For years, it was widely believed that waking up triggered an immediate release of cortisol, the stress hormone. 



This response, known as the cortisol awakening response (CAR), has been used in clinical studies. However, new research from the University of Bristol reveals that this common assumption might be incorrect.



The study suggests that cortisol levels actually increase in the hours before waking up, not immediately upon waking. The research challenges previous conclusions that linked cortisol release directly to the awakening process.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cortisol-awakening-response">Cortisol awakening response</h2>



Previous studies have relied on the concept of CAR to evaluate how the body responds to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/holiday-stress-is-higher-this-year-compared-to-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress</a> in conditions like PTSD, depression, and obesity. The CAR assumes that cortisol, a stress hormone, spikes right after waking as a natural response to the stress of starting the day.



However, these earlier studies focused only on measuring cortisol levels in saliva after the person had already woken up, missing an important part of the process - the time before waking. This left an incomplete picture of how cortisol levels change during the sleep-to-wake transition.



To address this gap, researchers at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a> designed a study to measure cortisol levels both before and after waking. Instead of relying on post-wake saliva samples, they used an automated sampling system to track cortisol in 201 participants aged 18 to 68.



This allowed them to analyze the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-eats-away-our-brains-cognitive-defenses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">full pattern</a> of cortisol secretion, including the changes that occur before waking up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cortisol-does-not-spike-after-waking">Cortisol does not spike after waking</h2>



The results were surprising. The study found no evidence that cortisol secretion increases immediately after waking. In fact, there was no significant difference in the rate of cortisol increase during the hour after waking compared to the hour before waking.



“We found that any changes in cortisol around the time of awakening are more likely to be the tail end of the daily rhythm,” said Stafford Lightman, professor of medicine at Bristol Medical School and one of the study’s lead authors.



This rhythm begins in the early hours of the morning and peaks shortly after habitual wake time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-role-of-circadian-rhythms">Role of circadian rhythms</h2>



The study also uncovered substantial variability in cortisol concentration and its rate of change among individuals. 



Factors such as sleep length and timing seemed to influence these differences. The researchers cautioned that interpreting cortisol values solely based on post-wake measurements could be misleading.



Dr. Thomas Upton, clinical research fellow and co-lead author, emphasized the importance of considering both pre- and post-wake cortisol levels in future studies.



"Much caution should be exercised if attempting to interpret post-wake cortisol values where information about the pre-waking state is not known," he explained.



The findings also stress the importance of circadian rhythms, the body’s natural 24-hour cycles, in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-is-contagious-and-this-applies-to-animals-too/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regulating cortisol</a>. "Cortisol changes around waking are more about the body's internal rhythms than a response to awakening," said Lightman.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-health-conditions">Implications for health conditions</h2>



The research offers valuable insights into the role of cortisol in sleep disorders, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-stress-harms-the-brains-of-low-status-fish/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">depression</a>, and other conditions. 



“Our study opens up a whole new framework for understanding the relationship of overnight increases in cortisol with sleep,” Lightman said.



Marcus Munafò, professor of biological osychology at the University of Bristol, noted that this study challenges “received wisdom” in research and stresses the importance of rigorously testing previous findings.



Professor Munafò also highlighted the significance of the study in understanding the biology of sleep-wake cycles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-stress-hormones">Future research on stress hormones</h2>



The researchers suggest that future studies on sleep and arousal should examine the dynamic changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, which regulates cortisol release. 



Understanding how sleep affects cortisol secretion could lead to better insights into various health conditions and improve treatment strategies.



The study was funded by the EU Horizon 2020 grant ‘Ultradian’ and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (<a href="https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/bbsrc/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">BBSRC</a>).



Ultimately, the new findings encourage a reassessment of the cortisol awakening response and emphasize the complexity of cortisol <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-protects-against-work-stress-burnout/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regulation</a>.



Researchers will need to consider both pre-wake and post-wake cortisol levels to gain a fuller understanding of how this hormone interacts with sleep, health, and behavior.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.1844" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



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Stress hormones rise during sleep to prepare your body for the day

For years, it was widely believed that waking up triggered an immediate release of cortisol, the stress hormone. This response, known as the cortisol awakening response (CAR), has been used in clinical studies. However, new research from the University of Bristol reveals that this common assumption might be incorrect. The study suggests that cortisol levels actually increase in the hours before waking up, not immediately upon waking. The research challenges previous conclusions that linked cortisol release directly to the awakening process. Cortisol awakening response Previous studies have...

A survey of 44,482 students from 392 public and private schools has revealed that American teenagers are using <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/vaping-popularity-decline-smoking/">vaping</a> devices in record numbers. According to the <a href="http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/">2018 Monitoring the Future</a> (MTF) survey, more than 37 percent of high school seniors vaped at some point in the past year, which jumped from 28 percent in 2017.

The research team found that vaping nicotine in the 30 days prior to the survey nearly doubled among 12th graders, increasing from 11 percent in 2017 to 20.9 percent in 2018. The number of seniors who reported vaping “just flavoring” in the past year also increased from 20.6 to 25.7 percent. 

However, teens may not be entirely sure what is in the vaping devices they are using, especially considering that the most popular devices do not have nicotine-free options. In addition, some inaccurate labeling has been found. 

Among eighth graders, 10.9 percent say they vaped nicotine in the past year. Overall, use of vaping has increased significantly in virtually all measures among eighth, 10th and 12th graders. For 12th graders, reports of marijuana vaping are also up, jumping from 9.5 percent last year to 13.1 percent. 

Dr. Nora D. Volkow is the director of the <a href="https://www.drugabuse.gov/">National Institute on Drug Abuse</a> (NIDA).

“Teens are clearly attracted to the marketable technology and flavorings seen in vaping devices; however, it is urgent that teens understand the possible effects of vaping on overall health; the development of the teen brain; and the potential for addiction,” said Dr. Volkow. 

“Research tells us that teens who vape may be at risk for transitioning to regular cigarettes, so while we have celebrated our success in lowering their rates of tobacco use in recent years, we must continue aggressive educational efforts on all products containing nicotine.”

The MTF survey is published in this week's issue of <a href="https://www.nejm.org/">The New England Journal of Medicine</a>. In a letter to the editor, Dr. Richard Miech pointed out that the increase in nicotine vaping found in the study is the equivalent of around 1.3 million additional teenagers vaping in 2018.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The number of teenagers who vape is growing at an alarming rate

A survey of 44,482 students from 392 public and private...

Over the last 20 years, food labels have emerged to encourage healthier eating such as the U.S. Nutrition Facts Panel and the “fat-free” and “low sodium” identifiers. A systematic review of interventional studies found that food labeling has positively impacted some consumer and industry behaviors, but not others.

Researchers at the <a href="https://nutrition.tufts.edu/">Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy</a> at Tufts University analyzed 60 studies which included over two million unique observations of dietary intakes, purchases, and sales receipts from 1990 and 2014.

Study senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian is the dean of the Friedman School.

“Many old and new food policies focus on labeling, whether on food packages or restaurant menus. Remarkably, the effectiveness of these labels, whether for changing consumers' choices or industry product formulations, has not been clear,” said Dr. Mozaffarian. “Our findings provide new evidence on what might work, and what might not, when implementing food labeling.”

The experts conducted a separate analysis of all the studies that involved <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/food-labels-harder-choices/">food labeling</a> on menus, product packaging, or other point-of-purchase materials. The investigation revealed that labeling reduced consumer intake of calories by 6.6 percent, fat by 10.6 percent, and unhealthy food options by 13 percent. In addition, labeling increased consumer vegetable consumption by 13.5 percent.

The was no significant link found between food labeling and consumer intakes of other targets such as total protein, saturated fat, fruits, whole grains, or other healthy options.

When the researchers explored how industry behaviors may have changed in response to food labeling, they found 64.3 percent less trans fat and 8.9 percent less sodium in packaged foods. However, total calories, saturated fat, dietary fiber, or other healthy and unhealthy food components were not significantly affected by labeling. 

“For industry responses, it's interesting that the two altered components-trans fat and sodium-are additives,” said Dr. Mozaffarian. “This suggests that industry may be more readily able to alter additives, as opposed to naturally occurring ingredients such as fat or calories, in response to labeling. It will be interesting to see whether this will translate to added sugar, newly added to the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels in the United States.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.ajpmonline.org/">American Journal of Preventive Medicine</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How food labeling has affected consumer and industry behavior

Over the last 20 years, food labels have emerged to...

In most cases, self-perception and reality go hand in hand, according to new research from the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a>. It turns out, people have a relatively good sense of their own personalities and capabilities, the researchers say.

"It's widely assumed that people have rose-colored glasses on when they consider their own personality," Dr. Brian Connelly said in a press release. "We found that isn't necessarily the case, that on average people don't show any trend in rating themselves more favorably than they're rated by their peers."

The study grew out of worries that self-assessment questionnaires, a common personality assessment tool, were skewing results because of unrealistic self-perception.

To see if survey-takers leaned toward enhancing their results, Connelly and his team analyzed more than 160 independent studies.

They found that, in most cases, self-perception of key personality traits like openness to experience, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and neuroticism was accurate. The one exception, openness to new experiences, was slightly over-reported, but the effect was small, Connelly said.

"We make personality judgments of ourselves and others all the time, and a popular notion is that self-reports are more positively biased ... but we find little support for that in the literature," he said.

The results show that people may be fairly in tune with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-awareness-read-minds/">how they are perceived by others</a>, and that could have an effect on self-perception. 

"People are generally attuned to the impressions they convey," Connelly said. "Some people may stray toward self-enhancement, or in the opposite direction with self-effacement, but there are social costs associated with both that makes the general trend for people to be accurate."


While researchers were able to see how self-perception compares to how we are perceived by coworkers, friends and other peers, one area that is lacking is how self-perception compares to the opinions of strangers. There just aren’t enough studies in that area for an accurate analysis, Connelly said.

Now, he and his colleagues want to take another look at the people who do enhance themselves, especially in the workplace, and how that inflated self-perception is formed.

"It's important to know if self-enhancers perform worse on the job or have more trouble in school," he said. "It could be they don't internalize negative information about themselves or even totally forget about it altogether, both of which could have negative outcomes."

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797618810000">Psychological Science</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/">Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image credit: <a href="https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/">University of Toronto Scarborough</a>

Self-perception is mostly accurate, researchers find

In most cases, self-perception and reality go hand in hand,...

Phone battery running low? Don’t worry – just dock it in a special pocket in your clothing, then spend a little time in the sun, and it will be recharged in no time. Such a scenario isn’t possible now, but it could be thanks to tiny photodiodes woven into your clothing.

Researchers at <a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/">Nottingham Trent University</a> say that “e-textiles” containing a network of minuscule photodiodes, just 3 millimeters long, could cut carbon emissions and prevent battery panic at the same time. 

“It could do away with the need to plug items into sockets and reduce the demand on the grid while cutting carbon emissions,” co-author Dr. Tilak Dias told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ushome/index.html">Daily Mail</a>. “The electrical power demand for smart e-textiles has always been its Achilles heel and this technology will allow people to use smart textiles while on the move.”

The research team created a prototype to see how feasible the potential power solution would actually be. 

The tiny photodiodes are so small that they are nearly invisible to the naked eye, and can’t be felt by the clothing’s wearer. Researchers encapsulated each tiny solar cell in resin, so that garments made with them can be laundered like normal.

“Wash tests confirmed that the yarns could survive multiple machine wash and drying cycles without deterioration in performance,” they wrote in their study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-34483-8">Scientific Reports</a>.

However, weaving the cells into fabric and coating them with resin did have an effect on how much power they could generate, the researchers said. 

About 2,000 of the tiny photodiodes are needed to charge a smartphone, they said. The prototype, a 5-by-5-centimeter piece of fabric, contained about 200 solar cells – enough to power a Fitbit or old-fashioned mobile phone. 

The researchers believe the prototype shows promise that e-textiles containing photodiodes could be very useful in today’s digital age.

“With the demonstration of a (photodiode)-embedded E-yarn using this technique, there is no doubt that the integration of various types of optical sensors inside of textile yarns is a viable proposition,” they wrote.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image credit: <a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/groups-and-centres/groups/advanced-textiles">Advanced Textiles, Nottingham Trent University</a>

Tiny photodiodes could turn clothing into a phone charger

Phone battery running low? Don’t worry – just dock it...

Australian geneticists have discovered that a baby’s biological sex goes beyond an XX or XY chromosome. A gene that acts as a “regulator” may also determine whether a baby is born with male or female characteristics.

"The sex of a baby is determined by its chromosome makeup at conception. An embryo with two X chromosomes will become a girl, while an embryo with an XY combination results in a boy," <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a> doctoral student Brittany Croft said in a press release.

Or at least, that’s how it usually works. But whether an embryo has male or female characteristics may be a lot more complex than one chromosome combination.

A gene on the Y chromosome, SRY, triggers another gene called SOX9, which in turn starts the development of testes in the embryo, Croft said. Not just an XY chromosome but also high levels of SOX9 are needed for normal development of male testes, she said.

"However, if there is some disruption to SOX9 activity and only low levels are present, a testis will not develop resulting in a baby with a disorder of sex development,” she said.

According to Dr. Andrew Sinclair, the study’s lead author, up to 90 percent of human DNA is devoted to “junk DNA” that regulates other genes and their activity. These are known as enhancers, and if they don’t behave as they should, it can change how an embryo develops – meaning that with high levels of SOX9, someone with an XX chromosome may appear to be biologically male. With low levels, someone with an XY chromosome may develop female organs.

"We discovered three enhancers that, together, ensure the SOX9 gene is turned on to a high level in an XY embryo, leading to normal testis and male development," Sinclair said. "Importantly, we identified XX patients who would normally have ovaries and be female but carried extra copies of these enhancers, and instead developed testes. In addition, we found XY patients who had lost these SOX9 enhancers, and developed ovaries instead of testes."

Throughout the human genome are about a million enhancers that affect 22,000 genes, Sinclair said.

"These enhancers lie on the DNA but outside genes, in regions previously referred to as junk DNA or dark matter," he said. "The key to diagnosing many disorders may be found in these enhancers which hide in the poorly understood dark matter of our DNA."

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07784-9">Nature Communications</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="https://nhmrc.gov.au/">National Health and Medical Research Council</a> and <a href="https://www.arc.gov.au/">Australia Research Council</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Geneticists: sex depends on more than XX or XY chromosome

Australian geneticists have discovered that a baby’s biological sex goes...

Hearing loss can be a common symptom of aging, but can also be an extremely debilitating condition that leads to isolation and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hearing-loss-challenging-family/">decreased health and well being</a>. 

But now, researchers at the <a href="https://aging.columbia.edu/">Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University</a> found that hearing loss increases the risk of mortality especially for those who are separated or divorced. 

The study, published in the journal Science and Medicine, is the first of its kind to examine how hearing loss and relationship status impact mortality risks. 

“Old age greatly increases the risk for hearing loss,” said Vegard Skirbekk, an author of the study. “Therefore, as the population ages, we are seeing increasing numbers of people with hearing loss. At the same time, there are greater numbers of adults living without a partner--putting people with hearing loss at an increased risk for death.”

The researchers reviewed and analyzed data from 50,462 adults who were part of the Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study from 1996 to 1998, and cross-referenced the data with the Norwegian Cause of Death Registry to identify which of the study participants had died and how. 

After analyzing the data, the researchers discovered a pattern with hearing loss and an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality before 75 years of age.

This risk increased even more for people who were divorced and for women who were childless, showing that family status and relationships heavily influence mortality risk in people with hearing loss. 

The researchers say that family status is important because if a person suffers from hearing loss, it may be a family member or partner who helps support them and encourages social engagement with others. 

Someone may be more willing to invest in hearing aids and other technology if their spouse suggests it, and being in a relationship could help offset the high costs associated with hearing loss according to the researchers. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hearing loss linked to higher risk of premature death for some

Hearing loss can be a common symptom of aging, but...

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales</a> has found that even though climate change is causing more intense rainfall, water supplies are in a state of decline. According to the study, this paradox can be blamed on drying soils. The findings point to a world where <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/severe-drought-australia-wildlife/">drought-like conditions</a> will become the new normal, especially in regions that are already dry.

The investigation was focused on actual data from 43,000 rainfall stations and 5,300 river monitoring sites in 160 countries. The results of the study are much more certain and conclusive than those that are based on climate model simulations.

“This is something that has been missed,” said study lead author Professor Ashish Sharma. “We expected rainfall to increase, since warmer air stores more moisture - and that is what climate models predicted too. What we did not expect is that, despite all the extra rain everywhere in the world, is that the large rivers are drying out.”

“We believe the cause is the drying of soils in our catchments. Where once these were moist before a storm event - allowing excess rainfall to runoff into rivers - they are now drier and soak up more of the rain, so less water makes it as flow.”

Professor Sharma explained that less water in rivers means less water for cities and farms, while drier soils mean that farmers need more water to grow the same crops. “Worse, this pattern is repeated all over the world, assuming serious proportions in places that were already dry. It is extremely concerning.”

Out of every 100 raindrops that fall on land, only 36 drops are “blue water” that makes its way into lakes, rivers, or aquifers for human use. The remaining two thirds of rainfall, which is known as “green water,” is mostly retained as soil moisture for use by the landscape and the ecosystem.

As rising temperatures cause more water to evaporate from the soil, these dry soils are absorbing more of the rainfall and leaving less blue water for human use.

“It's a double whammy,” said Professor Sharma. “Less water is ending up where we can store it for later use. At the same time, more rain is overwhelming drainage infrastructure in towns and cities, leading to more urban flooding.”

“We need to adapt to this emerging reality. We're going to need re-engineering on a massive scale in some places if we are to continue living in them. But it's possible: places like Arizona and California receive barely 400mm of rain each year, but have engineered their water supply systems to make previously uninhabitable places liveable.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19447973">Water Resources Research</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

We must prepare for a world with less available water, experts warn

A team of researchers led by the University of New...

Recent studies have identified thousands of low-lying islands that are likely to vanish or become uninhabitable by the middle of this century as a result of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rising-sea-levels-england-coast/">rising sea levels</a>. Islands that are home to hundreds of thousands of people will experience flooding, a lack of fresh water, and infrastructure damage that could push them to a “tipping point” over the next two or three decades. 

One of the most important goals of COP24 in Poland is to establish a set of rules for implementing the Paris Agreement guidelines. As these negotiations continue, a group of small island nations is stepping forward to remind the world just how critical and urgent these decisions really are. If the conversation continues without the necessary action, these countries could disappear forever. 

Mohamed Nasheed, the former president of the Maldives, told reporters in Poland: ”We are not prepared to die, and the Maldives have no intention of dying. We are going to do everything in our power to keep our heads above the water.”

According to <a href="http://time.com/">Time Magazine</a>, these vulnerable island nations are pushing for a more aggressive climate action plan and have even launched a campaign to let other countries know that they will be held accountable if they hold back progress. The fate of these islands rests entirely on the decisions that are made by the rest of the world, and COP24 is particularly important. 

The best possible outcome of the climate change conference is that leaders will agree to limit warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and countries will commit to new emissions reductions targets by 2020. So far, pledges made by countries will not be enough to limit warming to 2°C, much less to accomplish the more ambitious target of 1.5°C. 

Meanwhile, some nations have already lost islands and others are expected to lose the fisheries that drive local economies and promote food security. 

The good news is that an October report from the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> (IPCC) revealed that scientists have already identified ways that global warming could be limited to 1.5°C. “Limiting warming to 1.5° is not impossible, but will require unprecedented transitions in all aspects of society,” said IPCC chair Hoesung Lee. “Every bit of warming matters.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 
Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com
</a>

Island nations need less talk, more action to survive global warming

Recent studies have identified thousands of low-lying islands that are...

An international study led by <a href="https://www.chalmers.se/en">Chalmers University of Technology</a> has revealed that the production of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/organic-food-sales-soared/">organic food</a> is much harder on the environment compared to conventional farming methods. Larger areas of land are required for organic farming, and this demand contributes to deforestation.

The researchers set out to compare the climate impacts from land use associated  with organic and conventional food production, and determined that organic food can result in much higher emissions.

“Our study shows that organic peas, farmed in Sweden, have around a 50 percent bigger climate impact than conventionally farmed peas,” said study co-author Professor Stefan Wirsenius. “For some foodstuffs, there is an even bigger difference - for example, with organic Swedish winter wheat the difference is closer to 70 percent.”

The yields of organic foods are much lower per hectare, primarily because fertilizers are not used. A much larger area of land is needed to produce the same amount of organic food that is produced by conventional methods. 

“The greater land-use in organic farming leads indirectly to higher carbon dioxide emissions, thanks to deforestation,” explained Professor Wirsenius. “The world's food production is governed by international trade, so how we farm in Sweden influences deforestation in the tropics. If we use more land for the same amount of food, we contribute indirectly to bigger deforestation elsewhere in the world.”

According to Professor Wirsenius, organic meat and dairy products also cause more harm to the environment than their conventional alternatives.

“Because organic meat and milk production uses organic feed-stock, it also requires more land than conventional production. This means that the findings on organic wheat and peas in principle also apply to meat and milk products. We have not done any specific calculations on meat and milk, however, and have no concrete examples of this in the article.”

The researchers used a new metric, which is called “Carbon Opportunity Cost,” to evaluate the effect of greater land-use contributing to higher carbon dioxide emissions. This method accounts for the amount of carbon that is stored in forests, which is released as carbon dioxide in the event of deforestation.

“The fact that more land use leads to greater climate impact has not often been taken into account in earlier comparisons between organic and conventional food,” said Professor Wirsenius. 

“This is a big oversight, because, as our study shows, this effect can be many times bigger than the greenhouse gas effects, which are normally included. It is also serious because today in Sweden, we have politicians whose goal is to increase production of organic food. If that goal is implemented, the climate influence from Swedish food production will probably increase a lot.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Organic food is actually much worse for the environment

An international study led by Chalmers University of Technology has...

One couple's therapist is explaining how your brain is not necessarily on your side when you are in an argument with your partner. Dr. Stan Tatkin suggests that while disagreements are inevitable, they do not have to be as harsh or spiral out of control as often.  

Dr. Tatkin is the founder of the PACT, a Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT), and the author of a new book called We Do: Saying Yes to a Relationship of Depth, True Connection and Enduring Love. 

According to <a href="http://time.com/">Time Magazine</a>, Dr. Tatkin analyzes arguments between couples by recording the fights on film and then studying them frame by frame to observe what is actually happening. His unique approach has produced evidence that people are relying too much on their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-forget-distracting-memories/">memories</a> to support their arguments, and their memories are failing them. 

Dr. Tatkin told Time that when when you are 100 percent certain that you can recall what your spouse did that was so egregious, you are probably mistaken. When our emotions are running high, our memories often become altered.

“The way we record experience depends on our state of mind,” said Dr. Tatkin. “When people fight over memory, they’re both likely wrong in some way. Because of this, it’s usually better to just end the fight and make up, rather than trying to figure out who is correct.”

Dr. Tatkin says that when we are under stress, our brains are not working at full capacity and our perceptions are not as accurate. 

“There’s a network of structures that have to talk to each other in order to correct errors,” he told Time. “And there has to be enough time and energy for these error-correcting parts of the brain to do their job. When people are upset with each other, they’re moving too fast and they’re under-resourced, meaning that there’s literally not enough blood - oxygen and glucose - going to those areas of the brain.” 

According to Dr. Tatkin, we are not always expressing ourselves as clearly as we think while arguing, which makes it difficult for our partner to understand our messages. He believes that people must be more patient during spats to keep them from spinning out of control. Dr. Tatkin told Time that partners should cut each other a little more slack, and slow down to clarify what is being said.

“One word may mean something to me and mean something very different to you. Even on a good day, our verbal communication is poor, and we are often misunderstanding each other most of the time. This just speaks to the imperfection of human communication across the world.”

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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

How to keep arguments with your partner from getting out of control

One couple's therapist is explaining how your brain is not...

A new study from researchers at the <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford University School of Medicine</a> and the <a href="https://medschool.duke.edu/">Duke University School of Medicine</a> have found that patients who seek physical therapy treatment soon after receiving a shoulder, neck, lower back, or knee pain diagnosis are about 7 to 16% less likely to use opioids later on. Furthermore, for patients with a shoulder, back, or knee pain diagnosis, early physical therapy caused a 5 to 10% reduction of how much <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/opioid-meth-pregnancy-rise/">opioid</a> medication was used.

"We asked ourselves, 'How can we address the pain that people are having, while not increasing their risk of needing opioids?'" said Eric Sun, MD, PhD, assistant professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine at Stanford. "And what our study found was that if you can get these patients on physical therapy reasonably quickly, that reduces the probability that they'll be using opioids in the longer term."

The study, published December 14th in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</a>, used private health insurance claims for care and prescriptions between the years of 2007 and 2015 to come to their conclusion. Sun and his team tracked the earliest pain diagnoses in outpatient and emergency room visits. They also screened out patients who had recently taken opioids and had less serious pain, leaving the team with 88,985 patient cases to analyze.

If a patient had sought out physical therapy within the first 90 days of their diagnosis, they were, on average, less likely to fill an opioid prescription three months to a year after being diagnosed. Those who had physical therapy treatment early on, but did end up filling their opioid prescription three months to a year after diagnosis, on average, used less of the medication to treat their pain.

Physical therapy within the first three months of a diagnosis also linked to a lessened risk of chronic opioid use in the long term.

"The general consensus is that for musculoskeletal pain, opioids generally aren't a long-term solution," Sun concluded. "Aside from all the other side effects, even if the medication is doing well for you, it will have less and less effect over time as your body builds up a tolerance."

For clinicians wanting to give their patients a safer pain-management option than opioids, these findings are hugely beneficials. 

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Early physical therapy can reduce patient opioid use later on

A new study from researchers at the Stanford University School...

They say you only get one chance to make a good first impression, but most people would rather think of themselves as more careful and considerate in their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-forgive-bad-behavior/">judgment of character</a>. 

New research has found that people need less information and time than they think to make a decision, but are not always appreciative of this fact when it’s others who are making up their minds. 

Even with the abundance of information readily available in the digital age, a series of seven studies published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that using detailed information to help inform opinions works better in theory than in practice. 

The studies examined everything from considering a partner’s suitability for marriage to experiencing new tastes. The results show people can easily make up their minds but don’t realize how quickly these decisions are formed. 

The studies were conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.uchicago.edu/">University of Chicago</a>. In one experiment, the researchers asked single people how long they thought it would take to decide if they wanted to get married someone. 

The single participants estimated that would take 210 days. However, in reality, people take less time to decide if their partner is right for marriage, 22 percent less to be precise. 

“Never-married participants overestimated the specific number of days this would take compared with the married participants,” the researchers wrote.

Some of the oher studies examined tastes and how long it takes to form an opinion on a style of art or a flavor of juice.

The researchers asked participants how long they would need before they decided they liked a style of art or not. Participants predicted they would need to see at least 16 paintings, when, in reality, most only needed to see three. 

When it came to the juice, participants only had to try a new flavor once to decide if they liked it or not.

“Minds are made up sooner than people think,” the researchers conclude in their published findings. “Far from carefully weighing all possible evidence, good things strike us as good and bad things strike us as bad much faster than we expect to draw these conclusions.”

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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

People make up their minds more quickly than they’d like to think

They say you only get one chance to make a...

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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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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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



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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?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" 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> 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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" 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.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

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" 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> 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

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" 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> 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...