Narcan, the nasal spray form of the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone, is now available over the counter in the United States. However, many people still don’t realize they can get it without a prescription. 



This simple spray, capable of restoring normal breathing in a matter of minutes, has become an essential tool in the fight against a rising tide of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-discovery-offers-hope-for-tackling-opioid-addiction/">opioid</a> overdoses. 



Yet, even with new efforts to boost awareness, polls indicate that a large portion of Americans remain uninformed about the updated, easier availability of naxolone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-source-of-real-world-guidance">A source of real-world guidance </h2>



TikTok’s rapid rise as a place to find health information has shifted how younger audiences learn about critical topics, including substance use and harm reduction.&nbsp;



A recent <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/17/more-americans-regularly-get-news-on-tiktok-especially-young-adults/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> found that roughly one in five adults in the United States now turns to TikTok for news and information on a variety of issues. This number has more than quadrupled in the last four years. 



As a result, the platform has transformed into more than a casual entertainment hub. It’s also a key source of real-world guidance that can influence behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiktok-and-opioid-overdose-prevention">TikTok and opioid overdose prevention</h2>



Led by Dr. Kelli Boling, assistant professor of advertising at the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Nebraska–Lincoln</a>, a team of researchers analyzed hundreds of TikTok posts to see how people talk about naloxone and its brand name Narcan online. 



The study was focused on videos featuring popular hashtags linked to opioid safety messages. The researchers narrowed their search to a time when opioid fatalities were climbing, and more people were scrolling through social media. 



The findings highlight TikTok’s potential for quick, high-impact communication about overdose prevention, addiction support, and news on treatment options.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiktok-videos-on-narcan-access">TikTok videos on Narcan access</h2>



The researchers found that the most consistent topic across the videos was education about opioid risks, Narcan access, and the reality of recovery. 



In each video, creators used text, audio, and captions to clarify how to use naloxone and where to find it. The team also noticed a supportive group dynamic. 



“There was a strong ‘collective voice’ among the harm reduction creators that is ‘de-stigmatizing opioid harm reduction and sharing resources and information helpful to others,’” noted the researchers.



Similar trends emerged in a separate scholarly investigation that focused on the top opioid-related content under the #opioids hashtag, demonstrating that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/growing-up-in-a-digital-world-tiktok-makes-teenagers-happy/">TikTok</a> discussions often revolve around safe medication practices, overdose risks, and pain management.&nbsp;



Across these studies, the short-video format proved to be an unexpected stage for candid personal stories and urgent calls to action.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-of-the-tiktok-ban">Implications of the TikTok ban </h2>



Despite TikTok’s growing impact on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/longer-lifespan-strongly-linked-to-higher-education/">health education</a>, the Supreme Court recently upheld a federal law that effectively bans new downloads of the app unless it is sold by its current parent company. The court cited national security concerns as the main reason for its decision.&nbsp;



No matter where one stands on the ruling, the ban threatens to interrupt the steady flow of harm reduction content that is reaching individuals who might otherwise not seek out such information.



Existing users may still access TikTok, but fresh downloads and updates for new users will be blocked. This limit on functionality could reduce the platform’s reach and eventually affect creators who regularly upload videos about opioid safety.&nbsp;



For individuals in rural or underserved communities, losing easy access to these short but informative clips could make a real difference in whether they learn about new ways to manage opioid-related emergencies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiktok-and-opioid-safety-messages">TikTok and opioid safety messages</h2>



Educators and content creators on TikTok have long embraced the app’s simplicity. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scrolling-online-videos-is-not-a-good-cure-for-boredom/">Videos</a> showing how to administer Narcan, how to watch for overdose warnings, or where to find naloxone kits can be filmed in a matter of minutes.&nbsp;



This approach keeps instructions clear and relatable. Their style relies less on complicated jargon and more on straightforward guidance, which encourages viewers to ask questions and share personal experiences.



At a time when stigma still clings to discussions of addiction, these snippets of community-led education are often a lifeline. Many participants share struggles with pain or recovery, offering mutual support in the comments.&nbsp;



Such interactions highlight a practical form of outreach that appeals to younger audiences. That sense of openness can break down shame, encouraging people to seek professional help or pick up a naloxone kit at a local pharmacy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-saving-opioid-information-on-tiktok">Life-saving opioid information on TikTok </h2>



The recent legal development creates uncertainty. Some worry about a drop in new creators who tackle opioid safety messages. Others point out that alternative platforms exist, though none match TikTok’s unique way of combining brief, entertaining videos with a vast user base.&nbsp;



Conversations about harm reduction may end up scattered across multiple sites, making it harder for people to find consistent, trustworthy guidance.



Still, the drive to curb opioid overdoses carries on. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/living-alone-in-america-an-escalating-public-health-crisis/">Public health</a> groups and grassroots advocates continue to emphasize naloxone training in schools, libraries, and community centers.&nbsp;



Experts at academic institutions are studying how best to deliver clear, effective instructions that cut through noise and misconceptions. 



The top priority is reversing rising overdose figures, and many believe that social media (no matter which platform ends up in the spotlight) will remain an essential tool for sharing life-saving information.



The study is published in the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39727094/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs</a>.



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TikTok videos provide a lifeline to prevent opioid overdoses

Narcan, the nasal spray form of the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone, is now available over the counter in the United States. However, many people still don’t realize they can get it without a prescription.  This simple spray, capable of restoring normal breathing in a matter of minutes, has become an essential tool in the fight against a rising tide of opioid overdoses. Yet, even with new efforts to boost awareness, polls indicate that a large portion of Americans remain uninformed about the updated, easier availability of naxolone....

An interdisciplinary team of experts has published a commentary aimed at world leaders meeting for the G20 Summit this week in Japan. The authors are asking for the G20 leaders to focus on improving and expanding their countries' health care systems. 

The experts suggest that funding for low- and middle-income nations must be increased to address the growing impacts of climate change, wars and conflicts, and a global political trend toward nationalism. They noted that domestic funding is also needed to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including universal <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/insurance-prescribing-healthy-food/">health coverage</a>.

"Achieving universal health coverage should be at the top of the agenda for this meeting of world leaders," said Dr. Christopher Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>. 

"The G20 leaders should assess how to encourage channeling resources to improve primary health care, as well as prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases and to strengthen and support leadership, governance and accountability across all levels of health systems. We've witnessed a decade of plateaued funding and with the deadline to meet the SDGs just 11 years away, the world is watching."

The experts examined trends in spending for international development between 2012 and 2017. They are urging the G20 leaders to address three important questions, including how funds are allocated to deliver equitable health improvement in people's lives, how these funds are delivered to strengthen health systems, and how domestic spending is supported in poor countries to create effective partnerships for universal health coverage.

"The landscape of development assistance for health is evolving, and therefore ripe for any desired realignment," wrote the commentary authors. "Reductions in child poverty and fertility throughout the world mean that many countries are undergoing demographic and epidemiological transitions, with their populations living longer and enduring a more diverse set of ailments."

The team found that from 2000 to 2010, development assistance for health grew at a rate of 10 percent annually, but annual funding plateaued at a growth rate of 1.3 percent in the years that followed. 

"The global health challenges and expansive set of global health goals in the SDGs require a new approach to address pending questions about how development assistance for health can better prioritize equity, efficiency, and sustainability, particularly through domestic resource use and mobilization and strategic partnerships." 

The commentary is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/">The Lancet</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/Janews

Experts argue for universal health coverage prioritization at G20 summit

An interdisciplinary team of experts has published a commentary aimed...

Researchers at the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> have identified dozens of counties across the midwestern and southern United States with the highest risk of opioid-related fatalities. A study of over 3,000 counties revealed that 412 counties have at least double the risk of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/opioid-overdose-deaths-increased-fourfold/">opioid</a> overdose deaths. 

The states that have the most high-risk counties include North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Oklahoma, West Virginia, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Florida. Many of these regions were also found to be more likely to lack providers who can deliver medications to treat opioid use disorder.

Study lead author Rebecca Haffajee is an assistant professor of Health Management and Policy at the U-M School of Public Health.

"We hope policymakers can use this information to funnel additional money and resources to specific counties within their states," said Professor Haffajee. "We need more strategies to augment and increase the primary care provider workforce in those high-risk counties, people who are willing and able to provide opioid use disorder treatments."

The researchers analyzed opioid overdose mortality rates in 3,142 U.S. counties between January 2015 and December 2017. A high-risk county was defined as one with opioid overdose mortality above the national average and with a lower number of providers to deliver opioid use disorder medications.

According to the experts, the study is the first of its kind to include data from all three opioid use disorder medications on the market including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. 

Professor Haffajee emphasized the importance of understanding the differences of the opioid epidemic at the local level.

"In rural areas, the opioid crisis is often still a prescription opioid issue. But in metropolitan counties, highly potent illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are more prevalent and are killing people. That's likely why we identified metropolitan areas as higher-risk, despite the fact that these counties typically have some (just not enough) treatment providers," explained Professor Haffajee.

"Understanding these differences at the sub-state level and coming up with strategies that target specific county needs can allow us to more efficiently channel the limited amount of resources we have to combat this crisis."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</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/Scotyard

Experts identify US counties with an elevated risk of opioid overdose deaths

Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified dozens of...

Renewable sources in the US produced more energy than coal for the first time. According to new data from the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/">U.S. Energy Information Administration</a>, renewable sources produced more energy than coal in the month of April for the first time ever. Solar panels, hydroelectric dams, and wind turbines generated 68.5 million megawatt-hours of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/renewable-energy-carbon-capture/">energy</a> compared to 60 million megawatt-hours produced from coal.

<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/">Bloomberg</a> reports that some of the contributing factors to the historic month are only short-term, while others may have a lasting impact. For example, there is a growing trend in the United States away from coal and toward natural gas. While it is still a fossil fuel, natural gas is less expensive and less damaging in terms of CO2 emissions compared to coal. In addition, more wind and solar farms are emerging across the country.

On the other hand, one of the biggest reasons that coal-fired power plants produced less energy in April is due to shutdowns for spring maintenance. This means that when these plants are up and running again this summer, the demand for coal will rebound. 

The Trump administration continues its efforts to bring the coal industry back and restore mining jobs. Andrew Cosgrove, a Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst, said that President Trump’s “impact on the coal sector has been extremely minimal in nature despite his rhetoric. Power plant retirements are still happening and set to continue looking out through the end of his term."

Regardless, the Environmental Protection Agency has replaced Obama's Clean Power Plan with legislation that is designed to help boost the coal industry. The Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) rule gives individual states the authority to determine whether coal-fired power plants are up to standard in regard to CO2 emissions. 

"It's a rule to increase emissions because it's a rule to extend the life of coal plants," said Conrad Schneider, advocacy director of the <a href="https://www.catf.us/">Clean Air Task Force</a>. "You invest in updating an old coal plant, it makes it more economic" to run it longer to pay off the investment.

Just a year ago, the EPA itself determined that the ACE rule could actually increase harmful pollution, causing as many as 1,500 additional premature deaths each year by 2030 compared to the Clean Power Plan.

--

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/hrui

Renewable sources in the US produced more energy than coal for the first time

Renewable sources in the US produced more energy than coal...

In May, the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> (UN) released a devastating <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2019/05/nature-decline-unprecedented-report/">report</a> detailing the unprecedented loss of biodiversity that our planet is currently facing. Now, UN experts are warning of the effects mass <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/decreases-biodiversity-habitat-loss/">biodiversity loss</a> can also have on human rights.

The UN biodiversity report, published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, found that over one million species are currently at risk of extinction. Researchers found that human activities threaten species more than at any other time in the planet’s history. 

The results are incredibly grim. The authors note that we will continue on this downwards spiral unless we implement transformative change.

Plants and animals are not the only victims of the current state of the planet. UN experts caution that biodiversity loss threatens human rights for current and future generations.

“The loss of global biodiversity is having and will continue to have devastating effects on a wide range of human rights for decades to come. This report is a stark reminder that we can simply not enjoy our basic human rights to life, health, food and safe water without a healthy environment,” David Boyd, a UN expert on human rights and the environment, said in a <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24738&amp;LangID=E">news release</a>.

Biodiversity provides humans with food, medicine and livelihoods. Plant and animal species also ensure our ecosystems function properly which, in turn, helps to clean our air, water and soil. Ecosystems such as coral reefs can protect humans from the effects of extreme weather, which is believed to increase as a result of climate change.

A 2015 <a href="https://www.who.int/globalchange/publications/phe-pr.pdf?ua=1">report</a> by the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> and the Convention on Biological Diversity found that biodiversity loss is impacting human health worldwide. 

A decline in natural resources throughout the world could exacerbate tensions between people and countries, resulting in armed conflict.

The loss of pollinators alone threatens $577 billion in annual global crops. Additionally, an estimated 100-300 million people are at an increased risk of floods and hurricanes as a result of the decline in coastal ecosystems, the UN biodiversity <a href="https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment">report</a> found.

Communities throughout the world rely on healthy and functional ecosystems for survival. As United Nations experts state, poor communities including indigenous peoples, farmers and fishermen are particularly vulnerable to the effects of biodiversity loss. 

The UN biodiversity report helped wake up the collective conscience of humanity. While many people may not yet see the effects of biodiversity loss on their personal livelihoods, that could change in the coming years. The key to gaining buy-in for transformative change may just be the threat it poses to us personally.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Maciej Olszewski

UN experts warn that biodiversity loss can be a human rights issue

In May, the United Nations (UN) released a devastating report...

Bones belonging to two different <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/israel-site-occupied-neanderthals/">Neanderthals</a> in Europe have recently had their nuclear genome sequences analyzed by researchers at the <a href="https://www.eva.mpg.de/index.html">Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology</a>. 

A femur bone belonging to a male Neanderthal was discovered in Hohlenstein-Stadel Cave, Germany in 1937, while the maxillary bone of a Neanderthal girl was found in 1993 in Scladina Cave, Belgium. Both individuals lived around 120,000 years ago, predating most of the Neanderthals whose genomes have been previously sequenced.

Through their analysis of the nuclear genomes of these Neanderthals, the researchers were able to determine that these early Neanderthals in Western Europe were more closely related to the last Neanderthals who lived in the same region as much as 80,000 years later, than they were to the contemporaneous Neanderthals living in Siberia. 

[caption id="attachment_1874514" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/femur.png"><img class="wp-image-1874514" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/femur.png" alt="" width="650" height="351" /></a> Femur of a male Neandertal, Image © Oleg Kuchar, Museum Ulm[/caption]

“The result is truly extraordinary and a stark contrast to the turbulent history of replacements, large-scale admixtures and extinctions that is seen in modern human history,” says Kay Prüfer, who supervised the study.

Although the nuclear genome of the male Neandertal from Germany is similar to that of later Neanderthals, the mitochondrial genome is quite different. An earlier report had shown that over 70 mutations distinguished it from the mitochondrial genomes of other Neanderthals.

In their study, the researchers suggest that early European Neanderthals may have inherited DNA from a currently unknown population. Stéphane Peyrégne, who led the analysis, concludes, 

“This unknown population could represent an isolated Neanderhtal population yet to be discovered, or may be from a potentially larger population in Africa related to modern humans.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/iurii

Early Neanderthals lived in Europe 120,000 years ago

Bones belonging to two different Neanderthals in Europe have recently...

Scientists engineer low-nicotine tobacco to help combat nicotine addiction. A 2017 report from the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that more than 7 million people die every year as a result of the negative health effects of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/smoking-ages-20-years/">smoking</a>. In a new study, experts at the <a href="https://www.tu-dortmund.de/en/">Technical University of Dortmund</a> in Germany are working to engineer nicotine-free tobacco to help people overcome their addiction to nicotine and reduce this number of fatalities.

"Nicotine‐free (or nicotine reduced) cigarettes may contribute to reduce the number of smokers and nicotine consumption, thus reducing the risk of death from tobacco use," wrote study authors Felix Stehle and Julia Schachtsiek. Scientists engineer low-nicotine tobacco to help combat nicotine addiction.

"Most genes involved in the nicotine biosynthesis in tobacco are known and well characterized. This opens the possibility to employ genetic engineering approaches to alter the alkaloid content of the plant, and in particular to reduce the nicotine content."

The team used the CRISPR gene-editing technique to deactivate six enzymes involved in the production of nicotine. The result is a tobacco plant which contains the lowest level of nicotine to date. 

The researchers modified a tobacco strain that normally contains 16 milligrams of nicotine per gram to contain just 0.04 milligrams of nicotine per gram, which is a reduction of 99.7 per cent. Prior to this study, the lowest level of nicotine in any tobacco was 0.4 milligrams per gram. 

According to a WHO report, clinical trials involving low-nicotine cigarettes showed that smokers did not increase the amount they smoked to compensate for the reduced nicotine intake. The WHO experts also proposed that lowering the nicotine in cigarettes to non-addictive levels may be an effective strategy to eliminate smoking worldwide. 

The study will be published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14677652">Plant Biotechnology Journal</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists engineer low-nicotine tobacco to help combat nicotine addiction

Scientists engineer low-nicotine tobacco to help combat nicotine addiction. A...

Experts at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> are reporting that not all types of sedentary behavior have the same effects on heart health. 

A collection of previous studies established that sitting for long periods of time is linked to an increased risk of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/higher-education-heart-disease/">heart disease</a> and premature death, but the current study suggests that sitting at work is not associated with the same risks as sitting in front of the television.

The researchers also found that the detrimental effects of sitting on the couch could be reduced or completely eliminated with consistent exercise.

"Our findings show that how you spend your time outside of work may matter more when it comes to heart health," said study author Dr. Keith M. Diaz. "Even if you have a job that requires you to sit for long periods of time, replacing the time you spend sitting at home with strenuous exercise could reduce your risk of heart disease and death."

The investigation was focused on more than 3,500 participants in Jackson, Mississippi, who were followed for almost 8.5 years. The individuals reported how much time they spent sitting while watching TV and sitting while working. The participants also reported how much time they spent exercising in their free time.

The study revealed that individuals who watched the most television, 4 or more hours a day, had a 50 percent higher risk of cardiovascular events and premature death compared to those who watched less than 2 hours of television a day. By contrast, there were no differences in the health risks of people who sat the most or the least at work. 

Even among the most frequent television viewers, brisk walking or aerobic exercise reduced the risk of heart attacks, stroke, or premature death. For example, there was no increased risk in people who watched the most television when they reported exercising for at least 150 minutes of exercise per week.

"It may be that most people tend to watch television for hours without moving, while most workers get up from their desk frequently," said Diaz. "The combination of eating a large meal such as dinner and then sitting for hours could also be particularly harmful."

"More research is needed, but it's possible that just taking a short break from your TV time and going for a walk may be enough to offset the harm of leisure-time sitting. Almost any type of exercise that gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster may be beneficial."

Even though sitting at work was found to be less detrimental, Diaz noted that the same approach to movement applies at work. 

"We recognize that it isn't easy for some workers, like truck drivers, to take breaks from sitting, but everyone else should make a regular habit of getting up from their desks. For those who can't, our findings show that what you do outside of work may be what really counts."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha">Journal of the American Heart Association</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/Robcartorres

TV sitting is much more damaging to heart health than sitting at work

Experts at Columbia University are reporting that not all types...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a> has revealed that bystanders will intervene to help victims of public fights more than 90 percent of the time. The research contradicts the perception of a modern society where witnesses ignore aggression and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-violence-aggression/">violence</a> and fail to get involved. 

The study, which is the largest of its kind based on real-life conflicts captured by CCTV, showed that at least one bystander did something to help in 9 out of 10 public conflicts. 

The investigation was focused on unique video recordings of more than 200 arguments and assaults in the cities of Amsterdam, Lancaster, and Cape Town.

"According to conventional wisdom, non-involvement is the default response of bystanders during public emergencies. Challenging this view, the current cross-national study of video data shows that intervention is the norm in actual aggressive conflicts," explained study lead author Dr. Richard Philpot.

"The fact that bystanders are much more active than we think is a positive and reassuring story for potential victims of violence and the public as a whole. We need to develop crime prevention efforts which build on the willingness of bystanders to intervene."

During the aggressive arguments caught on security cameras, witnesses intervened in several ways such as gesturing for an aggressor to calm down, physically stopping the aggressor, or by consoling the victim. The researchers determined that the victim was more likely to receive help when a larger number of bystanders was present.

"The most important question for the potential victim of a public assault is 'will I receive help if needed?' While having more people around may reduce an individual's likelihood of helping (i.e., the bystander effect), it also provides a larger pool from which help-givers may be sourced," said Dr. Philpot.

The study authors found no difference in the rates of intervention across the three cities, even though Cape Town is generally perceived to be less safe. The researchers propose that it is not the level of perceived danger that motivates bystanders, but that help is based on any signal that the situation is escalating and requires intervention.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/amp/">American Psychologist</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earrh.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Dusan Petkovic

Most bystanders will intervene if public disputes turn aggressive

A new study led by Lancaster University has revealed that...

A team of experts led by Ravid Ekshtain at the <a href="https://new.huji.ac.il/en">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> has found that the Middle Paleolithic site 'Ein Qashish was repeatedly inhabited by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/neanderthals-extinct-declining-fertility/">Neanderthals</a>. Located in northern Israel, this archeological site is an open-air landscape close to many major cave sites of the same time period.

In the Levant region of the Middle East, most of the information on human occupation during the Middle Paleolithic has been obtained from cave sites. Sheltered sites are not only easier to identify, but are also likely to hold longer records of occupation because they were usually visited more often. 

The open-air landscape of 'Ein Qashish is significant for having been settled over an extended prehistoric time period, ranging between 71,000 and 54,000 years ago.

In collaboration with the Israel Antiquities Authority, the researchers identified human skeletal remains in 'Ein Qashish as Neanderthal. The experts also observed more than 12,000 artifacts from four depositional units in the same location on the landscape. The units represent different settlements during changing environmental conditions.

Animal bones and modified artifacts at the site suggest that occupants were knapping tools and consuming animals on-site. There is also evidence that 'Ein Qashish provided a stable and consistent place for settlement, hosting a range of activities instead of just a few specialized tasks. The research indicates that open-air sites may have been more important for prehistoric humans than previously thought.

"Ein Qashish is a 70-60 thousand years open-air site, with a series of stratified human occupations in a dynamic floodplain environment. The site stands out in the extensive excavated area and some unique finds for an open-air context, from which we deduce the diversity of human activities on the landscape. In contrast to other known open-air sites, the locality was not used for task-specific activities but rather served time and again as a habitation location," explained Ekshtain. 

"The stratigraphy, dates and finds from the site allow a reconstruction of a robust settlement system of the late Neanderthals in northern Israel slightly before their disappearance from the regional record, raising questions about the reasons for their disappearance and about their interactions with contemporaneous modern humans."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earrh.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Ekshtain, 2019

Open-air landscape in Israel was repeatedly occupied by Neanderthals

A team of experts led by Ravid Ekshtain at the...

A team of neuroscientists at the <a href="https://www.sussex.ac.uk/">University of Sussex</a> is reporting that variety may be a good way to boost learning and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/too-much-sleep-memory/">memory</a>. A study focused on snails showed that the creatures were able to comprehend and store the details of two unrelated tasks, yet failed to memorize two tasks that were similar. 

"The brain of a snail is much simpler than ours but there are some key parallels which mean studying them can help us to understand more about our own abilities for learning and memory," explained study author Dr. Michael Crossley.

"We know that multiple learning events occurring in quick succession can lead to competition between memories. This is why, when introduced to multiple people in one go, we usually can't remember every name. Up until now though, we weren't sure which factors were causing a memory to be remembered or forgotten."

The researchers recorded the brain activity of snails as they were trained using food-reward and aversive conditioning. The team discovered that when a snail was attempting to learn two similar tasks, the same neuron was being used. This activity caused only the first memory to survive in a process known as proactive interference.

By contrast, when two different tasks were introduced, two separate neurons were used. This resulted in no competition and the successful storage of both memories.

"We realized that there is an overlapping or non-overlapping mechanism which plays a key role in determining which memories survive," said Dr. Crossley. "So if we want to learn multiple things quickly, we should try learning different rather than similar topics."

The findings suggest that students should switch between different subjects in one day in order to retain the most information. The experts also discovered that the timing of new information can play a big role in the interference of memories.

"In effect, we think the brain is deciding to replace the older learning, which hasn't yet been committed to long-term memory, for a newer one which it thinks might be more relevant," said study senior author Dr. Ildiko Kemenes. "Interestingly, it's only when trying to learn something new during a memory lapse that this interference happens."

"This suggests that the older memory was only vulnerable due to new memories being formed. This makes sense when we think about humans as we wouldn't want a system where our memories are vulnerable if someone bumps into us at the wrong time!"

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/">Communications Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earrh.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Variety may be key to helping us store memories

A team of neuroscientists at the University of Sussex is...

Ancient man-made weapons found alongside the remains of a woolly mammoth. The remains of a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/woolly-mammoths-extinct/">woolly mammoth</a> found preserved in Siberian permafrost were accompanied by man-made weapons dating back 10,000 years, according to experts from the <a href="https://www.investinregions.ru/en/regions/yakutia/education/">Academy of Sciences of Yakutia</a>. Located on Kotelny Island in the Russian Arctic, the bones and tusks both showed signs of human modifications. 

"Traces of processing, presumably by an ancient man, were found on the tusk fragments," mammoth expert Innokenty Pavlov told the <a href="https://siberiantimes.com/">Siberian Times</a>. "The state of tusk remnants clearly points that the humans sliced it to make implements (and weapons)."

Fragments of ivory had sharp edges that could have been used for hunting, which led the scientists to believe this site was used by ancient humans to carve off slivers of mammoth tusks to make spears and tools. 

Further research may reveal whether the giant animal was killed by the sharpened tusk of a previously hunted mammoth. 

[caption id="attachment_1874440" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ancient-weapons-2.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874440" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ancient-weapons-2.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="350" /></a> Main Image Credit: Innokenty Pavlov/The Siberian Times[/caption]

"We will do radiocarbon dating of the remnants, but for now we can say that the age of the tusk is not less than 10,000 years old," said Pavlov. Ancient man-made weapons found alongside the remains of a woolly mammoth

During the Pleistocene Era, Kotelny Island was connected to the Siberian mainland, and the region is well-known as a burial ground for the extinct woolly mammoth.

According to the researchers, the "Golden mammoth" discovered this summer may be a member of a previously undescribed "mini-mammoth" species that lived during the last ice age. The fully grown specimen measures just seven feet tall, which is less than half the height of a typical woolly mammoth.

The remains of the Golden mammoth are covered in sand and embedded in underwater permafrost, and are only visible at low tide on Kotelny Island. 

[caption id="attachment_1874439" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ancient-weapons-1.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874439" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ancient-weapons-1.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="403" /></a> Image Credit: Vladimir Pitulko[/caption]

In August 2018, Russia announced the launch of a $5.9 million cloning facility to attempt to bring back the woolly mammoth and other extinct species. 

The experts collaborated with the Russian Geographical Society and the Russian Ministry of Defence to organize the expedition. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earrh.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Innokenty Pavlov/The Siberian Times

Ancient man-made weapons found alongside the remains of a woolly mammoth

Ancient man-made weapons found alongside the remains of a woolly...

For couples trying to have a baby, a good night’s sleep may be key to improving the chances of getting pregnant, according to a new study. 

Researchers from <a href="https://international.au.dk/">Aarhus University</a> in The Netherlands investigated how sleep impacted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-sperm-production/">sperm quality</a> and discovered that men who go to bed before 10:30 have healthier sperm compared to night owls. 

In fact, going to sleep early correlated with sperm quality that was four times higher compared to sperm collected from men who went to sleep after 11:30. 

Both poor sleep and stress were found to impact sperm quality, and a lack of sleep can increase stress levels, so it’s important for couples hoping to conceive to understand how simple factors like these can impact fertility. 

104 male participants, aged 34 or older, participated in the study, and the researchers tracked sleep patterns and analyzed sperm samples of the participants for two-years. 

The impact that sleep had on sperm quality was significant, and even going to bed at 10:30 verses 11:30 resulted in sperm that was 2.5 times healthier. 

One reason for this could be that lack of sleep could lead to the immune system going into overdrive and attacking healthy sperm, which is why those men who stayed up later had lower quality sperm. 

“The reasons could be psychological as sleep-deprived men suffer more stress and that can have an impact on fertility,” said Hans Jakob Ingerslev, a co-author of the study. “These were men who had been trying to have a baby for about two years, and an early bedtime was likely to be important because it allowed them to get more sleep.”

Going to bed later could also leave less time for couples to have sex. 

Sleeping between seven and a half to eight hours increased the chances of having a baby naturally showing that both sleep duration and bedtime impact sperm quality. 

The researchers presented their findings at the<a href="https://www.eshre.eu/"> European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology</a> (ESHRE) annual conference. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Sam Wordley

Poor sleep could lead to male fertility problems

For couples trying to have a baby, a good night’s...

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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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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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

[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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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