refers to the internet.  

Every time the word "stream" was mentioned in the 1990s, the context was focused on a body of water. But now, this term is mostly used in the context of streaming videos and music online. Cloud, field, branch, net, and fiber are also words that are suddenly used more frequently as commercial or computer terms.

Dr. Robbie Love is a linguistics expert at the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> who conducted the study for the National Trust. He focused the investigation on datasets of informal conversations from over 25 years. 

The analysis showed that, for many words associated with nature, their implied meaning has changed almost completely in one single generation.

"Language represents what’s important to a culture or society. Nature language being replaced or used less frequently suggests nature potentially becoming less important or being replaced by other things," said Dr. Love.

Among children, 40 percent now associate the word "web" with the internet instead of spiders. The use of other nature words by young children has also significantly decreased, including picnic, jungle, mountain, bird, snow, garden, and shell.

"As a nation we are losing our connection with nature. This is really worrying for us as a conservation charity," said Andy Beer, who is a regional director for the National Trust.

"If today’s children aren’t connected to nature, then who is going to stand up for our countryside and wildlife in the future?"

“Nature connection isn’t just about playing outside, it means using all the senses - actively noticing - nature, such as the way gorse growing wild by the coast can smell like coconut, how fog in the autumn can cling to your hair, how a spider web can sparkle on a dewy morning and enjoying the eye-catching popping of the colors of wildflowers.”

--

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/imtmphoto

Words that once described nature are now more often associated with technology

A new study has revealed that technology has taken over...

A new study from <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">The University of Texas at Austin</a> has found that people who <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cheating-partners-cheat-again/">cheat</a> on their spouse are more likely to engage in misconduct at work. The research suggests that there is a strong link between how people conduct themselves personally and professionally.

The study was focused on the records of financial advisers, white-collar criminals, police officers, and senior executives who used the Ashley Madison marital infidelity website. 

Ashley Madison promoted itself as a dating service for married people to have "discreet encounters." However, a data hack in 2015 publicly exposed data for more than 36 million members, including one million paid users in the United States.

The researchers found that Ashley Madison users who worked in professional settings were more than twice as likely to engage in corporate misconduct.

"This is the first study that's been able to look at whether there is a correlation between personal infidelity and professional conduct," said study co-author Samuel Kruger. "We find a strong correlation, which tells us that infidelity is informative about expected professional conduct."

The team examined information for more than 11,000 individuals, including data on police officers from the Citizens Police Data Project, financial advisers from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority BrokerCheck database, defendants in SEC cases from the Securities and Exchange Commission's litigation release archives, and data on CEOs and CFOs from Execucomp.

Even after controlling for a wide range of executive and cultural variables, the experts concluded that people with histories of misconduct were significantly more likely to use the Ashley Madison website.

"Our results show that personal sexual conduct is correlated with professional conduct," said Kruger. "Eliminating sexual misconduct in the workplace could have the extra benefit of contributing to more ethical corporate cultures in general."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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/fizkes

People who cheat on their spouse are more likely to engage in misconduct at work

A new study from The University of Texas at Austin...

According to research from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>, individuals in their 50s and 60s who are more socially active have a reduced risk of developing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/weight-fluctuation-dementia/">dementia</a> later in life. More than three decades of observations have produced the strongest evidence to date that social contact plays an important role in preventing cognitive impairment. 

"Dementia is a major global health challenge, with one million people expected to have dementia in the UK by 2021, but we also know that one in three cases are potentially preventable," said study lead author Dr. Andrew Sommerlad.

"Here we've found that social contact, in middle age and late life, appears to lower the risk of dementia. This finding could feed into strategies to reduce everyone's risk of developing dementia, adding yet another reason to promote connected communities and find ways to reduce isolation and loneliness."

The investigation was focused on data from the Whitehall II study, which tracked more than 10,ooo participants between 1985 and 2013. On six different occasions, the participants reported on the frequency of social contact with friends and relatives. 

The same individuals also completed cognitive testing from 1997 on, and the researchers accessed their electronic health records through 2017 to determine which of the participants had been diagnosed with dementia.

The team analyzed how social contact at age 50, 60, and 70 may correlate with the later incidence of dementia. The study revealed that increased social contact at age 60 is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing dementia later in life. For example, an individual who interacted with friends almost daily at age 60 was 12 percent less likely to develop dementia than an individual who only interacted with friends every few months.

Similarly strong associations were identified at ages 50 and 70, but those associations were not statistically significant. Regardless, the researchers said that social contact at any age may reduce the risk of dementia.

"People who are socially engaged are exercising cognitive skills such as memory and language, which may help them to develop cognitive reserve - while it may not stop their brains from changing, cognitive reserve could help people cope better with the effects of age and delay any symptoms of dementia," said senior author Professor Gill Livingston.

"Spending more time with friends could also be good for mental wellbeing, and may correlate with being physically active, both of which can also reduce the risk of developing dementia."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</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/oneinchpunch

Being socially active at 60 reduces the risk of dementia later on

According to research from University College London, individuals in their...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fitness-trackers-inaccurate-data/">New study finds that fitness trackers don’t help with weight lossFitbits and other wearable devices</a> that monitor activity may not help with weight loss even though they motivate people to move more. New study finds that fitness trackers don’t help with weight loss

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida </a>conducted an analysis of fitness wearables to see if there was any measurable benefit to patients who wear them, such as lowering blood pressure or cholesterol. 

Out of 550 publications, six studies met the right criteria, and data on 1,615 people were included in the research. 

Four of the studies reviewed involved Fitbits, and the other two used an app that participants downloaded onto their phones. 

Only one of the studies showed a strong correlation between fitness wearables and weight loss, and Fitbits had little impact on cholesterol or blood sugar levels. 

Nearly a quarter of all US adults use a fitness wearable during the month, according to <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/">eMarketer</a>, a market research company. 

All in all, even though fitness device advertisements promise to help you get active and stay healthy, the researchers found that this wasn’t the case. 

Step counters can get people to move more but may not help with long-term health benefits. 

“The weight loss findings are pretty surprising,” Ara Jo, the lead author of the study, told <a href="https://www.today.com/health/fitness-trackers-didn-t-lead-weight-loss-low-cholesterol-blood-t159870">TODAY</a>. “I thought that wearable devices would definitely help to lose weight, at some point, because they make people move, but apparently not. They can motivate people to avoid a sedentary lifestyle, but that does not change people’s lifestyle to be [adequately] active.”

Using a fitness wearable as part of a  doctor recommended personalized health plan could bring significant results. 

However, merely using a fitness device by itself won’t do much beyond reminding you to be a little less sedentary. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Focus and Blur

New study finds that fitness trackers don’t help with weight loss

New study finds that fitness trackers don’t help with weight...

Working up a sweat at the gym or even just walking outside on a hot sunny day can test even the strongest deodorants and antiperspirants. For anyone who has opened a gym bag filled with day-old workout clothes, the tell-tale stench of body odor is an all too familiar scent.  

But smelly gym clothes could soon be a thing of the past with a new fragrance-releasing cotton that will have your clothes smelling lemony fresh all day long. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uminho.pt/EN">University of Minho</a> in Portugal have developed a fabric releases a scent molecule called β-citronellol derived from lemongrass after exposed to sweat. 

Scientists have developed smart fabrics that can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fabric-self-cools-self-insulates/">self-cool</a> or self-insulate, respond to light, change color, or respond to other external stimuli. 

The potential applications for these kinds of fabrics in prosthetics and robotics are wide-reaching and show a great deal of promise. 

The researchers tested two strategies for fragrance-releasing fabric. The first strategy used a protein found in pig noses that binds to scent molecules. To bind the protein to cotton fabric, the researchers attached a carbohydrate-binding molecule to the protein.  

In the second strategy, the scent molecules were placed in liposomes, spherical sacs containing the molecules. The liposomes allowed for the release of more of the citronellol. 

Both fabrics were exposed to a solution meant to mimic human sweat with a low pH. Both methods successfully released the fragrance after coming in contact with the sweat solution. 

The first strategy, the protein attached to carbohydrate-binding molecules, released a quick burst of fragrance, whereas the second strategy with the liposomes resulted in a slow and controlled release. 

 These new methods could help create odor-fighting fabrics that can be used in all types of clothing, from activewear to business clothes. 

The fragrance-releasing fabrics were detailed in a new study published in the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> journal Applied Materials and Interfaces. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Paul Michael Hughes

New fragrance-releasing fabric could mean the end of stinky gym clothes

Working up a sweat at the gym or even just...

Certain exercises are more effective for those predisposed to obesity. While being overweight is commonly related to lifestyle and dietary choices, many people who struggle with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mechanism-humans-starving-obesity/">obesity</a> have inherited multiple genes that predispose them to excessive weight gain.

A new study led by Wan-Yu Lin of <a href="https://www.ntu.edu.tw/english/">National Taiwan University</a> was designed to pinpoint the specific types of physical activity that are most effective for individuals who are genetically prone to obesity.

According to the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a>, more than 1.9 billion adults and 340 million children and adolescents were obese in 2016. Doctors recommend exercise to help combat this condition, but little has been known about what kind of exercise may be most beneficial for individuals who have obesity genes. 

For the current investigation, the team analyzed the genetics and self-reported exercise routines of 18,424 Han Chinese adults between the ages of 30 and 70 years old. The researchers were particularly focused on the five measures of obesity, such as body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio. Certain exercises are more effective for those predisposed to obesity

The study revealed that regular jogging is the best type of exercise for managing obesity among those who have a higher genetic risk. Additional recommendations for this group include mountain climbing, walking, power walking, dancing, and long yoga practices.

The researchers were surprised to find that cycling, stretching exercises, swimming and Dance Dance Revolution did not counteract the genetic effects on obesity.

The findings indicate that when it comes to obesity, the hereditary risk can be reduced by specific types of regular exercise. As the worldwide epidemic of obesity continues to grow, the benefits of physical exercise cannot be overstated.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/">PLOS Genetics</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/TOM Studio

Certain exercises are more effective for those predisposed to obesity

Certain exercises are more effective for those predisposed to obesity....

Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, is an extremely addictive stimulant drug that was used by roughly 1.6 million Americans in 2017. The health risks of meth use are numerous and severe, and researchers may have just found additional health effects that could lead to enlarged hearts and heart failure in users.

Preliminary research presented at the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association’s</a> Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2019 Scientific Sessions indicates that meth use may lead to increased deposits of collagen around the blood vessels of the heart. These collagen deposits are build-ups of tough protein fibers within the heart muscle, and can result in major <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/e-cigarettes-cardiovascular-disease/">cardiovascular problems</a>.

For this study, researchers used heart samples from autopsies of 32 chronic meth users who died from meth overdose, gunshot wounds, hanging, blunt force injury, stab wounds or sudden heart or lung problems. These hearts were compared with samples from five non-substance users who also died from gunshot wounds, hanging, blunt force injury or blood clots in the lungs. 

Comparison of samples between users and non-users of the heart’s left ventricle – the main pumping chamber – showed increased accumulation of collagen deposits between heart muscle cells. 

“Regardless of the cause of death, we found methamphetamine has profound harmful effects on the cardiovascular system and results in irreversible damage to the heart, raising the risk of a heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest and heart failure,” says co-lead author Chowdhury S. Abdullah, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="http://www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/">Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport</a>. 

“Rehabilitation centers for methamphetamine users should routinely monitor heart function and look for signs of heart failure, since early detection of heart problems could prevent further deterioration of the heart muscle. Monitoring should continue even after people have quit using the drug.”

Because the study is limited by using only autopsy samples, researchers could not determine how the structural differences documented in methamphetamine users might directly affect blood tests and heart function. 

“We need to further study cardiac function and biochemical blood parameters in methamphetamine users and compare them to those in other substance users and in non-substance users,” explains senior author Md. Shenuarin Bhuiyan, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Louisiana State University.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/MDGRPHCS

How meth use causes irreversible damage to the heart

Methamphetamine, commonly known as meth, is an extremely addictive stimulant...

With summer in full swing, many people are packing up their suitcases and getting ready to leave for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vacation-more-live-longer/">vacation.</a> For some, a holiday means relaxing on a beach, visiting a theme park, or exploring a new city. 

A new study has found that the stress before a vacation and the lengthy adjustment period to get back into a routine after can put a damper on holidays abroad. 

<a href="https://www.healthspan.co.uk/">Healthspan</a>, a supplement and vitamin company in the UK, commissioned a study to see how long it takes people to get back to normal after a week or two-week break. 

For the study, 2,000 adults were polled by the market research company <a href="https://www.onepoll.com/">OnePoll</a>. 

The survey results show that it takes three days to fall back into a regular routine after a week abroad and four days for two weeks off. 

Jet-lag can cause several restless nights when returning from vacation, and it can take up to two nights to recover a regular sleep schedule. 

It doesn’t help that people often throw their routines out the window while on vacation. Sleeping in, napping in the afternoon, and staying up later than usual all make returning the daily grind more difficult. 

Six out of ten surveyed said the morning routine was the hardest part about coming back from vacation. 

One of the more surprising aspects of the poll was how much stress and anxiety survey respondents reported feeling during and even before vacation. 

From packing, to worrying about money on the trip, to tying up loose ends at work, many reported feeling stressed before taking time off. 

Four out of ten of those polled said they felt anxious about returning to work while on holiday and 25 percent of responders admitted to taking extra days off to help ease back into the day-to-day. 

Other major stressors were the dread and anxiety about returning home and having to catch up on chores, laundry, and work. 

This begs the question, is it even worth it take time off given all the concerns and problems that can arise before and after vacation? 

“Taking time to unwind and relax is vital for overall physical and mental health, but many people may struggle pre and post-holiday,” said Dr. Meg Arroll, a psychologist on behalf of Healthspan. “This survey has shown over half of Brits found it difficult to get back to their routines after a break away. So, although holidays can be great at making us forget about the toils of day-to-day life, many of us find it hard to readjust when ’they’re over.”

Dr. Arroll recommends tackling anxious thought patterns before a vacation to help allay any fears and concerns. Sticking to a healthy routine on vacation and giving yourself some time to ease back into work when you return from vacation can help reduce the tough adjustment period. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Akos Nagy

It takes days to adjust to a normal routine after vacation, new poll shows

With summer in full swing, many people are packing up...

Marijuana use during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-pregnancy-morning-sickness/">pregnancy</a> can negatively impact fetal brain development and cause problems in early childhood such as impulsive behavior and impaired memory. In a recent study, medical researchers have found that an essential micronutrient called choline can protect against these developmental issues.

Dr. Camille Hoffman is an associate professor of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the <a href="https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/">University of Colorado School of Medicine</a>. 

"In Colorado, it's common for women to use marijuana before they know they're pregnant and some continue to use as a natural remedy for morning sickness, depression and anxiety," said Dr. Hoffman.

"In this study, we found that maternal marijuana use begins to negatively impact the fetal brain at an earlier stage in pregnancy than we expected. However, we also found that eating choline-rich foods or taking choline as a supplement may protect the child from potential harm."

Among 201 mothers examined in the study, fifteen percent reported marijuana use before and beyond 10 weeks gestation. Infants born to mothers who continued to use marijuana beyond 10 weeks had decreased cerebral nervous system inhibition by the time they were one month old. 

This early on in development, decreased brain inhibition is tied to attention and social problems, which can lead to a predisposition for substance abuse, depression, and psychosis later in life.

The researchers found that maternal choline levels correlated with improved attention, cuddliness, and bonding ability among the infants. 

"We already know that prenatal vitamins improve fetal and child development, but currently most prenatal vitamins do not include adequate amounts of the nutrient choline despite the overwhelming evidence of its benefits in protecting a baby's brain health," said Dr. Coffman. "We hope that this research is a step towards more OB-GYNs, midwives and other prenatal care providers encouraging pregnant women to include choline in their prenatal supplement regimen."

The study is the first of its kind to evaluate the central nervous system effects of marijuana in human newborns. The research also revealed that the vulnerable gestational period for the impact of marijuana on fetal brain development is as early as the end of the first trimester. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine">Psychological Medicine</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/Artemidovna

Choline found to prevent damaging fetal effects associated with marijuana

Marijuana use during pregnancy can negatively impact fetal brain development...

The month of July will close with yet another rare lunar phenomenon following a string of full and supermoons that have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pink-moon/">made headlines</a> since the beginning of this year. 

This time though, the moon won’t be full. Instead, we’re getting a black moon, so-called because it’s the second new moon in a single month. 

Typically, we’ll see a new moon and full moon in a single month, but this isn’t always the case. 

A lunar cycle takes about 29 days to complete, but our calendar months on Earth can range from 28 to 31 days. As a result, now and then, we’ll see two lunar cycles in the same month.

If a month has two full moons, the second full moon is called a blue moon. When a month starts and ends with a new moon, the second new moon is called a black moon. 

It’s a rare event that sometimes only occurs in different time zones and can happen every 32 months. 

Technically, this month’s black moon will also be a supermoon, a new supermoon to be exact. January, February and March all had full <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-worm-moon-tonight/">supermoons this year</a>. 

Unfortunately, stargazers hoping to catch a glimpse of this rare lunar event may be out of luck. 

Despite its supermoon status, the black moon is still new and will be invisible to the naked eye, blending into the night sky. 

Many people associate a crescent moon with a new moon, but this is incorrect. The waxing crescent will be visible in a few days following the black moon. 

If you live in the Western Hemisphere, tonight’s new moon is considered a black moon. For those in the Eastern Hemisphere, the new moon won’t occur until August 1st.

If you do live in the Eastern Hemisphere, the end of August will bring another new moon and the official black moon for that part of the world.  

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/taffpixture

Black moon arrives tonight -- here’s what you need to know

The month of July will close with yet another rare...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/binge-drinking-munchies/">Binge drinking</a> is a behavior that you’d likely associate with college-age kids. And while it may bring to mind beer funnels and toga parties, there is actually a large proportion of the older population that participates in this risky behavior. 

A new study published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15325415">Journal of the American Geriatrics Society</a> has found that 1 in 10 adults age 65 and older currently binge drink, which puts them at risk for numerous health issues.

Despite the fact that binge drinking is especially harmful to older adults – due to risks ranging from increased chances of falling to likelihood of having chronic health issues – there hasn’t been much research on rates of binge drinking among the older population. 

“Binge drinking, even episodically or infrequently, may negatively affect other health conditions by exacerbating disease, interacting with prescribed medications, and complicating disease management,” explains lead author Benjamin Han, MD, MPH, an assistant professor at the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/education">NYU School of Medicine</a>. 

For this new study, Dr. Han and colleagues utilized the most recent national data to determine the current prevalence and factors that may increase the risk of binge drinking among adults. This involved analyzing data from almost 11,000 U.S. adults age 65 and older who participated in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health between 2015 and 2017. Their results revealed that 10.6% of older adults have binge drank in the past month, which is an increase compared to previous studies. 

Within the study population, binge drinkers were more likely to be male, current tobacco and/or cannabis users, African American, and have less than a high school education. Additionally, they were more likely to visit the emergency room in the past year. 

“The association of binge drinking with cannabis use has important health implications. Using both may lead to higher impairment effects,” says senior author Joseph Palamar, PhD, MPH, an associate professor in the Department of Population Health at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">NYU Langone Health</a>. “This is particularly important as cannabis use is becoming more prevalent among older adults, and older adults may not be aware of the possible dangers of using cannabis with alcohol.”

While a lot of alcohol education is focused on the younger generations, as they may be less knowledgeable of potential health risks given more limited experience, there is still a need for continued education as we age. 

“Our results underscore the importance of educating, screening, and intervening to prevent alcohol-related harms in older adults, who may not be aware of their heightened risk for injuries and how alcohol can exacerbate chronic diseases,” concludes Han.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Iakov Filimonov

One in 10 adults over the age of 65 binge drinks, study finds

Binge drinking is a behavior that you’d likely associate with...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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

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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

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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



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

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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...