The inclusion of fiber in the diet has been linked to a variety of health perks for decades. The body needs this essential nutrient to keep digestion running smoothly and maintain steady blood sugar levels.&nbsp;



Most experts recommend at least 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men, yet many adults in the United States barely reach half that goal. But there is more to this story than a happy belly or balanced glucose.&nbsp;



A recent study in Nature Metabolism shows that fiber may also leave a mark on our genes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-fiber-still-matters">Why fiber still matters</h2>



Fiber comes in many forms, from the crunchy stems of leafy greens to the chewy shells of beans and nuts. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/want-to-lose-weight-try-eating-more-protein-and-fiber/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dietary fiber</a> travels to the large intestine, where friendly bacteria feast on it.&nbsp;



This feast produces short-chain fatty acids, including propionate and butyrate, which have gained attention recently for their effects on gut health.



Researchers have been eager to see whether these acids from fibers impact genes beyond basic energy production.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fiber-gut-and-fatty-acids">Fiber, gut, and fatty acids</h2>



The science behind short-chain fatty acids and genes has intrigued experts for years, and now <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/michael-snyder" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Snyder</a>, Stanford B. Ascherman Professor of Genetics at <a href="https://www.stanford.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a>, has shed more light on it through this project. 



His team traced the biological footprints of propionate and butyrate in both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fiber-rich-diets-reduce-antimicrobial-resistance-in-the-gut/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">normal cells</a> and cancer cells. 



The aim was to see how these acids might switch genes on or off in ways that influence the growth and survival of cells.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-fiber-impacts-genes-nbsp">How fiber impacts genes&nbsp;</h2>



Short-chain fatty acids are generated when gut microbes break down fiber. They move into the bloodstream and can reach different tissues.&nbsp;



The study found that propionate and butyrate attach to certain sites on histones - which are proteins that act like spools for DNA - causing direct modifications on genes related to cell division and cell death.



“We found a direct link between eating fiber and modulation of gene function that has anti-cancer effects,” said Snyder.



Instead of simply describing fiber’s link to good health, the researchers pinpointed the exact molecular changes behind those benefits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preventing-uncontrolled-cell-growth">Preventing uncontrolled cell growth</h2>



Cancer often begins when cells lose their usual checks and balances. Normal cells are expected to grow, specialize, and sometimes self-destruct if there’s a problem.&nbsp;



When those processes go haywire, mutated cells can survive too long or multiply too fast. The study uncovered how certain chemical markers on genes for cell regulation might switch in a protective way when these short-chain fatty acids are around.



It is generally the case that people’s diets are very poor in fiber. Adjusting meal plans to include foods like beans, nuts, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/certain-vegetables-protect-us-from-illness-by-strengthening-the-lung-barrier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cruciferous vegetables</a>, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-one-avocado-each-day-can-add-years-to-your-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">avocados</a> may promote the production of more of these acids, potentially offering some defense against abnormal cell growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-gut-and-genes-might-need-more-fiber">Why gut and genes might need more fiber</h2>



A diet that skimps on fiber starves the microbes that produce these beneficial fatty acids. Low levels can reduce the supply of butyrate and propionate.



That could leave you short on important chemical signals that appear to help keep unwanted cellular behavior under control.&nbsp;



According to the <a href="https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/fiber/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a>, most Americans only consume around 15 grams of fiber daily, which falls short of <a href="https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/carbohydrates/fiber/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recommended amounts</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cancer-risk-and-fiber-s-gene-protective-role">Cancer risk and fiber’s gene-protective role</h2>



Colon cancer is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-cooking-oils-in-your-diet-may-be-linked-to-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">concern for many adults</a>. The <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Cancer Society</a> estimates that about 1 in 23 men and 1 in 25 women will be diagnosed with colon cancer at some point in their lifetime. 



This new study provides a window into how the byproducts of fiber breakdown might influence gene behavior in the colon, and possibly other tissues, in a helpful way.



“By identifying the gene targets of these important molecules we can understand how fiber exerts its beneficial effects,” said Snyder.&nbsp;



Although more work is needed to confirm how each type of fiber interacts with the gut and the rest of the body, this adds to growing evidence that diet and cancer risk are tightly woven together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connection-between-diet-gut-and-genes">Connection between diet, gut, and genes</h2>



The research highlights the importance of diet as a modulator of genetic signals. 



It also emphasizes potential opportunities for personalized strategies that combine better eating habits with therapies aimed at correcting harmful gene activity.&nbsp;



Many clinicians see fiber as a key feature of a balanced diet, and these findings may prompt more specific guidelines on how much and which types of fiber are most valuable for long-term health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-foods-can-boost-fiber-intake">What foods can boost fiber intake?</h2>



Whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes remain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ketogenic-diet-may-help-the-body-kill-cancer-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">top options</a> for boosting your daily fiber count. Vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli, as well as fruits such as raspberries, also offer generous amounts.&nbsp;



Even small shifts like opting for a whole-wheat tortilla instead of a white-flour tortilla can push your numbers up. 



For individuals who struggle to reach recommended targets, talking with a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian can point the way to practical changes that nourish both you and your gut bacteria.



People sometimes balk at the thought of adding more plant-based foods to their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/which-dietary-changes-are-best-for-cancer-prevention/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diet</a>. But a gradual introduction may help your gut adjust without uncomfortable bloating or gas.&nbsp;



Your digestive system, along with your genes, could benefit from these simple swaps, especially as ongoing research on fiber clarifies the links between short-chain fatty acids and various cellular pathways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-health-research">Future of health research</h2>



All signs suggest that fiber is more than just a helper for digestion. These insights about short-chain fatty acids may prompt further collaboration between nutrition science and genetics.&nbsp;



By paying attention to what our microbes need, we may discover fresh paths to protect our cells from harm. The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42255-024-01191-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Metabolism</a>.



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Eating enough fiber prevents cancer in a surprising way

The inclusion of fiber in the diet has been linked to a variety of health perks for decades. The body needs this essential nutrient to keep digestion running smoothly and maintain steady blood sugar levels.&nbsp; Most experts recommend at least 25 grams per day for women and 38 grams for men, yet many adults in the United States barely reach half that goal. But there is more to this story than a happy belly or balanced glucose.&nbsp; A recent study in Nature Metabolism shows that fiber may...

California has become the first state to ban the sale of puppies, cats, and rabbits in retail stores and now only animals from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-owners-extend-life/">rescue organizations</a> will be able to be sold in pet stores. 

The ban is part of the <a href="https://www.caps-web.org/news-releases/item/1322-california-ab-485">AB-485 Bill,</a> which was signed in October of 2017 by California Governor Jerry Brown and put into effect January 1, 2019. California bans pet stores from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits

In the hopes of cracking down on puppy mills and stopping neglectful and inhumane breeding programs, the bill now only allows stores to sell animals from the humane society, or rescue organizations partnered with a public or private shelter, according to <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/California-Becomes-First-State-to-Ban-Retail-Sale-of-Dogs-Cats-and-Rabbits-503644401.html">NBC Los Angeles</a>. 

According to the <a href="https://www.humanesociety.org/puppy-mill-research">Humane Society</a>, there are at least 10,000 puppy mills in the US, and less than three thousand of them are regulated by the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/">US Department of Agriculture</a>. 

Breeders may falsify health and age information in order to sell their dogs, and since the pet stores themselves also want to turn a profit, a sick dog can end up sold to an unsuspecting family. 

Puppies born in puppy mills, so called because the goal is to sell as many puppies as possible, can also suffer severe emotional trauma along with a lack of physical care, according to the <a href="https://www.aspca.org/barred-from-love/puppy-mills-101/how-cruel-breeding-hurts-dogs">American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals</a>. 

“I think it’s better to rescue these animals instead of having like a puppy mill or something like that where these animals are raised super inhumanely,” Suna Kentdotson told NBC Los Angeles when interviewed about the ban. 

Suna, along with Mitch Kentodtosone, were in the process of adopting a new kitten when they were asked about AB 485. 

“It takes the emphasis off the profit of animals and puts the emphasis back on caring for and getting these cats and dogs a good home,” Mitch Kentdotson said.

Organizations like the <a href="https://www.sdhumane.org/">San Diego Humane Society </a>will be monitoring retail pet stores to ensure that they adhere to the new ban.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California bans pet stores from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits

California has become the first state to ban the sale...

Pacific Gas and Electric, one of the nation's largest utility companies, may be ordered to pay billions of dollars in damages if found responsible for deadly California wildfires. In a document obtained by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/">CNBC</a> last month, PG&amp;E acknowledged that its equipment may have sparked the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/california-fire-evacuations/">Camp Fire</a> on November 8, 2017.

PG&amp;E could also face murder charges if the company is found to be liable for the fire, according to a brief filed in Northern California’s federal district court. The state is investigating whether the company properly managed the operation and maintenance of its equipment.

Prosecutors said the investigation will examine PG&amp;E’s safety practices to see if it committed a crime “with the requisite mental intent.”

The <a href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents/incidentdetails/Index/2277">Camp Fire</a> was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state of California, claiming at least 88 lives. High winds fueled the fire, which consumed the town of Paradise in less than 24 hours.

Some victims of the Camp Fire have already sued PG&amp;E over negligence and health and safety code violations. These lawsuits follow dozens of others against the utility that are related to previous fires in 2017.

In a statement, PG&amp;E  said that its “most important responsibility is public and workforce safety. Our focus continues to be on assessing our infrastructure to further enhance safety and helping our customers continue to recover and rebuild.”

“Throughout our service area, we are committed to doing everything we can to help further reduce the risk of wildfire.”

According to prosecutors, PG&amp;E could be charged with additional felony charges if the utility is found to have acted recklessly. If the company did not properly clear vegetation around its power lines and poles, lesser charges will be sought including involuntary manslaughter.

PG&amp;E believes that global warming is to blame for the increase in the frequency and intensity of wildfires in California, stating that “drought, extreme heat, and 129 million dead trees” are making it more likely for fires to spark.

On October 1, PG&amp;E wrote to federal officials: “California is now experiencing the devastating impact of extreme weather and climate-driven natural disasters, including the massive wildfires that occurred in Northern and Southern California in 2017, and the largest wildfires in California’s history during 2018. Extreme weather is no longer a theoretical issue, it has become the new normal.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: NASA (Joshua Stevens) - NASA Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager

PG&E faces murder charges, billions in damages for deadly wildfires

Pacific Gas and Electric, one of the nation's largest utility...

A team of researchers led by <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/">Washington University School of Medicine</a> have identified distinct molecular signatures in cancers like the deadly brain tumor glioblastoma in male and female patients. These unique molecular signatures can explain why more males are diagnosed with and die from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cancer-excess-body-weight/">cancer</a> compared to women. 

Furthermore, these findings, published January 2nd in <a href="http://stm.sciencemag.org/">Science Translational Medicine</a>, could be used to better treat both men and women with glioblastoma and increase chances of survival.

"It is our expectation that this study could have an immediate impact on the care of patients with glioblastoma and further research, as the findings indicate we should be stratifying male and female glioblastoma into risk groups and evaluating the effectiveness of treatment in a sex-specific manner," the study’s co-senior author, Joshua B. Rubin, MD, PhD, a Washington University professor of pediatrics and of neuroscience, said. "The biology of sex differences and its applications in medicine are highly relevant but almost always ignored aspects of personalized treatments."

The researchers realized that standard glioblastoma treatment is often more effective in women than in men. Using MRI scans and patient data from a cancer research database, the team measured velocity growth of tumors every two months in 40 males and 23 females with glioblastoma. They noticed that tumor size steadily shrunk in females who took the chemotherapy drug, temozolomide, whereas the males’ tumors seemed unaffected.

“The males did not respond as well, and we wanted to understand why, so we looked at the underlying genetics of patients' tumors," Rubin said. 

Using the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a National Cancer Institute- and National Human Genome Research Institute-funded project launched in 2005 to find the genetic basis of cancer, the researchers employed statistical algorithms to differentiate male- or female-specific gene expression patterns from male- and female-shared patterns. They then focused in on the  sex-specific gene expression to find the molecular subtypes that were linked to survival in males and females.

“We observed tremendous genetic sex differences in the tumors of glioblastoma patients that correlated with survival,” the study's co-senior author Jingqin "Rosy" Luo, PhD, a Washington University associate professor of surgery in the Division of Public Health Sciences. “All evidence supports the need to define these distinctions and incorporate the sex differences into glioblastoma biology research and treatment."

“We identified genetic pathways that correlated with the longest survival, and they were very different in males compared with females," Rubin said. "For example, in males survival was all about regulating cell division, which suggests that drugs that block cell-cycle progression may be more effective in men. For females, survival was all about regulating invasiveness, which suggests that drugs targeting integrin signaling may be more effective in women.”

“This tells us it might be better to separate males and females and examine their sex-specific genetic signatures,” he continued. “We tested this hypothesis by doing a series of in vitro drug screens in which we took four relatively common chemo drugs and looked at how the expression of these genes correlated with response to those drugs. In both males and females, there was a clear correlation."

And unlike other sex-linked diseases, glioblastoma is not related to hormones like breast cancer is linked to estrogen.

Rubin says that he wants the findings of this study to encourage more people to consider sex in relation to disease treatment. 

“I hope the research will inspire more specific approaches to treatments,” he said. “It may be that we shouldn't be using the same criteria when treating diseases in males and females, and as a next step we should definitely develop and evaluate sex-specific treatment regimens for glioblastoma.”

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Brain tumor severity and survival may be dependent on sex

A team of researchers led by Washington University School of...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.lsi.umich.edu/">University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute</a> have found the cause of declining motor function in aging worms. The experts have identified a molecule that can be targeted to improve motor function, and they speculate that similar pathways may be involved in the aging process of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mammals-survive-urban-areas/">mammals</a> as well.


The deterioration of motor function is a natural part of aging among both humans and animals. The study was focused on the aging patterns of millimeter-long roundworms called nematodes, which only live for about three weeks.

“We previously observed that as worms age, they gradually lose physiological functions," said study senior author Professor Shawn Xu. “Sometime around the middle of their adulthood, their motor function begins to decline. But what causes that decline?”

To investigate how the interactions between cells shifted as worms aged, the team examined the regions where motor neurons communicate with muscle tissue. The researchers found that a molecule called SLO-1 regulates these communications. The molecule slows down the signals from neurons to muscle tissue, which reduces motor function.

After manipulating SLO-1, the experts observed two major effects in the roundworms. They maintained motor function later into their lives, and they also lived longer than normal roundworms.

“It's not necessarily ideal to have a longer lifespan without improvements in health or strength,” said Professor Xu. “But we found that the interventions improved both parameters - these worms are healthier and they live longer.”

The study also revealed that the timing of the interventions drastically changed the effects on both motor function and lifespan. When SLO-1 was manipulated during the early days of the worm's' life, there was no effect on lifespan, and there was even a detrimental effect on motor function in the young worms. On the other hand, when the activity of SLO-1 was blocked in mid-adulthood, both motor function and lifespan improved.

Professor Xu hopes these findings will lead to future research that examines the role of the SLO-1 channel in other organisms.

“Studying aging in organisms with longer lifespans is a major investment. But now we have identified a molecular target, a potential site and specific timing, which should facilitate further investigation.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Is there a way to slow down the decline of brain motor function?

Researchers at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute have...

Fireworks have been banned across the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-galapagos-islands/">Galapagos Islands</a> in an effort to protect the region's wildlife. Government officials in Ecuador announced the ban on Friday, just days before annual New Year's Eve fireworks celebrations were to take place. 

The local council said in a statement that it had passed “unanimously a resolution that prohibits the importation, sale, distribution and use of fireworks or pyrotechnics in the Galapagos province.”

The campaign against fireworks was initially launched in 2017. Now that the legislation has passed, the new laws will take effect immediately. Fireworks that do not produce sound are an exception to the ban.

The Galapagos Islands are located just over 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador. Thousands of tourists that visit the islands every year are drawn to the pristine environment and rare animal species.

Previous studies have shown that the loud noises produced by fireworks have a detrimental effect on both wild and domestic animals. The noise causes stress and anxiety, as well as fear that can cause animals to flee into dangerous areas such as roadways. 

The fear also causes some birds to leave the nest, and they can become so disoriented that they cannot find their way back to the nest to care for their young. Furthermore, when birds or mammals ingest the remains of fireworks, it usually leads to death. 

Officials in the Galapagos Islands said that many wild animals had previously suffered from heart problems and nervous stress because of noise from fireworks. They also explained that the ban on fireworks will help to prevent air and water pollution.

Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835, and the rare wildlife later inspired his Theory of Evolution, which is the idea that all species share a common ancestor, change over time, and give rise to new species.

Lorena Tapia, the president of the Galapagos Islands’ local council, wrote on Twitter: “This is a gift to conservation for Ecuador and the world. Ecosystems as sensitive as that of the Galapagos Islands are affected by fireworks, especially its fauna, which is unique.”
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Galapagos Islands ban fireworks to protect animals

Fireworks have been banned across the Galapagos Islands in an...

Wild animals are sometimes used as props or entertainment to attract tourists. It's a gimmick that may seem harmless, but the reality couldn't be farther from the truth, as a new study has shown that many tourists understand the dangers of using animals, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rejecting-inhumane-animal-activities/">particularly endangered animals, for entertainment</a>.

In Morocco, Barbary macaques are a common sight in busy marketplaces like Jemaa el-Fna square in Marrakech. 

Even though macaques, the only primates native to Algeria and Morocco, are highly endangered, one barbary macaque may end posing 18 times per hour for photos. It's good money for the primates’ handlers as such photos can cost up to 100 Dirhams. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.napier.ac.uk/">Edinburgh Napier University</a> conducted a study surveying tourists visiting 
Morocco to see if Barbary macaques being used as props was perceived positively. 

The Barbary macaque has been listed as “endangered to extinct” on the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List</a> since 2008. The researchers wanted to know if this information changed how tourists responded to prop macaques or even if tourists knew that it was illegal to sell or own macaques. 

“Seeing primates as pets or photo props, whether that is in the media or at tourism destinations, can lead to the assumption that there are a lot of them and it is suitable to keep them as pets,” said Kristina Stazaker, the leader of the research. 

Over Easter, when tourism is at its highest in Morocco, the researchers asked 513 visitors to Jemaa el-Fna to answer a 25-item questionnaire about Barbary macaques. 

The majority of the visitors surveyed (88 percent) said they had never taken their picture with the tourist attraction macaques and added that they never would. 

Over 200 of the study participants said that it was unethical or harmful to the animals. Some of the survey respondents even brought up safety issues for humans as it can be dangerous for wild animals and humans to interact.

“Most of the survey respondents didn't see the macaques as an attraction and found the photo props off-putting, said Jay Mackinnon, a co-author of the study. “They pitied the animals and raised concerns about hygiene and the risk of serious infections being transmitted.”

The few visitors who had gotten their photos taken with macaques said they wanted a chance to interact with the rare animals, but many did not appreciate how the macaques were treated by their handlers.

[caption id="attachment_1864607" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/photo-prop.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1864607" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/photo-prop.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="843" /></a> Image Credit: Kristina Stazaker[/caption]

“We know that the perception of poor animal welfare can contribute to a negative experience or image of the destination visited,” said Mackinnon. “It would be a shame if tourists were taking away some memories of Morocco that are negative because of this unethical practice.”

66 percent of the visitors said that it should be illegal to take photos with Barbary macaques, but 80 percent of the 513 people surveyed had no idea it was already illegal in Morocco. 

“Barbary macaque numbers have plummeted by more than 50% since the 1980s due to habitat loss and juveniles being sold illegally as pets. Only one in four survey participants was aware that this species is endangered,” said Stazaker. 

Stazaker and Mackinnon presented their research at the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/">British Ecological Society </a>annual meeting earlier this December. 

The researchers say that if wildlife managers at national parks where macaques roam free improve ecotourism opportunities, it could help decrease the exploitation of macaques in markets and busy tourist areas.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Even tourists aren’t happy with wild animals used as photo props

Wild animals are sometimes used as props or entertainment to...

South Korea recently amended a law to ban plastic shopping bags in supermarkets and put hefty fines in place for shops that don’t adhere to the new ruling. 

The ban will come in effect today, January 1st, and aims to help reduce plastic waste. 

According to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/31/asia/south-korea-plastic-bag-ban-intl/index.html">CNN</a>, the ban will impact 13,000 supermarkets, eleven of which have 1,776 square feet or more of sales space within their stores. 

Currently, plastic bags are only available for a price, but this new amendment will ban them altogether. The ban mirrors the efforts of many other countries hoping to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-report-calls-for-ban-on-single-use-plastics/">reduce single-use plastics</a> and plastic waste overall. 

The UK, New Zealand, and China all have bans or taxes on plastic bags and shoppers must use paper or cloth shopping bags instead. 

If a supermarket disobeys the ban, fines could reach 3 million won, the equivalent of about $2,700 US dollars, according to CNN. 

South Korea's <a href="http://envfor.nic.in/">Ministry of Environment </a>is also working on reducing other single-use plastic items like drinking straws. 

Every year billions of pounds of plastic waste end up in the world’s ocean, and single-use plastic makes up a large portion of that waste. Plastic bags have been found at the bottom of the <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/single-use-plastic-has-reached-worlds-deepest-ocean-trench">Mariana Trench</a> and in the protected Galapagos Islands. 

Around 40 percent of all plastic produced in the world is used in packaging, and less than one-fifth of all plastic produced is recycled, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/07/ocean-plastic-pollution-solutions/">National Geographic.</a>

When this plastic ends up in the ocean, it doesn’t degrade and poses major health risks for marine wildlife who can ingest harmful microplastics or become tangled up in plastic debris. 

There is hope though, as CNN reported on a study that found that in northern Europe, there were 30 percent fewer plastic bags along the seabed thanks to plastic bans and taxes, proving that cutting back on plastic bags is effective. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Disposable plastic shopping bags have been banned in South Korea

South Korea recently amended a law to ban plastic shopping...

A new study has found that children have a tendency to become increasingly aggressive until they reach three-and-a-half years old, which is when they start to calm down. According to the researchers, the study findings may ultimately lead to the development of methods to prevent delinquency from infancy.


The experts set out to test the theory that aggression rises among toddlers but then peaks. The researchers tracked the behavior of over 2,000 boys and girls from the ages of 18 months to 13 years old. The investigation involved a series of interviews with mothers, teachers, and with the young participants.


The study revealed that the frequency of physical aggression increased up until the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/firearms-cause-death-kids/">children</a> were between the ages of three and four years old. After this point, there was usually a gradual decline.

However, the experts identified different patterns among boys and girls. They also noted several risk factors, including poor socioeconomic status, parents with lower education or higher depression, and a larger number of siblings.

There were some children who were prone to antisocial behavior into adolescence, which increases the risk for drug and alcohol abuse and violent crimes. 

Child development specialist Richard Tremblay is a professor at the <a href="https://www.umontreal.ca/en/">University of Montreal</a>

“Family characteristics at five months could be used to target preschool interventions aimed at preventing the development of boys' and girls' chronic physical aggression problems,” explained Professor Tremblay

He said that identifying the factors which prevent young children from turning into responsible adults is key to addressing the issue.

“Interventions during pregnancy and early childhood may help to prevent high physical aggression in children in high-risk families.”

According to Professor Tremblay, the study findings confirm previous research which suggests that aggression begins in the first couple of years of life and reaches a peak between the ages of two and four.

“In most cases, this high frequency of physical aggression declines before children enter elementary school according to parent reports and continues to decline thereafter according to teacher and self-reports,” said Professor Tremblay.

“However, a small proportion of children maintain an atypically high frequency of physical aggressions during middle childhood and adolescence.”

“This high physical aggression trajectory is associated with a range of negative outcomes in adolescence and adulthood, such as increased risk of violent crime, school maladjustment and school failure, alcohol and drug abuse and social maladjustment.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</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

Children become more physically aggressive up until age 4

A new study has found that children have a tendency...

Utah is a paradise for a lover of the outdoors.  From hot deserts to a chilly alpine high point of <a href="https://www.summitpost.org/kings-peak/150376">13,528</a> feet elevation above sea level, Utah has plenty of opportunity for boating, fishing, hiking, hunting, skiing, rock climbing and anything else done outside.  Considering the shear natural beauty and scale of undeveloped land, it’s not surprising that Utah is also home to <a href="http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/national-parks.html">13 National Park Service Units</a>, including five national parks and three national monuments administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

<a href="https://www.deseretnews.com/top/2318/0/From-03-to-811-What-percentage-of-each-state-is-owned-by-the-federal-government.html">Deseret News</a> reports that there are 35,033,603 acres of federal land in Utah, making up 66.5% of the state as of 2012.  According to the <a href="https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/National%20Reports/Visitation%20By%20State%20and%20By%20Park%20(2017%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year)">National Park Service</a>, it’s 13 units in Utah saw a total of 15,152,428 visitors in 2017 alone and that doesn’t include the National Monuments managed by the BLM.  Utah is also home to 44 of its own <a href="https://stateparks.utah.gov/parks/?view=list">state parks</a>, some of which are spectacular in their own right.  Utah was also until recently, host to <a href="https://www.outdoorretailer.com/">Outdoor Retailer</a>, the largest national trade show for outdoor retail companies.  That last part changed as the political fight over federal lands heated up after Trump was elected.  

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/patagonia-fighting-trump/">Patagonia</a> and other brands in the outdoor industry pushed to move the Outdoor Retailer Show from Salt Lake City Utah to Denver Colorado due to what was an unfriendly attitude by Utah’s state government towards federal land conservation.  Even as Utah enjoys more visitors to its parks than most of its neighbors, even as it profited from the Outdoor Retailer trade show, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/utahs-tenacious-efforts-to-take-back-federal-land-stand-out">PBS</a> reports that the state has done more than any other to win back control of federal lands.

In 2012, Utah legislature passed a law demanding the federal government give it back 30 million acres of land, in 2017 a Utah congressman introduced a bill to sell more than 4,600 square miles of federal land before pulling it.  After Trump’s administration proposed severely slashing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/canyon-tree-frogs-bears/">Bear’s Ears National Monument</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-grand-staircase-escalante/">Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument</a>, the government of Utah seemed to cheer.    

As late as November of this year, <a href="https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900041730/how-much-are-utahs-federal-lands-worth-state-going-to-try-to-find-out.html">Deseret News</a> reported that Utah legislators were planning on tallying up the amount of revenue that would be made if the state’s federal lands were managed privately.  After calculating the number, Utah planned to bill the federal government for the difference. This year, the <a href="https://www.doi.gov/">US Department of the Interior</a> already gave Utah $40.7 million in lieu of federal taxes, but the state’s government suspects the land managed by the department is worth much more.  Utah has a long history of opposition to the federal government, including federal lands. During the civil war, the <a href="https://www.utahhumanities.org/stories/items/show/243">US stationed troops</a> in Utah because of the state’s suspect loyalty to the union.  As much as Utah seems to chafe over the federal management of its lands, something interesting has happened during the current partial government shutdown.

As Trump and Congress continue their stalemate over funding for his border wall, many national parks are closed, leaving employees in a difficult position.  <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2018/12/27/national-parks-closed-during-federal-government-shutdown/2424786002/">USA Today</a> reports that National Parks websites no longer have up to date information on conditions.  This means that you won’t have flood, fire or storm warnings on parks you may visit. Access may change without notice as well.  Trails, roads or other services may be closed without any warning. Besides this, many National Parks are simply completely closed.  Other parks have no trash or toilet service, some offer the golden opportunity for a free visit without staff to collect fees. Big Bend National Park in Texas posted signs that the park itself remains open during the shutdown but offers no visitor services, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/12/28/680720032/national-parks-many-are-open-during-the-shutdown-their-bathrooms-not-so-much">NPR</a> reports.  

Some states have stepped in to fill the gaps left by the federal government.  Arizona is paying for trash services and trail snow removal crews in the iconic Grand Canyon National Park.  Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee is partially open thanks to the state. 

Along with the others, some of Utah’s National Parks will remain open.  Arches, Bryce and Zion National Parks with have custodial services paid for by the state of Utah.  The Utah Office of Tourism is even updating information on the parks on its own website, <a href="https://www.visitutah.com/">VisitUtah.com</a>.  Not only National Parks are kept running in Utah, ski resorts are sometimes operated on US Forest Service land are to remain open and fully operational.  However, even Utah’s funding for parks is set to run out as costs pile up. 

An article in the <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/12/18/if-government-shuts-down/">Salt Lake City</a> Tribune worries about the consequences of keeping parks open to visitors with delayed emergency response times and lack of visitor services.  It’s interesting that in Utah the people and the government seem more interested in capitalizing on the land and protecting people from it than protection of the land.  The goal of environmentalism and perhaps conservation is to protect the environment itself and promote an intimate relationship between humans and that environment.

Sometimes intimate relationships are messy.  Instead of loving the land, the government of Utah seems to only understand profiting from it.  The parks that remain open in Utah remain open to make money, no other reason. As to the other parks with open gates, roads and trails made dangerous in the absence of rangers, I say enjoy the land but fear for its future.  I’d like to end this article with a quote from a man made famous in his irreverent love of the land in Utah and throughout the US southwest. In his book, Desert Solitaire, Ed Abbey wrote about people enjoying the outdoors:

“A venturesome minority will always be eager to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches - that is the right and privilege of any free American.”

If the government is set on anarchy, the least we can do is make the most of it, as Utah is soon set to join the rest of the nation in ending National Park Services.                                  

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Utah’s national parks remain open during government shutdown

Utah is a paradise for a lover of the outdoors....

The opioid crisis is affecting kids and adolescents. New research  has revealed how the opioid crisis is affecting children, adolescents and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-adults-opioids-deaths/">young adults</a>.

The new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open, shines a spotlight on the little-considered impacts of the opioid crisis on young people. The results show that pediatric mortality rates have increased dramatically between 1999 and 2016. 

In 2016, over 43,000 people died from opioid poisonings, the highest number of deaths ever recorded from opioid misuse.The opioid crisis is affecting kids and adolescents 

However, researchers from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> realized that very little was known about pediatric mortality rates and how many children and teens have been affected by opioids since the early beginnings of the opioid crisis. 

The researchers found that from 1999 to 2016, nearly 9,000 children and adolescents died from opioid poisonings, a three-fold increase over the course of 18 years. 

Of these, over 80 percent were accidental with less than ten percent of death attributed to suicide or homicide. 

The researchers reviewed national trends in pediatric deaths from opioid poisonings and analyzed data from the<a href="https://healthdata.gov/dataset/wide-ranging-online-data-epidemiologic-research-wonder"> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research</a> (CDC WONDER)

Not only did the researchers look at mortality rates and how deaths from opioid poisoning affected different age groups, but the researchers also considered the various drugs used. 

73 percent of deaths were due to prescription opioids, and heroin was found to be the cause of the death for nearly 24 percent of teens. Methadone was linked to 36 percent of pediatric deaths. 

Methadone, along with other commonly prescribed opioids, are especially dangerous for children and adolescents as they can be easily accessed from family medicine cupboards.

The researchers say that there is a lack of childproof packaging for opioid medications like Suboxone which is prescribed to treat opioid addiction. 

“This public health problem is likely to grow unless parents, legislators, public health officials, and clinicians—including physicians who prescribe opioids to adults—begin to take a wider view of what is a systemic crisis,” the researchers conclude in their study. “Isolated solutions that fail to account for how entire families and communities are affected by adult opioid use are unlikely to lead to a substantive reduction in opioid deaths for either children or adults.”

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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

The opioid crisis is affecting kids and adolescents

The opioid crisis is affecting kids and adolescents. New research...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.sussex.ac.uk/">University of Sussex</a> have found that using a rose-scented blast of fragrance in cars could literally save lives. The researchers claim that exposing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/teen-drivers-text/">drivers</a> to a calming scent can alert them to dangers on the road and reduce the number of car accidents.

The study was focused on an experiment in a simulated driving rig. The scientists connected a spraying device to the center of the steering wheel which released a fragrance when the imitation vehicle approached any danger, such as an unpredictable driver or cyclist.

The researchers tested out several different scents, such as rose, lemon, and civet. The study revealed that the smell of rose reduced simulated car crashes by 64 percent. The musky smell of civet was also found to reduce the number of accidents by 46 percent.

According to the researchers, the use of fragrances in cars may be capable of alerting the brain more quickly than a visual signal because people naturally react faster to smells. 

While many cars already offer fragrances at the touch of a button, the new system will not be ready for real-world application until an artificially intelligent device is developed to detect various hazards in proximity to a vehicle. 

“The idea was inspired by trends in the auto industry - the use of different in-car perfumes,” said study co-author Dmitrijs Dmitrenko. “Obviously smell is very hard to investigate, it's very hard to control and hard to get it right.”

“People in the industry are put off by the idea because they don't know how to control the olfactory stimuli [scents]. But we built this equipment that enables this.”

“One of the advantages of smell over sight is that smell is quicker at reaching the brain. Smells take a while to reach the nose, but once the smell molecules reach the nose, the transition to nose and brain is quicker than eyes and ears.”

The researchers pointed out that a rose-scented air freshener would lose its effect because the nose would become accustomed to the smell. A puff from time to time, however, is much more powerful.
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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

Rose-scented fragrance could keep drivers alert, prevent accidents

Experts at the University of Sussex have found that using...

Our brains are excellent at data processing and we can take in a vast amount of information from the world around us in just a few quick seconds. 

When we first meet someone, we can guess their age and make assumptions about other their background and other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eye-contact-easier-face-tilted/">demographic information based on appearance</a>. 

But how long does it take to create a first impression? How long is the window between someone taking in all your information and deciding if you’re a good candidate for a job, a date and so on?

A new survey conducted by <a href="https://www.onepoll.com/">OnePoll </a>and commissioned by the <a href="https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/">Dollar Shave Club</a> found that it takes just 27 seconds for someone to form a first impression. 

For the survey, 2,000 Americans were asked about how they form first impressions and the most important elements to a positive impression. 

The results showed that 70 percent of the respondents could form an impression of a person even before the other person starts talking. 

If you want to leave a favorable impression, the survey found that people value smiling, having a polite and positive attitude, eye contact, and smelling nice. Dressing the part was also important as people tend to think less of people who dress poorly. 

Smell seemed to be a major driving factor behind first impressions and smelling bad instantly resulted in a bad impression especially when it came to first dates.

85 percent of the survey participants said that scent left a major impression and they remembered if people smelled bad or good. 

Many of the participants said that they were able to form an impression of another person quicker than average in social situations like dating. 

On average, the participants said they would be able to know if they want to go on a second date with another person in just 15 minutes and would end a bad date after 16 minutes. 

When it came to social situations, both smell and confidence were key as most of the participants, as 83 percent said that confidence played an important role in how they perceived other people. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Survey shows that you have just 27 seconds to make a first impression

Our brains are excellent at data processing and we can...

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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

[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"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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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



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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...