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,...

A new study has found that political anonymity may be the best way to foster the spread of accurate information, encourage productive interactions, and reduce polarization on social media

It’s no secret that social media played a large role in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/battling-climate-change-misinformation/">the spread of misinformation</a> which influenced the 2016 presidential election. 

Now, new research shows that there may be a way to use social media to be beneficial and productive, provided you keep party affiliation out of the equation. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a> conducted a study asking both Democrats and Republicans to interpret Arctic sea ice data and graph released by the<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/"> National Aeronautics and Space Administration </a>(NASA) in 2013. 

“NASA found, to its dismay, that a lot of people were misinterpreting the graph to say that there would actually be more Arctic sea ice in the future rather than less,” said Douglas Guilbeault, a member of the research team. “Conservatives, in particular, were susceptible to this misinterpretation.”

The researchers wondered to what extent social media might influence an individual’s interpretation particularly given how politically charged social media is today. 

The results were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

“New scientific information does not change people's minds. They can always interpret it to match their beliefs,” said Damon Centola, the leader of the study. “But, if you allow people to interact with each other in egalitarian social networks, in which no individual is more powerful than another, we find remarkably strong effects of bipartisan social learning on eliminating polarization.”

2,400 Republicans and Democrats were first asked to interpret the graph on their own. After this, 40 percent of Republicans and 26 percent of Democrats misinterpreted the data and thought that the graph showed Arctic sea-ice levels increasing over the next few years. 

Next, the researchers gave some study participants the opportunity to interact on an experimental social media platform specifically created by the research team. 

To test how much political polarization influences an individual’s ability to subjectively look at climate change research, the researchers split the participants into three groups on the social media platform. 

One group knew the political affiliation of each of their social media contacts on the platform. Another group did not know who they were interacting with, only the political affiliation assigned via a donkey or republican symbol at the bottom of the screen. The third group was non-political and anonymous.

When political affiliation was kept anonymous and the participants were simply sharing their opinions on the data, 88 percent of Republicans and 86 percent of Democrats figured out the sea-ice levels were dropping. 

Some of the participants were not allowed to interact on the social media platform and their final responses stayed true to the earlier survey answers with many still misinterpreting the graph. 

“We all expected polarization when Republicans and Democrats were isolated,” said Centola. “But we were amazed to see how dramatically bipartisan networks could improve participants' judgments. But the biggest surprise--and perhaps our biggest lesson--came from how fragile it all was. The improvements vanished completely with the mere suggestion of political party.”

The results show how influential political party affiliation is in our society. However, the researchers say that the study shows promise and that people are more open-minded when politics are kept out of the picture in terms of understanding climate change research. 

“Most of us are biased in one way or another,” said Centola. “It's often unavoidable. But, if you eliminate the symbols that drive people into their political camps and let them talk to each other, people have a natural instinct to learn from one another. And that can go a long way toward lessening partisan conflict.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a>

Social media can help reduce polarization on climate change

A new study has found that political anonymity may be...

Having a diverse group of people on a board of directors is not only in keeping with growing expectations for companies to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-benefit-diversity-schools/">be more inclusive</a>, but it can also be both better for the environment and save millions of dollars in potential lawsuits. 

A new study has found that companies that have a good balance of men and women on their board of directors are less likely to be sued for environmental law violations. 

The reason behind this has to do with both gender socialization and diversity theories, along with the idea that problem solving is more effective between a group of people with a broad and diverse mindset.  

The research was conducted by Chelsea Liu, a senior lecturer at <a href="https://business.adelaide.edu.au/">Adelaide Business School</a> and published in the Journal of Corporate Finance. 

Liu reviewed 1,893 lawsuits against 1,500 firms of the finance company <a href="https://www.standardandpoors.com/">Standard and Poor’s </a>from 2000 to 2015.

After sorting through the different companies and the lawsuits raised regarding environmental concerns, Liu noticed that the companies with more gender-diverse boards had fewer lawsuits. 

To break it down, Liu found that for every female board of director added to a company, there was a 1.5 decrease in lawsuit exposure which translates to around 3.1 million dollars in savings. 

“This can be attributed to 'diversity theory', which says that a group of people from more diverse backgrounds - gender, race etc. - tend to make better collective decisions, because they canvas a wider range of perspectives,” said Liu of her findings. “Having a range of perspectives can result in improved corporate environmental policy, which in turn can reduce exposure to environmental lawsuits.” 

Having a more gender diverse board or hiring more female CEOs also has a positive impact on the environment because studies have shown that women are more likely to seek outside advice and care about protecting and managing the environment. 

“Gender socialization and ethics theories suggest that girls are brought up to be more caring towards others which can enhance environmental decision-making in the boardroom,” said Liu.

The study shows that companies should continue to invest in and hire more diverse employees from a wide range of social and economic backgrounds. 

Liu also notes that the results may help persuade countries currently debating whether to implement mandatory boardroom gender quotas to pass those mandates. 

“With corporate environmental responsibility becoming a more important social issue, these findings can have significant implications for policymakers, investors, and managers,” said Liu. “Environmental violations not only have a significant impact on societies, but they can also cause devastating losses of shareholder value.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gender diverse boards make for greener companies

Having a diverse group of people on a board of...

Homelessness <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/homeless-program-saves-money/">takes a toll </a>on both mental health and wellbeing and for children, and these impacts can be devastating on early development. 

According to the <a href="http://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty.aspx">Americans Psychological Association</a>, homelessness affects physical and mental health, and being homeless at a young age increases the risk of depression, anxiety, malnutrition, and chronic illness. 

Homeless children are also twice as likely to develop a learning disability due to a lack of education or having education interrupted or delayed. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.bmc.org/programs/childrens-healthwatch">Children’s HealthWatch</a> found that being homeless during the pre or postnatal period or for more than six months correlated with the highest risk of negative health outcomes. 

The study was published in the journal Pediatrics. 

The researchers interviewed 20,000 low-income caregivers of children under the age of four. The participants had visited outpatient pediatric clinics in five cities across the U.S between 2009 and 2015. 

The team asked questions about how the children of the participants experienced homelessness and conducted an assessment of the children's’ health, previous hospitalizations, and development. 

Homelessness that lasted for more than six months had the most adverse effect on children and pre and postnatal homelessness also took a toll. 

The results show that the longer a child experiences homelessness during their most formative, early years, the higher the risks of health problems. 

“These findings back up what we already knew about how the stress of homelessness affects children's health,” said Megan Sandel, the lead investigator at Children's HealthWatch, “but this helps us determine which children are at greatest risk, and makes the argument that policymakers and providers need to intervene to change the trajectory of a child's development.”

The study also highlights the burden on healthcare that homeless children create because of the increased need for hospitalizations, healthcare, and interventions which just adds to the instability and strain on well-being for children and their families. 

Preventing or reducing child homelessness can start with pediatricians who might see warning signs when caring for children from unstable homes according to the study authors. 

“Interventions that prevent homelessness for families and pregnant women can be extremely effective, and with data on the housing status of our patients, we can better advocate for more resources to drive innovations in addressing housing instability,” said Deborah Frank, the senior author of the study. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The damaging impact of homelessness at a young age

Homelessness takes a toll on both mental health and wellbeing...

Today marks the launch of a novel study on the benefits of LSD microdosing, where participants will set up a placebo-controlled trial on their own and report back. 

It’s the first ever placebo-controlled trial of psychedelic microdosing, according to a new report from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/sep/01/first-ever-trials-on-the-effects-of-microdosing-lsd-set-to-begin">The Guardian</a>. 

The researchers hope that the results will give more scientific backing to the claims that microdosing can improve mood and focus without the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lsd-permanently-impact-personality/">mind-altering hallucinogenic effects</a> of a full dose.

Microdosing has been practiced since LSD was first synthesized in 1936, but lately it’s become popular in the California digital tech world, according to The Guardian.

Many employees in Silicon Valley report taking a small amount of LSD one or more times a week and this is said to improve focus, creativity and boost mood. 

It’s even been said that microdosing can treat depression, although there have been no formal studies to verify these claims. 

Microdosing and taking hallucinogens in general is also illegal, and so conducting a study on whether or not psychedelics in small doses is beneficial would be difficult, to say the least.  

Enter the <a href="http://beckleyfoundation.org/">Beckley Foundation</a> which is a UK based organization dedicated to studying psychoactive substances. 

The Beckley Foundation set up <a href="https://selfblinding-microdose.org/index.html">the placebo study </a>so that anyone who has had experience with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-brain-lsd-microdosing/">LSD</a> and psychedelics, particularly those who already microdose, can participate in the online trial. 

It will be a self-blinded study where participants will be asked to prepare a set of LSD microdosing tablets and an identical set of placebo tablets, and put the tablets in unmarked envelopes so that the participant will not know which they are taking. 

The study participants will also take part in games and tests online to test cognitive ability and the envelopes will be marked with QR codes so that only the research team will know which tablet is being taken. 

Because people who microdose are likely to have engaged in LSD and psychedelic drug activity before, the controlled placebo study will answer an important question. Is microdosing actually beneficial or are participants simply experiencing mood altering benefits based on their expectations of taking the drug? 

“The people who microdose right now are not an average random set of people from the street,” Balázs Szigeti, the study leader told The Guardian. “They are very likely to have used psychedelics before and have preconceptions about them. “You are doing something novel and exciting and that you believe in – and you know you are doing it. It is absolutely no surprise that you are getting a positive effect.”

What is especially interesting about the study is the self-blinded aspect. All of the work is being reporting back to the Beckley scientists online and there is a possibility that participants could misuse the self-blind system know which capsule they are taking. 

However, the researchers have hope that there is enough interest in the study that participants will stick to the guidelines and that the study will garner a larger sample size than ordinary clinical trials. 

The results are set to be published next year. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

First ever study launched to explore benefits of microdosing LSD

Today marks the launch of a novel study on the...

The <a href="https://www.rsph.org.uk/">Royal Society of Public Health</a> (RSPC) is warning that excessive social media engagement should be treated as a public health issue, just like drinking and smoking. RSPC has launched the initiative “Scroll Free September” to encourage people to cut back on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/social-media-beauty-standards/">social media</a>.

Thousands of people of all ages are expected to participate in the campaign,  with over 2,000 official pledges so far. The individuals have committed to give up the “Big 5” social media apps on September 1st, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube.

According to <a href="https://news.sky.com/">Sky News</a>, the campaign organizers predict tens to hundreds of thousands will participate in some way during the month of September.

The <a href="https://www.aap.org/">American Academy of Pediatrics</a> (AAP) has warned about some of the dangerous aspects of social media for children and adolescents such as cyberbullying and exposure to inappropriate content. A <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/4/800.full">clinical report</a> from the AAP also points to a new phenomenon referred to as “Facebook depression.”

“Acceptance by and contact with peers is an important element of adolescent life. The intensity of the online world is thought to be a factor that may trigger depression in some adolescents,” the report states. 

A growing collection of research has found that social media can be just as unhealthy for adults. Social media use has been linked to less life satisfaction, greater feelings of social isolation, and sleep disruption. Stress, anxiety, and lower self-esteem have also been reported among regular social media users.

RSPH Chief Executive Shirley Cramer explained that social media has great potential for positive impacts on health and wellbeing by connecting people in new ways. “However, as our #StatusOfMind report showed, for many of us, especially our young people, the overall impact on mental health and wellbeing may currently be a detrimental one.”

“Scroll Free September offers us all the opportunity to take back control of our relationship with social media, whether you choose to go cold turkey, or just abstain at social events or in the evening,” said Cramer.

“The aim is that by the end of the month, we will be able to reflect back on what we missed, what we didn’t, and what we got to enjoy instead of scrolling through our news feeds. That knowledge could help us build a healthier, more balanced relationship with social media in the future.”

You can find out more about Scroll Free September and sign up to participate at <a href="https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/scroll-free-september.html">https://www.rsph.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/scroll-free-september.html</a>.

--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

“Scroll Free September” asks people to cut back on social media

The Royal Society of Public Health (RSPC) is warning that...

A team of researchers at <a href="https://www.temple.edu/">Temple University</a> has used machine learning to analyze which factors play the biggest role in determining an individual's income potential. The study findings suggest that interventions to improve a person's ability to delay gratification could literally pay off.


While the best predictors were found to be <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/robots-influence-children-education/">education</a> and occupation, an individual's ability to delay instant gratification was also determined to play an important role in reaching a higher income status. 

Age, occupation, education, gender, ethnicity, and even height have all been found to contribute to how much a person will earn. There are also behavioral factors linked to income potential, including “delay discounting,” or how much a person discounts the value of future rewards compared to immediate ones.

According to study lead author Dr. William Hampton, traditional methods of data analysis have failed to clearly rank these factors and reveal which ones are more important than others.

“All sorts of things predict income. We knew that this behavioral variable, delay discounting, was also predictive - but we were really curious how it would stack up against more common-sense predictors like education and age,” said Dr. Hampton. 

“Using machine learning, our study was the first to create a validated rank ordering of age, occupation, education, geographic location, gender, race, ethnicity, height, age and delay discounting in income prediction.”

The study was focused on data from more than 2,500 diverse participants, which was split into a training set and a test set. The test set was used to check the accuracy of the model results produced by the training set. 

It came as no surprise that the models identified occupation and education as the best predictors of high income, followed by location and gender. Researchers were surprised, however, to find that delay discounting was the next best predictor - over age, race, ethnicity, or height.

“This was amazing because it allowed us to check our findings and replicate them, giving us much greater confidence that they were accurate,” said Dr. Hampton. 

“This is particularly important given the recent wave of findings across science that do not seem to replicate. Using this machine learning approach could lead to more research that replicates - and we hope this spurs the use of more sophisticated analytic approaches in general.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People who can delay instant gratification make more money

A team of researchers at Temple University has used machine...

After most major shooting incidents in the U.S., activists call for stricter gun control measures – but rarely see progress on legislation. The reason, a new study says, is because gun owners are more politically active than gun control advocates.

Gun owners make up for their smaller numbers by donating to campaigns and candidates, visiting the voting booths in higher numbers, and reaching out regularly to elected officials.

"Part of the reason majority opinions on gun control legislation aren't turning into policy is that gun owners are a very strong political group who hold a lot of weight and hold a lot of influence despite being a minority in American politics," Abbie Vegter, a graduate student in political science at the <a href="https://ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a>, said in a press release.

Vegter worked with political science professors Don Haider-Markel and Mark Joslyn at the university to look at the political activities and behaviors of gun owners compared to U.S. citizens who don’t own guns. They looked at political activity from donations to voting during presidential election years from 1972 to 2012.

They found that gun owners are more likely to donate, vote, and maintain contact with their political representatives during election years than non-gun owners. This may be one reason why gun control legislation rarely moves forward, even though studies show a <a href="http://time.com/5167216/americans-gun-control-support-poll-2018/">majority of Americans are in favor of stricter laws</a>.

The study also indicates that the <a href="https://home.nra.org/">National Rifle Association</a> may play a smaller role in influencing politics than gun owners as a whole.

"Only one in five gun owners belong to the NRA, so we think there is something else going on than just the NRA when it comes to mobilization," Vegter said.

The researchers believe that gun owners see that role as part of their political identity.

"Owning a gun for hunting doesn't necessarily mean being a hunter is a core part of your identity," Vegter said. "But owning a gun because you think it's an essential right guaranteed in the Constitution is more a part of your political identity. It's something more attached from the get-go to politics."

The study shows there is a lot to be learned about the influence of gun owners on political activity in the U.S., the researchers said. 

"There are a couple of lessons. For individuals, especially individual gun control advocates, in order to make a difference, you need to match this level of mobilization and participation," Vegter said. "There is also a lesson there for politicians who I think traditionally have not seen gun owners as a political group to be addressed."

The researchers plan to keep studying how gun rights activists influence U.S. politics, and how gun ownership plays a role in people’s identities.

The team will present "Motivated Voices: Gun Ownership and the Propensity for Political Participation" at today’s annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.apsanet.org/">American Political Science Association</a> in Boston.

—

By Kyla Cathey, Earth.com staff writer

Study: gun owners are more active in politics

After most major shooting incidents in the U.S., activists call...

A new study funded by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> (NSF) and the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/">U.S. Department of Energy</a> has revealed that future <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-unpredictable-2/">El Niño</a> and La Niña events will cause more intense impacts on land, including bigger precipitation and temperature changes as well as higher wildfire risk.

For example, the researchers found that the increased wildfire danger in the Southwest United States would become even more dangerous as a result of a La Niña event. On the other hand, wetter and cooler conditions in the same region would likely become even colder and wetter when associated with El Niño events.

Study lead author John Fasullo is a scientist at the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a> (NCAR).

“The cycling between El Niño and La Niña is responsible for some of the weather whiplash we get from year to year, particularly in the Western U.S.,” said Fasullo. “What we find when we look at model simulations of the future is that the whiplash is likely to get more severe.”

Study co-author Ming Cai is a program officer in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences.

‘These simulations show that the continuous rising of global mean temperature will leave regions of the U.S., including California, more vulnerable to severe droughts and widespread wildfires in the future, especially during La Niña years,” said Cai.

El Niño events are characterized by unseasonably warm surface water temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean, while the water in this region is cooler than usual during La Niña events.

These events can influence weather patterns across the planet, with far-reaching consequences such as changes in fire risk, crop yields, and energy demand. 

For their investigation, the researchers used two sets of simulations: one from the Community Earth System Model (CESM) and the other from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Earth System Model.


After the models were run dozens of times under various starting conditions, the scientists were able to recognize the impacts linked with El Niño and La Niña.


“We can't say from this study whether more or fewer El Niños will form in the future, or whether the El Niños that do form will be stronger or weaker,” said Fasullo. “But we can say that an El Niño that forms in the future is likely to have more influence over our weather than if the same El Niño formed today.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Erik A. Ellison, Wikimedia Commons

El Niño, La Niña will worsen the effects of intensifying weather

A new study funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)...

Thank you notes are one of the requirements of polite etiquette but actually getting around to writing them is often regarded as a chore. 

While some consider letter writing to be a dying art, new research shows that the simple act of writing a thank you note it can be beneficial both to the recipient and the writer. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas</a> conducted several experiments asking participants to write thank you letters to see how people perceive their own writing and how they think it will be received. 

The study was published in the journal Psychological Science. 

It turns out, we are likely to get hung up on our own phrasing and worry that our notes will not be received well, when in fact the opposite is true.

The researchers found that writing someone a note thanking them for doing something nice had a positive effect on both the writer and the reader. 

In the experiments, letter writers had a tendency to overestimate the way recipients would feel saying that they would feel much more awkward about getting a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brain-feel-gratitude/">thank you note</a> than they did. 

The letter writers also underestimated how positive and surprised the recipients would be about getting the note. 

“What we saw is that it only takes a couple of minutes to compose letters like these, thoughtful ones and sincere ones,” said Amit Kumar, the study’s lead author. “It comes at little cost, but the benefits are larger than people expect.”

The experiments showed that anxiety and worry about getting the phrasing right affected the letter writers. 

“When we're thinking about ourselves, we tend to think about how competent we are — are we going to be articulate in how we're expressing gratitude,” said Kumar.

The results of the study show that people are genuinely surprised and pleased when they receive unexpected thank you notes, and the benefits to both writer and recipient dictate that we should all engage in writing thank you letters more often.

--

By <a href="https://kaywritesstuff.com/">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: Thank you notes make both the sender and receiver happy

Thank you notes are one of the requirements of polite...

John Wesley Powell explored the Colorado River and Grand Canyon in one of the most stunning feats of European-American exploration in the US.  

In 1869, the Grand Canyon was terra incognito, especially to non-native Americans.  It was in this year that John Wesley Powell and nine men descended the canyon in four wooden boats.  The expedition descended 900 miles of the river, most of which was completely unknown to the expedition.  There was no one of telling whether there were waterfalls in narrow canyons or un-shootable rapids down river.  When Powell’s expedition put into the Colorado River, it was wholly wild. 

Despite the beautiful descriptions found in Powell’s writing, and despite the mythic names he placed on the land like ‘Bright Angel Creek’, or ‘Vulcan’s Throne’ and calling the Grand Canyon ‘library of the Gods’; John Wesley Powell came in the name of the federal government.  Powell’s famous expedition inevitably made development of the west possible, even if his specific recommendations have been largely ignored. In a way Powell’s exploration of the Grand Canyon ended an age of innocence in river descents. For those who follow Powell down rivers, there now always looms the possibility of a once wild river dammed into a Hell of tourists in house boats.

From 1956 to 1966, nearly 100 years after Powell’s audacious descent, the Glen Canyon Dam was built across the Colorado River.  Before Glen Canyon was flooded, the Colorado was already dammed. The Hoover Dam ushered in a new type of poverty under the guise of hydroelectric wealth to the American west.  Completed in 1936, the Hoover Dam killed 100 workers and flooded the Black Canyon of the Colorado (not to be confused with the Black Canyon of the Gunnison). It’s usually the Glen Canyon Dam, not the Hoover, that is remembered with pain by those clinging to visions of wild rivers and empty canyons.  Ever forgotten, the first dam on the Colorado River was Laguna Dam, built between 1903 and 1905 right after the Reclamation Act passed Congress in 1902. 

Dams have long been a sore spot for environmentalists.  Sometimes dams flood special places like Glen Canyon. Sometimes unique features disappear like the dinosaur footprints that march unknowingly into and beneath the waves of Lake Powell.  Dams displace people at times and can destroy plant life, archaeology, landscapes. Sometimes dams block important fish (or other animal) migrations.

Usually the damming of a river has a feel of finality about it.  A river dammed means an end of canyon exploration, of river running and a beginning of motor boats and paved campsites.  In the long run though, nothing is forever and Ed Abbey captured a bit of humor and long term optimism in a <a href="https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/edward-abbey-remarks-glen-canyon-dam-spring-equinox-1981">speech</a> he gave at the Glen Canyon Dam on the Spring Equinox of 1981:

“The good news I bring will certainly come to pass. The collapse of Glen Canyon Dam is as inevitable as the rising of the moon, or the revival of spring, or the flow of the river home to the sea. Let the engineers build fifty more dams between here and the Rockies, they can only retard, they cannot stop, the irresistible processes of erosion and renewal. The mountains and plateaus will continue to be uplifted, the rains and snows will fall, the waters will plunge downward back to their source, again and again and again.”

On human time scales though, probably most of us won’t be able to raft down an undammed Colorado River or explore the hidden secrets of Glen Canyon on foot.  On the scale of our lives, the Colorado River is dammed and the river one day shaking off its concrete shackles seems a distant fantasy. 

Besides the collapse of dams from natural processes, there is a beacon of hope.  Dam projects have slowed throughout the western US. <a href="https://www.americanrivers.org/2018/02/dam-removal-in-2017/">American Rivers</a> goes so far as to proclaim: 

“In the midst of all the challenges 2017 saw for rivers and clean water, it was a record year for removing outdated, unsafe dams!”

86 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hydropower-dams-andes-amazon/">dams</a> were torn down in 2017, beating the previous record of 78 dams being removed in 2014.  Dams were removed in 21 states, including the western states: Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.  Dams are expensive to maintain, dangerous as they age and are quickly becoming outdated as a source of energy. These are some of the reasons dams are starting to be removed in much of the US. 

Although dams are being decommissioned in some areas, many more are continuing to build them.  <a href="http://www.pbl.nl/en/infographic/plans-for-3700-new-dams">A study</a> from PBL, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, showed that globally there are plans for 3,700 new dams.  According to the study, if only economic ends were pursued and the dam potential of the world was fully exploited, 8 million people would potentially be displaced.  The study also states that there are currently 8600 large dams worldwide. 

According to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/31/opinion/the-price-of-damming-tibets-rivers.html">New York Times</a> article, in 2015, China had 26,000 major dams, more than the rest of the world combined.  Major dams have now been built in Tibet to benefit Chinese cities with more electricity.     

Ed Abbey once floated through Glen Canyon on the Colorado River with his friend, Ralph Newcomb before the infamous dam was built.  In a way floating any major river in the world is a quixotic act of defiance against industrial development.

Today there are rafting guiding organizations that specialize in guiding raft trips to river destined to be dammed in an attempt to raise awareness for the beauty and peril of wild rivers.  <a href="http://www.lastdescents.info/">Last Descents</a> is one such organization, working in China, the world’s most dam hungry country.  Last Descents seems hopeful, despite China continuing to develop hydroelectric plans, in the ‘About’ section of there website, they state the idea behind their project:

“We believe that the wild rivers of western China have an important role in the future of the rapidly developing nation. By bringing urban Chinese to these areas we hope to facilitate a positive exchange between the rivers and our guests.  The river is a place to slow down, to be with family, it is a place for children and adults to grow, learn, and reconnect with themselves. We engage our guests in discussing how these rivers can be protected for generations to come.”

<a href="http://www.sierrarios.org/">Sierra Rios</a> is another such organization, with a much broader geographic focus.  The list of places Sierra Rios now offers trips to is only in Peru and Mexico, members of the organization have created a <a href="https://mexicanwhitewater.org/">guidebook</a> to white water of Mexico.  <a href="https://vimeo.com/115319041">A short documentary</a> about the organization and a descent of Peru’s Rio Marañón was also made.

There’s no doubt that damming of the Rio Marañón, primary source of the legendary Amazon River (as planned) would be tragic.  There seems little evidence that no matter how well intentioned, organizations bringing people to raft rivers have any real political power.  A descent down a river may change your life; rivers probably profoundly influenced lives of Ed Abbey and John Wesley Powell. But Abbey and not even Powell could stop rivers from being tamed.  Dams have been built. Is a last trip down a river slated for damming political activism or is it simply a sad goodbye? In the end, Abbey’s right; we may not be able to stop dams from being built but in the end, engineers can’t make them stand forever either.                    

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Last descents: Dams flood some of nature’s most special places

John Wesley Powell explored the Colorado River and Grand Canyon...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common problems facing men over the age of 40, with previous research showing that ED affects <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8254833">52 percent of men ages 40 to 70</a>. 

While there are several popular drugs available to combat ED, a new study has found that a simple diet change could be the best way to treat ED and improve cardiovascular health. 

A study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://en.uoa.gr/">University of Athens</a> that found the Mediterranean diet, specifically consuming more olive oil, could reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction. 

670 men with an average age of 67 from the Island of Ikaria in Greece were surveyed for the study. 

The researchers found that eating a healthy diet of vegetables, fruit, fish and nine tablespoons of olive oil every week decreased the risk of the erectile dysfunction by 40 percent. 

Previous studies on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-diet-healthier-aging/">Mediterranean diet</a> have found that it can improve heart health, reduce the risk of many cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, and even Alzheimer's, as well as increasing longevity. 

Because of the effects of olive oil and a balanced diet on cardiovascular health, the researchers of this latest study theorize that the diet also allows for optimal blood flow through the body and to the groin for men. 

“What we found here is that the Med diet has a positive effect on aortic dilatation,” Christina Chrysohoou, the study’s lead author, told the <a href="https://dailym.ai/2LFsP0x">Daily Mail</a>. “It keeps your blood vessels healthy and helps men maintain sexual function. And of all of the components of the Med diet, it is the olive oil that has a specific effect on aortic dilatation and sexual function as well.”

The researchers found that among the 670 men who participated in the study, only 20 percent had erectile dysfunction which is well below the typical average. 

Chrysohoou also pointed out that even though Viagra is a popular treatment for ED, it is not a cure and the effects are short term. Viagra has also been <a href="https://www.viagra.com/learning/what-are-possible-side-effects">linked</a> to permanent damage for erections that last more than four hours if not properly treated, loss of vision, and in some rare cases, death. 


This study shows that making a few simple diet changes could not only improve sexual health but also has long-lasting positive impacts on cardiovascular health and wellbeing. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mediterranean diet may be the key to sex later in life

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common problems...

The smartphone has become an essential tool for navigating everyday life, but it also contains some of the rarest elements on Earth to make it work. 

Mining for these precious metals creates huge quantities of toxic waste, and the serious environmental impacts of smartphones may not be something that most people consider when they flock to buy the latest model from Apple or Samsung. 

A new report in <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-ways-making-a-smartphone-can-harm-the-environment-102148">The Conversation</a> examines the harm that smartphone mining has on the environment and how it unfairly impacts people living near major mining operations in China, Africa, Russia, Brazil and Australia. 

As smartphones continue to become more and more accessible, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smartphone-harmful-environment/">their toll on the environment</a> will also grow.  

In their piece for The Conversation, researchers Patrick Byrne and Karen Hudson-Edwards highlighted the negative impacts of toxic waste spills from mining and the effects on the ecosystem that smartphone production causes. 

The biggest issues can be traced back to the mining operations for the rare and precious metals that are needed to make smartphones work.

Gold, iron, aluminum, copper, and lesser-known praseodymium are the elements that help make phone displays so colorful, glass screens crack resistant, and the metal frames so lightweight.  

Iron, aluminum, and copper mining create tons of solid and liquid waste (called mine tailings) which are contained in huge structures, but sometimes dam failures and devastating spills occur. 

In 2015, a dam collapse released 33 million cubic meters of iron ore mine tailings in Brazil. The collapse killed 19 people and the toxic waste later flowed into the Atlantic Ocean. 

“Recent catastrophic mine tailings spills highlight the danger of improper construction methods and lax safety monitoring,” Byrne and Hudson-Edwards wrote. “One thing is clear though – as our thirst for technology increases, mine tailings dams are increasing in number and size, and so is their risk of failure.” 

Gold and tin mining have largely contributed to deforestation in the Amazon and mining not only degrades important habitats, but toxic waste from mining like mercury can end up in drinking water and in fish. 

Mining for tin-rich sand has also destroyed coral reef ecosystems near Indonesia. 

However, all this pales in comparison to the pollution and waste created from mining rare earth elements in China, Russia, and Australia. 

In China, you will find a huge dumping ground for the toxic waste created from these sort of mining operations called the “World's tech waste lake.” 

Byrne and Hudson-Edwards say that although companies are working to improve their mining methods, in order to prevent mine tailing spills and further damage to the environment, both consumers and manufacturers need to be more aware of the environmental impacts of the technology that runs our lives. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Smartphone manufacturing is brutal on the environment

The smartphone has become an essential tool for navigating everyday...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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