Different,Types,Of,Non-dairy,Milk

Vegans who replace cow's milk with soy, almond, or other plant-based alternatives may face a higher chance of mental issues like depression and anxiety than individuals who drink cow’s milk regularly.



This finding emerged from a recent investigation of lifestyle patterns and mental health outcomes among hundreds of thousands of adults in the United Kingdom.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-well-being-of-milk-drinkers">Mental well-being of milk drinkers</h2>



Scientists explored how different milk types might be linked to mental and emotional well-being over more than a decade. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-gmo-plants-make-baby-formula-healthy-as-breast-milk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milk</a> is consumed by <a href="https://www.fao.org/dairy-production-products/products/milk-and-milk-products/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">billions of people</a> worldwide, making it a major part of daily diets.&nbsp;After reviewing participants’ intake habits, researchers noted intriguing contrasts in mental health. 



One group that stood out was semi-skimmed milk drinkers. According to data, they had lower rates of both anxiety and depression when compared to those who either consumed full-fat or plant-based alternatives. 



This observation piqued the interest of <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Chunyan-Wu-9" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Chunying Wu</a> from <a href="https://portal.smu.edu.cn/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Southern Medical University</a>, who authored the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-to-non-dairy-beverages">Shifting to non-dairy beverages</h2>



In recent years, many individuals have turned to non-dairy beverages. They cite environmental, health, or ethical concerns in their decision to avoid traditional cow’s milk. 



Yet <a href="https://www.mfat.govt.nz/assets/Trade-General/Trade-Market-reports/Milk-alternatives-popularity-growing-in-the-US-February-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> suggests some of these milk alternatives may not provide the same mental health benefits. One explanation involves nutritional content.&nbsp;



“Milk is a rich source of nutrients such as lactose, lipids, protein, and minerals, which are essential for maintaining human health,” wrote the scientists from Southern Medical University. 



Plant-based options, on the other hand, often differ in protein levels and might include added ingredients that influence mood.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-calcium-and-serotonin">Calcium and serotonin</h2>



Researchers found that cow’s milk <a href="https://www.adsa.org/About-ADSA/Media/Serotonin-found-to-be-an-important-factor-in-calcium-homeostasis-in-dairy-cows-November-16-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">delivers calcium</a> in a form that supports pathways involved in serotonin production. Serotonin, sometimes called the body’s “feel-good” molecule, helps regulate mood and stress responses.&nbsp;



“Serotonin is a chemical that plays a role in the brain with respect to mood and mental health. The most popular group of antidepressant medications promotes the absorption of serotonin,” the authors explained.&nbsp;



As a result, consistent calcium intake can potentially improve these natural coping mechanisms. Some plant-based milks also offer calcium, but the level and bioavailability may vary.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saturated-versus-unsaturated-fats">Saturated versus unsaturated fats</h2>



Milk is rich in saturated fats. Semi-skimmed milk reduces the proportion of these fats but still retains valuable fatty acids that might help protect the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11211382/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain</a>. 



Compared to the full-fat version, semi-skimmed appears to occupy a middle ground of moderate fat content without the potential drawbacks of excess saturated fat.&nbsp;



Meanwhile, plant-based milk alternatives can sometimes include added sugars or other compounds that may have unexpected effects on mental well-being. 



These additives, while often enhancing taste or texture, may inadvertently interfere with the body's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breast-milk-lowers-asthma-risk-in-babies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">natural hormone regulation</a>, potentially impacting emotional stability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-impact-on-dopamine">Potential impact on dopamine</h2>



In addition to serotonin, <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dopamine" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dopamine</a> plays a key part in focus and reward-related behavior. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4850606/#:~:text=Recent%20research%20has%20shown%20that,to%20be%20vulnerable%20to%20dysregulation." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Studies</a> have suggested that high levels of certain saturated fats can alter dopamine signaling, which may contribute to mood disorders.&nbsp;



Semi-skimmed milk, with its reduced saturated fat, may avoid some of these mental effects and maintain a healthier balance of essential nutrients. 



Scientists suggest this balance could hold the key to the lower rates of depression and anxiety seen among semi-skimmed milk consumers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-varied-mental-health-benefits-of-milk">Varied mental health benefits of milk</h2>



While findings point to fewer mood challenges for people who choose semi-skimmed over other varieties, each individual’s mental health picture depends on much more than beverage choice. 



Genetics, life stressors, sleep, and socioeconomic circumstances all contribute.&nbsp;



Researchers emphasize that food-related decisions are just one facet of psychological well-being. They recommend that people remain mindful of their overall habits and consult healthcare professionals when making major dietary shifts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practical-considerations">Practical considerations</h2>



Experts often promote a balanced diet that combines fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and moderate dairy. Semi-skimmed milk could fit neatly into many people’s meal plans.&nbsp;



Individuals who prefer plant-based options may benefit from checking labels for calcium and protein levels, as well as added substances. 



Though no single approach will suit everyone, looking at subtle dietary factors might pay off for those hoping to support a healthy outlook.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-milk-s-mental-benefits">Future research on milk's mental benefits</h2>



Additional research may help clarify whether semi-skimmed milk truly provides extra mental health benefits.



Controlled clinical trials could investigate how this option affects depression or anxiety in different subgroups, such as older adults or those with pre-existing conditions.&nbsp;



Researchers also <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7178197/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">note</a> that genetics can make some people more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/raw-milk-could-carry-deadly-flu-viruses-for-days/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vulnerable</a> to certain dietary impacts. A closer look at these details might inform tailored recommendations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead">Looking ahead</h2>



Many are interested in how small tweaks to daily meals might lift or lower spirits. 



This study urges people to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-raw-milk-health-hazard-pasteurization-important/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pay attention to milk</a> choice, especially if they already feel down or tense. Substituting semi-skimmed for full-fat or plant-based beverages could make a subtle difference for some.&nbsp;



Experts look forward to future work that explores how simple changes in milk type and eating patterns might support better mental well-being. Further investigation of these connections may help people shape diets that support mental balance.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1435435/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Nutrition</a>.



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Some types of plant-based milk are linked to mental disorders like depression

Vegans who replace cow's milk with soy, almond, or other plant-based alternatives may face a higher chance of mental issues like depression and anxiety than individuals who drink cow’s milk regularly. This finding emerged from a recent investigation of lifestyle patterns and mental health outcomes among hundreds of thousands of adults in the United Kingdom.&nbsp; Mental well-being of milk drinkers Scientists explored how different milk types might be linked to mental and emotional well-being over more than a decade. Milk is consumed by billions of people worldwide,...

Three million children in primary and high school play tackle <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/football-players-cardiovascular-problems/">football</a> in the United States each year. Meanwhile, there has been growing concern about the potential long-term effects of full-contact sports.

An investigation into the outcome of repetitive sub-concussive head impacts among youth football players has found no correlation with a decline in neurocognitive function.

Study lead author Dr. Sean Rose is a pediatric sports neurologist and co-director of the Complex Concussion Clinic at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

“When trying to determine the chronic effects of repetitive sub-concussive head impacts, prospective outcomes studies are an important complement to the existing retrospective studies,” said Dr. Rose. 

“In this study of primary school and high school football players, a battery of neurocognitive outcomes tests did not detect any worsening of performance associated with cumulative head impacts.”

The research was focused on 112 football players between the ages of 9 and 18 during the 2016 football season. 

Both before and after the season, a range of assessments were performed including: neuropsychological testing, symptoms assessment, vestibular and ocular-motor screening, balance testing, parent-reported ADHD symptoms, and self-reported behavioral adjustment.


The researchers placed sensors in the players’ helmets to record sub-concussive head impacts during practices and games. To yield a cumulative impact measure, the experts added the impact g-forces.

From pre-season to post-season, cumulative impact did not predict changes in any of the outcome measures. Dr. Rose also pointed out that players with a history of one or more concussions did not perform worse during pre-season testing.

A secondary analysis revealed that a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and younger age were associated with score changes on several cognitive testing measures. In addition, a history of anxiety or depression was linked to changes in scores of symptom reporting.

“We expected repetitive impacts to correlate with worsening neurocognitive function, but we found that sub-concussive head impacts sustained over the course of a single season were not associated with neurocognitive functional outcomes. And also surprising, sustaining isolated high g-force impacts was also not associated with worse outcome,” said Dr. Rose. “The lack of a significant association may reflect the need for longer follow up - so we are continuing to follow kids across multiple seasons.”

This paper is the first in a series from the four-year prospective cohort study. Dr. Rose will be presenting data from the second year of the study at the upcoming Child Neurology Society meeting in mid-October.

The research is published in <a href="https://journals.lww.com/headtraumarehab/pages/default.aspx">The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Are youth football head impacts linked to cognitive decline?

Three million children in primary and high school play tackle...

There’s a new weapon in the battle against outdoor-biting malaria mosquitoes: decoys that look and smell like cattle.

Efforts to spread mosquito netting, indoor spraying and other techniques have gone a long way toward <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/malaria-carrying-mosquitoes/">controlling populations of the biting insects</a> in areas where malaria is endemic. But it’s not enough, officials say. Outdoor-biting mosquitoes are just as capable of spreading the devastating illness.

So an international team of scientists from Kenya, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States teamed up to develop a way to keep outdoor malaria mosquitoes from biting.

“In regions with high bed net coverage like western Kenya, mosquitoes are likely to rest and bite outdoors since bed nets prevent them from feeding indoors. With increased outdoor biting and resting of mosquitoes, it becomes extremely difficult to collect and study the vectors due to their wide dispersal in the outdoor environment,” Bernard Abong'o, a doctoral student at the <a href="https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/">Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine</a>, said in a press release.

The team created decoy traps that mimic humans and cattle using scent, heat and visual stimuli to attempt to attract the biting bugs. They compared the traps against the old method of using human volunteers to trap malaria mosquitoes. 

The team collected a total of 1,807 Anopheles mosquitoes, finding that the mosquitoes seemed most attracted to the cattle-baited traps, and less attracted to volunteers or human-baited traps. They also discovered that, in the two villages in western Kenya used for the study, four different species of malaria mosquitoes – An. arabiensis, An. gambiae, An. funestus and An. coustani – resort to outdoor biting when indoor biting doesn’t provide enough food.

"Host decoy traps may provide us with a new system to monitor and potentially control outdoor-biting mosquitoes and to obtain insights into their host choice, while minimising the risk to human volunteers otherwise exposed to mosquitoes during landing catches," Abong’o said.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-018-3099-7">Parasites &amp; Vectors</a>.

Decoys could help in the battle against malaria mosquitoes

There’s a new weapon in the battle against outdoor-biting malaria...

Tired of tossing and turning and struggling to sleep each night? It may be time to put on some flannel pajamas.

A pair of studies in the journal <a href="https://www.dovepress.com/the-effects-of-fabric-for-sleepwear-and-bedding-on-sleep-at-ambient-te-peer-reviewed-article-NSS">Nature and Science of Sleep</a> found that what people wear to bed matters, and those who swap cotton or polyester for wool fall asleep faster and sleep for longer.

“Not so long ago sleeping under wool bedding was the norm, and science is now rediscovering the benefits of sleeping in wool,” co-author Dr. Paul Swan of the <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a> told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a> this week. “Maybe it is not a coincidence because wool regulates your body temperature far better, keeping you in what is known as 'the thermal comfort zone.’”

The first study from 2016 followed 17 participants – 10 young men and seven young women – as they tested different kinds of sleepwear and bedding. The study monitored skin temperature during sleep, as well as when sleep began and ended, heart rate and brain wave patterns.

They found that those woolly flannel pajamas might actually help sleep, possibly by better regulating body temperature. Participants wearing wool fell asleep about four minutes faster and enjoyed an average of seven minutes more sleep than their cotton-wearing counterparts.

A more recent study followed 36 older adults and tested the way cotton, polyester and merino wool pajamas affected their sleep. Seniors in merino flannel pajamas fell asleep in about 12 minutes, compared to 22 minutes of polyester-wearers and 27 minutes for those in cotton.

“These findings highlight wool, next to the skin, as an efficient insulator that may influence skin warming and hence promote sleep onset and sleep quality,” the researchers wrote.

Switching to flannel pajamas could be a simple way to make sleeping a little more efficient – which can be important nowadays, Swan pointed out.

“Enjoying good sleep has become increasingly difficult in modern times, and so anything that helps is great for your mental and physical health,” he said.

Study: switch to flannel pajamas for better sleep

Tired of tossing and turning and struggling to sleep each...

It’s no secret that a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-damage-reversed-hormone/">diet</a> heavy in fats does not lead to a healthy lifestyle – but could the diet choices you make today affect your children, or even great grandchildren, in the future?

Researchers at <a href="https://www.ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a>, Switzerland have found that second generation offspring show addiction-like behaviors if their parents have consumed a high-fat diet before, during, and after pregnancy. These behaviors include an increased sensitivity and preference for drugs, as well as characteristics of obesity such as changes in their metabolism. Furthermore, in third generation offspring (the great grandchildren) females showed addiction behaviors while males showed obesity characteristics.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/tp/">Translational Psychiatry</a>, and details how the researchers fed female mice either a high-fat diet or standard laboratory diet for nine weeks during the pre-mating, pregnancy, and lactation periods. Their male offspring were then mated with females that had been fed a standard laboratory diet, and gave birth to the second-generation offspring. Once again, the male offspring of these mice were mated with females that had been fed a standard laboratory diet – creating the third-generation offspring.

Through behavioral experiments, the researchers tested to see if the offspring chose a high-fat diet of a standard laboratory diet, or if they chose an alcohol solution over water. They also measured activity levels after exposure to amphetamines. Along with testing for addiction-like behaviors, researchers measured body weight, insulin sensitivity, metabolic rates, and blood cholesterol and insulin.

The results showed that addiction-like behaviors and obesity traits persisted in second- and third-generation offspring, despite the fact that they themselves only ate the standard laboratory diet. Although further studies are needed to determine the molecular mechanism by which the effects of a female high-fat diet can be passed to subsequent generations, the study’s authors believe that their research has presented some important questions.

“To combat the current obesity epidemic, it is important to identify the underlying mechanisms and to find ways for early prevention,” says Dr. Daria Peleg-Raibstein, the corresponding author of the study. “The research could help improve health advice and education for pregnant and breastfeeding couples and give their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren a better chance of a healthy lifestyle.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Consequences of a high-fat diet can be passed on for generations

It’s no secret that a diet heavy in fats does...

A growing collection of research has found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/male-fertility-declines-human-race/">male fertility</a> has significantly dropped over the last four decades in western countries across North America, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe. According to an investigation that was published last year in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd">Human Reproduction Update</a>, the collective sperm count among men in western countries has declined by more than 50 percent. 

Organizations such as the <a href="http://www.nichd.nih.gov/">Eu­nice Kennedy Shriver Na­tional In­sti­tute Of Child Health and Human Development</a> (NICHD) are working to better understand the processes that underlie human reproduction in an effort to help alleviate infertility.

A recent study led by the NICHD has revealed that men who drink two or more cups of caffeinated coffee or tea on a daily basis are more likely to successfully impregnate their partners. The finding may be attributed to the effect of caf­feine on two chem­i­cals, Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and Guanosine triphosphate (GTP), which are involved in energy transfer and metabolic reactions.

Pro­fes­sor Sheena Lewis of <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/">Queen’s Uni­ver­sity</a> in Belfast explained how the consumption of tea or coffee may affect ATP and GTP in regard to the reproduction process: “Caf­feine pre­vents them from break­ing down so more en­ergy is avail­able to sperm, so it can swim faster or longer.”


Research from NICHD also found that women who drink al­co­hol ev­ery other day were 26 percent less likely to become pregnant, and that major depression and antidepressant use has a negative effect on both male and female fertility.

“A study of major depression in couples with infertility showed that currently active major depression in infertile men can lower chances of pregnancy, and use of non-selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants in infertile women could be linked to first-trimester pregnancy loss.”

More information from NICHD’s Fertility and Infertility Branch can be found here: <a href="https://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/der/branches/fib">https://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/der/branches/fib</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Caffeine linked to a boost in male fertility

A growing collection of research has found that male fertility...

More and more research has been devoted to the medicinal benefits of cannabinoids found in medical marijuana.

Studies have found that cannabinoids can help with pain relief, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-treats-migraines-better/">migraines</a>, anxiety, and has been proven to treat nausea and countering the negative effects of chemotherapy for cancer patients. 

Now, a new study has now found that cannabinoids could also help treat the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

MS is a disease where the immune system attacks nerve fibers coverings and disrupts the signals between the brain and body. This can cause a myriad of potentially debilitating problems including numbness, pain, tingling in the extremities, loss of vision, and coordination issues. 

There is no cure for MS currently but researchers from the <a href="https://www.uab.cat/en">Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona </a>wanted to examine the potential if any, of cannabinoids in providing relief for MS patients. 

The researchers reviewed and analyzed 17 clinical trials that involved using medicinal cannabinoids to treat patients with MS. 

3,161 patients participated in the 17 trials and the researchers compared the results of the different trials to see if there were any overarching conclusions to be made on cannabinoids and their potential to treat MS symptoms. 

The researchers discovered that cannabinoids were linked to a mild decrease in muscle spasms, pain, and bladder dysfunction. 

While further research is needed to assess the ability of cannabinoids in treating MS symptoms, the results of the study suggest that cannabinoids could be used safely for MS patients. 

“To our knowledge, this is the most complete systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of cannabinoids on MS,” the researchers wrote in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2706499">their study</a>. “Our results show limited therapeutic efficacy of cannabinoids for the primary outcomes of spasticity, pain, and bladder dysfunction in patients with MS.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Medical marijuana can help treat symptoms of MS

More and more research has been devoted to the medicinal...

The enormous stone heads on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/society-easter-island-sophisticated/">Easter Island</a> have puzzled scientists – and the general public – for years. Many conspiracy theories have been postulated for what purpose these heads may have served. Now, a new study may have just found the answer.

A team of archaeologists from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/">Binghamton University</a> and <a href="https://www.suny.edu/">State University at New York</a> believe that the ancient inhabitants of Rapa Nui (aka Easter Island) may have used the stone heads to mark sources of fresh water.  The researchers measured the salinity of coastal water around the island, and found areas close to heads’ locations near the coast that had a salt concentration low enough for humans to drink.

Coastal groundwater discharge makes it possible for humans to drink fresh water where it comes out near the coast of the island – although it may first appear to be too close to shore to be drinkable.

“'Now that we know more about the location of freshwater, however, the location of these monuments and other features makes tremendous sense: they are positioned where freshwater is immediately available,” says Carl Lipo, a Binghamton University professor of anthropology.

There are accounts of Europeans first encounters with the island natives in the 18th century in which they are described to have drank seawater with no ill effects. But because the human body is unable to process seawater, the research team believes these accounts support their groundwater discharge theory.

“This information ultimately sheds light on the conditions that drove and enabled these communities to work together to achieve their feats of engineering,” says Lipo. “By gaining knowledge about community scale behavior, we can gain insights into the general conditions necessary for group-level cooperation – whether in the past or in contemporary society.”

Finding freshwater was extremely important to the lost civilization of Rapa Nui, as their society contained thousands of people, and the island quickly soaked up any rainfall. “The porous volcanic soils quickly absorb rain, resulting in a lack of streams and rivers,” explains Lipo. “Fortunately, water beneath the ground flows downhill and ultimately exits the ground directly at the point at which the porous subterranean rock meets the ocean. When tides are low, this results in the flow of freshwater directly into the sea. Humans can thus take advantage of these sources of freshwater by capturing the water at these points.”

According to the researchers, these points were important enough for the natives to build massive stone statues that indicated their location. And although that may seem like a whole lot of extra effort to us now, they couldn’t exactly turn on a faucet to get the water they needed. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists discover what the Easter Island stone heads may have meant

The enormous stone heads on Easter Island have puzzled scientists...

Hurricane Michael made landfall on Wednesday when it slammed into the Florida Panhandle and carved a path of devastation along the Carolinas and Virginia before the tropical storm made its way out into the Atlantic again. 

As of Friday morning, the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/">National Hurricane Center</a> issued a declaration that all coastal watches and warnings were discontinued, but for rescue crews, their efforts have only just begun. 

Across six states, 1.3 million people are without power and for some people who evacuated parts of the Panhandle, there isn’t much left to go back to. 

Some of the hardest hit areas were in Florida and the storm practically wiped out the coastal city of Mexico Beach, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/11/us/hurricane-michael-tropical-storm-wxc/index.html">CNN.</a>

Once a picturesque seaside town, houses were reduced to rubble and trees snapped in half. 

“First the cars started floating by, and all the debris was in the air," Mexico Beach resident Scott Boutwell told CNN. “When the water came in, houses started floating in front of our home.”

For the Carolinas, Michael’s continued threat of flash floods poses a major threat for communities still reeling from the aftermath of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hurricane-florence-slams-carolinas/">Hurricane Florence</a>. 

The National Hurricane Center forecasts up to seven inches of rain for North Carolina and Virginia. 

Residents who evacuated Mexico Beach were urged not to return as rescue crews are still working to remove debris and assess the extent of the damage. 

So far, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/10/12/656849482/hurricane-michael-death-toll-rises-to-11-as-southeast-reels-from-storms-power">eleven people</a> were killed in the storm but there are fears that the death toll will rise as rescue efforts continue. 

According to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/10/12/hurricane-michael-where-storm-now-what-we-know-damage/1611783002/">USA Today</a>, the U.S Coast Guard rescued 40 people as of Thursday and helped 232 others get to a safe place. 

Climate change’s impact on storms like Hurricane Michael is a topic of some debate but what can’t be denied is that storms are becoming more severe and frequent, and storm surges bigger than in previous decades. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hurricane Michael leaves millions without power, rising death toll

Hurricane Michael made landfall on Wednesday when it slammed into...

Drug-food interactions, which can happen with over-the-counter or prescription drugs, can change how a medication is absorbed and completely change its intended result. Adverse <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/adult-ssedatives-risky-use/">drug reactions</a> can cause very serious side effects and even death.

Emma Hammett is an experienced nurse and first aid trainer, and is also the founder  of First Aid For Life. In an article for <a href="https://www.hippocraticpost.com/">The Hippocratic Post</a>, she explains how grapefruit can react dangerously with some medications by intensifying their effect.

“Grapefruit can seriously affect the way your medicines work, especially if you are taking some of these common medicines for high blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, a statin to reduce your cholesterol, or fexofenadine for allergies such as hay fever,” writes Hammett.

She says that the extent of the interaction will vary depending on the person, and some individuals will not experience any adverse effects at all.

The presence of grapefruit juice most commonly results in too much medication entering the bloodstream and then remaining in the body for a long period of time.

Hammett explains: “Many drugs are metabolised (broken down) with the help of a vital enzyme called cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in the small intestine. The furanocoumarins within grapefruit frequently block the action of CYP3A4. Instead of being metabolised, more of the drug enters the blood and stays in the body longer.”

According to Hammett, it does not take much grapefruit juice to boost the levels of certain drugs.

“A single glass of juice can reduce the production of the intestinal enzyme that regulates absorption by up to 47%. The furanocoumarins take a while to be removed from your system and so a third of their impact is still evident after 24 hours.”

The grapefruit juice could continue to interact with medications while it persists in the body.

“Grapefruit is a healthy option, packed full of Vitamin C. So before banishing your beloved grapefruit from the breakfast table, find out if there are any contraindications to drinking grapefruit juice while taking your medication,” writes Hammett. “Your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare provider should be able to advise.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How grapefruit juice can cause adverse reactions to medications

Drug-food interactions, which can happen with over-the-counter or prescription drugs,...

A study led by researchers at the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Har­vard TH Chan School of Pub­lic Health</a> in Bos­ton has revealed that Bisphe­nol A (BPA), a chemical that is commonly found in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tons-plastic-trash-great-lakes/">plastic</a> products, increases a woman’s risk of giving birth prematurely by as much as six times.

BPA is an organic synthetic compound used to manufacture items such as DVDs, CDs, wa­ter bot­tles, thermal receipt paper, and the lining of most food cans.

According to <a href="https://www.webmd.com/">WebMD</a>: “More than 90% of us have BPA in our bodies right now. We get most of it by eating foods that have been in containers made with BPA. It's also possible to pick up BPA through air, dust, and water.”


BPA has al­ready been linked to pre­ma­ture birth in expectant mothers. The researchers have now determined that exposure to BPA can af­fect women be­fore they even con­ceive.

The investigation was focused on 364 women at a fer­til­ity clinic, including 32 women who gave birth to pre­ma­ture ba­bies. The experts analyzed the urine of the females from be­fore they be­came preg­nant.


In addition to the risk of premature birth associated with BPA, the researchers identified an­other chem­i­cal found in food pack­ag­ing that produced a similar effect called Ph­tha­lates. The team established that this chemical dou­bled the risk of an early birth in women who had high lev­els be­fore becoming pregnant.

Study lead author Jen­nifer Yland said: “Ex­po­sure to these chem­i­cals is wide­spread as they are found in food pack­ag­ing, con­sumer prod­ucts, med­i­cal de­vices, plas­tic bot­tles, and re­ceipts.” 

It has been determined in previous research that BPA can accumulate in reproductive organs and act as an endocrine disruptor that throws hormones off balance. The compound can cause problems before, during, and after the formation of eggs, and can even cause female infertility in some cases.

WebMD stated: “The FDA maintains that studies using standardized toxicity tests have shown BPA to be safe at the current low levels of human exposure. But based on other evidence - largely from animal studies - the FDA expressed ‘some concern’ about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate glands in fetuses, infants, and young children.”

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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

Past BPA exposure linked to a higher risk of premature birth

A study led by researchers at the Har­vard TH Chan...

Understanding statistics and probabilities isn’t necessarily the most exciting aspect of our lives – for most of us non-mathematicians, at least. But the ability to read and understand statistical facts and problems correctly is important to our view of the world around us. Unfortunately, many people struggle with this, and a new study published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</a> may have found a reason why.

A study led by <a href="https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/539471/overview">Patrick Weber</a> of the <a href="https://www.uni-regensburg.de/index.html.en">University of Regensburg</a>, Germany, has found that unfavorable methods of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/girls-perform-better-reading-writing/">teaching</a> statistics in schools and universities may be at fault for people missing simple solutions to statistical problems. While it may not seem like a big deal on the surface, misunderstanding of statistics can lead to the spread of misinformation in everything from science to court cases.

On a daily basis, you likely see probabilities and statistics presented as percentages, such as “10% of students.” But a more intuitive way of representing this statistic is called a natural frequency, and is presented like “1 in 10 students.”

“Even though natural frequencies are much easier to understand, people are more familiar with probabilities represented by percentages because of their education,” says Weber. “A recent meta-analysis showed the vast majority of people have difficulties solving a task presented in probability format. This can result in severe misjudgments when applied in professional settings.”

Weber and his research team believe that people are “blind” to probabilities, but are still unwilling to change them into simpler natural frequencies. 

“The same meta-analysis showed that when the task was presented in natural frequency format instead of probabilities, performance rates increased from 4% to 24%,” he says.

Although the success rate was significantly higher when data was presented as a natural frequency instead of a percentage, roughly three-quarters of participants still could not solve the task. In this study, they gave groups of university students different reasoning tasks. One was presented in probability format, while the other was in natural frequency format. The participants were asked to show their work in solving these problems so that the researchers could understand the cognitive process behind their solutions.

Results showed that when the questions were presented in natural frequencies, half the participants did not use natural frequencies to solve the problems. Instead, they changed them to the more difficult probability format. The researchers believe that a fixed mindset – known as the Einstellung effect – may explain participants’ preference to change the data. 

“Students are a lot more familiar with probabilities than with natural frequencies due to their education. In high school and university contexts, natural frequencies are not considered as equally mathematically valid as probabilities,” Weber explains. “This means that working with probabilities is a well-established strategy when it comes to solving statistical problems. While in many situations students profit from such an established strategy, the mental sets developed over a long period of time during school and university can make them ‘blind’ to simpler solutions – or unable to find a solution at all.”

Weber and his team hope that their findings will encourage schools around the world to change their statistical teaching strategies. “We want our findings to encourage curriculum designers to incorporate natural frequencies systematically into school mathematics and statistics,” says Weber. “This would give students a helpful tool to understand the concept of uncertainty – in addition to the ‘standard’ probabilities.” 

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: Fixed mindsets prevent people from understanding statistics

Understanding statistics and probabilities isn’t necessarily the most exciting aspect...

According to a series of reports published in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/">The Lancet</a>, the number of babies born through caesarean section (C-section) nearly doubled between 2000 and 2015, jumping from 12 percent to 21 percent. Wide disparities have been found in the use of C-sections between rich and poor regions of the world.

The researchers have determined that 60 percent of countries are overusing C-sections, while 25 percent of countries are underusing the life-saving procedure, particularly in low-income regions where it is still unavailable.

The study authors are urging both healthcare professionals and the public to only intervene with a C-section when it is medically required.

C-section is a procedure that is used for women and newborns when life-threatening complications arise such as bleeding, fetal distress, hypertensive disease, and when <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/women-trauma-smaller-male-babies/">babies</a> have moved into an abnormal position. The surgery, however, comes along with its own risks and can cause problems in future births.

An estimated 10-15 percent of all births require a C-section due to complications, which indicates that average C-section use should fall within this range. However, the research revealed that 28 percent of countries had usage levels below the estimated need and 63 percent had usage levels that fell above this range. In addition, C-section use was found to exceed 40 percent in at least 15 countries.

Series lead author Dr. Marleen Temmerman is the founding director of the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH), and a professor at <a href="https://www.aku.edu/">Aga Khan University</a> and <a href="https://www.ugent.be/en">Ghent University</a>.

“Pregnancy and labor are normal processes, which occur safely in most cases. The large increases in C-section use - mostly in richer settings for non-medical purposes - are concerning because of the associated risks for women and children. C-sections can create complications and side effects for mothers and babies, and we call on healthcare professionals, hospitals, funders, women and families to only intervene in this way when it is medically required,” said Dr. Temmerman. 

“In cases where complications do occur, C-sections save lives, and we must increase accessibility in poorer regions, making C-sections universally available, but we should not overuse them.”

According to the researchers, there are no benefits of C-section in cases without a medical indication. Furthermore, the procedure can cause harm and even death to women and children, especially when there are not sufficient facilities, skills, and health care available.

The risk of maternal death and disability is higher after C-section compared to vaginal birth. These procedures make recovery more complicated for the mother and also lead to scarring of the womb, which is associated with major risks in subsequent pregnancies including ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, and preterm birth.

The study authors said that while these risks are small they are also very serious, and  each of these risks increases as a woman has more C-sections.

“Given the increasing use of C-section, particularly cases that are not medically required, there is a crucial need to understand the health effects on women and children,” explained Professor Jane Sandall of King's College London. “Greater understanding of this is important to help inform decision making by families, physicians, and policy makers. C-section is a type of major surgery, which carries risks that require careful consideration.”

“The growing use of C-sections for non-medical purposes could be introducing avoidable complications, and we advocate that C-section should only be used when it is medically required.”

The research was presented at the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) World Congress in Brazil.

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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

C-sections have nearly doubled since 2000

According to a series of reports published in The Lancet,...

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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



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?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...