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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

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,...

Coastal recreation is still big business in America, and people are happy to pay if it means they can surf, collect seashells and photograph the mighty ocean waves.

At least, those are among the findings of a new survey conducted in 2012 and 2013 by the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>. The National Ocean Recreation Expenditure Survey, the first such study conducted by NOAA, found that more than 48 million Americans 18 and older spent about 1.2 billion days along the country’s coastlines in 2012. 

"Nothing of this magnitude had been attempted before, so it took a long time to collect the data, analyze it, and pull it together into a comprehensive report," said economist Scott Steinback in a press release. Steinback, who co-authored the newly released report, works at NOAA’s <a href="https://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/">Northeast Fisheries Science Center</a> laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

NOAA employees found that Americans spent more than $141 billion in coastal recreation and related industries in 2012, supporting 3.1 million full-time and part-time jobs. That money supported another $409 billion in business income and $135 billion in household incomes in areas visited by these ocean tourists.

The online survey, sent out every two months over the course of a year, asked participants to share their ocean-related activities over the past two months. That allowed researchers to get a better picture of coastal recreation spending over a full year, correcting for weather-related falls and spikes.

The survey was developed with the help of focus groups and one-on-one interviews, and questioned participants in six regions, five coastal and one inland. It included questions covering eight categories: viewing or photographing the ocean; beachcombing, tidepooling or collecting items; recreational fishing; recreational shellfishing; hunting; water-based contact sports; boating; and other outdoor activities that didn’t include contact with the water. The questionnaire was sent to people who participated on a research panel run by <a href="https://www.gfk.com/">GfK Group</a>.

"In addition to baseline information on participation and eort, or the time spent in that activity, we collected data on spending related to each category,” Steinback said. “That included the cost of boats and their maintenance, insurance, shing rods, binoculars, and other items to purchases of food, beverages, lodging, paying visitor fees, and other costs of ocean recreation trips."

The study shows how coastal recreation contributes to local economies along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico, he said. 

"It is the first study to estimate participation and effort levels, and the economic contribution of these activities, using data collected from ocean recreation participants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia – not just coastal states,” Steinback said. “If someone in Ohio made a trip to the Jersey shore to hang out at the beach and they participated in our survey, their activities would be included in our estimates.”

Coastal recreation is big business in the U.S., survey says

Coastal recreation is still big business in America, and people...

Diet, exercise reduce the need for blood pressure medicine. Making simple diet and exercise changes could be enough to lower blood pressure and keep patients with hypertension off of medication, according to a new study. 

Around 75 million adults in America suffer from high blood pressure, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_bloodpressure.htm">Centers for Disease Control (CDC). </a>

High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and in 2013 the CDC reported that more than 360,000 deaths attributed high blood pressure as the primary or contributing cause. 

High blood pressure is damaging to a person’s cardiovascular health and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overweight-heart-disease-risk/">obesity can greatly increase the risk of hypertension</a>. However, diet and exercise may be enough to make blood pressure medication unnecessary. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.unc.edu/">University of North Carolina</a> recently presented a new study at the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association’s</a> Joint Hypertension 2018 Scientific Sessions showing the benefit of lifestyle changes in combating high blood pressure. 

The study found that within 16 weeks, patients with hypertension reduced the need for antihypertensive medications after changing their diet and participating in regular exercise. 

“Lifestyle modifications, including healthier eating and regular exercise, can greatly decrease the number of patients who need blood pressure-lowering medicine. That's particularly the case in folks who have blood pressures in the range of 130 to 160 mmHg systolic and between 80 and 99 mmHg diastolic,” said Alan Hinderliter, an author of the study. 

For the study, 129 overweight or obese men and women, ages 40 to 80, with high blood pressure took part in one of three 16-week intervention programs. 

More than half of the participants were candidates for blood pressure medication at the start of the study. 

In one group, participants took part in a weight management program that included counseling and exercise three times a week. 

The first group also changed their diet to the DASH plan that stresses eating more fruits and vegetables and reducing salt, red meat, and sugar consumption. 

Participants in the second group only changed their diet to meet the DASH guidelines while the third group made no lifestyle changes. 

The first group had the most success in terms of weight loss and lowering blood pressure. At the end of the 16 weeks, participants in the first group lost 19 pounds on average. 

The second group showed lowered blood pressure but not quite as much as those in the first group while the third group only had subtle improvements to blood pressure. 

At the end of the study, 15 percent of participants in the first group still met the requirements for blood pressure medication, 23 percent still needed medication from the second group, and in the third group, 50 percent still had high blood pressure levels that merited medication. 

The researchers say that making lifestyle changes may be enough to help reduce the need for blood pressure medication and could also help patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Diet, exercise reduce the need for blood pressure medicine

Diet, exercise reduce the need for blood pressure medicine. Making...

A recent study at <a href="https://www.bsms.ac.uk/index.aspx">Brighton and Sussex Medical School </a>(BSMS) has found that smiling does not always represent happiness. In fact, body language expert Dr. Harry Witchel is reporting that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wrinkles-genuine-smile/">smiling</a> is more often associated with social engagement.


People usually smile when interacting with others, and this expression is most commonly perceived as the result of feeling happy. However, the BSMS study has demonstrated that this is not always the case.

According to Dr. Witchel, one-to-one Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI) is a good representation of how humans behave when they are socially engaged. 

The investigation was focused on 44 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 35, who interacted with a computer alone in a room while their faces were recorded. The individuals participated in a Geography quiz which was designed with difficult questions so that they would often get the answers wrong.

After the quiz, the participants rated their subjective experience from a range of 12 emotions including bored, interested, and frustrated. The video recordings of facial expressions were computer analyzed frame by frame to investigate when the individuals were smiling. 

The study revealed that the emotion that was most associated with smiling was engagement rather than happiness or frustration.

“According to some researchers, a genuine smile reflects the inner state of cheerfulness or amusement,” said Dr. Witchel. “However, Behavioural Ecology Theory suggests that all smiles are tools used in social interactions; that theory claims that cheerfulness is neither necessary nor sufficient for smiling.”

“Our study showed that in these Human-Computer Interaction experiments, smiling is not driven by happiness; it is associated with subjective engagement, which acts like a social fuel for smiling, even when socializing with a computer on your own.”

The frame-by-frame smile analysis captured an expression for the question and answer portion of each of the questions. The researchers also monitored the expressions in between and found that participants did not tend to smile while they were trying to figure out the answers.


The individuals did, however, smile right after the computer game informed them if their answer was correct or incorrect. Surprisingly, the participants smiled more often when they got the answer wrong.

“During these computerized quizzes, smiling was radically enhanced just after answering questions incorrectly,” said Dr. Witchel. “This behavior could be explained by self-ratings of engagement, rather than by ratings of happiness or frustration.”

The study is published in <a href="https://jacm.acm.org/">The Journal of the ACM</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study reveals how smiling doesn’t always reflect happy feelings

A recent study at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS)...

Stories of children raised by animals have long existed in media, myths, and folklore. Children like Mowgli or Tarzan were raised by wild animals in the jungle, while Remus and Romulus suckled on the milk of wild wolves.  There are myths in the Amazon of people who change into jaguars and in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/operation-icebridge-holes-arctic-ice/">Arctic</a> there is a myth of a woman who marries a brown bear. The idea of an impenetrable barrier between humans and animals seems to come from the monotheistic tradition and historically seems to be in the minority of beliefs worldwide.  

But today it seems that the accepted belief is that in some way, humans and other animals are fundamentally different.  Even as some evolutionary biologists attack the belief of human exceptionality, we continue to act as if we are superior to all other life forms.

The idea of children growing up in without humans, more influenced by other animals than their own species, seems initially hard to believe.  As wild as it may seem, beneath the fiction of myth and legend, is a hard seed of reality. Children left without human companionship at an early age are left growing up without language or basic knowledge of human society.  These children are known as feral, wild or properly referred to as ‘isolates’ and there are several historical examples. 

Marina Chapman is unusual among ‘feral’ children in that she grew up to have a relatively normal life as an adult.  Also true to many fictional renditions of the story, Marina was befriended by non-human primates, in her case a troop of Capuchin Monkeys.  At around 4 years old, Marina claims she was abandoned in the jungle of Columbia, where she survived by following monkeys and learning from their behavior.  By the time Marina was found by hunters perhaps five years later, she seemed to have no human language. After her time in the jungle, Marina was sold into prostitution, escaped to live on the street as a pickpocket hiding from police in trees and again captured as a slave by the mafia. Eventually, Marina was rescued and moved to England with her husband where she lives today.  It’s a hard story to believe and many are skeptical about it. Marina Chapman wrote <a href="https://www.guardianbookshop.com/girl-with-no-name.html">a book</a> about her experience but for many it’s still too much to swallow.    

More convincing is the case of John Ssebunya, a man who witnessed his father murder his mother at the age of two or three years old and escaped into the jungle of Uganda.  John told his story in an interview given through translator with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/1999/oct/10/euanferguson.theobserver">The Guardian</a>.  

John recounted how vervet monkeys eventually befriended him, giving him nuts and tubers for food.  Living in an area torn by civil war, John encountered no humans and learned to survive by following and observing the monkeys.  After years in the jungle, John was eventually found by a woman named Millie, who thought he was an injured monkey at first. 

Scientists who tested John by placing him with monkeys feel his interactions with them are convincing, and report that he seems to act as another monkey would, or at least he acts like a human well versed in monkey behavior.  John has been adopted and now lives in England and although in some ways he’s different than other children, he seemed to be adapting well when interviewed in 1999.

Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja is a famous case of a man who is said to have been ‘raised’ by wolves.  In his early childhood, Marcos was sold as a slave by his father to a man to tend his goat herd. Marcos was then brought to a small cave where a goat herder lived, watching the flock.  When the goat herder died, Marcos retreated into the Sierra Morena mountains of northern Spain where he trapped rabbits for food as the goat herder had taught him. Marcos watched other animals to learn what was edible and what wasn’t.  

On one rainy night, the young boy sought shelter in a cave where he slept with wolf pups.  The first encounter with an adult wolf was perilous but Marcos claims he was befriended and sometimes given food.  Eventually police caught Marcos in his teens and forcibly dragged him into civilization. Even into his 70s, Marcos seemed to have a hard time relating to other humans.  A dramatized film and a documentary have made Marcos a minor celebrity in Spain and abroad. A main theme in the story of Marcos Rodríguez Pantoja and others like him is one of betrayal by humans and a strange sort of acceptance on the par of other animals.  

There are many more accounts of children raised by or near other animals with no human contact.  Oxana Malaya is a woman who was ignored by alcoholic parents and took comfort and social contact from dogs in a kennel behind her house.  Neglected continuously from a young age, Oxana lived with dogs as her main companions for five years before being rescued. Malaya learned to bark, growl and act like a dog in virtually every way.  Today, Oxana is in her 30s and lives at a home for the disabled, being mentally much younger than her actual age. There are cases of children in Romania, Siberia, Chile and elsewhere raised by domestic dogs.  There are reports of kids raised by bears, sheep, cattle, goats and even in the Sahara by ostriches. 

There was also a case of a child living in the dark in California with no contact whatsoever with any humans.  There is the famous case of ‘Victor’, a young boy found in the late 1700s in France living in the wild, scavenging and hunting whatever he could find and eventually turned over for research and education by academics.  Experts agree that how well children raised in isolation from other humans will reintegrate into society depends on how young they were isolated. Usually if language isn’t acquired to some degree by the age of 5, it never will be acquired.  

In the cases where the people eventually grew up to get jobs, to find husbands or wives or friends of any type, there was some language learning before 5.  Victor never fully grasped any language or integrated into society. In some cases feral children were seen as little more than freak show attractions. Often once feral children who’ve readapted to society talk about the cruelty of children and other humans towards them.  Human society seems bewildering, money incomprehensible. Some of these former wild children are easily taken advantage of. 

In cases where a child is abandoned and survives with closer interactions with other animals, the question becomes one of what does it mean to be human?  Some psychologists and philosophers have argued that our genetics play the most important role, but if five years with no human interaction can set the course of a lifetime, how can this be so?  

Another question raised is what does it mean to be animal and how are we animals and specifically human animals?  Cases of humans raised apart from others of their own species are very rare but it seems that there is nothing so special about them.  We all if abandoned at a certain part of our lives have the capacity to lose our own special veneer of humanity, to embrace other ways of living, other ways of being a clever animal.  Some have argued that many of these children have severe learning disabilities and were abandoned for relatively short periods. What of the children that grew up to be functional adults?  Are they hoaxes or are they a window into the nature of our own reality? 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Real cases of children raised by wild animals

Stories of children raised by animals have long existed in...

A new study is shedding light on the range of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exercise-improve-mental-health/">mental health</a> challenges and increased risk of stressful events that are associated with the college years, particularly the risk of suicide. The analysis of more than 67,000 college students enrolled at over 100 institutions has revealed that suicide risk and suicidal thoughts affect all ethnic, sexual, and gender groups.

Study lead author Dr. Cindy Liu is an expert in the Department of Psychiatry at <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/">Brigham and Women's Hospital</a>.

“Colleges and family members who are sending students off to college need to remember that this is a phase of life where young people are confronted with expectations from new relationships and living situations and other encounters that are stressful,” said Dr. Liu.

“Some stressful events cannot be prevented and, in some cases, are completely normal. But for others, a plan should be in place for family, friends, and colleges to provide support. Our study highlights an urgent need to help students reduce their experience of overwhelming levels of stress during college.”


The investigation was focused on the results of a survey conducted in the spring of 2015, the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA). 

The students were asked to report on a variety of issues related to depression and anxiety. Questions included whether they had been diagnosed or treated for a mental health issue; if they had engaged in self harm, considered suicide, or attempted suicide; and how many stressful events they had experienced in the last year.

The study revealed high rates of stressful life events, or traumatic and difficult circumstances, that were linked to mental health issues. Exposure to stress was also strongly associated with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. 

Three out of four students reported having experienced at least one stressful life event in the last year, while more than 20 percent of students reported experiencing six or more stressful life events in the last year.


There was a common connection between mental health diagnoses and suicidality, and one in four students reported being diagnosed with or treated for a mental health disorder in the prior year. 

One-fifth of all students surveyed had thought about suicide. Overall, nine percent had attempted suicide and nearly 20 percent had inflicted self-injury.


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression">Depression &amp; Anxiety</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: 1 in 5 college students thought about suicide in past year

A new study is shedding light on the range of...

Today’s younger generations barely remember a time without cell phones, WiFi, and constant connectivity. While technology has helped us stay connected over large geographic distances, has it simultaneously caused us to lose touch with our immediate surroundings?

I’m right at the cusp of the Millennial and Gen Z generations, which puts me at the age of people who can self-describe as digital natives. 

To give some background on my relationship with technology and the internet, I don’t really remember a time without it and only have a vague memory of those chunky black cell phones before the era of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/addiction-smartphones-imbalances-brain/">smartphones</a>. My father is a software engineer and we lived in Silicon Valley before it became so mainstream; I grew up seeing multiple computers whirring in my dad’s office at any given time with even more laptops scattered throughout the house. I think I even had a desktop computer and a laptop before I had a cell phone. Needless to say, the internet and connectivity through technology has always been a part of my daily life. 

Since those early years, I’ve had a couple experiences where my connection to the world wide web has been severed. Most recently, on a three week trip to the North Georgia Mountains where the family lake house has been TV-less and WiFi-less for years and cell connection is sparse. 

The first few days were spent attempting to load content off of a cellular connection which just blew through my data plan for mindless photos and posts that were barely relevant to what I was doing in real life. My need to stay connected is unsurprising according to recent surveys. Studies like the survey conducted by <a href="https://www.tatacommunications.com/">Tata Communications</a> have found that Americans are so attached to the internet that they feel like they cannot survive without being connected for more than a few hours, only 5 hours to be precise. Even people in other countries that spend dramatically less time online, like the French, report feeling left out without access to the internet. 

Fortunately for me, it was not long before life without WiFi was a welcome respite from the burden of constantly knowing what the world was up to. It felt like I was clearing my internal RAM memory (pun intended); so much of my day-to-day memory was dedicated to the news and what my friends were posting about. Not to mention the amount of time that was dedicated to pursuing this generally unimportant information. Though staying connected with distant friends and world events can be very positive in moderation, no longer having these constant updates cleared up my mind for deeper thought, introspection, and serious quality time with loved ones. 

Real life felt more vivid when I stopped living in the digital world. A couple of years ago on an international trip I lost my iPhone. The correlation between spending the latter half of the trip without a cell phone and that on this same trip is where I met my boyfriend and some of my best friends was not clear to me at the time, but now I realize that without the stress of taking photos or sharing my trip with friends back home I was more invested in making real connections with new people in the moment. Could my connectivity to the world back home have prevented me from building these relationships? An experiment by <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3049138/what-really-happens-to-your-brain-and-body-during-a-digital-detox">Kovert Designs</a> where they created a similar situation to my accidental iPhone-less trip supports this theory.

How valuable and enlightening these experiences have been make me concerned as the rates of internet addiction rise. Mark Griffiths, professor at <a href="https://www.ntu.ac.uk/">Nottingham Trent University</a>, said that studies suggest that anywhere between 1 and 3 percent of Internet users may have a real addiction and many more who don’t fall into the addiction category still display very problematic behavior. 

Even worse, a 2007 <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard</a> study classified Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) as a genuine psychological illness that 5-10% of all web surfers may experience. Technology addiction is a real problem that will have many societal consequences but there will also be millions of people at risk for missing out on life’s more intimate and important moments and experiences. 

Another recent study by <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/us">Intrepid Travel</a> and <a href="http://www.onepoll.com/">OnePoll</a> surveyed 1,500 Americans on their cell phone use. The results were concerning, showing that 38% of people reported missing out on life moments like a child’s milestone because they were too busy with their cell phones. 31% admitted to being more concerned with taking the perfect photo for social media than experiencing something in the moment. Most people said their phone was never more than a few feet away. 

Will our relationship with technology take over every other aspect of our lives? We appear to be heading in that direction. Clicking “Refresh” will only get us so far… try disconnecting for a bit. 

--

By <a href="mailto:bianca@earth.com">Bianca Vierra</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

&nbsp;

Internet addiction? Modern humans struggle without connectivity

Today’s younger generations barely remember a time without cell phones,...

The ability to finish someone else's sentence isn’t necessarily the mark of two people who are really in sync or who know each other very well, and can actually have to do with the way the brain perceives speech. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://crnl.univ-lyon1.fr/index.php/en">Lyon Neuroscience Center</a> examined the way that the brain processes information when someone else is talking and found the speed at which a person talks plays a major role in allowing us to predict what words will come next. 

The study was published in the journal Current Biology. 

“The findings show neural dynamics predict the timing of future speech items based on past speech rate, and this influences how ongoing words are heard,” said Anne Kösem, the first author of the research paper.

The brain is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-creates-illusions/">prediction machine</a>, and it’s an adaptive skill that may not help us win the lottery or predict major future events, but instead works to decode and process the loads of sensory input we are exposed to on a daily basis. It might also explain why you can predict what someone is going to say next. 

For the study, the researchers had Dutch participants listen to recorded sentences in Dutch and the rate of speech changed speeds at the end of the sentence. The speed of the sentence determined how an ambiguous vowel at the end of the sentence was perceived. 

“We asked native Dutch participants to listen to Dutch sentences that suddenly changed in speech rates: the beginning of the sentence was either compressed or expanded in duration, leading to a fast or a slow speech rate, while the final three words were consistently presented at the original recorded speech rate,” said Kösem. 

The final word of the sentence that the participants heard had a vowel that could either be interpreted as a short “a” or long “aa”, but how it was heard changed its meaning.

The researchers asked the participants what they thought the last word meant and also used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to record the participants’ brain activity while they listened to the sentences. 

The team found that the brain syncs up to the initial speed of the sentence and then just continues that pattern even if the sentence changes speeds which is why the participants interpreted the final words of the sentence differently. 

“Imagine the brain acting like a bicycle wheel,” said Kösem. “The wheel turns at the speed imposed by pedaling, but it continues rolling for some time after pedaling has stopped because it is dependent on the past pedaling speed.” 

Whatever rate of speech we listen to, our brains use that information to predict future syllable length and eventually words and meaning. 

“Our findings suggest that the neural tracking of speech dynamics is a predictive mechanism, which directly influences perception,” said Kösem.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Speed of speech can help us predict what someone will say next

The ability to finish someone else's sentence isn’t necessarily the...

Humans are living longer than ever these days thanks to improved quality of life, better access to health care, and advancements in medicine and technology. 

It’s estimated that there are as many as half a million centenarians, people 100 years of age or older, around the world. 

Humans have some of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-evolved-live-longer/">longest life spans</a>, especially compared to other primate species. Although humans and apes evolved from a common ancestor millions of years ago, the evolution of homo-sapiens ensured that our species could live well over 100 years, whereas primates live only half as long. 

A new study, conducted by researchers from the<a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/biology/evolutionary-biology"> Institute of Evolutionary Biology</a>, examined the genetic mutations that make the long lifespan of humans possible. 

The results, published in the journal Molecular Biology &amp; Evolution, show that humans evolved a unique set of genetic mutations that help with blood coagulation, wound healing and cardiovascular functions. 

The researchers developed a new method that allowed them to identify 25 genes that may help explain why humans live so much longer than other primates. 

Genomes from seventeen primate species were analyzed for the study, according to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6134943/Experts-identify-25-genetic-mutations-help-explain-humans-evolved-live-long.html">Daily Mail</a> which reported on the findings. 

The reason the researchers focused on primates is that there is a such a major gap in life spans between humans and the common ancestor that primates evolved from. 

After comparing the genomes, the researchers identified 25 unique mutations in humans that help with health and longevity including those that aid in wound repair. 

According to the study’s leader, the results provide strong evidence that the secret to human longevity and aging is all thanks to our genetic evolution. 

“The results are meaningful, because a flexible and adaptable control of coagulation mechanisms are required in species that live longer,” Gerard Muntané, the study's leading author, told the Daily Mail. 

The research could aid in anti-aging research and could help with the development of new treatments for age-related diseases according to researchers. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humans are able to to live so long thanks to genetic mutations

Humans are living longer than ever these days thanks to...

India took a major step today in protecting the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lgbq-adolescents-risk-suicide/">rights and lives of its LGBTQ community</a> when the country’s supreme court made a landmark ruling that decriminalized homosexuality. 

So far, 17 Commonwealth nations (India now included) have overturned the archaic colonial-era laws that have largely contributed the marginalization, oppression, and anti-gay sentiments that pervade in countries once controlled by British rule today. 

In July of last year, it was reported that 72 countries in the world <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/27/gay-relationships-still-criminalised-countries-report">criminalize same-sex relationships</a> and in 8 of those countries, homosexuality can result in the death penalty. 

The ruling comes after years of petitioning by LGBTQ rights activists. The law was once overturned by the high court in New Delhi in 2009 thanks to the Naz Foundation which is committed to raising awareness of HIV/AIDS. 

<a href="http://time.com/5388231/india-decriminalizes-homosexuality-section-377/?utm_source=time.com&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=social-button-sharing">Time</a> reported that even though the law was overturned in 2009, an uproar from religious groups led to the Supreme Court later re-criminalizing same-sex relationships in 2012. 

New petitions were filed in 2016, and today, the 1861 law that criminalized homosexuality, Section 377, was successfully overturned again hopefully for the last time.

It was argued that Section 377 both contributed to anti-gay stigmas and prevented people who contracted HIV/AIDs from seeking treatment due to fear of being ostracized or penalized in India. 

“Even after a person’s infection is identified, they are reluctant to go to government hospitals to take the confirmation test,” Rohit Sarkar, Senior Program Officer at India HIV/AIDS Alliance, told Time. “Because there was not only societal discrimination but also discrimination by the law.”

Anurag Kalia, one of the recent petitioners to the Supreme Court, told Time that the ruling will make it easier for members of the LGBTQ community to report harassment or assault to the police.

Many are in favor of the new ruling but there is expected backlash again from religious groups and organizations. 

Time reports that LGBTQ activists in India are now working towards marriage equality and property rights and making sure that today’s ruling is not, once again, reversed. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

India overturns colonial law that criminalized homosexuality

India took a major step today in protecting the rights...

The Earth experienced an extreme episode of global warming around 56 million years ago, which is known as the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Max (PETM). Over the course of just 10,000 to 20,000 years, the average temperature spiked by 5 to 8 degrees without returning to its original level until a few hundred thousand years later. 

Based on the analysis of sediments from the southern slope of the Pyrenees, researchers at the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/university/">University of Geneva</a> (UNIGE) measured the impact of this global warming event on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/summer-weather-wildfires-flooding/">river floods</a> and the surrounding landscapes. They found that the intensity of floods increased by a factor of eight, and sometimes even by a factor of 14. 

Study lead author Sébastien Castelltort is a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the UNIGE Faculty of Sciences.

“The method we relied on to analyze this global warming is directly inspired by cell signaling in systems biology, where researchers analyse the response of cells to external stimuli and the ensuing signal transmission,” explained Professor Castelltort.

“We are interested in how a system, in this case the hydrologic cycle through the behavior of rivers, reacts to an external signal, here the global warming.” 

Overall, the research shows that the consequences of global warming may be much greater than predicted by current climate models. For example, during the PETM, vegetation would have been replaced by pebbly plants. Rivers constantly changed course and often widened dramatically - from 15 to 160 meters wide in the most extreme case. 

“With global warming, the landscape changed completely. The channel-forming floods, which occur on average every 2 to 3 years and whose flow we have been able to measure, went up to 14 times greater than before when climate was cooler,” explained Professor Castelltort. 

“Our study shows that there are thresholds, non-linear evolutions that go beyond this ratio. With a ratio of 14 for flood magnitude, we face effects that we do not understand, which can perhaps be explained by local factors, but also by global factors that are not yet incorporated into current climate models. Our study proves that the risks associated with global warming may be far greater than we generally think.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Flood risks linked to global warming have been underestimated

The Earth experienced an extreme episode of global warming around...

A new study by developmental psychologists at <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">UC Berkeley</a> has found that groups such as climate change deniers are more likely to rely on feedback, as opposed to evidence, when taking in new information and developing their opinions of right from wrong.

The researchers discovered that an individual's beliefs are more likely to be reinforced by the positive or negative reactions they receive than by logic, reasoning, or <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">scientific data</a>.

The research provides new insight into how people handle information that challenges their outlook. The study findings highlight specific learning habits that can be intellectually crippling.

“If you think you know a lot about something, even though you don’t, you’re less likely to be curious enough to explore the topic further, and will fail to learn how little you know,” said study lead author and PhD student Louis Marti.

This dynamic can be applied to many aspects of our real and virtual lives, including exposure to social media and cable-news echo chambers.

Study senior author Celeste Kidd is an assistant professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley.

“If you use a crazy theory to make a correct prediction a couple of times, you can get stuck in that belief and may not be as interested in gathering more information.”

The investigation was focused on over 500 participants as they examined various combinations of colored shapes on their computer screens. The individuals were asked to identify which colored shapes qualified as a make-believe object that the researchers created and named a “Daxxy.”

The participants made blind guesses about which of 24 items may constitute the unknown shape, and they were given feedback on whether the guesses were right or wrong. After each guess, the individuals reported on whether or not they were certain of their answer.


The study revealed that participants consistently based their certainty on whether they had correctly identified a “Daxxy” during the last few guesses.

“What we found interesting is that they could get the first 19 guesses in a row wrong, but if they got the last five right, they felt very confident,” said Marti. “It’s not that they weren’t paying attention, they were learning what a Daxxy was, but they weren’t using most of what they learned to inform their certainty.”


“If your goal is to arrive at the truth, the strategy of using your most recent feedback, rather than all of the data you’ve accumulated, is not a great tactic.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://open-mind.net/">Open Mind</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People’s brains often base their beliefs on feedback not facts

A new study by developmental psychologists at UC Berkeley has...

A <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/08/01/382697.full.pdf">new study</a> from the <a href="https://ufrj.br/">Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro</a> has illuminated the actions of the protein component of fire ant venom on envenomated mice. 

Unusually for hymenopterans, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), also referred to as RIFA, produces venom that is largely composed of alkaloids, which are more frequently found in plants. More than 95% of the venom is made up of these alkaloids, known as solenopsins. Proteins make up less than 1%. Solenopsins are cytotoxic and are responsible for the formation of the distinctive pseudo-pustules left by fire ant stings. These painful welts look like pimples and appear soon after the ant stings. 

Solenopsins also appear to have fungicidal, herbicidal, bactericidal, and insecticidal properties. In addition to aiding in prey capture and defense, they are used in nest maintenance, presumably to eliminate undesirable organisms from the ant colony. Interestingly, though they also have neurotoxic effects and are responsible for the release of histamines by affected cells, solenopsins appear to have no role in the allergic response to fire ant stings. 

The allergic response is instead caused by the 46 proteins known from the venom, four of which are well-described. Determining the pathways by which this happens has until recently been challenging due to the difficulty in extracting and isolating these proteins. 

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/how-just-a-few-drops-of-viper-venom-call-kill-you/">Venom</a> amounts to some .1% of the body weight of a fire ant and only a small proportion of that amount constitutes proteins. However, a <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82571129.pdf">recent procedure</a> developed for extracting venom and purifying the protein components allowed the study’s authors to test their effects in vivo on mice without the complicating factor of the solenopsins. 

Upon entering the body for the first time, the venom proteins are enveloped by dendritic cells and transported to lymph nodes. The dendritic cells present the peptide antigens generated by the proteins, coupled to a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/major-histocompatibility-complex">major histocompatibility class II molecule</a> spanning the cell membrane, to naive T lymphocytes. T lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell key in regulating the immune system. Once activated by exposure to the antigens, they clone themselves. The lymphocytes then trigger a cascade of further activity, including the release of immunoglobin E (IgE) antibodies, which then bind to mast cells, a type of white blood cell that is know as the “master regulator” of the immune system. Upon a second exposure, antigens from the venom signal the mast cells to release histamines in amounts disproportionate to the actual effects of the antigens. This is responsible for the inflammatory response typical of an allergic reaction. Adding to the inflammation is the activation of eosiniphils, another type of white blood, which are stimulated to release harmful proteins in an effort to destroy the antigen. These substances also cause tissue damage. 

In this study, the authors injected purified RIFA venom into the hind footpad of a previously unexposed mouse. Fourteen days later, they administered a second injection, either in another footpad or into the peritoneal cavity, the space between the lining of the abdominal wall and the abdominal cavity itself. The second footpad injection resulted in marked swelling. Fluid drained from the peritoneum following exposure revealed elevated levels of eosinophils, suggesting an allergic response. Additionally, dissected lymph nodes from sensitized mice revealed hyperplasia, or enlargement, suggesting a strong immune response to the venom proteins.

This development is important due to the ubiquity of the red imported fire ant and its negative interactions with humans. Some 14 million people in the U.S. alone are thought to suffer stings each year and up to 100,000 seek medical attention. Originally from South America, the ant has been transported around the world by shipping and is now established in China, Vietnam, and Australia, among other locales. Knowledge of the actions of fire ant venom proteins is likely to assist in treating allergic individuals. 

This study is forthcoming in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a> (Nature).

--

By <a href="mailto:rtpallardy@gmail.com">Richard Pallardy</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Credits to Eduardo G P Fox and Roberto Eizemberg

Venom proteins cause allergic response to fire ant stings

A new study from the Universidade Federal do Rio de...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...