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,...

Babies know the difference between laughing friends and strangers. According to a new study by <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> (NYU), infants as young as five months old can recognize the difference between laughter shared among friends or among strangers. The researchers believe that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bilingual-babies-cognitive-advantages/">babies</a> may use vocal cues to determine the nature of social relationships.

Study co-author Athena Vouloumanos is an associate professor in NYU's Department of Psychology.

“Infants' sensitivity to different kinds of laughter might be one of the early emerging tools they use to understand and navigate the complex social world,” said Professor Vouloumanos. Babies know the difference between laughing friends and strangers

Study co-author Professor Gregory Bryant from UCLA's Department of Communication added: “Very brief instances of shared laughter can reveal rich information about people's relationships, detectable in infants as young as five months of age and universally by adults around the world.”

Recent studies have demonstrated that adults are able to quickly determine the nature of a relationship between two or more individuals based on simultaneous laughter, and the researchers wanted to investigate whether this ability was present during infancy. The results would potentially reveal how early in life we can use vocalizations as important social cues.

It has been long established that infants indicate their preferences by listening to them or looking at them for longer. By measuring how long the babies paid attention, the experts could examine how five-month-olds interpreted exchanges of mutual laughter among adults. 

In one experiment, the researchers found that children listened longer to simultaneous laughter when it was shared among friends. In another experiment, the team used video clips that showed either friends facing each other or strangers with their backs to each other while sound clips of mutual laughter were played. 

The researchers predicted that if infants recognized the social context that was appropriate to each type of laughter, they would look longer when the laughter and social context were mismatched. As predicted, the babies gazed for longer time periods when the laughter did not match the type of relationship that was being portrayed in the video clip.

“The ability to rapidly evaluate acoustic features in colaughter that reveal social relationships between individuals appears early in human infancy and might be the product of an adaptive affiliation detection system that uses vocal cues,” wrote the study authors.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Babies know the difference between laughing friends and strangers

Babies know the difference between laughing friends and strangers. According...

New research from the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society of Cardiology</a> has found a link between the health of our blood vessels and our brains. The study suggests that the same factors which negatively impact the blood vessels such as smoking, high blood pressure, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-habits-obesity/">obesity</a>, and diabetes are also responsible for damaging the structure of the brain.

The researchers investigated the correlation between seven vascular risk factors and differences in the structures of various parts of the brain. The strongest links were found in areas of the brain that are known to be responsible for more complex thinking skills.

The investigation was focused on the brain images of nearly 10,000 individuals between the ages of 44 and 79. The study revealed that, with the exception of high cholesterol, all of the vascular risk factors were linked to greater brain shrinkage, less grey matter, and less healthy white matter. 

The experts noted that brain health was even poorer when more vascular risk factors were present. Study lead author Dr. Simon Cox is a senior research associate at the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> (UK),

“The large UK Biobank sample allowed us to take a comprehensive look at how each factor was related to many aspects of brain structure,” said Dr. Cox. “We found that higher vascular risk is linked to worse brain structure, even in adults who were otherwise healthy. These links were just as strong for people in middle-age as they were for those in later life, and the addition of each risk factor increased the size of the association with worse brain health.”

"Importantly, the associations between risk factors and brain health and structure were not evenly spread across the whole brain; rather, the areas affected were mainly those known to be linked to our more complex thinking skills and to those areas that show changes in dementia and 'typical' Alzheimer's disease. Although the differences in brain structure were generally quite small, these are only a few possible factors of a potentially huge number of things that might affect brain aging."

Smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes were found to most consistently affect every brain tissue type that was measured. The findings highlight the potential for lifestyle changes to improve cognitive performance and slow the aging process in the brain. 

“Lifestyle factors are much easier to change than things like your genetic code - both of which seem to affect susceptibility to worse brain and cognitive aging,” said Dr. Cox. “Because we found the associations were just as strong in mid-life as they were in later life, it suggests that addressing these factors early might mitigate future negative effects. These findings might provide an additional motivation to improve vascular health beyond respiratory and cardiovascular benefits.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://earth-planets-space.springeropen.com/">Earth, Planets and Space</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts have found a link between vascular health and brain health

New research from the European Society of Cardiology has found...

If you’ve ever been at a concert and felt like you’re perfectly in tune with the rest of the audience, there may be a good reason. It turns out that music really is captivating, with the ability to sync listeners’ brainwaves.

A study by researchers from the <a href="https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/">City College of New York</a> and the <a href="https://www.uark.edu/">University of Arkansas</a> took a new look at neural responses to music.  

According to their research, when people are engaged in listening to music – especially unfamiliar musical styles – their neural responses line up with other listeners. 

"Across repeated exposures to instrumental music, inter-subject correlation decreased for music written in a familiar style," researchers Drs. Jens Madsen, Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis, Rhimmon Simchy-Gross and Lucas C. Parra wrote in their report.

Unfamiliar musical styles were especially good at holding an audience’s interests and syncing listeners’ brainwaves, especially among those with musical training, the researchers found.

Repetition led to less engagement with a piece of music, they wrote.

To reach their conclusions, the team measured neural activity via EEG as their study participants listened to a selection of instrumental classical music. In two of the study groups, participants listened to certain selections three times each. Researchers also asked some of the groups to distract themselves by counting backwards while listening.

The experiments allowed the researchers to see how music affects listeners, as well as how it can sync listeners’ brainwaves. 

"What is so cool about this, is that by measuring people's brainwaves we can study how people feel about music and what makes it so special,” Madsen said in a press release.

The participants were undergraduate students at the University of Arkansas and undergraduate and graduate students at the City College of New York. They were not music majors, though some had received musical training.

The study adds some important evidence to research on how people engage with music, which has mostly been self-reported. It may also add a new perspective to research on how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-influences-social-connections/">music helps people form connections</a>.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-40254-w">Scientific Reports</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Music can synchronize listeners' brainwaves

If you’ve ever been at a concert and felt like...

Have you ever wondered which countries are leading the way in scientific innovations? The UK engineering firm <a href="https://uk.rs-online.com/web/">RS Components</a> has, and a team set out to rank them all. 

The company used four benchmarks to evaluate each country: percentage of its GDP spent on scientific research, the number of scientific papers published, the number of patents registered, and the number of researchers per 1,000 people. Each benchmark had an associated score, and the final rankings were based on each country’s total score.

At the top of the list is the United States, followed by Israel and South Korea. Aside from Japan, the rest of the top 10 countries in scientific innovations are all members of the European Union: Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Switzerland and Austria. 

The U.S. led the pack when it came to the number of research papers published and the number of patents granted, followed by China and Japan respectively. But Israel topped the amount spent on research – as a percentage of the GDP – and in the number of researchers per 1,000 people.

“Although there is no single measure that helps us capture scientific progress in one metric, there are a few ways to discover how certain countries are doing in regard to leadership within the scientific sector,” an RS Components spokesperson told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. 

The rankings did show some areas where countries could improve. For example, the U.S. led in scientific innovations due to its runaway leads in papers and patents, but it came in 10th as far as spending, and had only 9 researchers per 1,000 people compared to Israel’s 17 and Denmark’s 15.

It also showed which countries were struggling to keep up in scientific innovations. Europe was well represented among the top countries, and Japan, South Korea, Singapore and China were in the top 20, Latin America and Africa don’t make appearances until far down the list.

“Science is constantly adapting and aiming to help cure and combat diseases worldwide and it is clear to see that as a human race we prioritize its success and funding,’ RS Components told the Mail.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Which countries rank highest when it comes to scientific innovation?

Have you ever wondered which countries are leading the way...

A new study has found that people who live through the traumas of war and see their loved ones killed or injured in conflict are more likely to turn to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eligious-people-happier/">religion</a>.

The research was conducted by Joseph Henrich, the chair of the Department of Human and Evolutionary Biology at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>, and was published in the journal Nature Human Behavior. 

Henrich has previously studied the link between conflict and how it can prompt cooperation within a group. 

“The idea is that if you can expand the sphere of cooperation, then that group can more successfully compete against others, sometimes even through violent conflict,” Henrich told the <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/03/study-shows-that-many-who-experience-trauma-of-war-become-increasingly-religious/">Harvard Gazette</a>.

Expanding on his previous work, Henrich wanted to explore the links between conflict and religiosity and surveyed people who had lived through armed conflicts. 

As part of the study, researchers interviewed 1,700 people in villages in Sierra Leone, which was devastated by an eleven-year armed conflict from 1991 until 2002, Tajikistan, which is still struggling years after a civil war that amassed a huge number of casualties, and Uganda. 

“In places like Sierra Leone, both the rebels and the government would go into villages and fire indiscriminately,” said Henrich. “Some people would be killed or injured and others wouldn’t. That creates a natural experiment — some people are more exposed to the war, and some people are less exposed, and then we were able to look at the effect of having this shock on their religiosity.”

In Sierra Leone, exposure to war traumas coincided with a 12 percent increase in membership to a religious group. 

In Tajikistan, 14 percent of people who lived through war traumas sought out religion, and in Uganda, 41 percent of people most exposed to war traumas joined a religious group. 

Experiencing a war trauma was also associated with a higher likelihood of attending services and emphasizing the importance of religion in one’s daily life. 

“One of the more interesting findings was that in some cases we found the effect endures,” said Henrich. “In Tajikistan we find the effect even 13 years post-conflict, and there’s no sense in which it declines.”

According to Henrich, the research shows that the shock and trauma a nation faces during a conflict or war can be a powerful instigator for social change. 

“Because it has this psychological effect, when you shock a population … new institutions that were impossible previously are more likely to emerge,” said Henrich. “So these war shocks may redirect history in different directions by reshaping institutions and influencing how people think.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

People who live through war are more likely to turn to religion

A new study has found that people who live through...

A new study shows that those who watch less television and eat energy-rich breakfasts often exhibit less plaque and stiffness in their arteries, and are therefore at a lower risk of developing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/healthy-plant-based-foods-heart-disease/">heart disease</a> or suffering a stroke. 

"Environmental and lifestyle factors are important but underestimated risk factors for cardiovascular diseases," said lead author Sotirios Tsalamandris, MD, a cardiologist at the First Cardiology Clinic at <a href="https://en.uoa.gr/">National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece</a>. "These two studies emphasize the many factors that impact heart disease and the need for holistic preventive approaches."

The study encompassed 2,000 participants living in Corinthia, Greece. The participant pool included healthy adults, those at risk for cardiovascular issues, and those already experiencing heart disease. All ranged in age between 40 and 99 with an average age of 63.

Researchers gave the participants detailed questionnaires that outlined physical activity and eating habits. Participants then underwent two non-invasive artery tests — carotid femoral pulse wave velocity, used to detect artery stiffening (atherosclerosis) by measuring the speed of pressure waves that move along the arteries, and ultrasound imaging, which measures the thickness of the inner part of the arterial wall, thus detecting plaque buildup.

The participants were then divided into three groups based on the number of hours they spent watching television per week: a low amount (seven hours or less), a moderate amount (seven to 21 hours), and a high amount (21 plus hours). 

Those in the “high amount” group were twice as likely to have plaque buildup in their arteries than those watching the least amount of television.

"Our results emphasize the importance of avoiding prolonged periods of sedentary behavior," Tsalamandris explained. "These findings suggest a clear message to hit the 'off' button on your TV and abandon your sofa. Even activities of low energy expenditure, such as socializing with friends or housekeeping activities, may have a substantial benefit to your health compared to time spent sitting and watching TV."

Furthermore, 68% of those who watched more than 21 hours of television per week were more likely to have high blood pressure and 50% more likely to have diabetes. Tsalamandris recommends engaging in light activity while watching television to lower these risks.

The participants were then divided into three separate groups based on how many calories they eat at breakfast: high-energy (breakfast containing more than 20% of daily calories), low-energy (5-20% of daily calories) or skipped breakfast (less than 5% of daily calories). The majority of participants ate a low-energy daily breakfast, such as coffee with low-fat milk, bread with butter, honey, fruit, or olives.

The research team found that those in the high-energy group, who ate a daily breakfast of milk, cheese, cereals, bread, and honey, displayed healthier arteries than those who skipped breakfast.

"A high-energy breakfast should be part of a healthy lifestyle," Tsalamandris continued. "Eating a breakfast constituting more than 20 percent of the total daily caloric intake may be of equal or even greater importance than a person's specific dietary pattern, such as whether they follow the Mediterranean diet, a low-fat diet or other dietary pattern."

It is believed that those who have breakfast tend to eat healthier throughout the day, and that specific breakfast items like dairy and milk could contribute to a healthy heart. However, it should be noted that the Mediterranean-diet aspect of the study may have an influence on the results.

The evidence will be presented at the <a href="https://www.acc.org/education-and-meetings/meetings/meeting-items/2018/03/12/13/48/acc19-68th-annual-scientific-session-and-expo">American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session</a>, taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana between March 16th and 18th.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Less TV and energy-rich breakfasts make for a healthy heart

A new study shows that those who watch less television...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> has found that smoking tobacco in water pipes, also known as hookahs, can cause damage to the heart and blood vessels. The toxic chemicals that are inhaled during a hookah session often exceed those found in cigarette smoke.

Hookah tobacco is a combination of dried fruit, flavored tobacco, and substances that are intended to keep the tobacco moist. During a hookah session, which typically lasts for at least 30 minutes, users inhale many liters of smoke that is filled with high concentrations of particulate matter.

Hookah smoke contains carbon monoxide and other chemicals that can damage the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/eatings-nuts-lower-cardiovascular-risk/">cardiovascular system</a>, such as nicotine, air pollutants, particulate matter, volatile organic chemicals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, acrolein, lead, cadmium, and arsenic.

“Hookah smoke contains harmful substances and the American Heart Association strongly recommends avoiding the use of tobacco in any form,” said Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar.

“Many young people mistakenly believe that smoking tobacco from a hookah is less harmful than cigarette smoking because the tobacco if filtered through water, but there is no scientific evidence that supports that claim. However, there is evidence to suggest that hookah smoking is addictive and can lead to the use of other tobacco products such as cigarettes.”

Hookah tobacco appeals to younger audiences with colorful packaging and candy and fruit flavors. Sweeteners are added to the tobacco which mask the harshness of the smoke.

According to recent surveys, hookah usage in the United States ranges from 4.8 percent among high school students to 13.6 percent among young adults. People between the ages of 18 and 24 account for 55 percent of hookah smokers nationwide. Furthermore, individuals who smoke hookah are more likely to start smoking cigarettes.

There is growing evidence that hookah usage acutely impacts heart rate and blood pressure, and chronic hookah use is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/circ">Circulation</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hookah smoke can cause damage to the heart and blood vessels

A new study published by the American Heart Association has...

A team of researchers set out to investigate the driving force behind prosocial behavior across large societies throughout history and how <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/religion-shaped-environment-views/">religion</a> may have influenced this behavior. The experts determined that the belief in a god that was capable of punishment played an important role in cooperation.

“The emergence of large-scale cooperation during the Holocene remains a central problem in the evolutionary literature,” wrote the study authors. 

“One hypothesis points to culturally evolved beliefs in punishing, interventionist gods that facilitate the extension of cooperative behavior toward geographically distant co-religionists. Furthermore, another hypothesis points to such mechanisms being constrained to the religious ingroup, possibly at the expense of religious outgroups.”

The study was focused on 2,228 participants from 15 diverse groups such as pastoralists, horticulturalists, Buddhists, and Christians. The volunteers participated in the Random Allocation Game (RAG) and the Dictator Game (DG), during which the individuals distributed coins among themselves, co-religionists, and religious outgroups.

In one experiment, the participants anonymously chose two recipients and placed coins in cups that had been designated for them. In another experiment, the participants used dice to determine where their coins would be placed. 

“Since the allocations were made in private, only the participants knew their decisions and they could distribute the endowment according to their preferences (rather than die rolls).” The researchers explained that this would show individual biases.

The study revealed that people were more likely to allocate a bigger share of coins to themselves or to others members of their own religion. However, individuals who strongly believed in a punitive god made much more equitable decisions. The researchers said this also represents interactions that have taken place on a societal scale throughout history.

“These results provide support for the hypothesis that beliefs in monitoring and punitive gods help expand the circle of sustainable social interaction, and open questions about the treatment of religious outgroups,” wrote the study authors. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Belief in a god capable of punishment helped human cooperation evolve

A team of researchers set out to investigate the driving...

A new study led by the National Food Institute at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english">Technical University of Denmark</a> has produced the first dataset that can be used to compare the levels and types of antimicrobial resistant bacteria present in people across the globe. The researchers analyzed sewage that was collected in 74 cities across 60 different countries.

After mapping all the DNA material in the sewage samples, the team found that antimicrobial resistance fell into two distinct groups. The lowest levels of antimicrobial resistance were found in North America, Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and the highest levels were found in Asia, Africa, and South America.

The use of antimicrobials only accounts for a small part of antimicrobial resistance, so the researchers looked for other contributing factors and for characteristics that could be indicative of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistant-organisms-dust/">resistance</a>. They found that most of the associated factors are related to a population's general state of health and the sanitary conditions in the country.

[caption id="attachment_1869321" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/antimicrobial-resistance.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869321" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/antimicrobial-resistance.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="324" /></a> Image Credit: Frank Aarestrup[/caption]

“In the fight against antimicrobial resistance, our findings suggest that it would be a very effective strategy if concerted efforts were made to improve sanitary conditions in countries with high levels of antimicrobial resistance,” said study lead author Professor Frank Aarestrup

Using data from the World Bank, the researchers have predicted the levels of antimicrobial resistance in 259 countries and have created a global map of resistance in healthy populations.

“Analyzing sewage can quickly and relatively cheaply show exactly which bacteria abound in an area - and collecting and analyzing sewage doesn't require ethical approval, as the material cannot be traced back to individuals. Both parameters help to make a surveillance system via sewage a viable option - also in developing countries,” explained Professor Aarestrup.

The researchers hope to develop a system that makes it possible to exchange and interpret information in real time, which would make it possible to manage diseases that threaten to develop into pandemics.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts have mapped levels of antimicrobial resistance worldwide

A new study led by the National Food Institute at...

Hydroponic growing is very different from traditional agriculture.  The basics of hydroponics are simple – instead of growing a plant in soil, the roots of the plant are immersed in an oxygen and nutrient rich water.  

There are many benefits of growing hydroponically. Hydroponic plants grow faster and create higher yields, while pests, nutrients, and other factors are more easily controlled.  Hydroponic growing is also often carried out in a greenhouse, where growing conditions can be controlled to an even greater degree. Hydroponic systems are efficient in their use of land; small sized hydroponic growers can produce profitable crops in buildings inside cities.  For proponents, hydroponic growing systems are the forerunners of the future of localized, community based agriculture. 

According to <a href="https://www.agrilyst.com/stateofindoorfarming2017/">agrilyst</a>, the average yield of tomatoes from conventional growers in 2016 was 1.85 pounds per square foot. Indoor hydroponic growers on the other hand reported average yields of 10.59 pounds per square foot.  Other crops show similarly greater yields from hydroponic growing systems. Hydroponic growers claim to use water and land more efficiently but electricity can be costly, especially for crops grown inside under artificial lighting.

Hydroponics seems futuristic, but in some ways, hydroponics is quite ancient.  Photosynthetic algae and bacteria predate terrestrial plants as the first plants as we know them.  These early plants grew hydroponically in nature, bobbing in the nutrient stew of the ocean as their growing medium.  There is evidence of crops being grown in ancient Egypt, Babylon and in floating gardens in China thousands of years ago.  The Aztec empire fostered floating rafts of gardens on lakes. 

I’ve visited small scale hydroponics systems and even worked on one in an agriculture science class in high school.  The systems can amount to what is essentially a very simple ecosystem. Often in small scale home operations, fish are raised in a small pond; fish waste supply <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/organic-farming-high-yield/">organic</a> nutrients for the plants.  The plants in turn help clean the water for the fish, absorbing waste as the water is pumped past their roots.  In these systems, fish as well as plants can be harvested and eaten. 

There’s only one problem; the word organic used with hydroponics is controversial.  

In Europe, crops grown hydroponically cannot be labeled as organic and critics of hydroponics say it’s with good reason.  The US is different; here crops grown hydroponically can be labeled as organic as long as they meet other criteria for USDA certification.  

According to some, even plants grown with only organic fertilizers and no pesticides inside a greenhouse, roots set in gravel pumped full of organic compound rich water are missing one essential component.  Many American organic growers feel that the heart and soul of organic agriculture is being a part of the ecosystem. Traditional organic agriculture nurtures healthy soils and all of the bacteria, fungi and invertebrates that go along with it.  Native pollinators can alight on an organic crop without being poisoned and perhaps marginal habitat is provided for other wild animals. All of this connection to the ecosystem happens because the plants are grown in soil, out under the sun, as most plants do naturally.  In turn, all the organisms in the soil and the messy organic fertilizers supply more micro-nutrients to the plant and eventually, the person who eats the plant. Traditional organic farmers in the US are trying to make a distinction between themselves and hydroponic growers working under the USDA organic label.    

From the perspective of traditional organic growers, hydroponics gets some things wrong.  Artificial lighting from indoor hydroponic farms has a greater impact on the environment, since the lights are powered by electricity.  Greenhouse walls keep out insects, birds and other animals. Making the distinction between hydroponically grown crops and traditional organic crops clear to the public and the opinions of that public, is a matter of billions of dollars as well as the place of agriculture in the ecosystem.  

<a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-trends/specialized-market-research-reports/life-sciences/food-science/hydroponic-crop-farming.html">IBISWorld</a> reports that hydroponic agriculture has grown 1.2% over the last five years, reaching $891 million in revenue for 2018.  Crops grown under the USDA organic label now have an economic value of $40 billion a year, according to the <a href="https://www.cornucopia.org/2015/09/is-the-organic-label-worth-saving/">Cornucopia Institute</a>.  With numbers like this, it’s easy to see how invested farmers hydroponic or otherwise can be heavily invested in their methods of cultivation.  Amidst the tension over differing definitions of what’s organic, traditional organic farmers are planning a new organic label. 

A symposium of organic farmers called the Real Organic Project Symposium met on Saturday March 2nd at Dartmouth College.  The goal of <a href="https://www.realorganicproject.org/">The Real Organic Project</a> is as follows:

“Our mission is to grow people’s understanding of foundational organic values and practices. Our first goal is to create an add-on label to USDA certified organic to provide more transparency on organic farming practices.”

That boils down to the creation of a new label for USDA organic products that would clarify how organic the organic product is.  Under this new system, there would be a new real organic label setting traditional organic foods apart from hydroponically grown organic crops.  The group also touts the importance of healthy soil, something not involved in hydroponic agriculture.  

Another important point the group makes is one about animal welfare.  Apart from the debate over hydroponic growing, the USDA recently dropped a proposed rule on animal welfare.  According to the <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/organic-livestock-poultry-practices-proposed-rule">USDA</a>, the proposed rule would have enforced higher standards for the health and wellbeing of organic livestock.  In my mind this is an issue of a different quality than that of hydroponic agriculture. 

The issue really is one of definitions and trust.  How much do we trust how the government defines organic and what do we want that to embody?  In some places, hydroponic agriculture with its efficient scientific methods might become necessary for survival and if done right could be a good thing.  On the other hand, the wellbeing of livestock does contribute to a better world in a real way and I feel that’s what some farmers are arguing an organic label should mean.  

When we think of organic, we think of health.  Health doesn’t stop at the skin, without a healthy world to live in, the body withers and dies.  How do indoor farms fit into the health of the planet? It’s not a question we’ve had to ask until recently.  Many farmers and organic advocates seem to be painting the fight as small scale organic farmers versus large, industrial agriculture using a label to maximize profit by bending the rules. Can one label encompass both?  It’s important we get definitions right. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Organic growers and the controversy over hydroponics

Hydroponic growing is very different from traditional agriculture.  The basics...

By now, everyone’s heard of the threats facing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fungicide-honey-bees-death/">honey bees</a> these days in the United States, from pesticides to the steady invasive creep of urbanization.  But few people think about the native bee species and how these interact with the non-native European honey bee or the ‘Africanized’ hybrid that so many people fear.  Native bees are victims to human activity just as the loyal pollinating honey bees we so love.

According to the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/oce/forum/past_speeches/2015_Speeches/SDroege.pdf">USDA</a>, there are 20,000 named species of bees worldwide.  There are estimated to be another 20,000 species of bees left to describe.  In the US, there are approximately 4,000 species of described bees and an estimated 400 species left to describe.  The highest diversity of bees here is in the Southwest. With overlapping populations, there are 100+ species at any given location in the US.  Only about 1% of the bees in the US are non-native. Of the native bees in the US, most are incapable of stinging. Mexico also has a large amount of bee diversity.

According to <a href="https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/protecting-native-bee-populations-in-mexico">UN University</a>, there are 2,000 species of bees native to Mexico.  Beekeeping in Mexico is a big business, with 41,000 honey producers raising 2 million hives with a profit in exports of about US $56 million per year.  Honey production includes both European Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and native species.  The honey produced by each species of bee differs in its flavor as well as the amount produced.  Colony sizes in European and native bees also differ greatly. European honeybee colonies range in size from 30,000 to 50,000, while native colonies are usually much smaller from 1,000 to 5,000 worker bees.  Interestingly, native apiculture still remains in Mexico.

Native American communities in Mexico sometimes use pre-Columbian techniques in raising bees, such as using clay pots instead of more modern containers.  Sometimes native bees are used as well, contributing to the natural biodiversity of bees in Mexico. There is also one big advantage to raising native bees, unlike their European relatives, native bees don’t sting.  Being stingless, native bees are much easier to handle than the European Honeybee. There is also an ecological advantage – native bee species pollinate higher up in the colony of native tropical forests than do the introduced European bees.  Despite the benefit of not being attacked by a bee and the benefit to tropical forests, native bees are usually less profitable because they produce smaller volumes of honey per colony. 

When Native Americans encountered European Honey bees in North America, they often called them the ‘white man’s fly’.  Seeing large numbers of honey bees meant European settlers were nearby, while Native Americans had already been collecting honey from native bee colonies they found in the wild.  In Mexico, the Maya had long been practicing bee husbandry when Europeans first arrived in their land.

In 2005, the <a href="https://stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a> reported that the main native species propagated by the Maya was Melipona beecheii, one of about 500 species of stingless bees found in the tropics.  16 species of stingless bees are native to the Yucatan region. The bee’s name in Yucatec Mayan is ‘Xunan-Kab’ which translates into, ‘royal lady bee’.  Traditionally colonies of these stingless bees were reared by a Mayan priest and honey was harvested only twice a year, to avoid damage from over harvesting.  

Researchers from the Smithsonian Institute of Tropical Research then decried the decline of native bee husbandry among the Mayan people of Mexico.  The decline is connected to a loss of cultural knowledge – the majority of Mayan bee keepers in Mexico are old men who aren’t passing there knowledge on.  Decline of bees as with the decline of all native species is also connected to a decline in habitat. Melipona beecheii depends on tropical forests for their survival and production of honey.  Given the threats to native honey bees, despite the 3,000 year history of beekeeping in Mexico, many Mayans are turning to European bees for beekeeping.  

By 2005, there had already been a 93% decline in native bee keeping.  1,000 native bee colonies were known in 1981 but only 90 remained in 2004.  At the time, biologist Rogel Villanueva Gutiérrez predicted that native bee production would be completely gone by 2008.  <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/01/house-of-the-royal-lady-bee-maya-revive-native-bees-and-ancient-beekeeping/">Mongabay</a> reported in 2018 that these predictions didn’t turn out to be entirely accurate.  

Villanueva himself brought together 50 local people in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo and taught them native bee husbandry in an attempt to save the tradition, the bee itself and contribute to forest health.  From these modest beginnings, native bee keeping has grown and the state government has taken on financing some beekeepers. One family in the agricultural community of La Pantera has 98 bee colonies, more than all the native bee colonies being kept in Quintana Roo in 2004.  

An agroecological School in Yucatán state, founded in 1992 by a Catholic priest is also part of the renewal in native bee keeping.  The school has trained 300 Mayan students in native bee keeping and even more in agroecology. This training is spreading the renewal in native bee keeping to  Yucatán as well as Quintana Roo. Some are concerned with possible bad actors in native bee keeping.

Wild bee hives are sometimes raided to create a new colony of native bees for a quick profit, hurting wild populations.  Older people also sometimes sell their bee colonies for a profit without passing down their deep, traditional knowledge to younger generations.  There are also concerns about those who start in the business without a good grounding in apiculture training and end up killing or hurting colonies by their ineptitude.  Still, a revival in traditional knowledge and connection to native wildlife is a good thing. 

Beekeeping in the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico shows a way that agriculture and wild ecology can coexist, a way humans have discovered of being comfortable as part of a greater environmental whole.  Yucatán state has a history of colonial violence and oppression of Mayans, greater than in Quintana Roo. Revival of native beekeeping can be seen as a small revival of a culture long persecuted by colonists.           

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Mexican beekeepers help native bees come back from the brink

By now, everyone’s heard of the threats facing honey bees...

A new study from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> has found that older adults are happier because they are less aware of negative social cues. Like young children, older individuals do not notice as much when people are angry, but are more aware of when people around them are <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/long-term-happiness-marriage-genetic/">happy</a>.

The researchers created a digital test to record how sensitive people were to facial cues representing fear, anger, and happiness. The test was given to nearly 10,000 participants between the ages of 10 and 85.

Professor Laura Germine from Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital is the senior author of the study. 

“From studies and anecdotal evidence, we know that the everyday experiences of an adolescent is different from a middle aged or older person, but we wanted to understand how these experiences might be linked with differences in basic emotion understanding,” said Professor Germine.

The study revealed that there are several distinct phases of how we perceive emotions throughout the lifespan. We become more sensitive to negative emotions and have the strongest reaction to anger during adolescence. “Think of being 13 and how awful it is. Thirteen-year-olds can be really mean to each other,” said Professor Germine.

Study lead author Dr. Lauren Rutter explained, “We found that sensitivity to anger cues improves dramatically during early to mid-adolescence. This is the exact age when young people are most attuned to forms of social threat, such as bullying. The normal development of anger sensitivity can contribute to some of the challenges that arise during this phase of development.”

The perception of all three emotions was found to peak around age 30. The experts also determined that people are the least happy during middle age, with higher levels of sensitivity to fear and anger. After this, however, the ability to distinguish negative facial cues begins to decrease, while the ability to detect happiness does not. 


“What's remarkable is that we see declines in many visual perceptual abilities as we get older, but here we did not see such declines in the perception of happiness,” said Professor Germine. “These findings fit well with other research showing that older adults tend to have more positive emotions and a positive outlook.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/xlm/index">Journal of Experimental Psychology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Older adults are happiest because they pay less attention to anger, fear

A new study from Harvard University has found that older...

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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

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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



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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

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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

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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...