Gender wage gaps aren't just a concern for adults. Recent studies show that these inequities begin to form much earlier.



In a study from NYU, researchers have found that boys and girls as young as six years old already exhibit signs of the wage gap, thus perpetuating the cycle of economic disparity.



The experts found that boys tend to value their worth more - asking for bigger rewards for the same work- while girls tend to undervalue their worth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boys-overestimate-their-abilities">Boys overestimate their abilities </h2>



The wage gap isn't just about work. It's about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-perception-we-see-the-world-based-on-what-we-expect-to-see/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">perception</a>. How much do you think you're worth? 



It turns out that boys estimate themselves to be worth more than girls do, even when performing the same activities. They don't just think they're worth more - they ask for more too.



“Our findings suggest that boys tend to overestimate their abilities compared to girls - and relative to their actual performance. This inflated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-digital-technology-influence-our-sense-of-self/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">self-perception</a> may lead boys to feel more entitled to push the boundaries during negotiations,” explained Sophie Arnold, a doctoral student at <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boys-and-girls-same-work-different-pay">Boys and girls: Same work, different pay?</h2>



The research was focused on boys and girls who were between six and nine years old. The children were introduced to hypothetical scenarios where they could negotiate bonuses with a teacher or a neighbor for completing tasks.



The tasks were identical, and both boys and girls believed they would face little backlash for negotiation and would receive similar rewards.



When asked to identify images rapidly on a computer screen, boys and girls performed the same. After the task, the children were informed that they were due to receive a bonus: pictures of animals.



When asked how many pictures they thought they deserved, boys asked for larger bonuses than girls, even after performing at the same level. And this wasn't a slight difference. A typical boy asked for more bonus pictures than about 65% of the girls did.



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



Boys thought they did better than girls, even though the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-sleep-transforms-brain-performance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">performance</a> was equal. And those boys who believed they did better were more likely to negotiate for higher bonuses.



This suggests that one key to understanding the wage gap may involve focusing on perception - not ability.



“Boys leveraged their perceptions of how common and permissible it is to ask for more, while girls did not,” explained Katherine McAuliffe, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Boston College.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-wage-gap">Addressing the wage gap</h2>



Understanding the early roots of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-children-learn-gender-stereotypes-from-storybooks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gender</a> wage gap can help us shape strategies and policies that tackle the issue head-on.



It's not enough to simply address wage disparities among adults. We need to tackle the problem at its source - in childhood.



Addressing the early emergence of the gender pay gap requires targeted interventions to boost girls' <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/power-posing-gives-children-an-instant-confidence-boost/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">confidence</a> and negotiation skills. Experts suggest that parents and educators play a critical role in shaping how children perceive their worth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-breaking-the-cycle">Breaking the cycle</h2>



Encouraging girls to advocate for themselves and providing positive reinforcement for negotiating can help close the gap before it widens.



Structured activities that teach financial literacy and negotiation techniques tailored for young children could equip girls with the tools they need to value their contributions appropriately.



Schools can also incorporate lessons that highlight successful female role models who have broken barriers in their respective fields, thus inspiring young girls to challenge societal expectations.



By normalizing self-advocacy and negotiation from an early age, both boys and girls can learn to approach opportunities with equal confidence and ambition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-media-and-society">The role of media and society</h2>



Beyond individual efforts, societal and media representations contribute significantly to the early development of gendered perceptions of worth. 



Studies suggest that traditional portrayals of gender roles in media often reinforce the idea that boys should aim higher and ask for more, while girls are encouraged to be accommodating and grateful for what they receive. 



Cartoons, books, and movies often depict male characters in leadership and negotiation roles, while female characters take on supportive, nurturing roles.



Addressing this requires a cultural shift in how we represent gender in media, in addition to encouraging narratives that showcase equality in leadership and success.



Parents and educators can introduce children to diverse media that challenge these stereotypes and promote the idea that ambition and self-advocacy are valuable traits for everyone, regardless of gender. 



The earlier these ideas are introduced, the more likely they are to influence long-term perceptions and behaviors.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fdev0001898" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Developmental Psychology</a>.



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Wage gap starts young: Boys value their worth more than girls

Gender wage gaps aren't just a concern for adults. Recent studies show that these inequities begin to form much earlier. In a study from NYU, researchers have found that boys and girls as young as six years old already exhibit signs of the wage gap, thus perpetuating the cycle of economic disparity. The experts found that boys tend to value their worth more - asking for bigger rewards for the same work- while girls tend to undervalue their worth. Boys overestimate their abilities The wage gap isn't...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.medschool.pitt.edu/">University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine</a> have found evidence that healthspan, or the number of years a person is healthy, may be more important than lifespan. The new study suggests that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/height-weight-womens-lifespans/">lifespan</a> and healthspan are controlled independently of one another on a molecular level. 

Healthspan is represented by a set of parameters that are distinct from lifespan, such as mobility and immune resistance. While healthspan is not as simple to measure as lifespan, the researchers explained that it may be more relevant to modify healthspan in the long run. 

Study senior author Dr. Arjumand Ghazi referenced the Greek myth of Eos and Tithonus to emphasize the significance of healthspan. "The goddess Eos fell in love with a mortal man, Tithonus, and asked that he be granted eternal life, but forgot to ask for eternal youth. Tithonus lived forever but as a frail and immobile old man."

The research was focused on a protein called TCER-1 in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans. The team previously demonstrated that this particular protein promotes longevity in worms and is critical to their fertility.

Since longevity genes are known to increase resistance to stressors in many animals, the researchers expected that removing TCER-1 would make the worms less resilient. What they found, however, was just the opposite. 

When infected with bacteria, subjected to DNA-damaging radiation, or exposed to high temperatures, the worms without TCER-1 survived much longer than normal worms. 

The worms lacking TCER-1 also had improved mobility with age and were less prone to protein clumping that causes human neurodegenerative diseases. By contrast, increased levels of TCER-1 were found to suppress the animal's immune defenses.

"I was sure I'd made a mistake somewhere," said study lead author Dr. Francis Amrit. "But I repeated the experiments and realized that TCER-1 was unlike any other longevity gene we'd seen before - it was actually suppressing immune resistance."

The researchers explained that TCER-1 only appeared to be useful for the worms that were young and still capable of laying eggs.

"I liken TCER-1 in C. elegans to a DJ who controls the base, treble and other tones to get the music to sound just right," said Dr. Amrit. "During its reproductive age, TCER-1 tunes all the molecular dials to ensure that the animal reproduces efficiently to propagate the species, partly by diverting resources meant for stress management."

Dr. Ghazi said it is too soon to draw any conclusions about human healthspan, but that the findings should change how the molecular basis of aging is understood.

"It will be interesting to understand how the body allocates resources," said Dr. Ghazi. "For example, could women one day take a pill once they decide to stop having children that would improve their healthspan by diverting resources used for reproduction toward improved stress resilience?"

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/articles">Nature Communications</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/Flamingo Images

A healthy life may be a better indicator of longevity than lifespan

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> (UEA), financial rewards help people stop <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/smoking-skin-cancer/">smoking</a> and remain smoke-free in the long term. Overall, individuals who received monetary incentives were found to be 50 percent more likely to kick the habit. 

"Smoking is the leading cause of disease and death worldwide. Most smokers want to quit, but stopping smoking can be really challenging," said study lead author Dr. Caitlin Notley.

"Quitting smoking can greatly improve peoples' health. Rewards, such as money or vouchers, have been used to encourage smokers to quit, and to reward them if they stay stopped. Such schemes have been used in workplaces, in clinics and hospitals, and within community programs."

"We wanted to know whether these schemes actually work long term, as previously it was thought that perhaps incentives only worked for the time that they were given. We found that they do help people stay smoke free, even after the incentive scheme ends."

"The cost of smoking to the economy is huge - around £13 billion to the UK economy, including over £3 billion for NHS and social care and £7.5 billion to lost productivity. So these types of schemes could help save money as well as lives."

The research was focused on the results of 33 randomized trials including more than 21,000 people across eight countries. In ten of the trials, pregnant women were rewarded with vouchers for giving up smoking.

The studies followed participants for at least six months, including breath and body fluid tests to determine whether participants were able to follow through with their commitment.

"We found that six months or more after the beginning of the trials, people receiving rewards were approximately 50 percent more likely to have stopped smoking than those in the control groups," said Dr. Notley.

"In people not receiving incentives, approximately seven percent had successfully quit for six months or longer, compared to approximately 10.5 per cent of those receiving incentives."

"This is an important increase when we consider the enormous harms of smoking, and benefits of quitting, and suggests that incentives can be a useful part of a comprehensive approach to help people quit smoking. Another really important thing is that success rates continued beyond when the incentives had ended."

Dr. Notley added that pregnant women in the rewards groups were more likely to stop smoking than those in control groups, both at the end of the pregnancy and after the birth of the baby.

"Stopping smoking during pregnancy is the best thing that women can do to improve their chances of having a healthy pregnancy. Staying stopped after the birth has great benefits for babies too, through avoiding exposure to second hand smoke."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cochrane.org/">Cochrane Library</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/Mita Stock Images

Financial incentives prove effective in helping people quit smoking

According to a new study from the University of East...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/">Massachusetts General Hospital</a> (MGH) have found that daily physical activity could help protect the brain from cognitive decline and neurodegeneration (brain tissue loss) associated with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-quality-alzheimers/">Alzheimer's disease</a>. Furthermore, the same study also showed that lowering vascular risk factors may also offer protection from Alzheimer’s and/or delay its progression.

"One of the most striking findings from our study was that greater physical activity not only appeared to have positive effects on slowing cognitive decline, but also on slowing the rate of brain tissue loss over time in normal people who had high levels of amyloid plaque in the brain," said corresponding author Jasmeer Chhatwal, MD, PhD, of the <a href="https://www.massgeneral.org/neurology/">MGH Department of Neurology</a>.

The study, published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology">JAMA Neurology</a>, shows that physical activity may specifically reduce b-amyloid (Ab)-related cortical thinning as well as preserve gray matter structure in areas of the brain that may be affected by episodic memory loss and Alzheimer's-related neurodegeneration.

The pathophysiological process, characterized by an accumulation of b-amyloid protein, of Alzheimer’s disease begins decades before symptoms emerge. This study is one of the first to link physical activity and vascular risk management to protective effects against the disease during its “preclinical stage.”

"Because there are currently no disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer's disease, there is a critical need to identify potential risk-altering factors that might delay progression of the disease," Chhatwal said.

To arrive at these findings, the Harvard Aging Brain Study at MGH looked at physical activity levels in 182 normal older adults, including those with elevated b-amyloid and who were therefore at high-risk of cognitive decline. They did so via hip-mounted pedometers which tracked the number of steps walked during the course of one’s day.

"Beneficial effects were seen at even modest levels of physical activity, but were most prominent at around 8,900 steps, which is only slightly less than the 10,000 many of us strive to achieve daily," said co-author Reisa Sperling, MD, director of the <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/research/labs-and-projects/cart/center-for-alzheimer-research-and-treatment">Center for Alzheimer's Research and Treatment at Brigham and Women's Hospital</a> and co-principal investigator of the Harvard Aging Brain Study.

"Beta amyloid and tau protein build-up certainly set the stage for cognitive impairment in later age, but we shouldn't forget that there are steps we can take now to reduce the risk going forward — even in people with build-up of these proteins," says Chhatwal. "Alzheimer's disease and the emergence of cognitive decline is multifactorial and demands a multifactorial approach if we hope to change its trajectory."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Lightspring

Daily exercise could protect the brain against Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have found that daily...

Mechanism that kept ancient humans from starving may now contribute to obesity. Experts at the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">NYU School of Medicine</a> have discovered that a molecular "trick" used by ancient humans and animals to prevent starvation may now be contributing to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/children-disadvantaged-obesity-rates/">obesity epidemic</a>.

In times of starvation, evolution granted animals the ability to store excess energy as fat. Even if an animal obtained a large feast, its body responded by storing any extra fuel that could be used when food was scarce again. 

"We discovered an anti-starvation mechanism that has become a curse in times of plenty because it sees cellular stress created by overeating as similar to stress created by starvation - and puts the brakes on our ability to burn fat," said lead study author Dr. Ann Marie Schmidt.

The research was focused on the natural function of a protein called RAGE on the surface of fat cells which stops the breakdown of stored fat when the body is experiencing stress. The protein may help to explain why 70 percent of American adults are overweight or obese. 

In March of 2017, the American Heart Association (AHA) set up a grant to help experts identify the elusive "metabolic brake." The funding was announced following a 2016 study which found that contestants from America's Greatest Loser gained back their lost pounds after the show ended. Their metabolisms mysteriously slowed to a halt after weight loss, as if their bodies were trying to put the weight back on.

According to the researchers, the most efficient way for evolution to create an anti-starvation mechanism was from ancient systems that helped animals use food for cellular energy and recover from injury. The hormone adrenaline also played a role in the mechanism, regulating the conversion of fat into energy or body heat.

The study authors concluded that RAGE may block "fat burning" when we are hungry, cold, injured, upset, or even when we overeat.

Previous experiments, as well as the current study, have found that RAGE is turned on by advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). These are proteins or fats that become glycated when they are exposed to blood sugar - most often in aging, diabetic, and obese patients. 

Dr. Schmidt said that a disturbing possibility is that many proteins and fats have come to activate "the RAGE brake" as they stack up in people that eat more than their ancestors did. Mechanism that kept ancient humans from starving may now contribute to obesity

The team removed RAGE from the fat cells of mice and found that the animals gained up to 75 percent less weight during three months of high-fat feeding compared to mice who still had the RAGE brake on. All of the mice had equal levels of food consumption and physical activity.

The researchers have now discovered experimental compounds that attach to the "tail" of the RAGE protein to restrict its activity. The team will eventually test the ability of these "RAGE inhibitors" to keep bariatric surgery patients and patients undergoing medical weight loss regimens from regaining lost weight.

"Because RAGE evolved out of the immune system, blocking it may also reduce the inflammatory signals that contribute to insulin resistance driving diabetes," explained Dr. Schmidt. "Further, such treatments may lessen the system-wide inflammation linked to risk for atherosclerosis, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/home">Cell Reports</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

Mechanism that kept ancient humans from starving may now contribute to obesity

Mechanism that kept ancient humans from starving may now contribute...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.acc.org/">American College of Cardiology</a> has revealed that high cholesterol and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/overweight-children-high-blood-pressure/">blood pressure</a> in young adults can substantially increase their risk of heart disease later in life. The effect was found to occur independently of whether these risk factors persisted into later adulthood. 

The study was focused on data from six large studies involving more than 36,000 individuals. The researchers looked for any exposure to elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol among participants when they were between the ages of 18 and 39. Next, the team analyzed the subsequent risk of coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke in the 17 years that followed. 

The results showed that elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels during young adulthood were associated with a 64-percent increased risk of coronary heart disease. High systolic blood pressure (SBP) was linked to a 37-percent increased risk of heart failure, while diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was linked to a 21-percent increased risk of heart failure. 

None of the young adult exposures were found to be independently associated with strokes, but later life exposures to high blood pressure were found to be strong predictors of strokes.

"Our results add to accumulating evidence that young adulthood is a critical period when high blood pressure or cholesterol are particularly harmful. Maintaining optimal levels of blood pressure and LDL cholesterol throughout young adulthood could yield substantial lifetime cardiovascular disease prevention benefits," said study senior author Dr. Andrew E. Moran of <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>. 

"However, young adults are difficult to reach by way of traditional, clinic-based preventive programs - they are transitioning between pediatric and adult-centered models of care, they often lack health insurance or experience frequent gaps in insurance coverage. Young adult utilization of ambulatory medical care and adherence to preventive health guidelines are the lowest of any age group."

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.onlinejacc.org/">Journal of the American College of Cardiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Chompoo Suriyo

Young adults with high blood pressure have a higher risk of heart failure

A new study published by the American College of Cardiology...

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and one in three seniors dies due to Alzheimer’s or another <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dementia-patients-doubled/">dementia disease.</a> By 2050, the number of people living with Alzheimer’s is projected to reach nearly 14 million, according to the<a href="https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures"> Alzheimer’s Association</a>. 

Researchers continue to work to find ways to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/halting-aging-rejuvenating-cells/">slow the progression of aging</a> and target the root cause of the disease. The majority of Alzheimer’s and dementia cases are not linked to heritable factors, but a small percentage of people do have a higher genetic risk of developing dementia. 

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter </a>has found that a healthy lifestyle could be key to reducing the genetic risk of developing dementia. 

“This research delivers a really important message that undermines a fatalistic view of dementia. Some people believe it’s inevitable they’ll develop dementia because of their genetics,” said  Joint lead author Dr. David Llewellyn, joint lead author of the study. “However it appears that you may be able to substantially reduce your dementia risk by living a healthy lifestyle.”

The researchers presented their findings at the <a href="https://www.alz.org/aaic">2019 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference Los Angeles</a>, and the research was also published in the journal JAMA. 

Data from 196,383 adults with European ancestry aged 60 or older were analyzed for the study. The data came from the UK Biobank, and of the adults studied, 1,769 cases of dementia were identified. 

Those who had been diagnosed with dementia were categorized depending on genetic risk for dementia. 

Next, the researchers examined lifestyle factors that could influence dementia risk and identified which participants in the Biobank Study led healthy or unhealthy lifestyles based on diet, amount of exercise, smoking history and relationship to alcohol. 

In people with a high genetic risk, a healthy lifestyle was linked to a 32 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to those participants who had unhealthy habits. 

The correlation between lifestyle and the genetic risk was so strong that the participants who had unhealthy lifestyles were nearly three times more likely to develop dementia. 

“This is the first study to analyse the extent to which you may offset your genetic risk of dementia by living a healthy lifestyle,” said Dr. Elżbieta Kuźma, a joint lead author of the study. “Our findings are exciting as they show that we can take action to try to offset our genetic risk for dementia. Sticking to a healthy lifestyle was associated with a reduced risk of dementia, regardless of the genetic risk.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Lightspring

A healthy lifestyle could be key to reducing dementia risk

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in...

Despite efforts to mitigate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harmful-effects-air-pollution-exposure/">air pollution</a> and lessen exposure in cities where emissions are high, indoor air pollution remains a prevalent issue. 

According to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health">World Health Organization</a>, three billion people worldwide struggle with household pollution, mostly due to using open fires, kerosene, wood, or coal to cook inside.

In India, women, and children have an especially high risk of health problems because of cooking pollution. In 2016, the Indian government launched a program to combat indoor air pollution by making a clean fuel alternative Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), readily available and affordable. 

Since the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) program was launched, millions of women in rural India have benefited from it. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.iiasa.ac.at/">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis</a> (IIASA) recently conducted a thorough analysis of the program to see if it has encouraged the sustained use of LPG. 

The researchers addressed a few core questions to see how the program has impacted LPG sales and use throughout the Koppal district in Karnataka state in Southern India. 

Rather than rely on self-reported data, the researchers reviewed an LPG sales dataset to see how long it would have taken to reach current LPG use without the incentives offered by the program, who is using LPG and who isn’t in rural areas, and how price fluctuations and seasonal variations impact LPG use. 

All in all, the program is encouraging more people to use LPG, but not nearly at the levels needed and not in a way that is prompting sustained use over the years.

“Increasing the adoption of LPG among rural, poor populations is a daunting task, which the government of India has admirably achieved. Getting people to use LPG regularly is however a far more difficult task,” said Shonali Pachauri, a co-author of the study which was published in the journal Nature Energy. 

Five years of LPG sales data was reviewed and analyzed by the researchers, and while the program did fast track LPG consumer enrollments by 16 months, there was little change in LPG adoption. 

In the first three years, 75 percent of consumers’ LPG purchases stayed the same or only increased by one or two cylinders. 

Those in the program were also highly influenced by seasonal changes and price variations. If agricultural activity was lower in the summer, refill rates for LPG cylinders were lower as well. 

“Our work reaffirms that there is a distinct difference between the adoption of a new technology and its sustained use,” said Abhishek Kar, the lead author of the study. “The PMUY was specifically designed to promote adoption, and based on that metric, this program is an unparalleled success, with near universal LPG access expected within the next couple of years. However, if we focus on the ultimate goal of smokeless kitchens, PMUY must be modified to explicitly incentivize regular LPG use.”

The average use of LPG is still low across rural India, and the researchers have several suggestions for how to increase LPG adoption. 

“Our study suggests some obvious mid-course corrections to the program to encourage regular use of LPG. This includes the use of seasonal vouchers during low cash flow periods for poor rural agricultural households, and behavioral nudges and stronger information and education campaigns,” said Kar.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Samarn Plubkilang

New efforts to reduce indoor air pollution in India

Despite efforts to mitigate air pollution and lessen exposure in...

An international team of researchers including experts from the <a href="https://icahn.mssm.edu/">Mount Sinai School of Medicine</a> has discovered that an extinct group of humans fed their babies breast milk. The study, which was focused on the analysis of two-million-year-old teeth, is shedding new light on the evolution of human breastfeeding practices.

Even though breastfeeding is a critical component of human development and an important predictor of health, many aspects of nursing remain poorly understood.

The team used high-tech methods developed at Mount Sinai to analyze the teeth of Australopithecus africanus, an early human ancestor that lived in South Africa and had both human and apelike features. Using the teeth, the scientists measured preserved chemical biomarkers to reconstruct diet histories.

Concentrations of an element found in milk called barium were tested in the growth patterns of the teeth, which are similar to tree rings. Determining the barium levels over time provided the researchers with information about <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/babies-cry-themselves-sleep/">nursing</a> and dietary patterns.

The study revealed that the early human species breastfed for up to one year and then had six monthly cycles of food scarcity, which may have caused them to rely on increased breastfeeding or other sources of food.

Study first author Dr. Christine Austin is an assistant professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

"Seeing how breastfeeding has evolved over time can inform best practices for modern humans by bringing in evolutionary medicine. Our results show this species is a little closer to humans than the other great apes which have such different nursing behaviors," said Dr. Austin.

"These are important findings from an evolutionary perspective, because humans have long childhoods and short breastfeeding periods while apes have longer breastfeeding periods than humans do. We're still in the dark about why or when we made that change and what the effect of more recent major changes in breastfeeding, with agriculture and industrialization, could have on mothers' and babies' health."

Dr. Austin explained that diet is a big part of the exposome, or an individual's environmental exposure history, and nutritional stress is an exposure that is important for understanding overall health.

"For the first time, we've gained new insight into the way our ancestors raised their young, and how mothers may have adapted to seasonal food shortages with breastfeeding," said lead author Dr. Renaud Joannes-Boyau.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Iryna Inshyna

Early humans used breastfeeding to overcome seasonal food shortages

An international team of researchers including experts from the Mount...

New laws limiting e-cigarette availability may push users toward cigarettes. A new study from the <a href="https://www.dukehealth.org/locations/duke-university-medical-center">Duke University Medical Center</a> has found that limiting the availability and variety of electronic cigarettes may push existing users to smoke more tobacco cigarettes. In some cities, efforts are underway to make <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/e-cigarettes-cardiovascular-disease/">e-cigarettes</a> less appealing to young smokers.

Study lead author Dr. Lauren Pacek is an assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke.

"The FDA now has regulatory authority over all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and we know that some communities have taken action to ban flavored e-cigarette products," said Dr. Pacek. 

"We wanted to take a first pass at seeing what users' anticipated responses to new regulations might be. Our findings suggest that while some regulations, such as banning certain flavors to limit appeal to adolescents, might improve outcomes for those young users, the new regulations might have unintended consequences with other portions of the population."New laws limiting e-cigarette availability may push users toward cigarettes

The investigation was focused on an online survey of 240 individuals between the ages of 18 and 29 who smoke both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. The questions were designed to predict how the participants' smoking patterns may change in response to hypothetical regulations such as limiting e-cigarette flavors or eliminating the nicotine in e-cigarettes.

Nearly half of the young adults said they would use traditional cigarettes more if the nicotine was removed from electronic cigarettes. In addition, 22 percent would use more tobacco if certain customizable options became unavailable for e-cigs, such as the option to adjust vapor temperature. 

Furthermore, 17 percent of survey respondents said if e-cigarettes were limited to tobacco and menthol flavors, they would smoke more tobacco cigarettes.

[caption id="attachment_1875164" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/e-cig.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875164" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/e-cig.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="404" /></a> Image Credit: Duke Health[/caption]

According to Dr. Pacek, previous studies have shown that about a third of people who use e-cigarettes also use other tobacco products. Even though the survey was small and was not nationally representative, the results indicate that the downstream effects of new regulations on electronic cigarettes must be considered.

"It's likely some potential new regulations on e-cigarettes will result in a net good for the whole population, such as limiting flavors that might entice young users, improving safety standards, or mandating that liquids come in child-proof containers," said Dr. Pacek. "However, our findings suggest that there should also be thoughtful consideration to potential unintended consequences that could affect other subsets of users of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/isum20/current">Substance Use &amp; Misuse</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Tibanna79

New laws limiting e-cigarette availability may push users toward cigarettes

New laws limiting e-cigarette availability may push users toward cigarettes....

When it comes to anti-smoking ads, those sponsored by tobacco companies aren’t reaching most of their customers. 

In 2006, U.S. courts ordered tobacco companies to sponsor advertisements warning customers about the dangers of smoking. But the anti-smoking ads don’t have the same kind of reach into tobacco’s traditional customer base that positive marketing of tobacco has had.

"When compared to other nationally funded anti-smoking campaigns, the reach and penetration of these industry-sponsored ads were suboptimal," Dr. Sanjay Shete of the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas</a> said in a press release. "Our hope, as cancer prevention researchers, is for more people to see these ads and to avoid tobacco or consider quitting. Based on our findings, future efforts in this space need to be more targeted to reach key populations."

Shete and his team found that the court-ordered anti-smoking ads reached only 50.5 percent of current smokers in 2018 – and only 40.6 percent of the U.S. adult population overall. 

The researchers looked at data from the 2018 <a href="https://hints.cancer.gov/">Health Information National Trends Survey</a> led by the <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/">National Cancer Institute</a>. Shete’s team analyzed responses from a total of 3,484 adults, including 450 smokers. Their survey responses were collected between January and May 2018, and included questions meant to determine their exposure to anti-smoking ads.

They found that ad exposure was lowest among young adults ages 18 to 34, those with a household income below $35,000 a year, those with a high school or lower education, and Latinos – all groups that tobacco companies have targeted with pro-smoking marketing in the past.

"Historically, certain ethnic groups and those of lower socioeconomic status have been targets of tobacco industry marketing, which has led to high rates of tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases in these populations," said first author Onyema Greg Chido-Amajuoyi. "These at-risk groups should, ideally, have had the most exposure to these advertisements, but on the contrary, they have had the least."

The researchers noted that the study was self-reported, so participants’ recall and biases could affect the data. The questions also didn’t ask whether anti-smoking ads were seen on television or in print, which could show whether one or the other is more effective.

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2737897?utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=071219">JAMA Network Open</a>. 

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Anti-smoking ads aren't reaching a majority of adults

When it comes to anti-smoking ads, those sponsored by tobacco...

Despite the declining number of traumatic injuries on the field, football has remained the deadliest sport for young players.

That’s because trauma isn’t behind the majority of football deaths among young people. Over-conditioning – especially overexertion or “punishment drills” – is the leading cause of fatalities in high school and college football, according to new research presented by Dr. Barry P. Boden of the <a href="http://www.theorthocentermd.com/">Orthopaedic Center</a> of Rockville, Md. 

In fact, non-traumatic deaths are two or three times higher than deaths caused by traumatic injuries, Boden’s team found.

Boden and his colleagues looked at more than 180 non-traumatic football fatalities recorded from 1998 to 2018. They examined news articles, autopsy reports, investigations, depositions and more, and then analyzed the data.

"The majority of deaths occurred outside of the regular season months of September through December, with the most common month for fatalities being August," Boden said in a press release.

About 24 percent of the deaths were directly linked to heat. The largest cause, at 52 percent, was cardiac issues. 

Most of the deaths were linked to conditioning sessions. Despite being supervised by a coach, most of the sessions included extremely intense “punishment drills” or other irrational overexertion, Boden said. When players went into medical distress, the response was often inadequate, he added.

Such practice-related non-traumatic injuries weren’t limited to high school football; it remains the deadliest sport at the college level as well.

"Conditioning-related fatalities are preventable by establishing standards in workout design, holding coaches and strength and conditioning coaches accountable, ensuring compliance with current policies, and allowing athletic health care providers complete authority over medical decisions," Boden said.

The team presented their findings on Saturday at the <a href="https://www.sportsmed.org/aossmimis/Members/Education/Meeting_Resources/2019-Annual-Meeting.aspx">American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine Annual Meeting</a>.

The findings add to a growing body of research showing that football can be dangerous for young people. In addition to the risk of injuries or even death, football can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/football-brains-young-players/">affect brain development</a> even in players who have never suffered a serious injury.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Paid for by Earth.com.

Football is the deadliest sport at high school level

Despite the declining number of traumatic injuries on the field,...

Researchers from the <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk/">University of Warwick</a> Department of Psychology have found that preterm babies (those born under 37 weeks gestation) are 28% less likely to form <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/reason-unhappy-relationships/">romantic relationships</a> and 22% less likely to experience parenthood in adulthood.

To come to their conclusion, published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.6961?utm_source=For_The_Media&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=071219">JAMA Open Network</a>, the researchers analyzed 4.4 million adult participants who were born preterm. The analysis also showed that preterm babies are 2.3 times less likely to ever have a sexual partner compared to their full-term peers. And those who were born very or extremely preterm (&lt;32 to &lt;28 weeks gestation) were even less likely to form romantic relationships or find a sexual partner.

The researchers believe these results are based on the fact that those adults who were born preterm because they are usually shier, more socially withdrawn, and are less likely to take risks and seek fun.

"The finding that adults who were born pre-term are less likely to have a partner, to have sex and become parents does not appear to be explained by a higher rate of disability,” said first author Dr. Marina Goulart de Mendonça. “Rather preterm born children have been previously found to have poorer social interactions in childhood that make it harder for them to master social transitions such as finding a partner, which in turn is proven to boost your wellbeing."

However, the analysis also showed that when preterm adults enter into friendships or other close relationships, the quality of the relationship were just as good as those friendships formed by their full-term peers.

"Those caring for preterm children including parent's health professionals and teachers should be more aware of the important role of social development and social integration for pre-term children,” said senior author Professor Dieter Wolke. “As preterm children tend to be more timid and shy, supporting them making friends and be integrated in their peer group will help them to find romantic partners, have sexual relationships and to become parents. All of which enhances well-being."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Ramona Heim

Adults who were born preterm are less likely to form romantic relationships

Researchers from the University of Warwick Department of Psychology have...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...