The stereotype that women outtalk men persists across many cultures. Yet, a prominent study in 2007 challenged that notion by finding that men and women each speak around 16,000 words per day, on average.



A new, larger investigation revisits this topic and offers a more nuanced view: women may indeed be more talkative - but only during a specific stage of life.



Study co-lead author Colin Tidwell is a clinical psychology doctoral candidate at the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Arizona </a>(U of A).&nbsp;



“There is a strong cross-cultural assumption that women talk a lot more than men,” said Tidwell. “We wanted to see whether or not this assumption holds when empirically tested.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-talking-varies-by-age-and-gender">Talking varies by age and gender</h2>



Analyzing data from nearly 2,200 participants, the researchers found that women aged 25 to 65 speak about 3,000 more words per day than men in the same age bracket.&nbsp;



However, in adolescence (10-17), emerging adulthood (18-24), and older adulthood (65 and up), they observed no notable gender gap in daily word count.



The study also suggests that people overall might be talking less than before, which the researchers suspect could be linked to growing reliance on digital communication.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-claim-that-women-talk-more">The claim that women talk more</h2>



In 2007, University of Arizona psychologist Matthias Mehl investigated the common claim that women are significantly more talkative than men.&nbsp;



Participants in that study - about 500 men and women - wore a device called the EAR (Electronically Activated Recorder), which periodically recorded brief clips of their everyday <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-20-minute-conversation-with-a-humpback-whale-named-twain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conversations</a>.



After estimating each participant’s total daily word count, the researchers concluded that no significant gender difference existed - a finding that appeared in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1139940?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D90780648708216300104417575982572668868%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1738666255&amp;adobe_mc=MCMID%3D90780648708216300104417575982572668868%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1738667536" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a> and garnered national headlines.&nbsp;



Nevertheless, critics pointed out that most participants were college-aged and all lived in Austin, Texas, limiting the study’s diversity.



Almost two decades later, Mehl collaborated with Tidwell, Valeria Pfeifer, a postdoctoral researcher at the U of A, and Alexander Danvers, a former U of A postdoctoral fellow, to repeat the experiment on a larger scale.&nbsp;



The new work incorporates 630,000 EAR recordings from 22 separate studies across four countries, covering individuals aged 10 to 94 - a total of 2,197 participants, which is four times the original sample size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-women-talk-more">Why do women talk more?</h2>



Among all age groups studied, a significant difference between men’s and women’s word counts emerged only in early to middle <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lifestyle-choices-in-young-adulthood-impact-cognitive-ability-in-midlife/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adulthood</a> (25-64). During these years, women spoke about 21,845 words per day, while men spoke about 18,570.



The researchers remain unsure exactly why women might talk more during this period, but they propose that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parent-children-relationships-are-key-to-lifelong-well-being/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parenting</a> responsibilities could be one contributing factor.



“Gender-linked differences in child rearing and family care are one possibility that could account for this difference,” said Mehl, the senior author of the study and a professor in the U of A Department of Psychology.&nbsp;



“If biological factors like hormones were to be the main cause, a sizable gender difference should have also been present among emerging adults. If societal generational changes were to be the driving force, there should have been a gradually increasing gender difference with older participants. Neither, though, was the case.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-talking-trends-across-time">Talking trends across time</h2>



While the data suggest that women do speak more than men during early and middle adulthood, Mehl highlighted that individual differences can overshadow such group patterns.&nbsp;



The least talkative person in the entire study - a man - spoke roughly 100 words a day, while the most talkative participant - also a man - exceeded 120,000 words.



“We humans are so much more different individually than the two genders systematically,” Mehl said.



Another revealing finding was that the average word count across participants has been declining since 2005, slipping from about 16,000 words per day to about 13,000.



“We did a full analysis looking at what year the data were collected and found that, indeed, 300 spoken words on average per year go missing,” noted study co-lead author Pfeifer.



Although the exact cause for this decline is not fully established, researchers suspect that digital technologies - such as texting, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spending-less-time-on-social-media-improves-your-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social media</a>, and online chats - could be supplanting spoken conversations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-conversation-as-a-health-behavior">Conversation as a health behavior</h2>



Mehl emphasized the need for further inquiry into the effects of talkativeness and social engagement on overall health. He is currently co-developing a device called SocialBit, akin to a Fitbit, that tracks the duration of daily conversations without recording their content. Instead, it relies on an algorithm to detect whether ambient sounds contain speech.



“I'm fascinated by the idea that we know how much we need to sleep, we know how much we need to exercise, and people are wearing Fitbits all the time, but we have no idea how much we're supposed to socialize,” he said.&nbsp;



“The evidence is very strong that socializing is linked to health, at least to the same extent as physical activity and sleep are. It's just another health behavior.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions-nbsp">Future research directions&nbsp;</h2>



Overall, the follow-up study offers a refined perspective on the question of whether women speak more than men. While the gap exists during early and middle adulthood, no significant difference emerges in adolescence, emerging adulthood, or older age.&nbsp;



Beyond that, both genders may be speaking fewer words over time - possibly due to a shift toward digital forms of communication.



As researchers continue to investigate the intersection between conversation, well-being, and modern technology, novel tools like SocialBit may shed light on just how much human dialogue contributes to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-activity-may-delay-the-onset-of-dementia-by-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">health</a>, reinforcing the importance of face-to-face interactions in an increasingly digital era.



-----



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



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



-----

Do women really talk more than men? A new look at the debate

The stereotype that women outtalk men persists across many cultures. Yet, a prominent study in 2007 challenged that notion by finding that men and women each speak around 16,000 words per day, on average. A new, larger investigation revisits this topic and offers a more nuanced view: women may indeed be more talkative - but only during a specific stage of life. Study co-lead author Colin Tidwell is a clinical psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona (U of A).&nbsp; “There is a strong cross-cultural assumption...

A study from the <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a> is reporting that high school behavior is a strong predictor of success later in life. 

The researchers found that responsible students who have good reading and writing skills and stay interested in school are likely to have better jobs and higher incomes regardless of their IQ, socioeconomic status, or other personality factors.

“Educational researchers, political scientists and economists are increasingly interested in the traits and skills that parents, teachers and schools should foster in children to enhance chances of success later in life,” said lead author Marion Spengler. “Our research found that specific behaviors in high school have long-lasting effects for one's later life.”

The researchers analyzed data that had been collected by the American Institute for Research from 346,660 American <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/project-wet-healthy-ecosystems/">high school students</a> in 1960. The team also obtained follow-up data from 81,912 of the students 11 years later and from 1,952 of the students 50 years later.

The initial survey documented information on student behaviors and attitudes as well as personality traits, socioeconomic status, and demographic factors. The follow-up surveys measured educational attainment, income, and occupational prestige.

Responsibility in students was found to be strongly associated with educational attainment and prestigious job placement both 11 years and 50 years later. Students with a greater interest in school were also found to have higher incomes 50 years later.


The researchers believe that much of this effect can be attributed to overall educational achievement.

“Student characteristics and behaviors were rewarded in high school and led to higher educational attainment, which in turn was related to greater occupational prestige and income later in life,” said Spengler. “This study highlights the possibility that certain behaviors at crucial periods could have long-term consequences for a person's life.”

The research is published in the <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/psp/">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Behavior in high school linked to career success

A study from the American Psychological Association is reporting that...

When it comes to brand logos and advertising, humans aren’t so different from our primate cousins. A new study found that rhesus macaques, like humans, are influenced by advertising based on sex and social status.

The study, conducted by a team of business, psychology and neuroscience researchers from across the United States, wanted to know if other primates shared humans’ susceptibility to advertising.

“To test this idea, we asked whether rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) show choice behavior that is similar to humans in response to sex and social status in advertising,” the researchers wrote in their study, published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0193055#sec002">PLOS One</a>. “Our results show that monkeys form preferences for brand logos repeatedly paired with images of macaque genitals and high status monkeys.”

The macaques even showed brand loyalty, repeatedly choosing brand logos associated with sex or status even when they received no tangible reward.

The researchers studied the behavior of a laboratory colony of rhesus macaques, native to South and Central Asia. The monkeys are social and share a few traits with humans, most notably caring for kin, exchanging information, and sometimes giving up rewards to help one another.

The researchers paired images of high-status and low-status male monkeys or female macaque sexual traits with brand logos. They found that the macaques developed a preference for logos they saw paired with the high-status or sexual images. They didn’t show the same kind of conditioning when it came to logos paired with the low-status males.

The study may begin to answer why advertisements using sex or status are so effective, even when they have little to do with the product being marketed. The findings point to an evolutionary and social component that such ads tap into, the researchers said.

“[O]ur results endorse the hypothesis that the power of sex and status in advertising emerges from the spontaneous engagement of shared, ancestral neural circuits that prioritize information useful for navigating the social environment,” the researchers concluded.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

When it comes to brand logos, sex sells – even for monkeys

When it comes to brand logos and advertising, humans aren’t...

People with low expectations for the world may already know that studies show optimism has its benefits. But they may be surprised to learn that some forms of pessimism can be positive, too.

“Pessimism isn’t just about negative thinking. Personality science has revealed it also includes a focus on outcomes – that is what you expect will happen in the future,” Dr. Fuschia Sirois, a researcher at <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/">University of Sheffield</a>, wrote in a recent column for <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-surprising-benefits-of-being-a-pessimist-91851">The Conversation</a>. “While optimists expect positive outcomes will happen more often than not, pessimists expect negative outcomes are more likely.”

There are two main types of pessimists, according to Sirois: those who blame themselves for negative outcomes, and “defensive” pessimists who use an imagined negative outcome to plan for – and work against – the worst.

The self-blamers don’t see many benefits thanks to their pessimism, but those who use their low expectations to plan and motivate themselves reap the rewards.

“Researchers suggest that defensive pessimism is a strategy that people who are anxious use to help them manage their anxiety, which might otherwise make them want to run in the opposite direction of their goal rather than pursue it,” Sirois wrote.

They envision the worst possible outcome, then imagine each thing that would need to go wrong to make that outcome a certainty. This negative thinking may sound demoralizing, but for defensive pessimists, it allows them to put together a step by step plan for avoiding obstacles that might get in the way of their goals – as well as a game plan for their next steps if their low expectations actually do come to pass.

This effect even seems to extend to mood-based performance on tasks.

“When prompted to be in a good mood, defensive pessimists performed poorly on a series of word puzzles,” Sirois wrote. “However, when they were put in bad mood, by being instructed to imagine how a scenario might have negative outcomes, they performed significantly better. This suggests that they harness their negative mood to motivate themselves to perform better.”

These strategies even lead to better physical health. During an illness outbreak, optimists may try not to worry about it. Defensive pessimists do worry – but that spurs them to take actions to prevent becoming ill, such as getting vaccinated or wearing a mask. Pessimists with chronic illness or pain may seek out strategies to ease their symptoms more frequently than others and stick with them.

The key isn’t just low expectations or negative emotions, though. Pessimists must harness those feelings to motivate themselves toward action, Sirois wrote.

“Whereas people tend to use avoidance to cope with anticipated problems when they are feeling anxious or depressed, defensive pessimists use their negative expectations to motivate them to take active steps to feel prepared and be more in control over outcomes,” she said.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Are you a pessimist? Low expectations might be a positive

People with low expectations for the world may already know...

Spring is in the air, and the days are getting warmer and longer. In a few short weeks, bees and butterflies will be on the hunt for nectar to eat and pollen to spread. What better way to help them out than planting a pollinator garden?

A garden can be any size, from a window box or a couple of containers on an apartment patio to a full garden full of flowering plants. Some farmers are even including flowering native plants among their acres of crops to make sure the bees and butterflies that help grow our food have something to eat all year long.

An ideal pollinator garden will include a variety of plants that flower throughout the spring and summer, providing food for bees, butterflies, caterpillars and other insects, and possibly hummingbirds and bats.

Fortunately, planting a pollinator garden is simpler than it sounds. Read on for tips about what to plant and why.
<h3>Pick native plants</h3>
Choosing the rest of your plants will depend on where you live. That’s because different pollinators are native to different areas, and the best food sources for those pollinators are native plants.

“Native plants, which are adapted to local soils and climates, are usually the best sources of nectar and pollen for native pollinators,” the Xerces Society, a nonprofit focused on invertebrate conservation, writes in its <a href="https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/plant-lists/">pollinator plant guides</a>. “Incorporating native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees into any landscape promotes local biological diversity by providing shelter and food for wildlife. Native plants are better adapted to regional climate cycles, do not need fertilizers, and are less likely to become weedy.”

For example, honeybees are not native to North America. They’re domesticated, and were brought to the U.S., Canada and Mexico <a href="https://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agcomm/newscolumns/archives/OSL/1999/November/111199OSL.html">by European settlers</a>. However, North America is home to more than 4,000 native bee species, and those species have come to rely on different species of plants, depending on where they live.

North Carolina alone has native bees from more than 500 species, including squash bees, sweat bees and carpenter bees. Squash bees – as their name implies – are a big fan of plants like pumpkin, which are native to that region. Purple coneflower, bee balm and goldenrod are all native to North Carolina and favorites among bees.

Minnesota has about 400 native bee species – or did, the last time species in the state were thoroughly surveyed <a href="http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mbs/grasslandbees.html">nearly 100 years ago</a>. Mining bees, sweat bees and leaf-cutters in the northern prairies, from Canada to the upper U.S. Midwest, feed on native plants like American vetch, scarlet globemallow and Rocky Mountain beeplant – of course. 

Other pollinators – butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, moths, some fly species and others – have also developed preferences. 

The coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest, from Oregon to British Columbia, are home to butterflies like the Oregon silverspot, Taylor’s checkerspot, Fender’s blue and Puget blue, according to the Xerces Society. In that region, bigleaf lupine is a host plant for blue butterflies, as well as a favorite snack spot for bees and hummingbirds. Douglas aster and meadow checkermallow are also attractive to pollinators in the Northwest.

In Florida, blue mistflower, east coast dune sunflower and white wild indigo make good choices. For those with room for shrubs and trees, eastern redbud and flatwoods plum can provide some early nourishment for pollinators each year. In California, redbud and McMinn manzanita are among the more permanent choices, with California poppy, California fuschia and common sunflowers also making good options. 

The internet offers a ton of resources for finding native plants that will keep your local pollinators well-fed and happy. Aside from the Xerces Society guides, the United States Department of Agriculture <a href="https://plants.usda.gov/pollinators/nrcsdocuments.html">keeps a database of pollinator plants</a>, and many U.S. states and Canadian provinces have chapters of the <a href="http://nanps.org/">North American Native Plant Society</a>.

Native plant groups can be found in several places outside of North America, such as <a href="http://anpsa.org.au/">Australia</a> and <a href="http://www.nzpcn.org.nz/">New Zealand</a>.
<h4>Milkweed</h4>
Milkweed has two major benefits: First, despite the name, the wildflower is native to just about everywhere in the mainland United States and much of North America, meaning that it’s easy to find local species and there’s less risk of crowding out other native plants.

Second, milkweed is a vital food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars, which cannot eat anything else, and the butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed each year in the spring. The North American population of the stunning orange and black butterflies has been in decline for years for several reasons. One of those is that agricultural pesticides and development have played havoc on the traveling insects’ milkweed habitat along migration routes.

That makes milkweed an excellent choice for any pollinator garden – and not just for monarchs. Some bees and other butterfly species like it, too. 

When choosing milkweed, it’s important to get the right kind. Try to get a milkweed plant native to your area, rather than the tropical variety available throughout the U.S. The tropical variety <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/01/plan-save-monarch-butterflies-backfires">doesn’t die back in the winter</a>, encouraging monarch butterflies to stay in areas that become chilly in the winter. It also sometimes hosts a parasite that can badly weaken the butterflies.

To order native milkweed seeds, try the seed finder database maintained by the <a href="https://xerces.org/milkweed-seed-finder/">Xerces Society</a>. For other milkweed sources, check out <a href="http://monarchwatch.org/milkweed/market/">Monarch Watch</a>, which hosts a “Milkweed Market.”
<h3>Building your pollinator garden</h3>
The National Pollinator Garden Network launched its <a href="http://millionpollinatorgardens.org/">Million Pollinator Garden Challenge</a> in 2016. The challenge will run until the network registers 1 million gardens or more, whether window boxes or full gardens. 

Why not join in and be counted? 

If you’re an experienced gardener, it’s as easy as adding some region-appropriate plants that provide pollen and nectar to your garden or yard. 

But even inexperienced gardeners can get involved. If you have room for a couple of window boxes or containers, you can grow plants for pollinators.

A few tips:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Try to grow three or four different types of plants that flower at different times of the year. This is where the Xerces Society guides can come in handy – in addition to listing plants native to an area, they also list how large the plants get and what time of year they bloom.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Avoid hybrid flowers. They often have less pollen, nectar or scent that will attract pollinators.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">If you have the space, try to provide a few host plants – plants that provide a place to lay eggs and food for caterpillars in addition to flowers for pollinators.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Try to avoid pesticides in favor of pest control methods like ladybugs, predatory mites, or other bugs that act as natural pest control. When pesticides are the only option, choose the least toxic ones that you can find that get the job done. Local nurseries, garden clubs or native plant societies are a good resource here.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Put out more than just flowers. Some pollinators also eat rotting fruit or vegetation. Tossing these items (sparingly) into your garden can provide an additional food source. Bees and butterflies also need water and salt to thrive. A <a href="https://gardentherapy.ca/bee-bath/">bee bath</a> is a great way to provide some much needed water in a pollinator garden. You can also use a drip system and a salt lick to help them get salt.</li>
</ul>
Now’s the time to start planning your pollinator garden if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. Start choosing plants now to help feed the bees, butterflies and other pollinators passing through your region.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Prepare for bees and butterflies with a pollinator garden

Spring is in the air, and the days are getting...

You’ve likely heard that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wine-glasses-bigger-drinking/">wine</a> can have some healthy benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health or boosts from antioxidants (in moderate quantities, of course). But new research suggests that drinking wine may also destroy the bacteria that cause bad breath, gum disease, and cavities.

In the past, dentists have often warned that the acidic nature of alcohol can damage teeth. But a recent study published in the <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/jafcau">Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry</a> has found that antioxidants in wine can prevent certain bacteria from sticking to your gums. This bacteria is known to cause plaque, cavities, and periodontal disease.

According to the study’s authors, led by Dr. Victora Moreno-Arribas from the <a href="https://rio.jrc.ec.europa.eu/en/organisations/spanish-national-research-council-csic">Spanish National Research Council in Madrid</a>, this new discovery could lead to the development of “wine-inspired” toothpastes and mouthwashes that contain these beneficial antioxidants. There’s no word yet on whether you’d be able to get these in “pinot noir” or “chardonnay” flavors.

The study’s findings also suggest that antioxidants in red wine are more effective at preventing bacteria from sticking to lab-grown “gum tissue” cells than commercially available grape seed and red wine extracts. “Oral cells normally constitute a physical barrier that prevent infections,” explains Moreno-Arribas. “But bacterial adhesion to host tissues constitutes a key step in the infectious process.”

When these wines are digested in the mouth, the antioxidants are believed to produce molecules that could benefit our oral health. “Delivery methods for these compounds to treat oral disorders should be optimized,” says Moregno-Arribas. “Mouthwashes and chewing gums have been proposed as interesting matrices for the application of dietary polyphenols in the management of oral health.”

So the next time someone tells you to curb your wine-drinking habits, just tell them, “watch your mouth!”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wine may cure bad breath by killing mouth bacteria

You’ve likely heard that wine can have some healthy benefits,...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.ucla.edu/">University of California Los Angeles</a> have found that children who are raised in neighborhoods with more greenery have improved cognitive function. The experts found significant anatomical changes that suggest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-signal-indicates-listening/">brain</a> development is improved by exposure to nature.

The investigation was focused on 253 school children in Barcelona. The team used satellite data to measure the children's residential exposure to greenspace from the time of birth up until the time of the research.

The experts used high resolution 3D magnetic resonance images to study the brain anatomy of participants, and computerized tests were given to evaluate working memory and attentiveness.

“This is the first study that evaluates the association between long-term exposure to greenspace and brain structure,” said lead author Dr. Payam Dadvand. “Our findings suggest that exposure to greenspace early in life could result in beneficial structural changes in the brain.”

The study revealed that long-term exposure to a greener neighborhood was associated with higher white and gray matter volume in regions of the brain that overlap areas involved with better cognitive function. 

Higher white and gray matter volume was also linked to better working memory and attentiveness among the students. A previous study had demonstrated that children who attended schools with more green space had improved working memory and attentiveness as well. 

The Biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an evolutionary bond between humans and nature. Because of this, greenspaces are recommended for psychological restoration in children. 

Nature also provides children with opportunities for exercises which are thought to positively influence brain development such as discovery, creativity, and risk taking.

“The study adds to growing evidence suggesting that early life exposure to green space and other environmental factors can exert measurable and lasting effects on our health through the life course,” said co-author Michael Jerrett.“These results also might provide clues on how such structural changes could underlie the observed beneficial effects of greenspace exposure on cognitive and behavioral development,” said co-author Dr. Jesus Pujol.

The study is published in <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Growing up in a greener neighborhood helps brain development

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles have found...

The Caterpillar Construction Company, popularly known as Cat, has recently unveiled a new smartphone that could prove invaluable to construction workers, electricians, and any person that works with toxic materials and fumes. 

The line of <a href="https://www.catphones.com/en_gb/features/rugged-and-tough-phones/">Cat branded “rugged” phones</a> range from the S30 to the S60, which made headlines as being the world’s first ever smartphone with thermal imaging. 

Now, the new S61 is the first smartphone ever built with the ability to detect harmful pollutants in the air known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). 

Paint fumes, solvents, and cleaning products are all known sources of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/products-urban-air-pollution/">VOCs</a>, which can be hazardous to health and wellbeing, especially for professionals who are around them.

According to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/volatile-organic-compounds-impact-indoor-air-quality">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA), VOCs can irritate the eye, nose, and throat, cause headaches, liver and kidney damage, and even possibly cancer. 

The S61 smartphone can measure indoor air quality, temperature, and even humidity because of a sensor from Sensirion, a Swiss company. 

The sensor would then be able to alert someone to the potential hazards so that they could take immediate action such as airing out the areas in question or leaving the room to get fresh air. 

Some of the other features of the phone include being dustproof, waterproof up to ten feet for an hour, having an improved thermal imaging camera, and an ability to withstand breaking if dropped onto concrete from heights of up to six feet. 

The special features are specifically aimed for construction and trade workers. 

“We know that 60 percent of Cat S60 customers use the integrated thermal camera at least once per week,” said Peter Stephens, CEO of Bullitt Group, which is the global mobile device licensee for Caterpillar. “Packing in even more genuinely useful tools of the trade means there's simply no other smartphone out there that can do everything the S61 can. We are incredibly proud of it.”

The phone will be launched in Barcelona at the <a href="https://www.mobileworldcongress.com/">Mobile World Congress</a> later this month and will cost nearly $1,000.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

New smartphone can detect harmful pollutants and chemicals

The Caterpillar Construction Company, popularly known as Cat, has recently...

Many ski resort openings were delayed across the western part of the country from Colorado to California this year, as warmer winters and lower snowfall are becoming a common occurrence. Ski resorts are hit hard with losses in a low-snow season, and the United States economy suffers as well.

According to a study from the nonprofit organization <a href="https://protectourwinters.org/">Protect Our Winters</a> (POW), the winter sports economy experiences a loss of up to $1 billion and more than 17,350 jobs in a winter with minimal snowfall.

On the other hand, POW reports that a good snow season in the United States contributes an additional $692.9 million to the economy and more than 11,750 jobs.

Rebecca Hill is a Colorado-based natural resources economist who contributed to the POW study. Hill pointed out that the service industries surrounding ski resorts are also greatly impacted when skiers do not show up.

The analysis revealed that snowboarders, skiers, and snowmobilers boosted the economy by around $20.3 billion in the 2015-2016 winter season through spending at ski resorts, hotels, restaurants, bars, and grocery stores. 

Skier visits in the United States averaged 55.4 million between 2001 and 2016. According to the researchers, 3.8 million more tourists showed up to ski in the highest snow years, while skier visits dropped by 5.5 million below average during the five lowest snow years.

There seems to be a steady progression in warming trends, and 2016 and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2017-second-hottest-year-2/">2017</a> have been declared by NASA to be the hottest years on record. Since 1901, winter temperatures in the United States have risen at almost twice the rate of summer temperatures, and colder regions are transitioning faster than warmer ones.

The 2018 Economic Report from Protect Our Winters can be found <a href="https://protectourwinters.org/2018-economic-report/">here</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change is costing the winter sports economy big money

Many ski resort openings were delayed across the western part...

We’ve all heard the stereotypes. They say <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brexit-threat-womens-rights/">women</a> are inferior drivers, and some think teenagers are too young to be allowed to operate a car.

But now, a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a>, examined how certain factors like gender and age impacted driving skill for new drivers. 

The results show that mandatory minimums should extend to all new drivers and not just teens, as surprisingly younger drivers had stronger driving skills than people in their 20s. 

For the study, 100 new drivers with less than five hours of experience were asked to take a two-hour driving lesson. The lesson took place in Los Angeles, which was rated as having <a href="http://inrix.com/scorecard/">the worst traffic in the world</a>. 

The study participants were evenly split by gender, and the average age was 18. After the lesson, driving instructors were asked to rate the participant's driving skills on a scale of one to four.

For the study’s purposes, one meant that the driver needed much more practice and four indicated that the instructor felt the driver was ready for the state test. 

The researchers analyzed the scores and found that age and gender had an impact on driving skill. Male teens scored 36 percent higher than those men in their 20s, but this was not evidenced in female drivers. 

Female drivers were more likely to be less confident in their driving skills, but their own perceived confidence did not affect their scores, as they ranked comparably to the men. 

The results also showed that playing sports improved driving for both men and women, but playing video games did not affect skill at all. 

The researchers plan to continue to examine how external factors like gender and socioeconomic status relate to passing or failing a driving test.. However, based on the results, the study authors feel that states should consider extending mandatory driver’s ed and safety training to all new driver rather than simply those under 18. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Teens and women are not inferior drivers, study finds

We’ve all heard the stereotypes. They say women are inferior...

Neuroscientists have identified a brain signal that corresponds with speech and understanding. When someone comprehends words that are being spoken, the signal is present. However, the signal is absent when the listener either did not understand what was being said or was not paying attention.

According to the study’s lead author Ed Lalor from <a href="https://www.tcd.ie/">Trinity College Dublin</a>, the discovery of this brain signal could be groundbreaking. 

“Potential applications include testing language development in infants, or determining the level of brain function in patients in a reduced state of consciousness,” said Professor Lalor. 

“The presence or absence of the signal may also confirm if a person in a job that demands precision and speedy reactions - such as an air traffic controller, or soldier - has understood the instructions they have received, and it may perhaps even be useful for testing for the onset of dementia in older people based on their ability to follow a conversation.”


Throughout the day, people routinely communicate around 120 to 200 words per minute. At this rate, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/right-ear-listening-ability/">listeners</a> must comprehend the meaning of each of these words very rapidly to stay on track with the conversation.

The ability of our brains to compute words so quickly, despite the fact that words can vary greatly depending on their context, has been a mystery to scientists. But now, researchers have demonstrated that our brains rapidly decipher the similarity in meaning that each word has to the words that came just before it.


For their investigation, the researchers analyzed how smartphones and modern computers can “understand" speech. The computers accomplish this level of comprehension by finding similarities between one word and another.

The researchers set out to determine if humans compute the similarity between words as well. They used a technique known as electroencephalography (EEG), which records electrical brainwave signals, as participants listened to a number of audiobooks.

When the experts examined the brain activity that had been captured, they identified a specific brain response that represented how similar or different a given word was from the words that preceded it.

The researchers discovered that the signal completely disappeared when the participants could not understand the speech or when they stopped paying attention. The team concluded that this signal provides a critically important and sensitive representation of whether individuals are truly comprehending the speech they are hearing.

“There is more work to be done before we fully understand the full range of computations that our brains perform when we understand speech,” said Professor Lalor.

“However, we have already begun searching for other ways that our brains might compute meaning, and how those computations differ from those performed by computers. We hope the new approach will make a real difference when applied in some of the ways we envision.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Brain signal indicates if someone is listening in conversation

Neuroscientists have identified a brain signal that corresponds with speech...

Music can drastically improve your workout, and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27748159">previous research</a> has found that listening to music at the gym is a key motivator. 

The music helps distract the mind, boost energy, and enhance mood, all of which aid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-brain-major-boost/">exercise</a> endurance.

“Given that exercise is often tiresome, boring and arduous, anything that relieves those negative feelings would be welcome,” Costas Karageorghis, an expert in exercise and music, told <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/">The Scientific American</a>. 

Now, a new study conducted by researchers from <a href="http://www.brunel.ac.uk/">Brunel University</a> in London proves that music enhances performance and helps people enjoy the workout. 

The results, published the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise, showed that runners who listened to “Happy” by Pharrell Williams enjoyed their workout 28 percent more than those who listened to nothing at all. 

The findings not only support previous research done on music and exercise, but also suggest that when faced with a workout, listening to your favorite music can help make the experience more gratifying. 

“We showed music has the potential to increase beta waves and elicit a more positive emotional state,” said Marcelo Bigliassi, the study’s lead author. “This can be capitalized upon during other forms of exercise and render a given activity more pleasurable.”

The study included 24 runners who were asked to run 400 meters while wearing portable electroencephalograms. This allowed the researchers to measure brain waves and electrical responses while the participants were running. 

The participants were split into three groups: the control group listened to nothing, another group listened to a TED Radio Hours podcast, and the third group listened to six minutes of music. 

After reviewing the electroencephalogram data, the researchers found that music affects electrical frequency in the brain, boosting beta frequencies in the frontal regions of the cortex, which causes focus to drop but improves enjoyment. 

Listening to the podcast was better than listening to nothing at all, but it was music that seemed that have the greatest impact on enjoyment and attitude during the workout. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study proves that music enhances exercise performance

Music can drastically improve your workout, and previous research has...

Gun laws and gun safety are both quite relevant – as well as contentious – topics these days, particularly in the United States. There is much debate about who should be allowed to have access to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/white-american-men-guns/">firearms</a>, and what firearms should be available to the public. With this in mind, any data relevant to how U.S. gun owners use and store their firearms is welcome to help inform this heated national debate.

In the first nationally representative survey in 15 years to examine gun storage practices in U.S. households, researchers found that more than half of gun owners reported not storing all of their guns in a safe manner. This internet-based survey was conducted by researchers at the <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/">Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</a>, and published in the <a href="http://ajph.aphapublications.org/">American Journal of Public Health</a>.

The survey defined safe storage as all guns stored in a locked gun safe, cabinet or case, locked into a gun rack, or stored with a trigger lock or other lock. All of these practices have been shown to reduce the risk of unauthorized access or use.

“Household gun ownership can increase the risk of homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings in the home, but practicing safe storage for all guns reduces these risks,” says Cassandra Crifasi, lead author of the study and an assistant professor with the <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gun-policy-and-research/index.html">Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research</a>. “The survey findings indicate a real public health emergency. More than half of gun owners in the U.S. are not storing all of their guns safely.”

While only 46 percent of gun owners reported storing all of their guns safely, the survey found that gun owners were 44 percent more likely to report safely storing their firearms if they had a child under the age of 18 in the home. In 2016, there were more than 1,600 firearm deaths among children under the age of 18, almost 40 percent of which were due to suicide. States with child access prevention laws that require gun owners to ensure children do not get unauthorized access to guns reported fewer firearm suicides among adolescents. Other studies have also shown a reduced risk for self-inflicted injury among adolescents when guns are stored safely.

When participants were asked about factors that influence their gun storage practices, 43 percent selected concerns about home defense, 35 percent said a gun safety-training course, and 30 percent said family discussions. The study also found that gun owners who reported that a gun safety-training course influenced their gun storage decisions were twice as likely to practice safe storage for all of their guns. Gun owners who said family discussions influenced their gun storage practices were almost 40 percent more likely to practice safe storage.

“It’s encouraging to see the positive associations between safety training and reporting safe storage practices,” said Daniel Webster, study co-author and director of the <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-gun-policy-and-research/index.html">Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research</a>. “Requiring gun purchasers to take safety training classes, as a handful of states already do, might lead to more gun owners storing their guns safely.”

The survey also found that gun owners who reported their storage practices were influenced by home defense were 30 percent less likely to practice safe storage of all their firearms. Gaining a better understanding of the motivations for why people have firearms in their homes could help us improve education practices – as well as policy-making – in order to reduce the risks of accidental deaths and suicides – particularly in adolescents.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Survey: Over half of US gun owners don’t safely store their guns

Gun laws and gun safety are both quite relevant –...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



---



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



---



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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