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....

Products that are commonly found in the bathroom or bedroom can become extremely dangerous when they end up in the hands of small <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/overweight-children-high-blood-pressure/">children</a>. According to a new study from <a href="https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/">Nationwide Children's Hospital</a>, a child lands in the emergency room every two hours from poisoning or chemical burns associated with personal care products.

The researchers found that 64,686 children under the age of five were treated in hospitals across the United States from 2002 to 2016 for injuries related to personal care products. Most of the injuries were the result of ingestion or skin and eye exposure.

"When you think about what young children see when they look at these products, you start to understand how these injuries can happen," said study co-author Rebecca McAdams. "Kids this age can't read, so they don't know what they are looking at." 

"They see a bottle with a colorful label that looks or smells like something they are allowed to eat or drink, so they try to open it and take a swallow. When the bottle turns out to be nail polish remover instead of juice, or lotion instead of yogurt, serious injuries can occur."

Nail care, hair care, and skin care products were the top three categories of items involved in the injuries, followed by fragrance products. Overall, nail polish remover was the single product that led to the most emergency room visits.

In addition, the more serious injuries that required hospitalization were primarily caused by hair care products, such as hair relaxers and permanent solutions.

"Children watch their parents use these items and may try to imitate their behavior. Since these products are often stored in easy-to-reach places and are not typically in child-resistant containers, it is can be easy for kids to get to and open the bottles," said McAdams. 

"Because these products are currently not required to have child-resistant packaging, it is important for parents to put them away immediately after use and store them safely - up, away, and out of sight - preferably in a cabinet or closet with a lock or a latch. These simple steps can prevent many injuries and trips to the emergency department." 

The researchers also recommend that pediatricians discuss safe storage guidelines with caregivers during well-child visits. Almost 60 percent of the injuries in this study involved children younger than two years of age.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/cpj">Clinical Pediatrics</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: Kunlanan Yarist

Personal care products injure a child every two hours in the US

Products that are commonly found in the bathroom or bedroom...

Do you really need eight hours of sleep? Ideally, yes – but not all at once.

Getting a full night of sleep a night is a modern invention, and not one that has been adopted everywhere. Until the early 1800s, most people went to bed earlier, woke in the middle of the night for a couple of productive hours, then returned to sleep, Australian sleep expert Dr. David Cunningham told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html">Daily Mail</a>.

“The idea of getting those eight hours comes from the Labour moment in the UK in the early 19th century,” he said.

In 1817, labor activist Robert Owen began advocating for an eight-hour workday, arguing that this would give workers eight hours for both rest and recreation. Soon, that became eight hours of sleep each night, although in many countries the work day is split to allow for naps.

Until then, most people would sleep in two separate stretches at night, and nap during the day. And as more people join the “gig economy” and set their own hours, they’re starting to drift back toward that natural, biphasic sleep cycle, said Cunningham, who is a sleep physician at the <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/">Sleep Health Foundation</a>.

“We criticize millennials for being lazy but many of them are moving toward that freelancer way of living rather than salary working,” he said. “And that means they can allocate time across their day for work, play and sleep and therefore be more productive in whatever role they have.”

Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep, while teens do best with 9 to 11 hours, the Mail reported. Toddlers need 11 to 14 hours total, and infants 14 to 17 hours. But that sleep can be spread out throughout the day.

Recent studies have shown that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/midday-naps-lower-blood-pressure/">naps can help reduce blood pressure</a>, and that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-deprivation-public-health-crisis/">sleep deprivation is a growing crisis</a>.

“All cultures describe human sleep in that it should ebb and flow. We sleep in cycles of 60 minutes to 120 minutes before coming up to surface,” Cunningham said. “Most retirees notice they are waking more as they get older because their bodies are not being worked through a 16-hour day like they were when they were younger. And they think this is wrong, but biologically, they're just returning to how they should be sleeping.”

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Humans should sleep less than eight hours, but more often

Do you really need eight hours of sleep? Ideally, yes...

Are pregnant women really more prone to forgetfulness and spacey behavior? Research looking into “pregnancy brain” have had mixed results.

But a new study from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> and <a href="https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/addenbrookes-hospital">Addenbrooke's Hospital</a> shows that pregnant women are much more alert and vigilant than their peers, even subconsciously seeking out more personal space – as much as 26 inches.

"Pregnancy involves massive and rapid changes to the body both externally, as the body suddenly changes shape, and internally, while the fetus is growing,” lead author Dr. Flavia Cardini of Anglia Ruskin said. "Our results suggest that when the body undergoes significantly large changes, at the stage when the abdomen is clearly expanded, the maternal brain also begins to make adjustments to the space immediately surrounding the body.”

The researchers used an audio-tactile test with more than 80 pregnant women in their second and third trimesters, along with 41 women who weren’t pregnant. In three sessions, they played threatening sounds and then used a small tapper attached to their abdomen to provide a “touch” sensation.

On average, personal space is the space within about an arm’s length, though that can vary by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personal-boundaries/">culture, age and environment</a>.

And it can apparently also vary based on the stage of pregnancy. 

The researchers from Anglia Ruskin and Addenbrooke’s found that during the third trimester, pregnant women subconsciously seek out more personal space. However, they showed little difference on space preference in the second trimester or after birth compared to women who were not pregnant. 

"Peripersonal space is considered a 'safety bubble' and it's possible that the observed expansion of this at the late stage of pregnancy might be aimed at protecting the vulnerable abdomen during the mother's daily interactions,” Cardini said in a press release. “So as the mother's bump grows, in effect the expanded peripersonal space is the brain's way of ensuring danger is kept at arm's length."

The new study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-45224-w">Scientific Reports</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="https://www.bial.com/en/bial_foundation.11.html">BIAL Foundation</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Pregnant women need more space as they get protective

Are pregnant women really more prone to forgetfulness and spacey...

Not up for your daily three-mile run or spin class? Sauna sessions can be as physically exhausting as a workout, and have benefits for the heart and blood pressure, a new study has found.

Just don’t expect it to help with weight loss or act as a full-time exercise replacement, researchers said.

The study, led by Dr. Sascha Ketelhut of <a href="https://www.uni-halle.de/?lang=en">Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg</a>, found that a person who spent 25 minutes in the sauna saw, on average, the same rise in heart rate and blood pressure that they’d see using a rowing machine. Once sauna sessions were over, heart rate and blood pressure fell again, similarly to exercise.

The study set out to see if previous claims, that sauna sessions lower blood pressure, were true.

“Contrary to popular belief, acute sauna use does not lead to a reduction, but to an increase in [blood pressure] and [heart rate] with a consequent increase in myocardial oxygen consumption,” the researchers wrote.

The study monitored 19 volunteers – seven women and 12 men – as they relaxed in the sauna for 25 minutes, then spent 30 minutes cooling down from the heat and humidity. They found that the physical stress of the sauna’s heat appeared to correspond with a steady, progressive rise in blood pressure and heart rate similar to exercise. 

“A sauna session is a physical strain,” Ketelhut told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html">Daily Mail</a>. “Its long-term positive effects are similar to sports activities.”

The new report comes on the heels of previous studies that found sauna sessions can reduce the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sauna-bathing-cardiovascular-disease/">risk of heart disease</a> and substantially <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sauna-lower-risk-stroke/">lower stroke risk</a>.

The good news is that even people with low blood pressure may be able to safely use a sauna.

“Saunas can actually be used by anyone who can tolerate moderate physical stress without discomfort,” Ketelhut told the Mail. “However, people with low blood pressure should be cautious afterwards, as their blood pressure may then fall below the levels registered before the sauna visit.”

However, while sauna sessions may mimic some of the physical effects of exercise, they’re not a substitution, especially for those hoping to lose weight. Muscle activity is needed for that, the researchers said.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096522991930473X?via%3Dihub">Complementary Therapies in Medicine</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Sauna sessions as 'exhausting' as a workout, study says

Not up for your daily three-mile run or spin class?...

The world’s population of 7.5 billion people is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-population-billion-people/">expected to increase</a> to 9 billion by 2050, and 70 percent of those people will likely be living in big cities and urban areas. 

Cities offer employment opportunities and the potential to make more money, but rapid growth can limit living spaces and put a strain on infrastructure and city health and safety services. 

With that many people flocking to urban landscapes, city planning will be crucial to ensure that pollution and waste are kept in check and that residents have access to proper sanitation, healthcare, and sturdy infrastructure. 

One way to help city developers proactively plan for projected population growth is to map current human settlements and show how peak populated areas will change over time. 

The <a href="https://tep.eo.esa.int/">European Space Agency Urban Thematic Exploitation Platform</a> (ESA U-TEP) provides a platform for the World Settlement Footprint 2015 (WSF-2015) map to help monitor urbanization. 

U-TEP’s high-resolution global map is based on 700,000 satellite images from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 radar and Landsat-8 which were taken from 2014 through 2015.

[caption id="attachment_1874001" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Urban-sprawl-in-Shanghai.png"><img class="wp-image-1874001" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Urban-sprawl-in-Shanghai.png" alt="" width="650" height="488" /></a> Urban sprawl in Shanghai, Image Credit: DLR, GEE[/caption]

The World Settlement Footprint 2015 is the first global map of the world’s human populations, and U-TEP incorporated the WSF-2015 dataset into its Visualization and Analytics Tool to explore how factors like socio-economic statistics or social media use influence human settlement. 

Having the data and map available in one space will be helpful for researchers, policymakers, and city planners not just in major cities but also in smaller communities. 

The map is especially helpful for examining urbanization and human settlements in countries where little data has been collected. 

“U-TEP will benefit from the new WSF-2015 data, particularly in view of services for more effective urban planning and service provision, enhanced risk analysis related to natural disasters, or improved assessment of human impact on ecosystems,” says Mattia Marconcini, who managed the WSF-2015 development at the <a href="https://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/">German Aerospace Center. </a>

The German Aerospace Center in collaboration with the <a href="https://earthengine.google.com/">Google Earth Engine Team</a> is working on an extended version of the U-TEP platform, the WSF-Evolution, which will use six million satellite images to help model human settlement from year to year. 

U-Tep is just one of seven Thematic Exploitation Platforms in development that will allow users access to large datasets based on satellite missions. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: ESA/DLR

New global map provides bird’s-eye view of human settlements

The world’s population of 7.5 billion people is expected to...

Veggie burgers and lab cultures: Most meat will soon need to be artificial. If food demand is to keep up with population growth and climate change, experts are predicting that soon the majority of meat consumed will have to be produced artificially. 

In fact, a new report estimates that in the next 20 years, only 40 percent of the world’s meat supply will come from animals. 

Where will the rest of our beloved beef, chicken, pork, and other favorite meats come from? 

Most meat will either be grown in a lab with cultures or made with plant products meant to mimic meat, like vegan tofurkey or veggie burgers. Veggie burgers and lab cultures: Most meat will soon need to be artificial 

The report was compiled by the <a href="https://www.atkearney.com/retail/article/?/a/how-will-cultured-meat-and-meat-alternatives-disrupt-the-agricultural-and-food-industry">AT Kearney,</a> a global consultancy firm, and includes interviews with industry experts to help assess the current meat economy. It aims to understand how the challenges facing agriculture due to climate change and projected population growth will impact meat demand supply. 

According to the report, the meat industry as is will not be able to keep up with growing demand, especially once you factor in the huge amounts of water, feed, and land needed to produce just one pound of beef. 

Livestock and meat processing are also one of the biggest sources of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-higher-methane-emissions/">greenhouse gas emissions </a>worldwide. 

Luckily, huge strides are being made in meat substitutes, viable alternatives that don’t compromise taste but are made from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insects-food-future/">insects</a>, plants, or grown in a lab. 

“With the advantages of novel vegan meat replacements and cultured meat over conventionally produced meat, it is only a matter of time before they capture a substantial market share,” the report states. 

Some companies working on plant-based meat alternatives include <a href="https://www.beyondmeat.com/products/">Beyond Meat</a>, <a href="https://impossiblefoods.com/">Impossible Foods</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JUST,_Inc.">Just Foods. </a>

The AT Kearney report estimates that around one billion dollars have been invested in making vegan products. 

The report also projects that while lab meat is still not available to consumers, it will soon take over the market. 

In response to the growing global awareness of the harmful environmental impacts of the meat industry, many consumers are trying to shift their diets to incorporate more plant-based foods and less meat. 

“For passionate meat-eaters, the predicted rise of cultured meat products means that they still get to enjoy the same diet they always have, but without the same environmental and animal cost attached,” Carsten Gerhardt, a partner at AT Kearney, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/12/most-meat-in-2040-will-not-come-from-slaughtered-animals-report">The Guardian</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Steve Heap

Veggie burgers and lab cultures: Most meat will soon need to be artificial

Veggie burgers and lab cultures: Most meat will soon need...

A disturbing new report has revealed that you could be unknowingly eating 5 grams of plastic each week, which is the equivalent of a credit card.

The biggest culprits are tap and bottled water, according to the No Plastic in Nature: Assessing Plastic Ingestion from Nature to People report. But plastic was also found in shellfish, beer, and even salt. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au/">University of Newcastle</a> conducted the report after the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund (WWF)</a> commissioned the project. 

Data from 52 peer-reviewed studies were reviewed and analyzed for the report which found for the first time that people eat around 250 grams (about half a pound) of tiny plastic pieces each year. 

It’s well known that microplastics are invading our world’s marine habitats, but the results of this study show that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-health-threats/">plastic pollution</a> is also spreading to our own food web. 

“These findings must serve as a wake-up call to governments. Not only are plastics polluting our oceans and waterways and killing marine life - it’s in all of us, and we can’t escape consuming plastics. Global action is urgent and essential to tackling this crisis,” said Marco Lambertini, WWF International Director General. 

The researchers found that tap and bottled water were the largest sources for plastic ingestion worldwide, but the report highlights regional plastic patterns that impact how much plastic people are exposed to in different areas. 

There was twice as much plastic discovered in drinking water in the US than drinking water in Indonesia or Europe. 

The sheer prevalence and abundance of plastic pollution leaked into food and water proves that this is a global problem and can not be overlooked. 

“If we don’t want plastic in our bodies, we need to stop the millions of tons of plastic that continue leaking into nature every year,” said Lambertini. “In order to tackle the plastic crisis, we need urgent action at government, business, and consumer levels, and a global treaty with global targets to address plastic pollution.” 

So far the WWF has collected 500,000 signatures on a petition in favor of a global treaty to combat marine plastic pollution. Such a treaty would create national targets for reducing plastic pollution and improve waste management. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Tiffy Tipsy

You could be accidentally eating enough plastic each week to make a credit card

A disturbing new report has revealed that you could be...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brains-cerebellum-addictive-behavior/">Addiction,</a> mental illness, and intimate partner violence were identified as the most significant parent risk factors for people who were victims of physical abuse during childhood. 

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> found that adults who had parents that struggled with these three risk factors were 30 times more likely to have been abused as a child compared to people who had parents where these risk factors were not present. 

The researchers reviewed two studies meant to serve as representative community samples that were part of the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/annual_data/annual_data.htm">Brief Risk Factor Surveillance Survey.</a> The first study was conducted in 2010 and involved 22,862 adults. 29,801 adults participated in the second study, which was conducted in 2012. 

Data were analyzed for each sex, but as the participants self-reported, there are some limitations to the data. 

The analysis revealed that before the age of 18, 66 to 78 percent of the participants who had come from homes where all three risk factors were present had been hit or physically hurt in some way as a child. 

Intimate partner violence was the most influential risk factor identified, but for each additional risk factor, the likelihood of physical abuse during childhood increased dramatically, the researchers found. 

“Intimate partner violence was a strong predictor of childhood abuse, even in the absence of the other two risk factors; more than one-third of respondents who had been exposed solely to parental intimate partner violence reported that they had been physically abused,” said Senyo Agbeyaka, a co-author of the study. 

Agbeyaka also reported that 23 to 31 percent of the participants in the studies who had parents with addiction problems and mental illness were physically abused as a child, 

There was little difference between the two studies despite taking place two years apart. 

“We were so astonished by the magnitude of the association between the combination of these three risk factors and childhood physical abuse in the 2010 survey that we replicated the analysis with a different sample from a 2012 survey,” said Jami-Leigh Sawyer, a fellow co-author of the study. “The findings in both data sets and for each gender were remarkably consistent and very worrisome.”

The research, published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, sheds important light on the risk factors for childhood abuse and could help target at-risk and vulnerable children. 

 “It appears that children from homes with parental intimate partner violence alone, or at least two of the other risk factors are particularly vulnerable to abuse,” said Esme Fuller-Thomson, the lead author of the study. “Such knowledge will hopefully improve the targeting of screening for childhood physical abuse.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Africa Studio

3 parent factors that increase the likelihood of child abuse

Addiction, mental illness, and intimate partner violence were identified as...

A study led by <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> has found that the risk of violent armed conflict within countries will increase as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a> intensifies. The researchers estimate that over the last century, climate has influenced up to 20 percent of armed conflict risk and that this percentage will increase dramatically.

By simulating a scenario with 4 degrees Celsius of warming, the experts found that the influence of climate on conflicts would increase by more than five times. In addition the climate impact would still double even if warming is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, according to the study. 

"Appreciating the role of climate change and its security impacts is important not only for understanding the social costs of our continuing heat-trapping emissions, but for prioritizing responses, which could include aid and cooperation," said lead author Katharine Mach.

The extreme weather and disasters associated with climate change can damage economies, lower farming and livestock production, and intensify inequality among social groups. When combined with other drivers of conflict, these factors may increase violence.

"Knowing whether environmental or climatic changes are important for explaining conflict has implications for what we can do to reduce the likelihood of future conflict, as well as for how to make well-informed decisions about how aggressively we should mitigate future climate change," said study co-author Marshall Burke.

While the researchers agree that climate has affected organized armed conflict in recent decades, they also emphasize that other factors have a much larger impact on conflict within countries. These factors include the strength of government, inequalities in societies, and a recent history of violent conflict.

As societies face unprecedented future climate conditions, the consequences will likely be different from historical climate disruptions.

"Historically, levels of armed conflict over time have been heavily influenced by shocks to, and changes in, international relations among states and in their domestic political systems," said study co-author Professor James Fearon. 

"It is quite likely that over this century, unprecedented climate change is going to have significant impacts on both, but it is extremely hard to anticipate whether the political changes related to climate change will have big effects on armed conflict in turn. So I think putting nontrivial weight on significant climate effects on conflict is reasonable."

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

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Image Credit: Pablo Tosco/Oxfam

As climate change intensifies, the risk of armed conflict will increase

A study led by Stanford University has found that the...

The prevalence of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/genetic-risk-childhood-obesity/">childhood obesity</a> has increased at an alarming rate, with more than 41 million overweight children under the age of five in 2016. A new study from the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society of Cardiology</a> (ESC) has revealed that four-year-olds who are overweight have more than double the risk of high blood pressure by age six. 

"The myth that excess weight in children has no consequences hampers the prevention and control of this health problem," said study author Dr. Iñaki Galán. "Parents need to be more physically active with young children and provide a healthy diet. Women should shed extra pounds before becoming pregnant, avoid gaining excess weight during pregnancy, and quit smoking, as these are all established risk factors for childhood obesity."

The researchers investigated the link between excess weight and high blood pressure in 1,796 four-year-olds. Blood pressure was measured initially and also two years later, as well as body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

Compared to children who maintained a healthy weight between ages four and six, the risk of high blood pressure in those with new or persistent excess weight was 2.54 times greater. In those with persistent abdominal obesity, the risk for high blood pressure was up to 3.42 times greater. Furthermore, children who lost weight did not have an increased risk of high blood pressure. 

"There is a chain of risk, whereby overweight and obesity lead to high blood pressure, which heightens the chance of cardiovascular disease if allowed to track into adulthood," said Dr. Galán. "But the results show that children who return to a normal weight also regain a healthy blood pressure."

According to Dr. Galán, the best way to maintain a healthy weight is to exercise and eat a healthy diet. He also pointed out that doctors should routinely assess BMI and waist circumference at early ages. 

"Some pediatricians think the harms of overweight and obesity begin in adolescence but our study shows they are mistaken. We need to detect excess weight as soon as possible so the damaging impact on blood pressure can be reversed."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/Journals/ESC-Journal-Family/European-Journal-of-Preventive-Cardiology">European Journal of Preventive Cardiology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Overweight children have an increased risk of high blood pressure

The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased at an alarming...

Cannabis – more colloquially known as “<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-enhances-sex-women/">marijuana</a>,” among other names – has been at the center of major discussions involving politics and healthcare in recent years. The once-illicit plant is rapidly becoming legalized for both medicinal and recreational use in areas across the US and Europe. But while this plant may be rather popular, not much is known about the early use and eventual cultivation of cannabis for its psychoactive and medicinal properties.

Previously, there was little archaeological or historical evidence of the use of marijuana in the ancient world. But a new study published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a> has found psychoactive compounds preserved in 2,500-year-old funerary incense burners from the Jirzankal Cemetery in the eastern Pamirs of Asia.

It was known that cannabis plants were cultivated in East Asia for their oily seeds and fiber from at least 4000 BC. But these early varieties of the plant had low levels of THC and other cannabinoid compounds with psychoactive properties. In an effort to identify the function of ancient wooden burners found by archaeologists excavating in the mountainous regions of eastern China, an international research team used gas chromatography mass spectrometry to identify compounds preserved in the burners. 

They were surprised to find that the chemical signature of the isolated compounds was an exact match to the chemical signature of cannabis. In addition, the signature also showed that these ancient plants had a higher level of THC than is normally found in wild cannabis plants.

“The findings support the idea that cannabis plants were first used for their psychoactive compounds in the mountainous regions of eastern Central Asia, thereafter spreading to other regions of the world,” says Nicole Boivin, Director at the <a href="https://www.shh.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History</a>.

[caption id="attachment_1873843" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/brazier.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1873843" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/brazier.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" /></a> Brazier and burnt stones in ancient Pamirs. Image Credit: Xinhua Wu[/caption]

The researchers believe that these findings show how the high-elevation mountain passes of Central and Eastern Asia played a major role in early trans-Eurasian exchange. The Pamir region may have once been alongside the ancient trade route known as the Silk Road.

“The exchange routes of the early Silk Road functioned more like the spokes of a wagon wheel than a long-distance road, placing Central Asia at the heart of the ancient world,” explains Robert Spengler, the lead archaeobotanist for the study. “Our study implies that knowledge of cannabis smoking and specific high-chemical-producing varieties of the cannabis plant were among the cultural traditions that spread along these exchange routes.”

Despite the findings, it is still unclear whether the people buried at Jirzankal were using it for anything more than as a ritualistic burning to commemorate their dead. If cannabis played other roles in their society, further research will be needed to uncover any evidence. 

However, Boivin states that “given the modern political climate surrounding the use of cannabis, archaeological studies like this can help us to understand the origins of contemporary cultural practice and belief structures – which, in turn, can inform policy.” 

"Modern perspectives on cannabis vary tremendously cross-culturally, but it is clear that the plant has a long history of human use, medicinally, ritually, and recreationally, over countless millennia," Dr. Spengler added.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Robert Spengler

Did ancient cultures also use marijuana for its psychoactive effects?

Cannabis – more colloquially known as “marijuana,” among other names...

A team of neuroscientists at the <a href="http://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) has identified the brain circuit that allows us to tune out distracting sights and sounds. The prefrontal cortex was found to control this circuit by suppressing irrelevant sensory information as it flows into the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-breaks-tough-decisions/">brain</a> through the thalamus.

"This is a fundamental operation that cleans up all the signals that come in, in a goal-directed way," said study senior author Professor Michael Halassa.

We often block out sensory information that is bombarding our brain automatically without even realizing it. Other times, the incoming information requires a conscious effort to dismiss.

In a 2015 study, Professor Halassa and his colleagues investigated how attention can be consciously shifted between different types of sensory inputs by training mice to switch their focus between visual and auditory cues. The mice managed to suppress the competing sensory input in order to focus on the cue that was associated with a reward.

The execution of this task was found to originate in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is critical for decision-making and planning. In addition, an area of the thalamus that processes vision was inhibited when the animals were focusing on the sound cues. With no direct physical connection between the PFC and the thalamus, however, it was unclear how the prefrontal cortex was able to control this activity. 

For the current investigation, the researchers conducted the same training in mice and mapped the brain connections that were involved. The study revealed that a PFC connection to the striatum was used to suppress visual input when the animals were paying attention to the sounds.

The striatum was found to relay this information to a region called the globus pallidus, which is part of the basal ganglia. Finally, the basal ganglia suppressed activity in the part of the thalamus that processes visual information. 

The researchers also identified a parallel circuit that suppresses auditory input when animals pay attention to the visual cues. For this activity, the circuit travels through parts of the striatum and thalamus that are associated with processing sound.

"What we realized here is that the connection between PFC and sensory processing at this level is mediated through the basal ganglia, and in that sense, the basal ganglia influence control of sensory processing," said Professor Halassa. "We now have a very clear idea of how the basal ganglia can be involved in purely attentional processes that have nothing to do with motor preparation."

Next, the researchers will investigate whether impairments of this circuit may cause the hypersensitivity to noise and other stimuli that is characteristic of individuals with autism.

"Controlling noise is something that patients with autism have trouble with all the time," said Professor Halassa. "Now there are multiple nodes in the pathway that we can start looking at to try to understand this."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/FGC

Scientists identify the brain circuit which allows us to tune out distractions

A team of neuroscientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...

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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

[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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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...