Loneliness and social isolation are more than just feelings - they're silent threats to our health.



A recent study from researchers at the University of Cambridge and Fudan University reveals a direct link between our social lives and the proteins in our blood, shedding light on why staying connected may protect against serious illnesses. 



Published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, the study analyzed blood samples from over 42,000 adults in the UK Biobank.



Dr. Chun Shen, a researcher in Cambridge’s Department of Clinical Neurosciences, is the study's lead author.



"We know that social isolation and loneliness are linked to poorer health, but we've never understood why. Our work has highlighted a number of proteins that play a key role in this relationship," explained Dr. Shen. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-loneliness-and-isolation-matter">Why loneliness and isolation matter</h2>



Loneliness and social isolation impact health differently. Isolation is an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loneliness-disrupts-college-students-sleep-more-than-screen-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">objective condition</a> - living alone or rarely interacting socially.



Loneliness, however, is subjective and hinges on an individual’s sense of connection. Both states have been linked to chronic conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, but the biological mechanisms behind these links remained elusive until now.



The study's approach was innovative: researchers analyzed "proteomes," or the collection of proteins in the bloodstream, to identify changes associated with social factors. 



Proteins, which govern critical functions in the body, often serve as indicators of health and potential drug targets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proteins-link-loneliness-to-poor-health">Proteins link loneliness to poor health</h2>



The study identified 175 proteins associated with social isolation and 26 linked to loneliness, with substantial overlap between the two. 



Many of these proteins are tied to inflammation, immune responses, and conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The team used Mendelian randomization, a robust statistical method, to confirm causal links between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loneliness-drops-in-middle-adulthood-but-then-grows-with-age/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">loneliness</a> and specific proteins.



One standout protein was ADM (adrenomedullin), which regulates stress responses and influences oxytocin - a hormone known to reduce stress and enhance mood.



“Levels of some proteins, including ADM, increase as a direct consequence of loneliness,” said Dr. Shen. 



High ADM levels were linked to structural changes in the brain’s insula and caudate regions, essential for emotional and social processing, and were associated with a higher risk of early death.



Other proteins, such as ASGR1, were linked to cholesterol regulation and cardiovascular risk. Several proteins played roles in insulin resistance, arterial health, and even cancer progression. These findings highlight the far-reaching effects of social isolation on physical health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-social-bonds-protect-health">Why social bonds protect health</h2>



"AI and high-throughput proteomics can pinpoint key proteins in preventing and diagnosing diseases, revolutionizing our understanding of health," noted Professor Jianfeng Feng from the <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Warwick</a>.



The connection between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loneliness-harms-health-more-than-alcohol-obesity-or-smoking/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social relationships and health</a> isn’t new. However, this study offers unprecedented insight into the biological pathways at play. 



It highlights how proteins, as mediators of biological processes, may bridge the gap between social experiences and physical outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cost-of-social-isolation-and-loneliness">Cost of social isolation and loneliness </h2>



The findings come at a critical time. Professor Barbara Sahakian from Cambridge’s <a href="https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/departments/cvpc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of Psychiatry</a> noted that more and more people - of all ages - are reporting feeling lonely.



"That’s why the <a href="https://www.who.int" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a> describes social isolation and loneliness as a ‘global public health concern,’" said Professor Sahakian. 



The urgency is clear: without intervention, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loneliness-causes-people-to-have-more-nightmares/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ripple effects of loneliness</a> may strain individuals and healthcare systems alike.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moving-forward-what-can-we-do">Moving forward: What can we do?</h2>



So, how do we tackle this pressing issue? Solutions must address both personal and societal levels. Promoting social activities, community engagement, and using technology to connect isolated individuals are vital.



Policymakers and healthcare providers must collaborate to create environments that encourage social bonding.



Dr. Shen’s team also calls for more research into targeted therapies. The proteins identified could pave the way for treatments that mitigate the impact of loneliness on the body. By developing interventions that focus on these biological markers, we may help those most at risk.



The evidence is clear: our social lives profoundly influence our physical health. This study doesn’t just illuminate the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loneliness-impairs-memory-in-older-adults/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biological roots</a> of loneliness - it also challenges us to rethink how we value relationships.



As the world grapples with increasing isolation and loneliness, these findings serve as a timely reminder of the power of social connection.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-024-02078-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Human Behaviour</a>.



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Social isolation and loneliness trigger changes in blood proteins

Loneliness and social isolation are more than just feelings - they're silent threats to our health. A recent study from researchers at the University of Cambridge and Fudan University reveals a direct link between our social lives and the proteins in our blood, shedding light on why staying connected may protect against serious illnesses. Published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, the study analyzed blood samples from over 42,000 adults in the UK Biobank. Dr. Chun Shen, a researcher in Cambridge’s Department of Clinical Neurosciences, is the...

Experts weigh in on what makes people become hangry. A new study from the <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a> describes the factors that contribute to the transition between feeling hungry and feeling hangry. The experts have found that this combination of hunger and anger likely results from a complicated emotional response that involves personality, biology, and emotional cues.

Study lead author Jennifer MacCormack is a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the <a href="https://www.unc.edu/">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill</a>.

“We all know that hunger can sometimes affect our emotions and perceptions of the world around us, but it's only recently that the expression hangry, meaning bad-tempered or irritable because of hunger, was accepted by the Oxford Dictionary,” said MacCormack.

“The purpose of our research is to better understand the psychological mechanisms of hunger-induced emotional states - in this case, how someone becomes hangry.”

MacCormack explained that, when a person is hungry, context and self-awareness are the two key factors that determine if hunger will lead to negativity.

“You don't just become hungry and start lashing out at the universe,”  said study co-author Dr. Kristen Lindquist. “We've felt hungry, recognized the unpleasantness as hunger, had a sandwich and felt better. We find that feeling hangry happens when you feel unpleasantness due to hunger but interpret those feelings as strong emotions about other people or the situation you're in.”


The researchers conducted two experiments online that were focused on over 400 American participants. The individuals were presented with images that were designed to promote positive, negative, or neutral feelings.

Next, the individuals were shown an ambiguous image, a Chinese pictograph, and asked to rate the pictograph on a seven-point scale from pleasant to unpleasant. Participants were also asked to report how hungry they felt.

The hungrier participants were found to be much more likely to rate ambiguous Chinese pictographs as negative, but only after viewing a negative image beforehand. 

“The idea here is that the negative images provided a context for people to interpret their hunger feelings as meaning the pictographs were unpleasant,” explained MacCormack. “So there seems to be something special about unpleasant situations that makes people draw on their hunger feelings more than, say, in pleasant or neutral situations.”

It is not only environmental cues that influence whether someone goes from hungry to hangry. According to MacCormack, an individual's level of self-awareness also plays a role. In other words, people who are more aware that their hunger is taking control of their emotions are less likely to become hangry.

“A well-known commercial once said, ‘You're not you when you're hungry,’ but our data hint that by simply taking a step back from the present situation and recognizing how you're feeling, you can still be you even when hungry,” said MacCormack. She also noted that the research highlights the strong connection between the body and mind.

“Our bodies play a powerful role in shaping our moment-to-moment experiences, perceptions and behaviors - whether we are hungry versus full, tired versus rested or sick versus healthy.” 

“This means that it's important to take care of our bodies, to pay attention to those bodily signals and not discount them, because they matter not just for our long term mental health, but also for the day-to-day quality of our psychological experiences, social relationships and work performance.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/emo/">Emotion</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts weigh in on what makes people become hangry

Experts weigh in on what makes people become hangry. A...

Mangoes are good for heart health, new research shows. According to experts at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a>, a daily dose of mangoes has a positive influence on cardiovascular and digestive health among women. In as little as two hours, mango consumption helped to relax blood vessels, while some women showed improvements in gut health as well.

“This is the first study to demonstrate positive vascular effects of mango intake in humans,” said lead researcher Robert Hackman. “Our results build on previous animal and cell studies that point to the potential benefits of mangos to promote health.” Mangoes are good for heart health, new research shows

Mangos contain mangiferin, quercetin, gallotannins, and gallic acid - a mix of polyphenols that have been the focus of previous investigations on the protective properties of mangoes. 


In the current study, 24 healthy postmenopausal women added two cups of honey mango to their daily diet for two weeks. After this phase of the trial, the study participants resumed their normal diets and eliminated mangoes for 13 days.


Blood pressure measurements revealed that systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly lower two hours after mango intake compared to baseline values.

Systolic blood pressure, the upper number in blood pressure readings, indicates how much pressure that blood is exerting against the artery walls. Pulse pressure is the difference between the systolic and diastolic numbers, which can be used as an indicator of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loneliness-is-literally-bad-for-the-heart-doubles-mortality-risk/">heart health.</a>

Breath levels of hydrogen and methane were also measured, which represent the amount of these gases that were produced in the intestinal tract due to microbial fermentation. Some study participants  showed a significant reduction in the production of methane after consuming mango, which is considered a favorable outcome for gut health.


Further studies among additional population groups may confirm that this heart-healthy fruit plays a role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

The research was presented at the annual meeting of the <a href="https://nutrition.org/">American Society for Nutrition</a> (Nutrition 2018) and was published in the <a href="https://www.fasebj.org/">FASEB Journal</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: <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>

Mangoes are good for heart health, new research shows

Mangoes are good for heart health, new research shows. According...

Food at work is usually unhealthy, contributes to bad habits. A new study has found that the foods commonly available in workplaces across the United States contain high amounts of sodium and low amounts of grains and fruit. The findings suggest that workplaces are contributing to the national issue of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-sweeteners-obesity-diabetes/">bad eating habits</a>.

Stephen Onufrak ia an epidemiologist in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity at the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/index.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>.Food at work is usually unhealthy, contributes to bad habits

“To our knowledge, this is the first national study to look at the food people get at work,” said Onufrak. “Our results suggest that the foods people get from work do not align well with the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.”

The study was focused on data from the US Department of Agriculture Food Acquisition and Purchasing Survey (FoodAPS), involving more than 5,000 American employees.

The researchers analyzed the food and beverages available in workplace vending machines, cafeterias, in common areas, and at meetings or work-related social events.

Almost 25 percent of study participants reported eating food from work at least once a week, and the average weekly calories obtained from these foods was around 1,300. The food tended to be high in empty calories from solid fats or added sugars. Overall, more than 70 percent of the empty calories were from food that was made available by employers for free.

According to the researchers, employers could help their employees eat better at work by using worksite wellness programs to promote healthy options that are also appealing. In addition, employers could regulate foods in cafeterias or vending machines, supplying only those that follow nutritional guidelines.

“Since we found that a lot of the foods obtained by employees were free, employers may also want to consider healthy meeting policies to encourage healthy food options at meetings and social events,” said Onufrak.

The researchers are currently examining the specific foods commonly purchased from vending machines and cafeterias in the workplace.

“Worksite wellness programs have the potential to reach millions of working Americans and have been shown to be effective at changing health behaviors among employees, reducing employee absenteeism and reducing health care costs,” said Onufrak. “We hope that the results of our research will help increase healthy food options at worksites in the US.”

The preliminary findings, which have not yet undergone the peer-review process, will be presented by Onufrak at <a href="https://meeting.nutrition.org/">Nutrition 2018</a>, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.
--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Food at work is usually unhealthy, contributes to bad habits

Food at work is usually unhealthy, contributes to bad habits....

Meat and seafood production have a high environmental cost.  Researchers have taken a comprehensive approach to evaluating the environmental impacts of different types of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-higher-methane-emissions/">animal production</a>. Overall, they found that the production of beef and farmed catfish have the greatest impacts, while wild-caught fish and the farming of mollusks have the least environmental impacts.

Study lead author Ray Hilborn is a professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>.

“From the consumer's standpoint, choice matters,” said Professor Hilborn. “If you're an environmentalist, what you eat makes a difference. We found there are obvious good choices, and really obvious bad choices.”


For their analysis, the experts reviewed hundreds of assessments focused on different types of animal protein production. Also known as a “cradle-to-grave” analysis, the assessments accounted for the environmental impacts generated by every stage of a product's life.

The researchers used four metrics to compare the effects of various animal production methods including aquaculture, livestock farming, and seafood caught in the wild. The experts accounted for energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, the potential to release excess nutrients, and the potential to contribute to acid rain.Meat and seafood production have a high environmental cost


The results of the analysis clearly showed that the lowest environmental impacts across all measures were generated by farmed shellfish; capture fisheries such as sardines, mackerel, and herring; and mollusks, such as oysters and scallops. 


The research also clearly identified the range of environmental consequences associated with various production practices, and the differences were striking.

Overall, catfish aquaculture and beef production result in 20 times more greenhouse gases than farmed mollusks, small capture fisheries, or farmed salmon and chicken. 

Farmed catfish, shrimp, and tilapia used the most energy, primarily for the constant water circulation required for these systems.


Regarding excess nutrients, capture fisheries consistently scored the best because no fertilizer is used. Mollusk aquaculture actually absorbs excess nutrients that are harmful to ecosystems, while livestock and beef production rated poorly in this measure.

Livestock emit methane in their manure, giving them a poor score in the acid rain category. Farmed mollusks were rated the highest again, with small capture fisheries and salmon aquaculture scoring very high as well.


“I think this is one of the most important things I've ever done,” said Professor Hilborn said. “Policymakers need to be able to say, ‘There are certain food production types we need to encourage, and others we should discourage.’”

The researchers advise that consumers must decide what environmental impacts are the most important to them while making their food selections.


The research is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15409309/">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Meat and seafood production have a high environmental cost

Meat and seafood production have a high environmental cost.  Researchers...

U.S. toddlers eat too much added sugar, and it could harm their health. Look at an average American toddler’s diet, and you’ll find added sugar, a new study found – sometimes more of the sweet stuff than even their parents should be eating.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Kirsten Herrick, an epidemiologist with the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>, recently studied the diets of more than 800 toddlers between 6 and 23 months old. They found that 99 percent of them consumed more than 7 teaspoons of added sugar on an average day – about the same as a full-sized candy bar. 

"This is the first time we have looked at added sugar consumption among children less than 2 years old," Herrick said. "Our results show that added sugar consumption begins early in life and exceeds current recommendations.”

Another 60 percent of the children were getting extra sugar in their diet before they were a year old. 

The researchers got the data from the 2011-2014 <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm">National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey</a>. In the survey, parents were asked to track everything their children ate in a 24-hour period. 

Researchers cataloged food items that contained extra cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey and other sugars. Artificial sweeteners with zero calories and natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables and milk weren’t included.

While the body processes natural and added sugars in the same way, added sugar raises concerns among nutritionists because it often replaces necessary nutrients in the diet. It has been linked to higher rates of obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure, along with dental cavities.

Eating foods with these extra sugars as a young child can influence diet choices later in life, researchers said.

"The easiest way to reduce added sugars in your own diet and your kids' diet is to choose foods that you know don't have them, like fresh fruits and vegetables," Herrick said.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

U.S. toddlers eat too much added sugar, and it could harm their health

U.S. toddlers eat too much added sugar, and it could...

Over half of U.S. households have gotten rid of their landlines. Landlines are quickly becoming a thing of the past, as a new report has found that 53.9 percent of all households in the United States are landline free. 

The decline in landline use is not surprising as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smartphones-drive-carbon-emissions/">smartphones</a> have become such an integral part of our daily lives and are so readily available. 

Swapping a smartphone where you communicate on the go for a landline where you can only get calls at home, just makes sense in today’s digital, wireless, connected world. 

The report on landline use was compiled by researchers from the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm">National Center for Health Statistics</a>  and part of the research included a survey of landline use. 

In 2006, landlines were still very much a common part of most households and a little under 16 percent of survey respondents said they didn’t have a landline at that time.

Now, though a little over 50 percent of American households are landline free and that number is projected to increase. 

“There are countries in Europe where 80 to 90% of households are wireless only, so this trend could continue for some time,” Stephen J. Blumberg, one of the researchers who compiled the NCHS report, told the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-landline-cellphone-20180606-story.html">Los Angeles Times</a>. 

The report discovered that landlines used to be associated with adulthood and homeownership, but now smartphones, although less dependable than landlines, just offer so many more features that landlines pale in comparison. 

Smartphone use, though, also correlated with an increase in risky behavior, and the researchers found that people who only have cell phones are more likely to binge drink, smoke, and drive without seatbelts. 

More research is required to understand why there’s a connection between risky behavior and cellphone use, however what can’t be denied is that smartphones are quickly replacing landlines.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Over half of U.S. households have gotten rid of their landlines

Over half of U.S. households have gotten rid of their...

The latest foods found to help fight off diseases.  This year's annual meeting of the <a href="https://nutrition.org/">American Society for Nutrition</a>, Nutrition 2018, will feature the latest scientific discoveries on foods that can help lower the risk of health issues such as diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Shirin Pourafshar of the <a href="http://www.virginia.edu/">University of Virginia</a> will present research that demonstrates a link between eggs and a lower risk of diabetes. 

The 12-week investigation was focused on individuals with type-2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Study participants who ate an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eggs-high-iq-babies/">egg</a> each day showed greater improvements in fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance compared to those who ate an egg substitute. 

Diane L. McKay of <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a> will introduce research that suggests a daily diet of pecans lowers cardiometabolic risk factors. 

For the investigation, overweight adults aged 45 and older added 1.5 ounces of whole pecans to their diet every day for four weeks. The researchers found positive changes across cardiometabolic risk factors, including blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and insulin-producing cell function.

Yumie Takata of <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>  will present a review of dairy products that may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

The study was focused on 101,677 adults between the ages 54 and 83. The experts found that individuals who consumed low-fat or cultured dairy products such as yogurt had the lowest risk for developing colorectal cancer.

Puja Agarwal of <a href="https://www.rush.edu/">Rush University Medical Center</a> will present evidence that vegetables and berries help to reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease.

The follow-up study was focused on over 700 participants for an average of 4.6 years. The analysis revealed that eating more berries and vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables, may reduce the risk of Parkinson's or slow its progression in older patients.

Gaoxing Ma of the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts, Amherst</a> will discuss research that shows how components of edible mushrooms fight inflammation.

The team's analysis of two polysaccharides from the edible mushroom Pleurotus eryngii provided evidence that the carbohydrates can inhibit inflammatory responses. The study is the first to demonstrate the potential of these complex carbohydrates, PPEP-1 and PPEP-2, as dietary supplements.

Emily Hu of the <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/">Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</a> will present a study that suggests coffee is beneficial to the liver.

The investigation revealed that participants who drank three or more cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of liver-related hospitalizations compared to those who never drank coffee. The results indicate that coffee drinkers may have a lower risk for liver disease.

The findings of all of the mentioned studies are considered to be preliminary, as they have not yet undergone the peer review process.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The latest foods found to help fight off diseases

The latest foods found to help fight off diseases.  This...

Vegetarian diet serves up a host of health benefits, research shows.  Bad news for meat lovers who want to eat healthier meals. A vegetarian diet – especially one that relies on high-quality foods – is linked to a host of health benefits, new research shows.

A collection of reports on the perks of a plant-based diet will be presented at Nutrition 2018, the first flagship meeting for the <a href="https://nutrition.org/">American Society for Nutrition</a>, held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston from June 9 to 12. 

Among the posters, papers and presentations:
<ul>
 	<li>Getting protein from plants rather than animals is linked to a lower risk of coronary heart disease. A study of 6,000 people in the Netherlands over 13 years found that those who are more plant protein and avoided animal-derived protein had a lower risk of heart disease. Kim V.E. Braun of <a href="https://www.erasmusmc.nl/?lang=en">Erasmus University Medical Center</a> will share a poster presenting the study’s findings from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday in the convention center auditorium. Vegetarian diet serves up a host of health benefits, research shows</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<ul>
 	<li>Choosing better-quality, plant-based foods is associated with a lower risk of death. Fang Fang Zheng of <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a> will present a study of nearly 30,000 U.S. adults that found the quality of the food people eat may affect the lifespan. Those who chose higher quality plant-based foods saw a 30-percent lower mortality rate, while quality of animal-derived food didn’t seem to affect mortality, the study found. The presentation will be held from 8 to 8:15 a.m. Monday in Room 311 of the convention center.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Eating a healthy, vegetarian diet is linked to healthy weight. A study of more than 125,000 adults over four years found that eating a plant-based diet made up of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts was associated with less weight gain, according to Ambika Satija of the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health</a>. Unhealthy plant-based foods, like fries and refined grains, were connected to weight gain, the study found. It will be presented from 4:45 to 5 p.m. Sunday in Room 209 of the convention center.</li>
</ul>
Other posters and presentations will share how a plant-based diet appeared to reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes among South Asians living in the U.S., how vegetarian diets are associated with a lower risk of plaque in the arteries in a Brazilian study, and more.

The findings are preliminary, and the abstracts selected didn’t go through the same peer-review process that most scientific journals provide, the organizers noted. Still, the new research backs up dozens of similar studies in recent years. Over the past few months, studies have found vegetarian diets to be <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vegetarian-diet-most-affordable/">healthy and affordable</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organic-diet-beneficial-environment/">better for the environment</a> – at least, when diners choose organic and whole foods rather than sweets and processed food items.

Founded in 1928, the American Society for Nutrition publishes four peer-reviewed journals each year, brings together nutritional researchers, medical professionals and other leaders, and provides education and professional development opportunities.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Vegetarian diet serves up a host of health benefits, research shows

Vegetarian diet serves up a host of health benefits, research...

Thinking twice about your grocery shopping can reduce emissions. Eating less red meat is often cited as one of the many ways people can reduce their carbon footprints and help decrease the world’s carbon emissions. 

As we’ve reported, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meat-consumption-climate-change/">methane from cows and the emissions from the beef industry</a>, from raising livestock to processing meat, are a major source of greenhouse gases. 

However, what is less understood is how dietary changes and purchasing low carbon food choices can reduce emissions and help mitigate climate change. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.uconnruddcenter.org/">UConn Rudd Center</a>, <a href="http://www.zwickcenter.uconn.edu/">the Zwick Center</a>, <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a>, the <a href="https://missouri.edu/">University of Missouri</a>, and the <a href="https://www.ers.usda.gov/">U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service</a> sought to correct this and conducted an in-depth investigation into how food purchases impact carbon emissions.  

The results, published in the journal Food Policy, provide one of the most comprehensive estimates of greenhouse gas emissions generated by food purchases from U.S consumers.

The study found that purchasing and consuming less meat could have a significant impact on reducing emissions.

In the United States, food purchases accounted for 16 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2013, whereas commercial and residential activity only accounted for 12 percent of US carbon emissions. 

“We found that households that spend more of their weekly food budget on beef, chicken, pork and other meats are generating more greenhouse gas emissions. Our study shows that encouraging consumers to make food choices that are lower in greenhouse gas emissions can make a real difference addressing climate change,” said Rebecca Boehm, the study's lead author. 

The researchers collected data on food purchases in the United States and used this to calculate greenhouse gas emissions from every stage of food production and distribution. 

After completing their calculations, the researchers found that meat industries produce the largest amount of emissions compared to other food production.  However, even though beef, pork, and other red meat generated 21 percent of emissions from grocery spending, dairy products only accounted for seven percent. 

Those households that had the highest amount of greenhouse gas emissions from food purchases also had more resources and higher incomes. 

“It's striking that many of the opportunities for environmentally-friendly dietary changes are with the households that have the most resources,” said Sean B. Cash, senior author of the study. “Changes in food consumption in these households could reduce greenhouse gases by a disproportionate amount.”

The study shows how food purchases, distribution, and production impact greenhouse gas emissions and shows that reducing red meat consumption is an easy way to lower a household’s carbon footprint. 

“For the first time, our study shows the association between the greenhouse gas emissions generated by the food system, household food spending patterns, and sociodemographic characteristics,” said Boehm. “These findings can inform the debate on which diets and food spending patterns can best mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from the food system while informing educational efforts to encourage low-carbon diets among the U.S. population.”Thinking twice about your grocery shopping can reduce emissions

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Thinking twice about your grocery shopping can reduce emissions

Thinking twice about your grocery shopping can reduce emissions. Eating...

It’s a common misconception that you’re more likely to get sick on an <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/airplane-contrails-florida-georgia/">airplane</a> because of the cramped quarters full of germs and being in such close proximity with others for long periods of time. 

However, a new study conducted by researchers from<a href="http://www.gatech.edu/"> Georgia Tech</a> and <a href="http://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a> found that airplanes contain the same kinds of microbiomes, or communities of bacteria, that are found in homes and offices. 

“Airline passengers should not be frightened by sensational stories about germs on a plane,” Vicki Stover Hertzberg, a co-author of the study, told<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5818375/Airplane-germs-like-founds-homes-offices-researchers-find.html"> the Daily Mail</a>. “They should recognize that microbes are everywhere and that an airplane is no better and no worse than an office building, a subway car, home or a classroom. These environments all have microbiomes that look like places occupied by people.”

Samples of bacteria were collected from tray tables, seat-belt buckles, and bathroom doors before and after ten transcontinental flights for the study. The researchers also tested the air in the rear of the cabin during the flights. 

Once the samples were collected, advanced sequencing technology was used to study the bacteria and what kind of microbiomes were contained within airplane cabins. 

“What we found was bacterial communities that were mostly derived from human skin, the human mouth – and some environmental bacteria,” Howard Weiss, the study's corresponding author, told the Daily Mail. 

The bacteria present varied from flight to flight and each plane had its own unique community of bacteria, but the number of bacteria or kinds of bacteria was no different than other environments where people are present. 

“The finding that airplanes have their own unique microbiome should not be totally surprising since we have been exploring the unique microbiome of everything from humans to spacecraft to salt ponds in Australia,” said Christopher Dupont, a fellow co-author of the study. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Airplanes don’t carry more germs as our homes and offices

It’s a common misconception that you’re more likely to get...

Loneliness is literally bad for the heart, doubles mortality risk.  New research from the <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society Of Cardiology</a> has found that loneliness is bad for the heart and overall well-being. Feelings of loneliness were found to be a stronger predictor of premature death than living alone in both men and women.

Study co-author Anne Vinggaard Christensen is a PhD student at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_University_Hospital">Copenhagen University Hospital</a> in Denmark.

“Loneliness is more common today than ever before, and more people live alone,” said Vinggaard Christensen. “Previous research has shown that loneliness and social isolation are linked with coronary heart disease and stroke, but this has not been investigated in patients with different types of cardiovascular disease.” Loneliness is literally bad for the heart, doubles mortality risk

The investigation was focused on 13,463 patients with ischaemic heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, or heart valve disease.

The researchers analyzed social support using data from the DenHeart survey, which was conducted as patients were discharged from heart centers in Denmark. The individuals reported on topics such as whether or not they lived alone, felt lonesome, or had someone to talk to when needed.

“It was important to collect information on both, since people may live alone but not feel lonely while others cohabit but do feel lonely,” explained Vinggaard Christensen.


Regardless of factors including body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, age, and type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/egg-heart-disease/">heart disease</a>, loneliness correlated with poor health outcomes in all patients.

Overall, loneliness doubled mortality risk in women and nearly doubled mortality risk in men. Patients who felt lonely were three times more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, and had a significantly lower quality of life than those who did not feel lonely.

“Loneliness is a strong predictor of premature death, worse mental health, and lower quality of life in patients with cardiovascular disease, and a much stronger predictor than living alone, in both men and women,” said Vinggaard Christensen.

She also noted that people with poor social support may be more prone to health complications because they are less compliant with treatment, more affected by stressful events, and their lifestyles are less healthy.

“We adjusted for lifestyle behaviors and many other factors in our analysis, and still found that loneliness is bad for health,” said Vinggaard Christensen.

“We live in a time when loneliness is more present and health providers should take this into account when assessing risk. Our study shows that asking two questions about social support provides a lot of information about the likelihood of having poor health outcomes.”

The research was presented at <a href="https://www.escardio.org/Congresses-%26-Events/EuroHeartCare">EuroHeartCare 2018</a>, the European Society of Cardiology's annual nursing congress.

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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

Loneliness is literally bad for the heart, doubles mortality risk

Loneliness is literally bad for the heart, doubles mortality risk. ...

A team from the <a href="https://www.ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a> (KU) has investigated the "Speech-to-Song Illusion,” which is when a spoken phrase is repeated so many times that it begins to sound as if it were being sung.

Study lead author Professor Michael Vitevitch conducted the study with student researchers in the KU Department of Psychology's Spoken Language Laboratory.

“There's this neat auditory illusion called the Speech-to-Song Illusion that musicians in the '60s knew about and used to artistic effect - but scientists didn't start investigating it until the '90s,” said Professor Vitevitch. “The illusion occurs when a spoken phrase is repeated, but after it's repeated several times it begins to sound like it's being sung instead of spoken."

Professor Vitevitch explained that researchers have previously looked at different characteristics of phrases that may contribute to the misinterpretation, and have analyzed the illusion in speakers of English, German, and Mandarin.

Further studies have demonstrated that brain regions involved in speech processing are active when a phrase is perceived as speech, while brain regions involved in processing music become active when the phrase is heard as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-influences-social-connections/">song</a>.

“But nobody had a good explanation about how this illusion was coming about in the first place,” said Professor Vitevitch. “A lot of the researchers who looked at this were music-perception scientists, but there weren't a lot of people coming at it from the speech-and-language side. I'm one of the few speech people that started looking at this. I brought some of these models of how language processing works to see if that might explain what's going on with this illusion.”

The research team designed six studies to test if a model of language processing known as Node Structure Theory might also be responsible for the Speech-to-Song Illusion. Under this theory, word nodes and syllable nodes act as “detectors” when people hear syllables, words, and phrases.

“You've got word detectors and syllable detectors and, like with lots of things in life, as you use them they're going to get worn out - like your muscles. As you use them, they get tired,” said Professor Vitevitch. “Like with muscles, you have a type of muscle for short bursts of sprinting and also muscles for endurance, like running a marathon. Word nodes are like sprinting muscles, and syllable nodes are like endurance muscles.”

The results of the six trials suggest word detectors are initially activated, leading to the perception of speech, but they eventually tire out as the phrase is repeated.Syllable detectors, which do not fatigue as quickly, remain activated during the continued presentation of the phrase. 

Because syllables carry the rhythmic information of language, the continued stimulation of the syllable detectors - without the stimulation of the word detectors - shifts perception to a songlike state.

Professor Vivevitch said the phenomenon has the potential to greatly increase our fundamental understanding of speech and music perception.

“All scientists are trying to look inside of a black box to understand what's going on inside. We're all trying to understand the universe or the brain or how atoms work. So, any opportunity to get a crack in the black box where you can look inside, you need to take.” 

“Things like illusions are often dismissed, but they're unique opportunities to get another angle on what's going on. Yes, they're kind of fun and interesting and goofy and they get attention - but really they're another opportunity to see what's going on inside the black box.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why repeating a phrase can make it sound like singing

A team from the University of Kansas (KU) has investigated...

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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

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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