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,...

In recent years, North Dakota has become well known for pipeline protests on the Standing Rock Reservation.  The protests were set against the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline, part of the Bakken Pipeline Project, a 1,172 mile long underground pipeline project that is planned to carry oil from North Dakota south to Illinois.  The pipeline was designed to carry as much as 570,000 barrels of crude oil a day, and its route passes under a Missouri River reservoir known as Lake Oahe. The Missouri River is the primary source of water for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, with a population of about 10,000.

Beyond the immediate threat to clean drinking water, the pipeline also crossed land sacred to the Sioux.  Even though the pipeline isn’t on reservation land, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe argued that the government didn’t properly consult with them when awarding the permit, something required under the National Historic Preservation Act.  

The clash between those of the Standing Rock Tribe, their supporters and those supporting the pipeline, including police forces got nasty.  Water cannons, tear gas and dogs were unleashed on protestors. Protestors claimed that some of the guard dogs bit them. Besides normal police forces, National Guard units and private security firms were engaged to push back against protestors, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/22/514988040/key-moments-in-the-dakota-access-pipeline-fight">NPR</a>.    

The Standing Rock Tribe announced that construction crews demolished an area containing significant artifacts and sacred sites, yet construction continued.  The pipeline project was then halted under President Obama on grounds that it hadn’t considered the environmental impact fully. 

But the project has been reauthorized under President Trump, and so the conflict between protestors and those building the pipeline backed by government forces is likely to continue.  According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/20/keystone-pipeline-protest-activism-crackdown-standing-rock">The Guardian</a>, government documents characterize protestors against pipelines as ‘extremists’ and warn about the potential for ‘terrorism’.  The government hysteria and reaction to these protests is reminiscent to the civil rights movements and federal government response to leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr.  In a similar way, the government is further criminalizing civil disobedience in pipeline protests. 

In anticipation of upcoming protests, the state of South Dakota  has recently passed a bill threatening protestors. South Dakota also has a large population of Sioux tribal members culturally related to the Standing Rock tribe and the pipeline is planned to pass through South Dakota as well.  The Cheyenne River Sioux tribe has been opposed to the pipeline plans since they were first put forward in 2008, according to <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13072018/keystone-xl-pipeline-native-american-resistance-oil-spill-cheyenne-river-sioux-dakota-access-transcanada">Inside Climate News</a>.  Just south of Standing Rock, the tribe is also concerned about potential water contamination.      

A bill first proposed by South Dakota governor Kristi Noem would allow the state to sue protestors as well as out of state financiers.  The bill, <a href="https://sdlegislature.gov/docs/legsession/2019/Bills/SB189P.pdf">Senate Bill 189</a>, calls such financial backers ‘riot boosters’ and protestors ‘rioters’.  The money gained from lawsuits filed against protestors and their backers would be used to fund construction of the pipeline as a further deterrent to protestors.  The bill is still pending but has received no strong political opposition and is expected to become law. As environmental issues become more and more pressing, protesting may become more prevalent.  We should expect as in this case that those profiting from environmental destruction will continue to oppose civil disobedience with whatever means available. 

Other states are gearing up to face down protestors as well.  The Keystone XL pipeline is planned to eventually connect with the Dakota Access project, significantly extending the total pipeline length.  In Montana, police are already monitoring social media posts that are anti-pipeline as terrorism threats, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/20/keystone-pipeline-protest-activism-crackdown-standing-rock">The Guardian</a>.  In August 2017, Montana Petroleum Association also hosted a panel on “environmental activism” which included several law enforcement officers.

Protestors in other states the pipeline would affect directly, including Nebraska, have already mobilized.  According to the <a href="https://www.nlg.org/conservative-led-anti-protest-legislation-already-doubled-since-last-year/">National Lawyers Guild</a>, laws are being created to crack down on many of these protests or potential protests across the country.  These laws would extend beyond just pipeline protests to any number of other acts of civil disobedience for any cause including civil rights.  

In February 2018, the National Lawyers Guild said that conservative led anti-protest bills introduced had already doubled compared to the entire previous year.  The bills jumped from 25 proposed in 19 states to 58 bills in 31 states. Nine bills were introduced in the first two months of 2018 alone. According to the National Lawyers Guild, many of these new bills were written based on model policies created by American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the Goldwater Institute (both of which are funded by the Koch network).  The <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44385053">Koch brothers</a> behind the Koch Network of course have deep connections to the oil industry.  The chilling part is that the trend of cracking down on protesting seems to be the new normal.  

President Trump has long tweeted angrily about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem to protest police violence against black men and women.  Last September in an interview on <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2018/09/05/full-transcript-trump-daily-caller-interview/">The Daily Caller</a>, Trump questioned why protests should be allowed at all.  The president said, 

“I think it's embarrassing for the country to allow protesters, you don't even know which side the protesters were on…But to allow someone to stand up and scream from the top of their lungs and nobody does anything about it is frankly — I think it's an embarrassment.”   

Ostensibly, the government is supposed to uphold our constitutional rights.  The president is charged with upholding the constitution, which allows the freedom of expression, including dissent.  With the spread of environmental activism, including the global phenomena of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/students-protest-climate-change-inaction/">climate change protests</a>, will the government respond by silencing activists instead of working to resolve environmental crises?

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

More states aim to crack down on environmental protesting

In recent years, North Dakota has become well known for...

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and it is well known that exercise can be a key way to reduce the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-lower-blood-pressure/https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-lower-blood-pressure/">risk of stroke</a> or heart attack later in life. 

But now, researchers led by <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California, San Diego</a> have discovered that even light physical activity like walking around the house and doing chores could have a significant impact on lowering cardiovascular disease risk for women. 

The results of the study, published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2727997?utm_source=JAMA_Network&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=ftm_links&amp;utm_term=031519">JAMA Network Open</a>, show that women who do lots of light physical activities throughout their day have up to a 42 percent lower risk of early death from heart disease compared to those who are mostly sedentary. 

The study defines light exercise as almost any activity that gets you up and moving around, including getting the mail and even getting dressed. 

“Those are examples of daily life activities that we don’t think of as exercise, but we spend a lot of time doing them and they involve movement,” said Andrea LaCroix, a co-author of the study. “We traditionally haven’t included them in our definition of physical activity. That’s why this research is really paradigm-shifting.”

For the study, the researchers reviewed and analyzed data from 5,681 women aged 63 and older who wore fitness trackers and who were monitored for up to 4.91 years. Follow up periods with the women showed that 143 of the participants had coronary heart disease and 570 had developed cardiovascular disease. 

Light exercise appeared to play a role in reducing cardiovascular disease risk, but the researchers caution that the results only show associations and not cause and effect. Also, the participants that benefited most from light activity were active between 5 and 10 hours a day. 

Still, the researchers say the results are hopeful and help show the benefits of just moving more in your day to day life. 

“When an older woman hears that she has to exercise moderately or vigorously for 150 to 300 minutes a week, she just kind of rolls her eyes,” said LaCroix. “[But exercise is] not just leisure-time physical activity. It’s all the stuff we do from the minute we get out of bed to the minute we get back in bed.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Light exercise throughout the day helps reduce cardiovascular risk

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, and...

The dangers of alcohol extend to those who don’t even drink. When researchers study the problems with alcohol addiction and impairment, the focus is almost always on the potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-alcohol-3-times-week/">risks to health and wellbeing</a> for the drinker.

But researchers from the Institute for Therapy Research in Bayern, Germany wanted to investigate the lesser-known impacts of second-hand drinking and how drinking harms people other than the drinker. This includes not only road traffic accidents but also fetal development problems caused by drinking while pregnant and interpersonal violence where alcohol is involved. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">BMJ Medicine</a>, and the results show that the impacts of alcohol on people other than the drinker should be considered a major public health concern and factored into policies and campaigns centered around alcohol awareness. 

The researchers examined the harm alcohol poses to third parties by reviewing survey data on the prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy and cause of death statistics from 2014 in Germany. 

The team made a note of incidences of fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) during 2014, and estimated how many third-party individuals were injured or killed due to traffic accidents or interpersonal violence caused by alcohol. 

“This study estimates some of the most severe harms that alcohol use may cause to other people than the drinker, namely fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), road traffic fatalities caused by drunk drivers, and deaths resulting from alcohol-attributable interpersonal violence,” said Dr. Ludwig Kraus, the corresponding author of the study. 

All in the all, the researchers found that 1,214 third-party road traffic deaths and 55 interpersonal violence deaths were linked to alcohol. Drinking while pregnant was also responsible for 2,930 incidences of fetal alcohol syndrome and 12,650 cases of FASD. 

“Although the estimates across the three harm domains are not directly comparable, the results suggest that alcohol use in pregnancy followed by road traffic fatalities account for significantly more harm to others than alcohol-related violence,” said Kraus. 

There are limitations to the study as it can be difficult to find accurate data on alcohol use during pregnancy, especially if data is self-reported. But the results of the study show that drinking poses a serious risk to third-party individuals and it’s a problem that deserves more public attention. 

“Although measures such as pricing policies or limiting the marketing of alcoholic beverages are unpopular, targeted measures addressing particular populations at risk, such as women of childbearing age or road users, may help to reduce harms to others as well as harms to the drinker,” said Kraus. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The dangers of alcohol extend to those who don’t even drink

The dangers of alcohol extend to those who don’t even...

The various habitats and lifestyles of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mammals-survive-urban-areas/">mammals</a> create a demand for unique arms, which are part of what sets mammals apart from other species. A recent study has found that our early relatives started evolving diverse forelimbs as far back as 270 million years ago.

Study lead author Jacqueline Lungmus is a research assistant at the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> and a doctoral candidate at the University of Chicago. 


“Aside from fur, diverse forelimb shape is one of the most iconic characteristics of mammals,” said Lungmus. “We were trying to understand where that comes from, if it's a recent trait or if this has been something special about the group of animals that we belong to from the beginning.”

Lungmus collaborated with Field Museum curator Ken Angielczyk to determine the origins of mammals' arms by examining the fossils of their ancient relatives. 

About 270 million years ago, a diverse line of our family tree emerged with the appearance of the therapsids.

[caption id="attachment_1869827" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/upper-arm-bones.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869827" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/upper-arm-bones.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="316" /></a> Upper arm bones from seven kinds of early mammal relatives, Image (c) Jacqueline Lungmus, Field Museum[/caption]

“Modern mammals are the only surviving therapsids - this is the group that we're part of today,” said Lungmus. 

Therapsids really branched out, and the researchers wanted to investigate whether this explosion of diversity corresponded with a variety of different forelimb shapes. 

“This is the first study to quantify forelimb shape across a big sample of these animals,” explained Lungmus. 

The study revealed that a wide variety of different forelimb shapes evolved among the therapsids 270 million years ago.

“The therapsids are the first synapsids to increase the variability of their forelimbs - this study dramatically pushes that trait back in time,” said Lungmus. 

Prior to this study, diverse forelimbs had only been definitively traced back to 160 million years ago. The new research pushes this phenomenon back by more than 100 million years.


“This is something that's so cool about our evolutionary lineage,” said Lungmus. “These animals are in the same group as us - part of what makes this research compelling is that these are our relatives.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mammals began to develop unique arms 270 million years ago

The various habitats and lifestyles of mammals create a demand...

A system used by the <a href="https://www.msc.org/">Marine Stewardship Council</a> (MSC) to label seafood seems to be effective in combating fraud and intentional product substitution. A recent study found that less than one percent of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fake-sushi-seafood-fraud/">seafood</a> products handled by the MSC were mislabeled, compared with an estimated global mislabeling rate of 30 percent.

The MSC is a nonprofit organization that is raising the standards for traceable supply chains with its ecolabeling and Chain of Custody program. Once fisheries and supply chain companies get certified, they can use the MSC's blue label on their products.

“There is widespread concern over the vulnerability of seafood supply chains to deliberate species mislabeling and fraud. In the past, this has included some of the most loved species such as cod being substituted by farmed catfish, which can seriously undermine consumer trust and efforts to maintain sustainable fisheries,” explained study lead author and MSC expert Jaco Barendse.

The researchers used DNA barcoding to identify the species in 1,402 MSC-certified fish products from 18 countries. The study revealed that 1,389 products were labeled correctly and thirteen were not. This rate, which is less than one percent, is substantially lower than the global average of 30 percent.

Mislabeling is not always intentional and can occur when fish are incorrectly identified in the net or when mistakes are made during processing. However, fish products are often intentionally and fraudulently substituted for financial gain. Fraud also takes place when fish are caught illegally and passed off as being caught legally. 

The MSC's Chain of Custody certification requires that every seafood distributor, processor, and retailer has a documented traceback system that can correctly identify products at every step.

Rob Ogden is an expert at the <a href="https://www.tracenetwork.org/">TRACE Wildlife Forensics Network</a> and the University of Edinburgh.


“The use of DNA tools to detect substitution in the fish supply chain is well-documented but until now has essentially revealed a depressing story,” said Ogden. “Our research flips this on its head and demonstrates how we can apply similar technology to validate the success of eco-labels in traceable, sustainable fishing.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ecolabeling is helping combat global seafood fraud and substitution

A system used by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ucf.edu/">University of Central Florida</a> has revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/service-dogs-veterans-ptsd/">veterans</a> are more likely to develop heart disease at a young age. The findings suggest that we may be seeing the early warning signs of an upcoming health crisis. 

“I think it's sort of the first indications of a coming public health crisis for veterans,” said study author Ramon Hinojosa. “Because of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have a relatively large, new, younger generation of veterans who are going to survive for 30 or 40 years after their war experience.”

The research implies that the “healthy-soldier effect” may no longer be guaranteed. In the past, active-duty service members were typically more physically fit and less overweight than nonmilitary adults of the same age.

“The outcome of the analysis suggested that not only does the healthy-soldier effect not seem as potent as it once was, in fact, what I see is veterans tend to have cardiovascular morbidity earlier than nonveterans, and they tend to have a greater number of conditions.”

Professor Hinojosa explained that the change could be due to the nature of conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, changing diets, changing approaches to leisure and exercise, or higher rates of obesity in younger veterans. He also pointed to higher rates of drinking, smoking, and mental illness.

According to Professor Hinojosa, it is important for healthcare professionals to keep a close watch on cardiovascular health among younger veterans so that necessary measures can be taken to help prevent cardiovascular diseases.

“I think that being aware we sort of have the first rumblings of what seems to be a health crisis will help us focus our attention on health resources and providing younger veterans with access to resources that can help them ameliorate the likelihood of early onset cardiovascular disease.”

Using data from the National Health Interview Survey, Professor Hinojosa looked at five particular cardiovascular conditions and their association with veteran and sociodemographic status, including age. The analysis revealed that veterans between the ages of 35 and 70 reported significantly more cardiovascular conditions than nonveterans.

“It's concerning to know that the physical benefits of military service seem to be not holding as well for the younger veterans,” said Professor Hinojosa. “This suggests the health protective benefits of military service are not what they used to be. I think that should cause us to really look at what's going on among the veterans after they leave military service.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jabfm.org/">Journal of American Board of Family Medicine</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Veterans are more likely to develop heart disease at a young age

A new study from the University of Central Florida has...

A new study has revealed that testing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/embryo-screening-iq-possible/">IQ</a> and ensuring that children who are born prematurely get enough support in school can improve financial stability and success in adulthood.

Around 15 million babies are born preterm every year worldwide, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preterm-birth">World Health Organization</a>. When it comes to predicting the economic success of children born preterm, it was previously assumed that math skills were a key indicator. 

However, researchers from the <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk/">University of Warwick</a> found that IQ, not math skills, is an accurate predictor of adults wealth. 

The researchers detailed their contradictory findings in a new long-term study published in the journal PLOS ONE. 

“Considering preterm and low-birthweight individuals' multiple neurocognitive difficulties, our results suggest that IQ is a more significant predictor of adult wealth than the ability to solve specific math problems,” said Julia Jaekel, a co-author of the study. 

The researchers followed more than 400 children from Germany up through adulthood. 193 children in the study were born preterm or had a low birth weight. 

When the children were eight years old, standardized tests were used to gauge math skills and intelligence. 

At 26, the researchers reviewed data on income, education, career success, and social benefits and created a comprehensive wealth index. 

The team then used the assessments from age eight to find any predictors of adult wealth and economic success. IQ was deemed to be the best indicator for wealth at 26. 

The study shows that the cognitive impairments of children born preterm can have long-term impacts and negatively affect earning potential as an adult. 

“No matter whether their difficulties are global or specific, many very preterm and very low birthweight individuals require continued educational support in order to succeed in school and life,” said Dieter Wolke, a fellow co-author of the study. “Our findings can inform the design of follow-up and intervention services to reduce the burden of prematurity for those individuals who were born at highest neonatal risk.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

IQ is a better predictor of future wealth for kids born prematurely

A new study has revealed that testing IQ and ensuring...

If healthy eating is your goal, you may want to pay attention to one key ingredient. Nope, that’s not carbs or fat – it’s attitude.

A new study by researchers at the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> found that motivation and an upbeat perspective were linked to better success in sticking to a healthy, nutritious diet.

The study took a close look at the effects of motivation – especially in seeking out nutritional information and dietary advice, on maintaining healthy eating – on 1,125 participants in Taiwan. Participants were asked about their diet, nutrition involvement and knowledge, and when and why they adjusted their diet.

Researchers found that there are two driving forces behind most people’s focus on nutrition: promotion, or seeking out positive benefits, and prevention, or working to avoid negative consequences.

"The higher aspirational levels of promotion focused consumers will lead to greater involvement with nutrition to enhance their well-being," lead author Dr. Kishore Pillai said in a press release. "While both promotion and prevention focused individuals will be motivated to maintain good health, the former are more likely to employ approach strategies such as nutritional involvement.”

The researchers found that promotion-focused participants were more involved in their own nutrition. They didn’t stop at just healthy eating. They sought out new information and advice from medical professionals, friends and media, and adjusted their diets as necessary. 

In contrast, those focused on avoiding negative consequences were less invested in learning about nutrition and health. 

High-income participants and women were more likely to be promotion-focused, they found. However, men saw greater effects when they kept a curious, proactive attitude toward healthy eating. 

"Given the problems of obesity and illnesses directly linked to unhealthy eating habits, the direct effect of nutrition involvement on dietary behaviours demonstrated in this study underscores the importance of investing in efforts to promote nutrition involvement from a public health policy perspective,” Pillai said.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/appetite">Appetite</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kyla.cathey@gmail.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Healthy eating success may rely on a positive attitude

If healthy eating is your goal, you may want to...

A restaurant in the Midwest has become the first to use gene-edited food in the United States. According to <a href="http://www.calyxt.com/">Calyxt</a>, a company making cooking oil from gene-edited soybeans, their oil is currently being distributed and used by a midwestern restaurant chain. 

While Calyxt cannot reveal the name of the restaurant, the Minnesota-based company is hoping the news will spark interest in the oil, which contains no trans fat and has a longer shelf life than other cooking oils. 

Last Friday, regulators made moves to allow <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/genetically-modified-salmon/">genetically modified salmon</a> to grow about twice as fast as normal. The fish will be the first genetically modified animal approved for human consumption in the country.

Although officials say genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are safe, critics have pushed for transparency, and soon companies will have to disclose when products have ingredients that have been altered using engineering techniques.

Calyxt explained that its cooking oil does not qualify as a GMO. It is made from soybeans with two inactivated genes to produce more heart-healthy fats and no trans fats. The company is also working on other gene-edited crops, which are faster to develop than conventional GMOs that require regulatory research. 

Tom Adams is the CEO of the biotech company Pairwise. He said that oversight of gene-edited foods could soon become stricter, depending on the public.

“You should never think of regulation as settled,” said Adams.

The <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic/nosb">National Organic Standards Board</a> determined that foods made with gene editing do not qualify as organic. In addition, Europe’s highest court announced last July that gene-edited crops are genetically modified organisms and should be regulated the same way as GMOs.

Some additional gene-edited crops that are currently being explored include mushrooms that do not turn brown, wheat with more fiber, improved tomatoes, and rice that does not absorb pollution from the soil during growth.

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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

Restaurant in the midwest is first in the US to use gene-edited food

A restaurant in the Midwest has become the first to...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.mcmaster.ca/">McMaster University</a> have found that actors lose their sense of self while portraying a character. Brain imaging techniques revealed significant changes in activity after individuals took on the roles of other people.

“Portraying a character through acting seems to be a deactivation-driven process, perhaps representing a ‘loss of self,’” wrote the study authors.

The study was focused on 15 theater students and actors as they adopted the roles of characters including Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The participants were asked to respond to certain scenarios as either Romeo, Juliet, a friend, as themselves, or in a different language. 

After the individuals performed the various exercises, they underwent MRI brain scans so the researchers could analyze any changes that may have taken place. 

When the actors had performed as someone else, there was a notable drop in brain activity in the prefrontal cortex. This drop may represent the “loss of self.” In particular, the brain scans showed changes in two areas of the brain that are linked to a person’s sense of self. 

Thinking from another person's perspective altered activity in the cerebral cortex. Damage to this region of the brain is known to cause personality changes. When the participant spoke in another language, a similar response was observed in this region of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-chips-superintelligence/">brain</a>.

A second part of the brain that is strongly interconnected with the prefrontal cortex was affected as well, but only when the actor was in character as Romeo or Juliet. These performances led to changes in the precuneus, which is associated with perception and mental imagery.

Study lead author Dr. Steven Brown is the director of the NeuroArts Lab in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour at McMaster University.

“It looks like when you are acting, you are suppressing yourself; almost like the character is possessing you,” said Dr. Brown.

The study published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos">Royal Society Open Science</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

Actors lose their sense of self while playing someone else

Researchers at McMaster University have found that actors lose their...

A report from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> is describing the nature and resolution of so-called “mathematics anxiety” among young students. The review suggests that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/children-inherit-conscientiousness-parents/">parents</a> and teachers may unknowingly play a role in the development of the condition, and that girls are more prone to this type of anxiety than boys.

“While every child's maths anxiety may be different, with unique origins and triggers, we found several common issues among both the primary and secondary school students that we interviewed,” said study lead author Dr. Denes Szucs.

Research focused on 1,000 Italian students found that girls had higher levels of both general anxiety and maths anxiety. A separate analysis in the UK demonstrated that children generally expected math to be difficult, leading to a loss of confidence. 

When students discussed the role that their teachers and parents played in their maths anxiety, primary-aged children often said they were confused by different teaching methods. Many secondary students implied that a difficult transition from primary school made the work seem harder and contributed to their maths anxiety. This group also referred to poor interpersonal relations. 

A study published in 2018 showed that 77 percent of children with high maths anxiety are normal to high achievers on maths tests.

“Because these children perform well at tests, their maths anxiety is at high risk of going unnoticed by their teachers and parents, who may only look at performance but not at emotional factors,” said study first author Dr. Amy Devine. “But their anxiety may keep these students away from STEM fields for life when in fact they would be perfectly able to perform well in these fields.”

The researchers at Cambridge have included a number of recommendations in the report. For example, they recommend that teachers become more aware of maths anxiety and its effect on individual performance.

“Teachers, parents, brothers and sisters and classmates can all play a role in shaping a child's maths anxiety,” said study co-author Dr. Ros McLellan. “Parents and teachers should also be mindful of how they may unwittingly contribute to a child's maths anxiety. Tackling their own anxieties and belief systems in maths might be the first step to helping their children or students.”

According to the experts, maths anxiety is often present at a young age but also may develop as the child grows.

“Our findings should be of real concern for educators. We should be tackling the problem of maths anxiety now to enable these young people to stop feeling anxious about learning mathematics and give them the opportunity to flourish,” said Dr. Szucs. “If we can improve a student's experience within their maths lessons, we can help lessen their maths anxiety, and in turn this may increase their overall maths performance.”

The report was funded by the <a href="http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/">Nuffield Foundation</a> and the <a href="https://www.jsmf.org/">James S. McDonnell Foundation</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

Math anxiety is real.. and parents and teachers don’t always help

A report from the University of Cambridge is describing the...

A new study has revealed how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-mummys-last-meal/">changes in the human diet</a> led to the development of new consonant sounds in language and speech.

It was long thought that the wide range of diverse consonants and vowel sounds that make up human languages across the world evolved as homo-sapiens first emerged 300,000 years ago.

However, researchers from the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute</a>, the <a href="https://www.universite-lyon.fr/version-anglaise/the-universite-de-lyon-is-a-world-class-academic-site-of-excellence-6709.kjsp">University of Lyon</a> and <a href="https://www.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/home.aspx">Nanyang Technological University Singapore</a> theorize that some language sounds are relatively newer and only emerged due changes in the human diet.

The study was published in the journal Science, and the results help enhance our understanding of evolutionary linguistics.

The researchers built on the 1985 observations of linguist Charles Hockett who first noticed languages that use labiodental sounds, or sounds that require the lower lip and teeth to touch, are more prevalent in societies that eat softer foods.

The researchers analyzed years of biological anthropology, phonetic, and historical linguistic data for the study. 

If you think about the letter “f,” the sound is only possible because of the natural overbite that humans have. But in the early years of human evolution, teeth used to meet in an edge-to-edge bite to help sustain the tough diet of the time.

As the human diet changed to include softer foods and food processing gave rise to whole new food technologies, milling, and menus, the overbite came to prominence. The once juvenile overbite that humans would outgrow in adulthood thousands of years ago became the norm.

With this new bite and new diet came new sounds, according to the study. 

“Our results shed light on complex causal links between cultural practices, human biology, and language,” said Balthasar Bickel, the leader of the study. “They also challenge the common assumption that, when it comes to language, the past sounds just like the present.”

The study opens up a whole new range of linguistic puzzles to solve when it comes to how languages sounded before these changes to the human bite became permanent. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Changes in human diet led to the inclusion of 'f' and 'v' sounds

A new study has revealed how changes in the human...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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...