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...

Earlier this month, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill with strong support from both Democrats and Republicans in an effort to give American farmers some reprieve from the ongoing trade war with China.

The $867 billion farm bill includes new subsidies for farmers and legalizes hemp production. Something that could have a huge impact on agriculture across the United States. 

Industrial hemp is widely used in thousands of products. You can find hemp in everything from cosmetics and beauty products, to food and beverages, to fabrics and textiles, to automotive parts. 

According to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidcarpenter/2018/12/20/legal-hemp-in-2019-may-be-a-boon-for-stressed-out-american-farmers/#324e363c8f3b">Forbes</a>, industrial hemp is widely used in over 25,000 products. 

However, production of hemp in the US has been tightly restricted in the past because it was listed as a controlled substance, along with all varieties of cannabis, in the Controlled Substances Act for 50 years. 

Now farmers can freely grow and transport hemp across state lines as per the rules defined into the new bill, and this opens up a wealth of new opportunities for the agricultural industry. 

As climate change-induced drought and extreme weather events continue to strain water resources and limit crop yields, hardy, frost resistant crops like hemp will soon become a staple as more and farmers look for sustainable crop options to meet demand. 

The 2014 Farm Bill allowed some hemp pilot programs, and in 2018, over 3,500 participants in that program had planted more than 77,000 acres of hemp across the US, according to <a href="https://www.votehemp.com/hemp-news/hemp-in-the-farm-bill-what-does-it-mean/">Vote Hemp</a>, a hemp advocacy group. 

Vote Hemp says that the tight regulations of the pilot program were “burdensome” and the new bill lifts those previous restrictions. 

With the new bill, more farmers can invest in hemp crops that have high levels of CBD or cannabidiol, which research has shown has many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-treats-migraines-better/">positive health impacts. </a>

That’s not to mention the economic benefits of CBD collected from hemp, the sales of which could increase to 5.7 billion, according to the cannabis and CBD research group <a href="https://www.brightfieldgroup.com/">Brightfield. 
</a>

“The hemp CBD industry is growing exponentially and presents a real opportunity for rural economic development, with tremendous enthusiasm from consumers,” William Hilliard, CEO of the Hemp growers group Atalo, told Forbes. “Our intention is to attract the best and brightest, innovative farmers and offer them a long-term relationship rather than a spot-market.”

Hemp farmers can also soon enjoy other benefits like crop insurance and acquiring loans through banking services. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why the legalization of hemp spells good news for American farmers

Earlier this month, Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill with...

Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that neuronal cell death in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-benefits-alzheimers/">Alzheimer's disease</a> (AD) may not be a bad thing. Experts at <a href="http://first.fchampalimaud.org/en/the-foundation/champalimaud-centre-unknown/">Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown</a> (CCU) discovered that neuronal cell death may be the result of a cell quality control process that kicks in to protect the brain from the accumulation of malfunctioning neurons. 

The researchers observed a cell quality control mechanism called “cell competition,” which enables a type of fitness comparison among neighboring cells. The fittest cells then trigger the suicide of the less fit cells around them. It has been recently established that this process of cell competition is a powerful anti-aging mechanism in the body, particularly in the brain. 

“In 2015, we discovered that clearing unfit cells from a tissue was a very important anti-aging mechanism to preserve organ function,” said Eduardo Moreno, principal investigator of the CCU Cell Fitness lab. His team speculated that cell competition may also be involved in neurodegenerative diseases associated with accelerated aging, which had never been tested. 

The investigation was focused on fruit flies that had been genetically modified to mimic the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in humans. The team manipulated fruit flies to express the amyloid-beta protein, which forms aggregates in the brains of AD patients.

The scientists set out to determine whether neuronal death was activated by the process of fitness comparison. In other words, Moreno said they wanted to confirm “that the neurons were not dying on their own but being killed by fitter neighbors.”

“When we started, the current view was that neuronal death must be always detrimental. And much to our surprise, we found that neuronal death actually counteracts the disease,” said study first author Dina Coelho. 

When neuronal death was blocked in the brain of a fly, the insect developed even worse memory and motor coordination problems, died sooner, and experienced faster brain degeneration. On the other hand, when the fitness comparison process was boosted, the death of unfit neurons was accelerated and the flies expressing the AD-associated amyloid-beta proteins showed an impressive recovery. 

“The flies almost behaved like normal flies with regard to memory formation, locomotive behavior, and learning,” explained Christa Rhiner. 

This improvement came at a time when the flies were already strongly affected by AD symptoms, which means that the anti-aging mechanism keeps working well into the stages of Alzheimer's disease. According to Moreno, the findings show that “the neuronal death protects the brain from more widespread damage and therefore the neuronal loss is not what is bad, it is worse not to let those neurons die.”

“Our most important finding is that we have probably been thinking the wrong way about Alzheimer's disease,” said Moreno. “Our results suggest that neuronal death is beneficial because it removes neurons that are affected by noxious beta-amyloid aggregates from brain circuits, and having those dysfunctional neurons is worse than losing them.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/home">Cell Reports</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

The death of brain cells can actually be beneficial at times

Scientists have demonstrated for the first time that neuronal cell...

With the departure of US Secretary of Defense <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/mattis-proved-you-cant-serve-both-trump-and-america/578902/">Jim Mattis</a>, as well as the constant turnover of cabinet members during the Trump administration, another vacancy in the Trump cabinet barely qualifies as news.  Still, it’s worth looking at the legacy left behind as Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke departs as well as who’s likely to fill his shoes. 

Ryan Zinke stepping down is no surprise at all to those who’ve been paying attention.  Earlier I reported on the corruption swirling around him during his tenure. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drilling-oil-sangre-de-cristos/">Corruption</a> has included Zinke trying to use his cabinet position and connections to Halliburton to move forward on plans for his own brew pub in his home of Whitefish Montana.  

An article in <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/21/ryan-zinke-montana-interior-career-1070944">Politico</a> reports that even when Zinke was a little known Montana Senator he had multiple business dealings, some of which represented conflicts of interest and ethical lapses.  As a Navy SEAL, Zinke also ran into problems when he billed the military for his own personal travel expenses. 

 Zinke’s also been extremely unpopular among environmentalists.  The one act Zinke is most likely to be remembered for is his shrinking of Bear’s Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, actions many feel won’t hold up against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/patagonia-fighting-trump/">lawsuits</a>.  Interestingly, Zinke’s official <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/people/ryan-zinke/">White House</a> biography lists him as an adopted member of Fort Peck Assiniboine &amp; Sioux Tribes in Northeast Montana; <a href="http://utahdinebikeyah.org/resolutions-of-support/">both tribes signed</a> a resolution for Bear’s Ears National Monument to be left intact.    

A piece in <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/12/21/18150520/zinke-resignation-resigns">Vox</a> reports that under Zinke’s tenure, the Department of the Interior issued a new interpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a piece of legislation responsible for the survival of many bird species.  The new interpretation stated that the act only protected birds from purposeful threats, like hunting, not indirect threats like those from industry. This decision largely takes responsibility of bird deaths away from industry in cases oil spills and other irresponsible acts.  

According to the <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chapman/ct-perspec-chapman-migratory-birds-zinke-killing-0913-20180912-story.html">Chicago Tribune</a>, this means that under the new rule, BP would have been forgiven $100 million it had to pay for bird deaths related to the Deepwater Horizon tragedy.  Oil pit waste that once was required to be covered to keep birds out are now open for birds to land in and become poisoned. Wind turbines no longer need to allocate equipment for the safety of birds.

Zinke initially planned to dramatically raise National Park fees, a decision he later backed out of because of lack of support and general outrage.  <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2294636/zinke-rolls-over-national-park-fees-hike">Outside</a> reports that there were over 100,000 negative comments on the fee hike and quotes Vietnam Veterans of America on the logic of the fee increase, saying it was, “small minded and mean spirited.”  

According to <a href="https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/12/21/18150520/zinke-resignation-resigns">Vox</a>, Zinke was disavowed by 17 former Department of the Interior officials from both major political parties as well as 500 organizations from every US state and dozens of other politicians.  <a href="https://www.wilderness.org/articles/article/zinke-year-one-14-misdeeds-show-why-hes-worst-interior-secretary-ever">The Wilderness Society</a> calls Zinke the worst Secretary of the Interior ever and listed 14 of his misdeeds during his tenure, including opening drilling to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.                 

I for one am glad to see Ryan Zinke depart.  However, I worry about who may replace him. So far it’s largely speculative who the next Secretary of the Interior may be with likely candidates remaining quiet.  Trump’s track record suggests it won’t be someone friendly to the environment.

The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/15/us/ryan-zinke-interior-secretary.html">New York Times</a> reports that Trump accepted Zinke’s resignation in his typical fashion, through tweet.  The president thanked Zinke for his service and promised to announce a replacement within a week.  <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060110143">E&amp;E News</a> reports that those who are now campaigning to replace Zinke are doing so secretly.

E&amp;E reported that Trump has already met with Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a man <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2018/12/20/david-bernhardt-interior-secretary-rifle-trump-zinke/">The Denver Post</a> reports is on a short list of candidates for the Secretary of the Interior. Bernhardt is native to Rifle, a small western Colorado town, known for beautiful waterfalls and world class rock climbing.  It’s also the gateway to some of western Colorado’s best wild (and commercial) caves. Bernhardt has also worked in the Department of the Interior from 2001 to 2009 before being the deputy interior secretary under the Trump administration.  He’s also worked as a lobbyist for oil and gas and has been part of some of Zinke’s worst plans. 

Bernhardt is said to have been one of the main people behind an effort to change the Endangered Species Act to better serve the interest of big business as well as weaken protection of Sage Grouse.  Bernhardt is probably the most qualified candidate for secretary of the Interior but it doesn’t mean he has the agency or the environment’s best interest at heart. 

<a href="https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/12/19/denham-interior-secretary-delta-water/">CBS Sacramento</a> reports that former Republican representative Jeff Denham of California is also being considered as a replacement of Zinke.  Denham spent a large part of his tenure serving the Central Valley of California focusing on water. According to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-denham-interior-20181220-story.html">Los Angeles Times</a>, Denham said he’s expressed his concerns on water issues to the Trump administration and he’s worked on water storage plans in California.  Denham has old ties to Trump as well, including encouraging the federal government to lease the old post office in DC to the Trump Organization, a move that cost taxpayers millions of dollars.  

<a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/421755-five-potential-contenders-to-replace-zinke-as-interior-secretary">The Hill</a> also lists Representative Rob Bishop of Utah as a possible replacement for Secretary of the Interior.  Bishop is currently the chairman of the House Natural Resource Committee but will soon become its ranking member following the loss of the GOP majority in the House.  Bishop worked closely with Zinke on shrinking national monuments and dismantling endangered species protections.

Other possibilities for the Secretary of the Interior include republican Dean Heller of Nevada who <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/patagonia-partisan-conservation-politics/">failed</a> in his re-election campaign despite Trump’s support.  Republican Raúl Labrador of Idaho, who’s retiring from Congress next month, is also a possibility.  Labrador was born in Puerto Rico and if he became the Secretary of the Interior, would be the first person from a US insular territory to do so.  

No matter who becomes the next Secretary of the Interior, we can count on the Trump administration to make it someone bad for the environment.  The only real question is, how long will Zinke’s replacement last? 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

What Ryan Zinke’s departure means for the environment

With the departure of US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis,...

Mistletoe is undoubtedly an icon of Christmas.  It’s that little plant hanging harmlessly over a doorway that encourages couples everywhere to kiss underneath it.  According to <a href="https://www.livescience.com/32901-why-we-kiss-under-mistletoe.html">Live Science</a>, the kissing tradition goes way back, back to a time before <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/color-vision-rudolph-reindeer/">Christmas</a> even existed in fact.  

The tradition comes from ancient Greece where mistletoe was associated with fertility.  Kissing under mistletoe is said to go bag to the pagan festival of Saturnalia, a festival honoring the god Saturn.  The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia">festival</a> was originally held on December 17 but later expanded with festivities running until December 23.  A sacrifice to Saturn was followed by a banquet and a tradition of gift giving; sounds familiar, right?  In Rome, treaties between warring parties were signed under mistletoe, associating the plant with peace. 

<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia">The Spruce</a> reports another origin of the kissing under mistletoe tradition.  <a href="https://norse-mythology.org/tales/the-death-of-baldur/">Norse mythology</a> has a place for mistletoe but some of it is decidedly darker than the Saturnalia in Greece.  According to one myth, the death of Baldur, a beloved son, was presaged to his father Odin in a dream.  In fear the gods made all sorts of physical objects, trees, rocks, water, promise not to hurt Baldur. Mistletoe, being a small and inconspicuous plant, was overlooked.  

When the gods thought that Baldur was safe, they celebrated by throwing things at him and laughing as they harmlessly leaped away.  During this festive atmosphere, Loki crept up to Hodr, the blind god with a dart he’d made out of mistletoe, offering it to Hodr to throw at Baldur.  When Hodr threw the dart as part of the celebration, Baldur was killed. After a failed attempt to bring Baldur back from the dead, it was agreed that any passing under mistletoe would exchange a kiss in memory of the dead god.  More interesting perhaps than the origins of the kissing tradition, though, is the plant mistletoe itself.

According to <a href="https://blog.nwf.org/2012/12/12-things-to-know-about-mistletoe/">National Wildlife Federation</a>, there are actually many plants that can be called ‘mistletoe’.  Worldwide, there are as many as 1,300 mistletoe species. According to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/mistletoe">Britannica</a>, all mistletoe species come from three plant families, Loranthaceae, Misodendraceae, and Santalaceae but especially from three genera in the Santalaceae family.  The contiguous US and Canada together are home to 30 species of mistletoe. The name mistletoe comes from ancient Anglo-Saxons, the word ‘mistel’ means ‘dung’ while the word ‘tan’ (later changed to ‘toe’) means ‘twig’.  Dung twig may seem like an odd name for a plant, but it makes a lot of sense if you know a bit about the life history of mistletoe. 

Despite its association with Christmas and smooching, there’s no way around a dark truth, mistletoe is a parasite.  Mistletoe can be found growing on trees throughout the world. The mistletoe I’m most familiar with is a green scaly thing that’s easy to miss on a juniper tree in the high desert of the Colorado Plateau.  In context, this mistletoe actually looks like an overgrown clump of the plant’s own foliage at first glance, perhaps a sign of cancer in the tree. 

When the mistletoe grows berries, it becomes a bit more obvious.  The white berries of mistletoe attract birds which apparently find them tasty.  The seeds hidden in the berries hold a secret that allows mistletoe to disperse to the limbs of other trees so effectively.  

Mistletoe seeds are sticky.  Sometimes a bird gets a seed stuck to its beak and wipes a seed off onto a tree branch where it sticks, reading to grow its roots into the tree and parasitize it.  Other times, the seed passes through the bird’s digestive tract and sticks to the tail feathers of the bird. When this happens, the bird usually wipes the lucky seed off onto a branch, or twig.  This is why ‘dung-twig’ is actually a pretty good name for mistletoe. An atypical mistletoe, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/dwarf-mistletoe">Dwarf Mistletoe</a>, actually shoots its seeds away, hopefully towards another host plant using water pressure.  The life of mistletoe is largely determined by how good of a host plant it’s rooted to. 

Mistletoe sends its roots directly into the host plant, sucking away water and nutrients.  An infestation of mistletoe can eventually kill a host plant. Mistletoe does have chlorophyll, so it makes some of its own food, not taking a completely free ride from its host plant but when that host plant dies, so does the mistletoe, not able to pull entirely its own weight.  Not everything about the life of mistletoe is bleak; it provides life as well as takes it. 

Many birds nest directly in mistletoe, and according to <a href="https://blog.nwf.org/2012/12/12-things-to-know-about-mistletoe/">National Wildlife Federation</a>, 43% of Spotted Owl nests in a single forest were associated with mistletoe.  64% of Cooper’s Hawk nests in northeastern Oregon were in mistletoe. Squirrels sometimes nest in mistletoe also.  Three species of butterfly depend on mistletoe, their caterpillars feeding on the plant exclusively. 

According to the <a href="https://xerces.org/2017/08/11/the-secret-life-of-a-mistletoe-butterfly/">Xerces Society</a>, the Johnson Hairstreak butterfly’s caterpillar is perfectly camouflaged in the foliage of Dwarf Mistletoe where it lives in the Pacific Northwest.  Butterflies and native bees also feed on the nectar of mistletoe. The <a href="https://www.anbg.gov.au/mistletoe/butterflies.html">Australian National Botanical Gardens</a> reports that in Australia and Africa, there are entire genera of butterflies that feed almost exclusively on mistletoe.  

Australia’s also home to an interesting bird, the Mistletoebird; <a href="http://www.birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/mistletoebird">Bird Life Australia</a> shows the male bird as a small bird with black plumage and a bright red throat and grey belly.  The female birds are a lighter grey color with no red. The bird lacks the gizzard many birds have, instead having a simpler digestion system adapted to easy to eat mistletoe berries, the sticky seeds of which it spreads to branches.  The bird sometimes also catches insects and eats other plants but it’s pretty dependent on mistletoe as a staple. Interestingly it’s not just the Mistletoe bird or a few butterflies that benefit from the plant. 

A <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241132379_Effects_of_mistletoe_on_diversity_A_case-study_from_southern_New_South_Wales">study</a> published in 2002 carried out in New South Wales Australia showed some ecological benefit to mistletoe.  A survey of birds in woodlands was carried out at the start of the study and species numbers carefully recorded.  Mistletoe was then removed from a portion of the woodlands being studied and the area re-surveyed as well as another area with mistletoe intact.  Interestingly, the area with mistletoe showed a greater number of bird species than the area without mistletoe. 52 bird species were found in the area denuded of mistletoe while 61 species were found in the area with mistletoe.

It’s not clear exactly why more birds would be found near mistletoe, perhaps it’s because of greater numbers of insects feeding on the plant.  Whatever the reason, maybe the ancient Greeks were onto something when they associated a simple parasitic plant with fecundity. 

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

How mistletoe became an icon of Christmas

Mistletoe is undoubtedly an icon of Christmas.  It’s that little...

Science has long been on the lookout for methods to predict aging and age-related diseases. A person’s chronological age may not always match their biological age, and age-related diseases can speed up mental and tissue deterioration. 

Diet and other lifestyle factors can influence unhealthy aging, but there are also other less understood underlying biological processes that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aging-biological-processes-long/">can impact aging</a>. 

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="https://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute</a> identified some key molecular signatures across all age groups that predict aging. 

The study was published in the journal Genome Biology. 

“This experiment was designed to determine whether there are molecular signatures of aging across the entire range of the human lifespan,” said Saket Navlakha, a co-senior author of the study. “We want to develop algorithms that can predict healthy aging and non-healthy aging, and try to find the differences.”

The researchers collected and analyzed dermal fibroblast skin cells from 133 individuals aged 1 to 94 with about thirteen people per decade of age to get a large enough representation of the different age groups. 

Dermal fibroblasts, which generate connective tissue and help with healing, were chosen for the study because they are easy to collect from a skin biopsy and previous research has suggested that the cells may contain aging signatures. 

RNA sequencing was used to find any biomarkers of aging and identify which genes were turned on or off within the cells. 

Next, the researchers used custom machine learning algorithms to analyze the RNA sequencing data. 

“We took a ‘kitchen sink’ approach with this project,” said Jason Fleischer, a first-author of the study. “Rather than going into this research with an idea of what we wanted to find, we decided to look at the changes in expression of all the protein-coding genes and let the algorithms sort it out. We used what's called an ensemble machine-learning method to do this.”

The algorithms were able to predict the age of a person from their cells within a range of eight years. 

To test their algorithms, the researchers collected fibroblasts from ten patients diagnosed with progeria, a genetic disease that accelerates aging, and used the machine learning system to analyze the cells. 

The results showed that the cells were at least a decade older than the actual age of the patients they came from, proving that the algorithm could accurately calculate and predict aging. 

“The fact that our system can predict this kind of aging shows that this model is starting to get at the true underpinnings of biological age," Fleischer says.

The study provides a better understanding of biological aging and could help pave the way for treating and preventing age-related health problems like dementia and heart disease. 

“Aging is a driver of so many diseases, including Alzheimer's and other neurologic problems,” said Navlakha. “If we are able to show that the changes we've seen in fibroblasts are connected with aging in other types of cells, we may eventually be able to use these signatures to develop targeted interventions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Machine learning can help predict healthy aging

Science has long been on the lookout for methods to...

The world is in the midst of a major shift in agricultural innovation, and advances in technology could soon help create more sustainable agricultural practices while improving productivity and<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/europe-unsustainable-future-agriculture/"> continuing to meet food demands</a>. 

The world has undergone three major agricultural revolutions in the past. 

The first was when our early ancestors switched from hunting and gathering to permanent settlements, the second occurred in the 18th century during Britain's Agricultural Revolution, and the third was the result of advances in mechanization and the Green Revolution. 

Now, we are undergoing a fourth agricultural revolution driven by huge advances in smart technology, and a new report shows that agricultural advancements in technology must consider both the benefits and more importantly the negative impacts. 

Responsible innovation needs to be a priority, according to researchers from the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>, who wrote the article published in the journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 

Policymakers as well innovators should be conscious of the social impacts of smart technology, as countries and organizations make smart “agri-tech” a priority investing time and money in new technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics. 

“All of these emergent technologies have uses in farming and may provide many benefits,” said David Rose, a co-author of the new article. “For example, robotics could plug potential lost labour post-Brexit in industries such as fruit picking, while robotics and AI could enable better chemical application, saving farmers money and protecting the environment. They could also attract new, younger farmers to an ageing industry.”

Along with these positive benefits to agriculture, Rose stresses that there will also be losses and negative impacts that need to be addressed before the widespread implementation of new technology. 

“In light of controversial agri-tech precedents, it is beyond doubt that smart farming is going to cause similar controversy,” said Rose. “Robotics and AI could cause job losses or change the nature of farming in ways that are undesirable to some farmers. Others might be left behind by technological advancement, while wider society might not like how food is being produced.” 

The researchers propose that farmers be included in public decisions and that new technology should be implemented responsibly. 

“We therefore encourage policy-makers, funders, technology companies, and researchers to consider the views of both farming communities and wider society,” said Rose. “We advocate that this new agricultural tech revolution, particularly the areas funded by public money, should be responsible, considering the winners, but particularly the potential losers of change.”
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why the agricultural tech revolution needs responsible innovation

The world is in the midst of a major shift...

Two scientists at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> have developed a new statistical method to estimate the rate of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/two-migrations-north-america/">human migration</a> between countries. Using the pseudo-Bayes approach, the experts have demonstrated that migration rates are higher than previously thought, but also relatively stable.

The new model revealed that between 1.1 and 1.3 percent of the global population moved between countries from 1990 to 2015. The model also showed that around 45 percent of migrants have returned to their home countries since 1990, which is a much higher estimate than what has been established by other methods. 

According to study senior author Professor Adrian Raftery, having more accurate estimates of migration will ultimately help both migrants and the people who assist them.

“Planning for migration is no simple task,” said Professor Raftery. “You need everything from medical infrastructure and trained personnel to elementary schools - and governments rely on accurate demographic estimates to help them put the right plans and responses into place.”

Migration data is collected at ports of entry, but answers on the immigration forms may contain mistakes and often fail to collect the information that demographers need to accurately calculate migration.

“Migration is much more than the place you left and the place you ultimately settled in,” said Professor Raftery. “Researchers have tried for years to develop statistical methods that capture the comprehensive picture of human migration across the globe.”

Professor Raftery collaborated on the research with Professor Jonathan Azose, a UW assistant professor of Statistics and the lead author of the study. The experts tested their pseudo-Bayes method against a relatively reliable model of migration among 31 European countries. The study revealed that the UW team's estimates were more accurate than those of most existing models.

The researchers found that there was movement of 67 to 87 million migrants over each five-year period from 1990 to 2015. By comparison, one widely used alternative method calculates just 34 to 46 million migrants in each five-year period.


“For the migration field, this level of accuracy is a significant improvement,” said Professor Azose. “Even when you look at data from European countries, it's not uncommon for a single migration flow to have estimates that differ by a factor of three or more depending on whether the sending or the receiving country collected the data.”


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global migration rates are higher than previously thought, but stable

Two scientists at the University of Washington have developed a...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.sfn.org/">Society for Neuroscience</a> may ultimately lead to an easier way to predict a patient's fear of pain. A machine learning technique that is being tested by researchers has the potential to translate patterns of activity in fear-processing regions of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-games-cognitive-decline/">brain</a> into scores on questionnaires designed to measure how much a patient fears pain. 

This new approach could help experts to recognize the brain activity that underlies self-reported emotions. 

Pain-related fear is often assessed using questionnaires that ask patients how they feel about their clinical pain. However, it is unclear which of these self-reported emotions are associated with fear and which are linked to anxiety. Fear and anxiety are known to involve different regions of the brain.

Study lead author Michael Meier collaborated with experts in Petra Schweinhardts' lab at the Balgrist University Hospital in Zurich to investigate. 

The team used neuroimaging to observe the brain activity of patients with low back pain as they watched video clips that made them imagine painful activities such as bending and painless activities such as walking. 

The study revealed that the brain activity of the participants was predictive of their scores on the various questionnaires. Furthermore, different questionnaires were associated with distinct patterns of neural activity, suggesting that similar questionnaires may measure different emotional states.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.eneuro.org/">eNeuro</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts can predict how much we fear pain through our brain activity

A new study from the Society for Neuroscience may ultimately...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.sfn.org/">Society for Neuroscience</a>, published December 24th in <a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/">JNeurosci</a>, the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and brain anatomy remain stable from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/childhood-trauma-psychotic-experiences/">childhood</a> through early adulthood. 

This conclusion is based on a longitudinal neuroimaging study of more than 600 participants which spanned over two decades.

Cassidy McDermott and Armin Raznahan, from the <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml">National Institute of Mental Health</a> in Bethesda, Maryland, and their colleagues studied several brain scans from the same 600 individuals taken periodically between the ages of five and 25. 

They compared the brain scan data to parental education and occupation as well as each participants’ intelligence quotient (IQ) and found a connection between SES and brain size and surface area.

More specifically, there is a positive correlation between SES and the surface area of brain regions that control cognitive functions like learning, language, and emotions.

The study, which is the first to connect childhood SES with greater volumes of the two subcortical regions the thalamus and striatum, shines light on the importance of the preschool period, during which brains may begin to develop uniquely based on SES.

The researchers hope to further explore brain regions associated with the relationship between SES and a person’s IQ, which could reveal how SES is a factor in a person’s range of life outcomes.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Socioeconomic status plays a role in brain development

According to a new study from the Society for Neuroscience,...

While the holidays are a time of warmth and celebration, they also pose some of the biggest risks for your four-legged friends. From the extra sweets and chocolate around the house to the colorful decorations and ornaments that a cat or dog may try to play with, it’s important to take a few extra precautions to ensure your pet is safe over the holiday season. 

Along with knowing the risks, it’s also important to understand what it is about certain household items, foods, and decorations that causes harm. 

First, there’s the most obvious risk for pets, especially dogs, during the holiday season: the increased risk of eating candies, cookies, or chocolates that are toxic to animals. 

Most pet owners are generally aware that it’s unsafe for their dog to consume chocolate of any kind. However, some chocolate and cocoa products are more dangerous than others and knowing which ones could mean the difference between a puppy with a little tummy trouble or an emergency trip to the vet. 

Chocolate, just like any other sweet, is enticing to dogs, but the cocoa beans used to make chocolate contain compounds called methylxanthines which are toxic to dogs. Coffee beans also contain methylxanthines.

Some chocolate has higher quantities of methylxanthines compared to others. For example, baking chocolate and cocoa powder poses a much higher risk than milk chocolate. 

While a little chocolate may not be deadly to your dog, it’s always a good idea to call your vet if you suspect your dog has eaten any. The size of your dog and the kind of chocolate consumed will factor into the type of treatments your vet may recommend.

Ingesting methylxanthines, even at low doses, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, an elevated heart rate, and seizures, according to the <a href="https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets">American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals</a>. 

During the holidays, the number of chocolate poisonings and trips to the vet increase because there are more chocolate and sweets out in the open. 

Chocolate isn’t the only sweet holiday treat that’s bad for pets. Anything <a href="https://www.wagthedoguk.com/2014/08/22/bad-nuts-for-dogs/">containing nuts </a>should be avoided, as some nuts like <a href="https://www.aspca.org/news/animal-poison-control-alert-macadamia-nuts-are-toxic-dogs">macadamia nuts</a> are poisonous and will cause similar symptoms as chocolate poisoning. 

It’s not known which toxin causes the problem in macadamia nuts, but macadamia nuts are part of the same family as grapes which contain another toxin that can cause kidney failure in dogs. 

In order to avoid unnecessary trips to the vet, always be aware of the food in your pantry and refrigerator, and if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/science-holiday-baking/">you’re baking</a> with nuts, sweeteners like xylitol, or chocolate, keep anything potentially harmful out of reach of your pet. 

Holiday hazards don’t end at food, though, and your pet’s natural tendency to chew on things can make seemingly benign holiday decorations and plants a real danger. 

Chords from lights and batteries are a chewing hazard for dogs and could even cause electrocution or mouth burns. Cats are famous for knocking things off of surfaces, and the colorful glass ornaments on the tree are no exception. 

Fragile glass ornaments also have a tendency to break, and shards could end up in an unsuspecting paw or worse, could cause severe damage to the digestive tract and mouth if eaten. 

When it comes to the Christmas tree itself, many pet owners may not realize just how problematic holiday plants can be as well. 

Christmas trees sometimes tip over and could cause an unfortunate accident if your pet happens to be nearby. Real pine trees also need water which could contain harmful fertilizers and sugar that aren’t good for pets to drink. 

If a cat or dog ends up chewing and swallowing pine needles they may end up damaging the intestines or stomach. 

Holly and mistletoe are two common plants that tend to pop up in abundance during the holidays, and both are poisonous to pets. 

The shiny red berries of holly may be what attracts your pet, but the leaves actually pose a bigger threat. According to the <a href="https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/holly/">Pet Poison Helpline</a>, holly contains the same toxic substance that chocolate does, methylxanthine, and if eaten could cause vomiting, diarrhea, and continued lip smacking. 

The holly plant also has sharp and pointy leaves which could damage the gums, tongue, or throat of your pet. Mistletoe is also toxic to pets, and the risks can vary depending on what type of species your pet comes in contact with. 

Phoranedruon serotinum mistletoe contains a toxin called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/mistletoe">phoratoxin</a> which is known to cause blurred vision, nausea and <a href="https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/mistletoe/">stomach pain in pets</a>. Phoranedruon serotinum is an American mistletoe, but Viscus album, the European variety, is considered more toxic. Mistletoe berries also contain compounds that when ingested could be dangerous for dogs. 

Poinsettias, on the other hand, pose a relatively low risk to pets and have a low level of toxicity, although it’s still not a good idea to leave your pet unsupervised around houseplants no matter how toxic. 

With poinsettias, it’s the sap you need to be concerned about, as the milky, white sap of the plants contain chemicals called <a href="https://csuvth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/Plants/Details/115">diterpenoid euphorbol esters</a> which can cause mild skin irritation or digestive problems if eaten. 

Another major holiday risk that is not often discussed is ensuring that house guests make sure medications are kept out of sight and safely stored away. 

Lastly, while pets are social creatures and a house full of guests may be a wonderful and exciting event for some dogs and cats, it’s always important to make sure your pet has a safe and quiet space they can retreat to if things get overwhelming, or if company induces anxiety.

With just a few extra precautions and an understanding of what the risks are, you can enjoy the holidays hazard-free and keep your pet safe from harm. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How to keep your pets safe during the holidays

While the holidays are a time of warmth and celebration,...

Researchers have collected traces of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/age-related-differences-dna-bloodstream/">DNA</a> from birch bark pitch that was chewed by a woman over 6,000 years ago. The genetic evidence enabled them to learn a lot about her diet, heritage, and even about her appearance. 

According to the researchers, the woman had eaten duck, eel, and hazelnuts before setting out to make stone tools. The experts believe that she put the birch bark pitch in her mouth to make it more pliable and then spat it out without ever using it.

The scientists have named the woman Lola after the island of Lolland in modern-day Denmark where the pitch was recovered. The analysis of the pitch also revealed that Lola had dark skin and dark hair. 

Søren Sørensen at the Lolland-Falster Museum told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>, “It’s amazing - I know what she’s been eating, what color her eyes were, what color her hair was. It’s like standing face to face with a stone age person.”


This is one of the first studies to analyse prehistoric birch bark, which was essentially black tar from tree bark that was used as a glue for tool-making. While chewing the tar would have made it more pliable, the researchers speculate that it could have been used to treat mouth wounds due to its antiseptic properties.

Samples of pitch that have been recovered from several dig sites across Europe often contain clear teeth marks, some of which were made by children. 

“Once you see kids’ teeth imprints you think it’s no different to today when kids go around spitting out chewing gum,’ Natalia Kashuba of the University of Oslo told New Scientist. “I want to believe that it’s also recreational, but there’s no way to know.”

A preprint of the study is available at <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2018/12/13/493882">BioRxiv</a>.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

6,000 year old chewing gum contains DNA clues from an ancient woman

Researchers have collected traces of DNA from birch bark pitch...

New research led by the <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/">University of Kent</a> has revealed that approximately one-third of all citizens born in the United States are considering making the move to live in a different country. The study expands on previous work that explored why <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/12-percent-americans-metabolically-healthy/">Americans</a> abroad had decided to relocate. 

Study authors Dr. Amanda Klekowski von Koppenfels and Dr. Helen Marrow analyzed data collected in 2014, and discovered that the most common reason was for contemplating life outside of the United States was for exploration, followed by retirement. 

In addition, many U.S. citizens reported a desire to leave behind a disappointing situation or a desire to pursue work in another country.

In a previous study, Dr. Klekowski von Koppenfels found that adventure or exploration is the primary reason American migrants have already relocated abroad, followed by a marriage or partnership that led them to a new country.

The current investigation also revealed that the aspiration to live abroad is strongly predicted by national identity. However, there was almost no correlation found between political identity and the desire to live in a new country.

“When we looked at what underlying factors played a role in Americans' thinking about migrating, we found that having a less than ‘very strong’ American national identity was an important factor,” said Dr. Klekowski von Koppenfels. “Others that played a role were knowing other Americans who had lived abroad or having served in the US military, both of which are networks our respondents might tap into.”

“While one might think that ideological orientation plays a role, at least in this pre-Trump survey, we found out that it did not, at least not directly.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/mrx">International Migration Review</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why are one-third of US-born citizens considering moving abroad?

New research led by the University of Kent has revealed...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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> (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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" 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> 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 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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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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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...