From childhood spats to shared memories and cherished traditions, there's a unique bond that ties siblings together. But there's one topic that's a perennial cause for discussion: who's the favorite child?



Alex Jensen, a professor from BYU School of Family Life, shed some valuable insights on this playful contest in his recent research, which examines the subtle displays of parental favoritism influenced by birth order, personality, and gender.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-younger-siblings-vs-older-siblings">Younger siblings vs. older siblings</h2>



According to Professor Jensen, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parent-children-relationships-are-key-to-lifelong-well-being/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parents</a> generally treat their children differently based on birth order, often having a favorite.



Younger siblings often receive more attention, warmth, and support from parents. This could be because parents have more experience raising children by the time the younger ones arrive, making them more relaxed and affectionate.



On the other hand, older siblings tend to gain more independence as they grow up. Parents are usually stricter with their firstborns but gradually become less controlling over time. 



Since older siblings are the first to experience different stages of life, parents may place higher expectations on them to be responsible and self-sufficient.



In short, younger siblings may get more emotional support, while older ones receive more freedom. This difference in treatment can shape sibling relationships and influence how children perceive fairness in their families.



“It is helpful to take the findings from this study and be aware of the patterns that could be happening in your family,” Jensen said. “When parents are aware, they can make small adjustments that benefit everyone.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-do-parents-favor-daughters">Do parents favor daughters?</h2>



The researchers found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-who-use-humor-have-better-relationships-with-their-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parents</a> tend to favor daughters slightly more than sons, often seeing them as the favorite child.



This preference appears in different ways, such as how parents interact with their children and how they distribute resources like money, time, and attention. Interestingly, while parents are aware of this bias, children themselves do not seem to notice it.



The researchers analyzed data from 19,469 participants. The results showed that both mothers and fathers are more likely to treat daughters with warmth, engage in more positive interactions with them, and provide them with more resources compared to sons.



This could be due to cultural expectations, emotional closeness, or the perception that daughters require more protection and support.



Even though this favoritism is subtle, it can still influence how children perceive their relationships with their parents and siblings. Understanding these tendencies can help parents ensure fairness and strengthen family bonds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personality-of-favorite-child-matters">Personality of favorite child matters</h2>



It’s not just birth order or gender that matters - personality also influences favoritism. The study revealed that children who are more conscientious and agreeable receive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/many-parents-use-threats-to-discipline-children-but-its-not-effective-in-the-long-run/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">better treatment</a>, regardless of whether they are the eldest or youngest.



“Most parents probably connect more easily with one child over another, whether that be due to personality, birth order, gender or other things like shared interests,” Jensen said. 



“Watch for those patterns within yourself. Pay attention to how your children react to things that could be perceived as favoritism.”



One surprising finding? Extraversion didn’t seem to impact favoritism. “Americans seem to particularly value extraverted people, but within families it may matter less,” Jensen noted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-being-the-favorite-child-matters">Why being the favorite child matters</h2>



Favoritism in families goes beyond small privileges like getting the biggest slice of cake - it can have serious emotional and psychological effects on children.



When a child feels less favored by their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-often-feel-lonely-burnt-out-parenting-demands/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parents</a>, they may struggle with low self-esteem, anxiety, or feelings of rejection. This emotional distress can lead to changes in their behavior, such as acting out, withdrawing socially, or experiencing difficulty in school.



Research suggests that children who perceive themselves as less favored are more likely to develop mental health challenges, including depression and behavioral issues. 



They may seek attention through rebellious actions or disengage from family interactions altogether. This dynamic can also create resentment toward siblings, weakening family relationships over time.



Parents may not always be aware of these effects, but favoritism can leave a lasting impact. 



“Keep an eye out for things that seem unfair. Your children will let you know if they think something is unfair,” Jensen said. “Either they are missing perspective and understanding, or you need to make some changes in your parenting. Make sure you are open to the latter.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-parents-do">What can parents do?</h2>



Parents don’t need to feel guilty, but they should be mindful of these patterns. Jensen emphasizes that favoritism isn’t always intentional - it often happens naturally based on personality and circumstances.



“Sometimes parents get so concerned about treating their kids the same that they may overlook individual needs,” he said. 



“We’re not suggesting parents feel guilty; instead, parents can look at this research and use it as encouragement to look at places where they can improve, without going to extremes.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strengthening-family-bonds">Strengthening family bonds</h2>



Favoritism can impact sibling relationships, but awareness can help parents make positive changes. The study from <a href="https://familylife.byu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BYU School of Family Life</a> encourages families to focus on connection rather than comparison.



“The simple answers are perhaps the best. Be patient with yourself and with your children,” Jensen said. 



“Spend time together. Do things together that you like to do. Do things together that your children like to do. Work together, serve others together, worship together. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-spend-the-most-time-on-devices-but-nature-offers-a-solution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Relationships</a> take time and time together doing a variety of things will have many positive benefits.”



So, if you’re wondering whether your sibling really is the “golden child,” the answer might not be so simple. It’s not just about being the oldest, the youngest, or even the most charming - it’s about personality, responsibility, and sometimes, just how easy you are to deal with.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-bul0000458.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Psychological Bulletin</a>.



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Parents treat their children differently - but do they have a favorite?

From childhood spats to shared memories and cherished traditions, there's a unique bond that ties siblings together. But there's one topic that's a perennial cause for discussion: who's the favorite child? Alex Jensen, a professor from BYU School of Family Life, shed some valuable insights on this playful contest in his recent research, which examines the subtle displays of parental favoritism influenced by birth order, personality, and gender. Younger siblings vs. older siblings According to Professor Jensen, parents generally treat their children differently based on birth order,...

Skeletons excavated from Norton Priory in England contain a rare and unusually aggressive form of a bone disease similar to Paget’s disease, according to a new archeological study. 

Paget’s disease of bone is a chronic disorder where new bone tissue gradually replaces old bone tissue. However, the new replacement tissue is weak which makes some bones easily susceptible to fracturing, breaking, and damage. 

The earliest reports of Paget’s disease were found in ancient Roman remains, but little is known about the history, origin, and evolution of the disease. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a> and a team of collaborators analyzed excavated remains from the priory dating back to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/skeleton-reveals-hints-leprosy-spread-medieval-europe/">Medieval period</a>. Six out of the 130 skeletons excavated contained a strange form of Paget’s. 

As much as 75 percent of the skeletons of some individuals were affected by the disease. The researchers also calculated an age of death as low as 35 for some of the individuals directly due to the disease. 

“We identify an ancient and atypical form of Paget’s disease of bone (PDB) in a collection of medieval skeletons exhibiting unusually extensive pathological changes, high disease prevalence, and low age-at-death estimations,” the researchers wrote in their study, which was published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/04/24/1820556116">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>. 

The team sequenced DNA from the preserved remains and used RNA and protein analysis to identify an ancient protein similar to one called p62, which plays a fundamental role in Paget's disease today. 

“Detection of ancient p62 as one of the few noncollagenous proteins in skeletal samples (bones and teeth) based on a combination of peptide sequencing and Western blotting is strongly indicative of a diagnosis of PDB…,” the researchers wrote. 

Paget’s disease is believed to have originated in Western Europe and the UK. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Paul Quigley

Medieval skeletons reveal bone disease that killed people as young as 35

Skeletons excavated from Norton Priory in England contain a rare...

According to new research from <a href="https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/">Nationwide Children’s Hospital</a> and the <a href="https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/specialties/central-ohio-poison-center">Central Ohio Poison Center</a>, the rates of self-poisoning suicide attempts among <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/teens-self-harm-violent-crimes/">teens</a> and young adults in the U.S. have doubled in the last decade. Furthermore, these rates have more than tripled among adolescent girls. This study is published in <a href="https://www.jpeds.com/">The Journal of Pediatrics</a>. 

Prior research has proved that suicide is the second-largest leading cause of death in young people aged 10 to 24. Male adolescents die from their attempts more often than females, however, females attempt suicide more often than males.

The researchers looked at data pertaining to incidence and outcomes from intentional suicide attempts by self-poisoning in adolescents between the ages of 10 and 24 through the years 2000 and 2018. In that almost two-decade timespan, there were more than 1.6 million adolescent intentional self-poisoning cases reported to poison centers in the U.S — 71% of which had female victims.

"The severity of outcomes in adolescents has also increased, especially in 10- to 15-year-olds," said co-author <a href="https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/find-a-doctor/profiles/henry-a-spiller">Henry Spiller, MS, D.ABAT</a>, director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "In youth overall, from 2010-2018 there was a 141% increase in attempts by self-poisoning reported to U.S. poison centers, which is concerning."

The team also found that self-poisoning is the most common method used to attempt suicide in general, and the third most common method for adolescents, especially females.

"Suicide in children under 12 years of age is still rare, but suicidal thoughts and attempts in this younger age group do occur, as these data show," said co-author <a href="https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/find-a-doctor/profiles/john-p-ackerman-2">John Ackerman, PhD</a>, clinical psychologist and suicide prevention coordinator for the <a href="https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/research/areas-of-research/center-for-innovation-in-pediatric-practice/suicide-prevention-and-research">Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital</a>. "While certainly unsettling, it's important that parents and individuals who care for youth don't panic at these findings, but rather equip themselves with the tools to start important conversations and engage in prevention strategies, such as safe storage of medications and reducing access to lethal means. 

He continued, “There are many resources and crisis supports available around the clock to aid in the prevention of suicide, and suicide prevention needs to start early."

Ackerman said that parents shouldn’t wait to talk to their children about managing emotional distress until a major crisis has occurred. “Actually, a good time to talk directly about suicide or mental health is when things are going well," he said. 

"A helpful starting point for any parent to increase the dialogue is <a href="https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/giving/on-our-sleeves?sc_camp=0FDF9A9452E846188CE5E73181E595DD&amp;utm_source=other&amp;utm_medium=misc&amp;utm_campaign=On%20Our%20Sleeves&amp;utm_content=print-tv">OnOurSleeves.org</a>, which has resources about beginning this important conversation as a family,” Ackerman added. “The American Association of Suicidology and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention also have many resources."

If you or your child is in need of immediate help due to suicidal thoughts, go to your local emergency room, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line by texting "START" to 741-741. And if you believe an overdose has occurred, call the national Poison Help hotline 1-800-222-1222.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Number of teens who attempt suicide by self-poisoning has doubled

According to new research from Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the...

April 2019 is shaping up to be a landmark month for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/renewable-energy-rise-coal-lags/">renewable energy sector</a> in the US, as a new report projects that renewables are slated to generate more electricity than coal-fired plants for the first time ever. 

Renewable energy options have been steadily on the rise with more and more public and policy emphasis being put on reducing CO2 emissions to mitigate climate change. 

But this month will mark the first time that coal-generated electricity totals will fall behind totals generated by hydro, biomass, wind, solar and geothermal power, according to a recent report published by the <a href="http://ieefa.org/ieefa-u-s-april-is-shaping-up-to-be-momentous-in-transition-from-coal-to-renewables/">Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA)</a>. 

The IEEFA analyzed data from the US <a href="https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/">Energy Information Administration (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook</a> and found that the trend may even continue through the month of May. 

The EIA Short Term Energy Outlook estimates that renewable energy will generate 2,322 megawatt-hours of electricity per day in April and 2,271 megawatt-hours per day in May. 

For coal, the EIA projects that electricity output will be 1,997 megawatt-hours per day in April and 2,239 megawatt-hours per day in May, slightly less than the expected outputs for renewables. 

The trend is good news for the renewable energy sector, but there are certain seasonal factors helping to give renewables a leg up. The IEEFA emphasizes that many coal plants are taken offline during the spring and fall for cleaning, maintenance, and upgrades. 

Overall, it would seem that coal is on the way out, especially when you factor in the popularity and growing demand for cheap natural gas as an alternative to coal. Natural gas has been in the lead in terms of electricity generated since 2018. 

The IEEFA projects that this trend of renewables and natural gas outpacing coal-fired totals will become more frequent in the future. 

--

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>

Renewables will generate more electricity than coal for the first time ever

April 2019 is shaping up to be a landmark month...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG) has revealed that toxic pollutants in California’s drinking water could cause more than 15,000 cases of cancer. The research is the first of its kind to investigate the risk associated with all of the contaminants in the state's public water systems collectively. 

For their study, the EWG scientists used a new analytical technique to quantify the combined health impacts of carcinogens and other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tap-water-contaminants/">toxic contaminants</a> in more than 2,700 community water systems across California.

“This cumulative approach is common in assessing the health impacts of exposure to air pollutants but has never before been applied to drinking water contaminants,” said study lead author Dr. Tasha Stoiber. “Right now, policymakers set health limits one chemical at a time. This doesn't match reality. Multiple contaminants are often detected in drinking water across the U.S.”

According to the researchers, the lifetime cumulative cancer risk that has been projected for California should be considered conservative. This is because contaminants can become even more toxic when they are mixed together compared to the estimated potency from individual chemicals.

“This could and should be a big deal,” said EWG senior science advisor Dr. Olga Naidenko. “We need to prioritize the treatment of our tap water. This novel approach to risk assessment offers a significant improvement over the current model and, if adopted, will be a huge step toward improving public health. It will help communities and policymakers evaluate the best options to treat drinking water.”

The water systems that posed the highest cancer risk were found to be those that serve smaller communities with fewer than 1,000 people, where there is an increased exposure to arsenic. In order to provide safer drinking water to residents, these communities are in need of improved infrastructure.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/">Environmental Health</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Toxic contaminants found in California’s tap water could cause cancer

A new study from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has...

What drives people to pretend to be an expert in an area or field they know little to nothing about? In other words, why do people BS? 

This question was tackled by researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College of London</a> and the <a href="https://www.acu.edu.au/">Australian Catholic University</a> in a new <a href="http://ftp.iza.org/dp12282.pdf">study</a> published by the <a href="https://www.iza.org/">IZA – Institute of Labor Economics</a> in Germany. 

The researchers delved into the widespread social phenomenon of BSing and found significant differences in BS tendencies and behaviors across nationalities, genders, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rich-kids-feel-control/">incomes among adolescents. </a>

For the study, the researchers reviewed and analyzed data from the <a href="http://www.oecd.org/pisa/">Programme for International Student Assessment</a> (PISA) which included nine English speaking countries and 40,000 15-year old participants.

Participants were asked about their familiarity with 16 different math topics, some real and some made up, including “proper numbers,” “subjunctive scaling,” and “declarative fractions.” 

Each student rated how well they thought they knew each topic on a scale of one to five, and the inclusion of the fake topics allowed the researchers to gauge how many BSers there were among the participants. 

After analyzing the results, the researchers found that male participants were more likely to claim knowledge of topics they didn’t have and this trend was consistent across all nine countries. 

Participants from a higher socioeconomic standing were also more likely to BS compared to participants from lower income households. 

Young people from Canada and the United States were in the lead for exhibiting overconfidence and “over-selling themselves,” according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/04/26/rich-guys-are-most-likely-have-no-idea-what-theyre-talking-about-study-finds/?fbclid=IwAR0Wvnjwfckd7wgaFKyPIipjhHIALZIpGtg52U-_ceUi3izpAEk4lC-f8aM&amp;noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.2583803029de">Washington Post</a> which reported on the findings. 

Because the study dealt primarily with adolescents, there are limitations to the study as behavior patterns identified in the assessment may not necessarily be true among older demographic groups.

The researchers say that BSing may serve some important advantage and could explain gender wage gaps although more research is needed to confirm these theories. 

“We have established how some groups are clearly more likely to [BS] (and be caught BSing) than others, and that these individuals tend to display certain other psychological traits (most notably a striking overconfidence in their own abilities)," the researchers conclude in their study. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rich men are more likely to pretend to be an expert, study finds

What drives people to pretend to be an expert in...

Work stress and poor sleep have been linked to a higher risk of heart-related deaths in employees who have high blood pressure by a new study. 

The problem seems to start with work stress that is severe enough to disrupt sleep. A third of the working population have hypertension, and research has shown that stress can have a stronger effect on people with existing cardiovascular issues than healthy people.

"Sleep should be a time for recreation, unwinding, and restoring energy levels. If you have stress at work, sleep helps you recover,” study author Dr. Karl-Heinz Ladwig said in a press release. “Unfortunately poor sleep and job stress often go hand in hand, and when combined with hypertension the effect is even more toxic."

Ladwig, a professor at the <a href="https://www.helmholtz-muenchen.de/en/index.html">German Research Centre for Environmental Health</a> and the <a href="https://www.tum.de/en/">Technical University of Munich</a>, led a study of 1,959 workers from ages 25 to 65, who have high blood pressure without other cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

They found that those who reported high work stress and sleep issues had a three times higher risk of death from a cardiovascular incident than those who reported little stress and good sleep. Workers who only had work stress had a 1.6 times higher risk, and those with sleep issues alone had a 1.8 times higher risk.

The study, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2047487319839183">European Journal of Preventive Cardiology</a>, monitored workers over about 18 years. It defined work stress as a job with high demand and low control.

"If you have high demands but also high control, in other words you can make decisions, this may even be positive for health," Ladwig said. "But being entrapped in a pressured situation that you have no power to change is harmful."

Impaired sleep included both trouble falling asleep and difficulty staying asleep. 

The results mean that doctors may want to begin asking patients with hypertension about their work stress and sleep habits, and develop appropriate strategies based on that. Employers should also add sessions educating their employees about stress management and sleep hygiene. 

"These are insidious problems," Ladwig said. "The risk is not having one tough day and no sleep. It is suffering from a stressful job and poor sleep over many years, which fade energy resources and may lead to an early grave."

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Work stress can be bad for your sleep – and your heart

Work stress and poor sleep have been linked to a...

Researchers from the <a href="https://mrc.ukri.org/">Medical Research Council</a> have found evidence to suggest the importance of timed meals in regards to health. 

The team is the first to establish that insulin is the primary signal that communicates timing of meals to individual “cellular clocks” within our body, together known as the body clock, or <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/circadian-rhythm-light-melatonin/">circadian rhythm</a>. Knowing this may be the key to helping those experiencing disruption to their body clocks.

Our individual body clocks are synched to the environment around us by way of exposure to daylight and meal times. It’s this synchronization that is vital to maintaining health, and can be thrown out of whack if traveling through different time zones or eating at irregular times throughout the day.

Although it’s known that irregular meal times can disrupt the body clock, how the body clock senses and responds to meal timing was an unknown. So, scientists from the MRC <a href="https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/">Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB)</a> and the <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a> used cultured cells and mice to identify insulin, a hormone that is released when we eat, as the primary sensor and communication between our cellular clocks. Furthermore, insulin adjusts the circadian rhythm in individual cells and tissues by stimulating production of a protein called PERIOD.

"At the heart of these cellular clocks is a complex set of molecules whose interaction provides precise 24-hour timing,” lead researcher Dr. John O'Neill said. “What we have shown here is that the insulin, released when we eat, can act as a timing signal to cells throughout our body."

The team found that when the mice’s insulin was released at the “wrong” time, that is, when the mice should have been resting, it disrupted their circadian rhythms, thus making it more difficult for them to tell the difference between day and night.

 "We already know that modern society poses many challenges to our health and wellbeing — things that are viewed as commonplace, such as shift-work, sleep deprivation, and jet lag, disrupt our body clock,” said Dr. David Bechtold, a senior lecturer at the University of Manchester. “It is now becoming clear that circadian disruption is increasing the incidence and severity of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes."

"Our data suggests that eating at the wrong times could have a major impact on our circadian rhythms,” said lead author Dr. Priya Crosby. “There is still work to do here, but paying particular attention to meal timing and light exposure is likely the best way to mitigate the adverse effects of shift-work. Even for those who work more traditional hours, being careful about when we eat is an important way to help maintain healthy body clocks, especially as we age."

The findings were published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/home">Cell</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

When you eat is just as important as what you eat, research shows

Researchers from the Medical Research Council have found evidence to...

It is said that nothing is certain but death and taxes.  Unfortunately, both are highly regulated by the government in the United States.  A body slowly becoming part of the land or the sea with little interference seems to be the most natural state of affairs, but for a number of reasons, it’s not always easy to allow your body or the body of a loved one to naturally decay.  

For a burial at sea, an easily obtainable permit from the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ocean-dumping/burial-sea">EPA</a> is required, and there are three general activities that are prohibited:
<ol>
 	<li>"Placement of human remains in ocean waters within three nautical miles from shore, i.e., the ordinary low water mark or a closing line drawn on nautical charts across the openings of bays and rivers.</li>
 	<li>  Placement of non-human remains (such as pet remains).</li>
 	<li>  Placement of materials which are not readily decomposable in the marine environment, such as plastic or metal flowers and wreaths, tombs, tombstones, gravestones, monuments, mausoleums, artificial reefs, etc."</li>
</ol>
Some of these rules are fairly common sense, such as not using non-decomposable items. The rule about not burying pets at sea seems extremely arbitrary though, as if the small body of a cat or dog would be more detrimental to the sea than the body of a human. Mainly though, burial at sea is one of the easier ways to allow human remains to quickly be integrated into a natural environment. Some live in landlocked states or prefer the land to the sea, which makes natural burial more complicated.  

Embalming is the practice that seems most to interfere with a natural burial.  Modern embalming is down with a small pump that removes blood and replaces it with embalming fluid.  The point of embalming fluid is to delay the decaying process as much as possible. Formaldehyde is the most common embalming fluid, one that has long been the gold standard of short term preservation of bodies at funeral homes.  You may remember the smell of the substance from grade school frog dissections.

Besides keeping bodies looking unnaturally good, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/business/despite-cancer-risk-embalmers-stay-with-formaldehyde.html">The New York Times</a> reports that in 2011 the government declared that formaldehyde is a carcinogen.  Unfortunately, no really good alternatives seem to exist for formaldehyde and funeral homes are slow to abandon a product that works so well.  Not wanting your body or that of a loved one pumped full of something that forestalls the body breaking down and may cause cancer is an increasing concern.  According to <a href="https://www.northwoodscasket.com/northwoodscasket/2014/10/27/natural-burial-the-law-are-there-legal-matters-regarding-natural-burial">Northwoods Casket Company</a>, there are now thousands of cemeteries offering natural burials in the US.  Getting around formaldehyde is legal but it takes some planning to do legally.  

Funeral homes are required by law to offer a direct burial option to consumers.  A direct burial includes no embalming and burial in a modest wooden or cardboard container in a cemetery within 24 hours.  After 24 hours, things change. Many states require that a human body is either embalmed or refrigerated after 24 hours. Unfortunately, some facilities are small with limited refrigeration space and thus the default of embalming is fallen back upon.  

Besides formaldehyde, there are other common practices that make it harder for a human body to become part of the Earth again.  

Burial vaults are containers that surround the casket.  Usually a burial vault is now made of concrete. These vaults are used to make it easier to find a grave and not disturb the human remains in a grave when digging adjacent to it.  Burial vaults also keep caskets from sinking or shifting as earth settles. Only two states seem to require burial vaults,Louisiana and Massachusetts, according to <a href="https://www.northwoodscasket.com/northwoodscasket/2014/10/27/natural-burial-the-law-are-there-legal-matters-regarding-natural-burial">Northwoods Casket Company</a>.  Used as an additional barrier, concrete is also another unnatural product, and so burial vaults hamper natural burial. 

Of course, cremation is a way to avoid so many restrictions and ashes can easily be spread into the environment.  According to the <a href="https://www.cremationassociation.org/">Cremation Association of North America</a>, cremations are on the rise.  In 2017, 51.6% chose cremation, and in 2022 that number is projected to be 57.8% in the US.  In Canada, 2017 rates were already at 70.5% and projected to be at 75.1% by 2022. According to <a href="http://www.us-funerals.com/funeral-articles/understanding-cremation-laws-and-how-they-affect-arranging-a-cremation.html#.XLD7_hplChA">US-Funerals</a>, caskets aren’t required by law although a basic container is necessary for cremation.  

If you scatter your loved one’s ashes on public land such as a national park, it’s advisable to ask permission. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/national-parks-endangered-species/">National parks</a> such as <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ashes.htm">Yosemite</a> and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/scattering_ashes.htm">Rocky Mountain</a> have official permits to scatter ashes.  Even without a permit, it’s unlikely that you’ll be bothered if you scatter ashes respectfully.  I knew a man that scattered his brother’s ashes from the top of Mt. Denali, completing a climbing trip the two had talked about doing together.  

There are also a number of urns now available for ashes with the environment in mind.  There are several companies offering biodegradable urns with tree seeds inside them, and these urns are designed so that the human ashes feed the sapling tree.  Other companies allow your loved ones ashes to be mixed with concrete to be placed at sea where coral can use it to grow on, creating habitat for fish and other marine animals.

Death and decay are the most natural of things.  Every death contributes to new life. Unfortunately, the ideal of keeping a body alive-looking can be destructive in the long term and cut us off from the reality of death – its beauty as well as its ugliness.  

In Tibet, a ceremony called a Sky Burial is traditional.  According to <a href="http://tibetpedia.com/lifestyle/sky-burial/">Tibetpedia</a>, a person is carried into the mountains by the master of ceremonies.  Incense is lit to summon vultures. As the vultures arrive the body is cut to pieces and the birds are allowed to consume the entire body. 

Closer to home, environmentalist Edward Abbey was buried in a sleeping bag in the desert by his friends, illegally on public lands.  Some say a Saguaro cactus stands over the unmarked grave but the location is known only to a few. 

As Edward Abbey himself wrote of death in his masterpiece, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Desert-Solitaire-Edward-Abbey/dp/0671695886/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3BRUS83B6C6QP&amp;keywords=desert+solitaire+by+edward+abbey&amp;qid=1555103892&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=Desert+so%2Caps%2C191&amp;sr=1-1">Desert Solitaire</a>, “if my decomposing carcass helps nourish the roots of a juniper tree or the wings of a vulture—that is immortality enough for me. And as much as anyone deserves.”                               

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

A more natural burial is possible, it just takes some planning

It is said that nothing is certain but death and...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/">Association for Psychological Science</a> has revealed that people who have a happy spouse are not only more likely to having a longer-lasting marriage, but may even have a longer-lasting life.

“The data show that spousal life satisfaction was associated with mortality, regardless of individuals' socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, or their physical health status,” said study author Olga Stavrova, who is a researcher at <a href="https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/">Tilburg University</a>.


Remarkably, the analysis showed that the life satisfaction of one’s spouse was a better predictor of an individual's mortality than his or her own life satisfaction.

“The findings underscore the role of individuals' immediate social environment in their health outcomes,” said Stavrova. “Most importantly, it has the potential to extend our understanding of what makes up individuals' 'social environment' by including the personality and well-being of individuals' close ones.”

Life satisfaction has been previously linked to diet, exercise, and other behaviors that can affect health. People who have a happy and active spouse are more likely to have an active lifestyle as well. 

According to Stavrova, the opposite is also likely to be true. “If your partner is depressed and wants to spend the evening eating chips in front of the TV - that's how your evening will probably end up looking, as well.”

The study was focused on data from a nationally representative survey of 4,400 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/couples-arguments-live-longer/">American couples</a> who were over the age of 50. For up to 8 years, participants and their spouses reported on life satisfaction and various factors that may be related to mortality, such as frequency of physical activity. 

The couples also completed a self-rated health measure and provided information on their gender, age, ethnicity, education, household income, partner mortality, and any chronic conditions.

By the end of the eight-year study period, about 16 percent of the participants had died. Those who passed away had most often reported lower relationship satisfaction, lower life satisfaction, and having a partner who also reported lower life satisfaction. In addition, the spouses of participants who died were also more likely to pass away within the 8-year observation period.

Ultimately, greater partner life satisfaction at the beginning of the study was associated with lower mortality risk. Stavrova found that partners who reported higher life satisfaction also had higher levels of physical activity that corresponded with participants who had higher rates of physical activity and lower rates of mortality. The findings indicate that partner life satisfaction has important consequences for health and longevity.

“This research might have implications for questions such as what attributes we should pay attention to when selecting our spouse or partner and whether healthy lifestyle recommendations should target couples (or households) rather than individuals,” said Stavrova.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/pss">Psychological Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Having a happy spouse can help you live longer, research shows

A new study published by the Association for Psychological Science...

Scientists on <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08p2j66">BBC's Health: Truth or Scare</a> have investigated whether <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/technoference-smartphones-sleep-productivity/">cell phones</a> are emitting cancer-causing radiation. The experts have found no evidence to suggest that radiation from cell phones is dangerous. In fact, the only known health scare associated with cell phones is distracted driving. 

According to the <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/">National Cancer Institute</a> (NCI), cell phones emit radiofrequency waves in the form of electromagnetic radiation from their antennas. The area of the body exposed to the antenna, which is now built inside of cell phones, could potentially absorb radiation. 

The team behind the current investigation found that previous studies which linked mobile phone use to cancer were typically conducted with mice using “very, very high levels” of radiation.

“It is very difficult to reliably interpret this to what you'd find in an average human,” said Professor Malcolm Sperrin, director of Medical Physics at Oxford University hospitals. “There's no evidence to suggest you should worry.”

Professor Sperrin was asked why brain cancer rates have increased alongside mobile phone use. He explained that medicine has advanced over the years, resulting in more tumors being detected early on. This could make it seem that there have been higher incidences of brain cancer. 

The BBC program also briefly explored other health concerns tied to cell phone use, including infertility and memory loss. However, the National Cancer Institute reports that these findings are not consistent. 

“A broad range of health effects have been reported with cell phone use. Neurologic effects are of particular concern in young persons since the brain is the primary exposed organ. However, studies of memory, learning, and cognitive function have generally produced inconsistent results,” states NCI. “The most consistent health risk associated with cell phone use is distracted driving and vehicle accidents.”

For more information, the National Cancer Institute has published a <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/cell-phones-fact-sheet">Cell Phones and Cancer Risk Fact Sheet</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>

Cell phones don’t cause cancer - but they do cause distracted driving

Scientists on BBC's Health: Truth or Scare have investigated whether...

A leading toxicology expert at the <a href="https://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter Medical School</a> is reporting that wealthy people do not experience the same effects of pollution as poor people, and that their bodies are polluted by very different chemicals. Professor Michael Depledge explains, for example, that wealthier people may have higher levels of pesticides in their bodies from spending more time on the golf course. 

While briefing MPs on the UK Environmental Audit Committee, the professor also reported that wealthy people are likely to have more mercury in their systems because they eat a lot of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/seafood-lovers-plastic-mussels/">seafood</a>. Poor people, on the other hand, are exposed to toxic chemicals from living nearer to landfill sites.

Professor Depledge told the MPs that he expected “huge resistance” from the chemical industry regarding his concerns. He said that his research may help scientists “get a handle” on the chemical pollutants that different groups in society face.

Across the UK, golf courses have been under more scrutiny and have faced stricter legislation to reduce the use of harmful pesticides. For example, a pesticide used to kill leatherjackets known as chlorpyrifos has been banned in the UK.

Professor Depledge is a member of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/hazardous-substances-advisory-committee">Hazardous Substances Advisory Committee</a> (HSAC), a team of experts who spoke at the first session of the UK Environmental Audit Committee's inquiry into toxic chemicals in everyday life. The HSAC scientists said they are shocked by the rate of new chemicals appearing on the market.

“One of the challenges is to try to define a chemical environment that we would find acceptable to live in. And once we have done that we need to develop policies that would take us to that place,” said Professor Depledge. “At the moment it is firefighting. Each chemical that comes along - probably there are about 2,000 new chemicals a year coming along - we try to make regulations for them. We can't get through them all.”

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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

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Wealthy people have different types of chemical pollutants in their systems

A leading toxicology expert at the University of Exeter Medical...

The discovery of human skeletons excavated from archeological sites in northern Bolivia suggests that humans settled in southwestern Amazonia thousands of years before the formation of complex societies. 

Archeologists from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a>, along with an international team of researchers, unearthed the fossilized remains while surveying three forest islands, Isla del Tesoro, La Chacra and San Pablo, in northern Bolivia. 

“These islands are elevated above the surrounding savanna, so they do not flood during the rainy season,” said Jose Capriles, an Assistant Professor of Anthropology. “We believe people were using these sites recurrently as seasonal camps, particularly during the long rainy seasons when most of the Llanos de Moxos become flooded.” 

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pumpkin-spice-thousands-years/">first complex societies</a> in the region formed around 2,500 years ago but researchers know very little about the people that passed through the area in the early Holocene thousands of years prior. 

In this new study, the researchers theorize that humans settled and even attempted early agriculture in southwestern Amazonia up to 10,000 years ago, much earlier than previously thought. 

“These groups of people were hunter-gatherers; however, our data show that they were beginning to deplete their local resources and establish territorial behaviors, perhaps driving them to begin domesticating plants such as sweet potatoes, cassava, peanuts, and chili peppers as a way to acquire food,” said Capriles. 

When the skeletons were first discovered, the way the remains were placed in the ground pointed to an intentional burial which would have been out of character for typical hunter-gathers in the region. 

Instead, the intentional burial is evidence of a more permanent early human settlement. 

“If these were highly mobile hunter-gatherers you would not expect for them to bury their dead in specific places; instead, they would leave their dead wherever they died,” said Capriles.

It is rare to find human or archeological remains from the early Holocene in this region, according to the researchers, making the find all the more noteworthy. 

An earlier study detailing the discovery in 2013 was very limited in its findings because there was very little to go off that could help date the remains or shed light on what sort of people inhabited the area at the time. 

“Because of the lack of direct evidence many archaeologists were skeptical about our findings,” said Umberto Lombardo, an author of the 2013 study. “They did not really believe that those forest islands were early Holocene archaeological sites. The current study provides strong and definitive evidence of the anthropocentric origin of these sites, because the archaeological excavations uncovered early Holocene human burials. These are the definitive proof of the antiquity and origin of these sites.”

The researchers carbon-dated charcoal and shells that were buried along with remains to provide a more accurate time period for when the area was first inhabited and settled. 

The results of the carbon dating indicate that people were living, foraging, and burning fires on the islands between 10,000 and 4,000 years ago. 

“This paper represents the first step in the effort to learn more about the people who inhabited southwestern Amazonia for thousands of years, but we know nothing about,” said Lombardo.

The new study was published in the journal Science Advances. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Early human settlements in Amazonia predate the first complex societies

The discovery of human skeletons excavated from archeological sites in...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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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"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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...