Tiny plastic fragments have turned up inside human beings, and it has rattled more than a few nerves. Nobody expects to find plastic in their blood or buried in important tissues, but recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165993624005971?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">research</a> has done exactly that.



These miniscule particles, often smaller than a grain of sand, have appeared in places once thought safe from contamination.



This poses some uncomfortable questions about the implications for long-term health and whether anyone has been paying attention to this hidden hazard that has been present in the environment for decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-is-now-infiltrating-human-tissues">Plastic is now infiltrating human tissues</h2>



Scientists have identified <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022001258" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">micro- and nanoplastics</a> (MNPs) in human lungs, gut, reproductive organs, and skin, where they can stick around for far longer than most people would imagine.



Their presence has now been detected in blood, too, making it clear that these tiny, synthetic particles move through our bodies in surprising ways. They do not simply pass through and exit without causing harm, as was once thought. 



Instead, they take up residence. They linger, and they may be associated with some serious health issues.



This research, led by <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bVDTB_gAAAAJ&amp;hl=zh-CN" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Yating Luo</a> at the School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, and a team of specialists, has revealed an unsettling new source of environmental exposure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-links-to-diseases">Potential links to diseases</h2>



Other researchers have begun piecing together how MNPs might be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165993624003182" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">involved in a range of health problems</a>.



Studies have linked them to heart and blood vessel conditions, like atherosclerosis and thrombosis, as well as to intestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease.



Some work even connects them to changes in reproductive systems and the risk of conditions like cervical cancer. Nobody wants to consider <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-carry-toxic-chemicals-that-are-easily-absorbed-by-skin/">plastic dust</a> as a potential player in such serious illnesses, but the evidence is mounting.



Dr. Luo, lead author of the study, which was published in Environment International, highlighted that the research strongly indicates MNPs are more than environmental contaminants -- they are entering human tissues and may pose significant health risks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-these-particles-break-through-barriers">How these particles break through barriers</h2>



Laboratory tests have <a href="https://particleandfibretoxicology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12989-020-00358-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shown</a> that these particles can cross protective hurdles, including the body’s natural filters. 



For example, the blood-brain barrier has long been thought of as a sturdy shield, but these tiny plastic pieces may pass through it.



This could set the stage for neurological issues. Researchers suspect that if these minute fragments of plastic move along the gut-brain axis, they may influence how nerve cells work. 



Early evidence suggests they might play a role in some degenerative conditions that affect the brain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wider-implications-for-public-health">Wider implications for public health</h2>



Plastic pollution is not something that stays outside in the ocean or piled up at landfills. Studies show that even remote corners of the planet have tiny <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surging-plastic-levels-found-in-the-north-pacific-garbage-patch/">plastic fragments</a> floating in the air. 



People breathe them in, ingest them through food and water, and may even absorb them through the skin.



<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28812686/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr. Tamara Galloway</a>, a leading expert on microplastics from the University of Exeter, emphasized that this study further supports the increasing evidence of microplastics being widespread in human tissues.



It is not just a problem for one region or for certain groups. It is a global phenomenon that affects everyone, everywhere. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-people-should-pay-attention">Why people should pay attention</h2>



Plastics have found their way into everyday life in a multitude of forms - containers, packaging, clothing, personal care products. 



As these items break down, tiny plastic fibers and fragments spread through land, water, and air. They turn up in fish and shellfish, which then end up <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">on dinner plates</a>.



Waste management <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34492918/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">practices</a> in some places, such as open burning, add more plastic particles to the environment and harm people who live nearby.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-humans-and-the-environment">Plastic, humans, and the environment</h2>



There is growing pressure on governments to enforce stricter rules around plastic manufacturing, recycling, and disposal. 



A shift to responsible materials and less reliance on single-use plastics could help slow the spread of these particles in future.



Public health agencies may need to update guidelines to consider tiny <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-plastic-pollution-lurks-beneath-the-surface-of-rivers/">plastic fragments as contaminants</a>. If MNPs are linked to certain diseases, official policies may need to reflect that. 



Health professionals might soon discuss plastic exposure as they do other known factors like poor air quality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



Scientists need to measure the full extent of the problem. More long-term <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34492918/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> could show exactly how much plastic accumulates in human tissues and pinpoint how these particles alter cells and organs at a microscopic level.



Researchers are developing new technology to track these fragments and understand how they behave inside the body. 



Improved tools might help uncover the chemical reactions triggered by plastic fragments. With that information, they could figure out why certain tissues are more at risk than others.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reducing-plastic-danger-to-humans">Reducing plastic danger to humans</h2>



None of this is a reason to give up the fight against plastic pollution. People can reduce their own exposure by avoiding products that shed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-are-able-to-travel-thousands-of-miles-because-of-their-shape/">plastic fibers</a>, pushing for cleaner water sources, and supporting brands that move away from plastic use.



Communities that suffer from poor waste management can advocate for better facilities, cleaner streets, and safer disposal methods.



Officials can encourage companies to design products with health and the environment in mind. Better filters and barriers could help keep these particles out of water supplies and the foods people rely on every day.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stay-informed">Stay informed</h2>



Nobody likes to think about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-migrate-from-the-gut-to-other-organs/">foreign particles</a> building up in their body. For many, this may spark frustration or fear. 



The good news is that awareness can help drive action. If people know that these small bits of plastic may affect their health, they might push for meaningful changes.



More funding, better research, and stricter oversight may keep these hidden threats in check. As scientists learn more, the public can stay informed and join conversations that shape future policies.



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Tiny plastic bits are now found hiding deep inside the human body

Tiny plastic fragments have turned up inside human beings, and it has rattled more than a few nerves. Nobody expects to find plastic in their blood or buried in important tissues, but recent research has done exactly that. These miniscule particles, often smaller than a grain of sand, have appeared in places once thought safe from contamination. This poses some uncomfortable questions about the implications for long-term health and whether anyone has been paying attention to this hidden hazard that has been present in the environment for...

Carbon-based organic semiconductors could soon play a major role in electronics and solar energy conversion.

Semiconductors, usually made of silicon, are essential to all modern electronics and can be found in everything from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rational-choices-smartphones-computers/">smartphones</a> to televisions. 

Semiconductors are somewhere between a conductor and an insulator. They don’t work as a true insulator like glass, nor do they have the same conductive strengths as metal, hence the name semi. 

Doping is required to increase the conductive properties of a semiconductor. Doping is a process where chemicals or impurities are added to the semiconductor which then changes the electrical behavior of the semiconductor.  

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a>, the <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> and <a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en/">Humboldt University in Berlin</a> have found a way to increase the conductivity of organic semiconductors with doping. 

“Organic semiconductors are ideal materials for the fabrication of mechanically flexible devices with energy-saving low-temperature processes,” said Xin Lin, one of the researchers. “One of their major disadvantages has been their relatively poor electrical conductivity.  In some applications, this can lead to difficulties and inefficient devices. We are working on new ways to improve the electrical properties of these organic semiconductors.” 

For the study, the researchers developed a new type of dopant which drastically improves the conductivity of organic semiconductors. 

The dopant is a ruthenium-containing compound and a reducing agent. It adds electrons to the semiconductor. The results show that the ruthenium compound dopant increases the conductivity of organic semiconductors nearly one million times its original value. 

For the compound to work with organic semiconductors, the research team had to figure out how to break apart the ruthenium.  The ruthenium compound is a dimer, and it contains two identical molecules which are connected by a chemical bond. 

The researchers examined different possibilities for breaking the compound's molecules apart in order for it to work as a dopant, eventually finding that when exposed to ultraviolet light the dopant increased the conductive properties by almost 100,000 times. 

Even when the UV light was turned off, the dopant still worked with the organic semiconductors. 

“Once the light is turned off, you might expect the reverse reaction to occur and the increased conductivity to disappear. However, that is not the case,” said Seth Marder, one of the leaders in the development of the new dopant. “The light activates the system more, which leads to more light production and ore activation until the system is fully activated.” 

This discovery is a breakthrough for semiconductors and increasing the conductivity of organic semiconductors. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Organic electronics might be right around the corner

Carbon-based organic semiconductors could soon play a major role in...

Cinnamon could be a new key ingredient in your diet, as a new study has revealed that a compound in cinnamon could help fight obesity and hyperglycemia. 

Cinnamaldehyde is a naturally occurring oil found in cinnamon that has been proven to help counter obesity and hypoglycemia in mice, and researchers from the<a href="https://umich.edu/"> University of Michigan</a> wanted to see if humans could reap similar benefits.

The new study was published in the journal Metabolism. 

The researchers found that cinnamaldehyde activates metabolic responses and aids in thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is an essential metabolic process in humans where the energy used to burn calories produces heat. 

Cinnamaldehyde gives fat cells an added boost to burn energy. 

For the study, the researchers used adipocytes (fat cells) from both mice and humans. First, fat cells from mice were treated with cinnamaldehyde and the researchers observed how the compound affected the cells. 

Then the researchers used adipose stem cells from human volunteers to see if the results of the mice testing could be duplicated in human fat cells. 

The cinnamaldehyde worked similarly in humans, boosting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harder-burn-off-belly-fat/">metabolism</a> by increasing proteins that are helpful to thermogenesis. 

The results are promising, showing that cinnamon, even in small amounts used in baking and seasoning, could help counter weight gain and even help with treating diabetes. 

“Cinnamon has been part of our diets for thousands of years, and people generally enjoy it,” Jun Wu, a co-author of the study, told <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/11/25/cinnamon-may-help-attack-fat-fight-obesity-study-finds/894486001/">USA Today</a>. “So if it can protect against obesity, too, it may offer an approach to metabolic health that is easier for patients to adhere to.” 

The study shows that cinnamaldehyde activates thermogenesis in both mice and humans, but further testing will need to be done before your doctor suggests cinnamon as a new way to lose weight. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Cinnamon could help boost your metabolism and fight obesity

Cinnamon could be a new key ingredient in your diet,...

California mayoral candidate Kevin Saunders is pushing for the legalization of psychedelic mushrooms. Saunders, who is running for mayor in the town of Marina, hopes to give voters in California the option of legalizing magic mushrooms on the 2018 ballot.

Saunders believes that psychedelic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-depression-brain/">mushrooms</a> may help adults work through the stress of today's world.

“The world is really hurting and everybody is at a loss about what’s going on right now with Trump, Brexit, the refugee crisis and everything else,” said Saunders.

The former cannabis advocate stands behind the transformative power of psilocybin, saying that, “It could allow people to figure out what to do and could revolutionize the way we treat those with depression, addiction and cluster headaches.”

Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in magic mushrooms, is classified as a Schedule I drug. However, the use psilocybin has been approved for medical trials in dozens of states.

In fact, the concept of having magic mushrooms legalized may not be as far-fetched as it seems, as clinical trials are underway in both the United States and Europe to test the potential of psilocybin in treating alcoholism, tobacco addiction, severe anxiety, and treatment-resistant depression.

Saunders told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk">The Guardian</a> that magic mushrooms helped him recover from a “debilitating five-year heroin addiction” at age 32. He explained,“I got to the root of why I made a conscious decision to become a heroin addict; I’ve been clean almost 15 years.”

Researchers have also demonstrated that psilocybin is safer than other drugs, including alcohol. The 2017 <a href="https://www.globaldrugsurvey.com/">Global Drug Survey</a>, a comprehensive poll that investigates the drug use of 120,000 people in 50 countries, found that 90 percent less patients sought emergency medical treatment for psilocybin compared to alcohol.

Regardless, the U.S. Justice Department's <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs6/6038/#risks">National Drug Intelligence Center</a> compares psilocybin to heroin and LSD. The organization reports, “The psychological consequences of psilocybin use include hallucinations and an inability to discern fantasy from reality. Panic reactions and psychosis also may occur, particularly if a user ingests a large dose.”

In August, Saunders filed paperwork with the State Attorney General's office to let voters in California decide whether psilocybin will be legalized in 2018. He needs 365,880 signatures to get his <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/17-0024%20%28Legalize%20Psilocybin%29_0.pdf">California Psilocybin Legalization Initiative</a> on the ballot.

Saunders told <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/">The Sacramento Bee</a> that the legalization of psilocybin is "a natural step after voters’ legalization of pot." 

The <a href="https://www.opsbuzz.com/">Oregon Psilocybin Society</a> has started its own initiative to raise awareness about the safety and benefits of controlled psilocybin, and the organization aims to get psilocybin on Oregon’s statewide ballot in 2020.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California could legalize psychedelic mushrooms next year

California mayoral candidate Kevin Saunders is pushing for the legalization...

New research that is being presented at the annual meeting of the <a href="http://www.rsna.org/">Radiological Society of North America</a> (RSNA) reveals that young football players with a history of concussion or subconcussive impacts experience brain changes after one season of play. 

The studies, conducted at <a href="http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/">UT Southwestern Medical Center</a> in Dallas and <a href="http://admissions.wfu.edu/">Wake Forest University</a>, investigated the brain's default mode network (DMN) to observe how playing football affects youths’ brain health.


The DMN is a network of interacting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-risky-decision-making/">brain</a> regions that is active during wakeful rest. Changes in the DMN are associated with mental disorders, and decreased connectivity within the network is associated with traumatic brain injury.

"The DMN exists in the deep gray matter areas of the brain," explained study co-author Elizabeth M. Davenport. "It includes structures that activate when we are awake and engaging in introspection or processing emotions, which are activities that are important for brain health."

The research team set out to identify the outcome of numerous subconcussive impacts on the DMN. For this study, they examined youth football players with no history of concussion.

"Over a season of football, players are exposed to numerous head impacts. The vast majority of these do not result in concussion," said co-author Gowtham Krishnan Murugesan. "This work adds to a growing body of literature indicating that subconcussive head impacts can have an effect on the brain. This is a highly understudied area at the youth and high school level."

26 youth football players between the ages of 9 and 13 were equipped with the Head Impact Telemetry System (HITS) for an entire football season. These helmets contain sensors that measure the magnitude, location, and direction of impacts to the head. 

For each player, impact data from the helmets was used to calculate a risk of concussion exposure. The results of the study showed an increasing functional change in the DMN with consistent exposure to head impacts.

"The brains of these youth and adolescent athletes are undergoing rapid maturation in this age range. This study demonstrates that playing a season of contact sports at the youth level can produce neuroimaging brain changes, particularly for the DMN," said Murugesan.

In the second study, 20 high school football players wore the HITS helmets throughout a season. Five of the players had experienced at least one concussion, while the other 15 players had no history of concussion.

After the season, the five players with a history of concussion had substantially lower connectivity in the DMN. The players with no history of concussion typically showed an increase in DMN connectivity.

"The brain's default mode network changes differently as a result of previous concussion," said Dr. Davenport. "Previous concussion seems to prime the brain for additional changes. Concussion history may be affecting the brain's ability to compensate for subconcussive impacts."
--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Youth football can alter a kid’s brain in just one season

New research that is being presented at the annual meeting...

New research is showing that xenophobia, or fear of other groups, strongly impacted the outcome of the Brexit vote. The study has revealed that British citizens who felt immigrants were a threat to their way of life were more likely to vote for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brexit-impact-uk-food-agriculture/">United Kingdom</a> to withdraw from the European Union.

Last year, 52 percent of British citizens voted in favor of Brexit. Some experts attributed this surprising outcome to the age, gender, or education of the voters, while others speculated that an agenda known as the “Leave campaign” may have generated a fear of foreigners.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Agnieszka Golec de Zavala at the <a href="http://www.london.ac.uk/">University of London</a> set out to examine the influence that xenophobia may have had on voting behavior. The experts found that feelings of fear of other groups did, in fact, have a noticeable impact on the overall decision of voters.

The researchers next wanted to determine which groups of people feel threatened by immigrants coming into the UK. The team identified three groups. 

First are the authoritarians, who fear disruption of the traditional status quo. Next are people high in social dominance orientation, who compete with immigrants for their group's dominance. The third group is made up of narcissists, who believe the UK is entitled to privileged treatment. The narcissists are concerned that the value of the UK is not acknowledged by other countries. 

Furthermore, the researchers found that people who were simply proud to be British or valued their British identity were not more likely to have xenophobic attitudes or vote for Brexit.

Dr. Golec de Zavala explained that this study pinpoints collective narcissism as a new factor that needs to be considered when predicting political outcomes. 

"From Brexit, Trump and support for Vladimir Putin in Russia to the nationalist, ultra- conservative government in Poland, studies from our and other labs show that collective narcissism systematically predicts prejudice, aggression and a tendency to interpret innocent behaviors as provocation to the national group," she said.

While the study provides evidence that voting was linked to prejudice, the authors point out that this was conducted after Brexit was voted in, and people may have felt more empowered to express their xenophobic attitudes.

The research is published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology">Frontiers in Psychology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fear of foreigners strongly influenced the passing of Brexit

New research is showing that xenophobia, or fear of other...

New research from the <a href="https://medicine.yale.edu/">Yale School of Medicine</a> is providing unprecedented insight into what makes humans smarter than other animals. The study has linked the dopamine system in humans to higher intelligence.

The researchers showed that humans have abundant dopamine in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brains-grow-learn-cuts/">brain</a> that guides in thinking and planning. Dopamine is a chemical that plays a central role in reward-motivated behavior. 

The research team established that the progression of the dopamine system in humans is much different than of other species.

For the study, the researchers compared the brains of five macaque monkeys, five chimpanzees and six humans. After analyzing 247 samples of brain tissue, they found substantial differences in dopamine levels.

The inconsistencies were not apparent in some regions of the brain, but differences were very noticeable in the neocortex and the striatum. 

The team found that two enzymes which aid in the production of dopamine were more active in the human brain than in the brains of the other species. The scientists also discovered that three times as many neurons in the human striatum were producing dopamine compared to the ape striatum.

“That caught our attention,” said study co-author Dr. Andre Miguel Sousa.

In addition to reward processing, dopamine plays a role in regulating the brain's executive functions such as memory, attention, and reasoning.

The findings of the study, which are published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>, challenge previous assumptions about the human brain, such as the idea that the neocortex is the only region involved in intelligence. 

The researchers hope the investigation will lead to a better understanding of the brain, as well as help to explain the causes of brain disorders.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dopamine might be behind human intelligence

New research from the Yale School of Medicine is providing...

The philosopher Rene Descartes once said, “Cogito, ergo sum” – “I think, therefore I am.” He may have been more right than he suspected. A pair of researchers believe that thoughts and feelings don’t rise out of our human consciousness, but from non-conscious structures in the brain.

Dr. David Oakley of <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> and Dr. Peter Halligan of <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/">Cardiff University</a> have come to that conclusion after analyzing a number of neuroscientific studies. 

“We suggest that our personal awareness does not create, cause or choose our beliefs, feelings or perceptions. Instead, the contents of consciousness are generated 'behind the scenes' by fast, efficient, non-conscious systems in our brains,” the pair wrote in a column for <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-if-consciousness-is-not-what-drives-the-human-mind-86785">The Conversation</a>.

Basically, they said, human consciousness doesn’t control or generate thoughts and emotions, it just becomes aware of them.

To support their argument, the researchers pointed to the sleep process.

“If this sounds strange, consider how effortlessly we regain consciousness each morning after losing it the night before …” Oakley and Halligan wrote.

They also noted that thoughts and emotions often arise fully formed in people’s minds; they’re not aware of the process of forming them, just as they aren’t aware of the process that pumps the heart or filters blood through the liver. 

A study on hypnosis also supporters their argument, the researchers claim. Through hypnosis, subjects’ perception of reality and emotions can be influenced by outside suggestions, the scientists said.

Instead of emotions and thoughts making up human consciousness, Oakley and Halligan argue, people’s awareness of those processes and the personal narrative they construct to explain them is true consciousness. 

But while humans may not be able to control thoughts and emotions, this doesn’t mean everyone has free license to do whatever they want, the researchers said.

“Just because consciousness has been placed in the passenger seat, does not mean we need to dispense with important everyday notions such as free will and personal responsibility,” they wrote.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Researchers: Thoughts, emotions may not come from human consciousness

The philosopher Rene Descartes once said, “Cogito, ergo sum” –...

Picnic-lovers take heed: Disease-ridden flies carry a lot more germs than previously suspected. Between them, houseflies and blowflies alone house more than 600 bacteria, many of them linked to human illnesses, according to a new study.

An international team of biologists and entomologists collected sample flies from around the world and analyzed their DNA. 

“We sampled 116 individual houseflies and blowflies from varying habitats on three continents and subjected them to high-coverage, whole-genome shotgun sequencing,” the study said.

They then used the DNA to analyze the flies’ microbiomes – communities of bacteria on their bodies. 

They found that both houseflies and blowflies carry hundreds of bacteria – more than 350 for the housefly, and a little over 300 for blowflies. Many of the bacteria are pathogens like Helicobacter pylori, linked to stomach ulcers in humans. 

The flies often feed on feces and decaying organic matter, the study said – ripe breeding grounds for bacteria. On top of that, their legs and wings showed the greatest diversity of bacteria, and were the most likely parts of the flies to transmit that bacteria to other surfaces. Burger fixings sitting uncovered for hours on a picnic table, for example. 

The disease-ridden flies may transmit more illnesses to humans than epidemiologists and public health officials suspected, the researchers told the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a>. 

“We believe that this may show a mechanism for pathogen transmission that has been overlooked by public health officials, and flies may contribute to the rapid transmission of pathogens in outbreak situations," Dr. Donald Bryant, a study co-author at Pennsylvania State University, told the news agency.

Because flies are so widespread in most ecosystems, they play a large role in how bacteria is spread throughout a community, the researchers said. 

"It will really make you think twice about eating that potato salad that's been sitting out at your next picnic," Bryant told the BBC.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-16353-x">Scientific Reports</a>. 

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Disease-ridden flies carry hundreds of different bacteria

Picnic-lovers take heed: Disease-ridden flies carry a lot more germs...

Scientists are examining the fate of fatty acids that are released from cooking into the atmosphere. A recent study suggests that frying food has the potential to change the weather and possibly even counteract global warming.

The experts believe that molecules emitted from cooking oil contribute to the formation of clouds that cool the planet, and their research will provide new insight on how aerosols affect temperatures in the long term. 

While it is known that aerosols significantly impact the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/immigration-america-climate-change/">climate</a>, their composition is not clearly understood. The researchers set out to establish how compounds are arranged within aerosol droplets.

Oleic acids are the primary fatty acids found in cooking oils. Using ultrasonic levitation, the researchers managed to hold individual droplets of brine and oleic acid in place so they could examine them with a laser beam and X-rays. 

The research team discovered that these fat molecules assemble into intricate 3D structures within aerosol droplets. These complex structures enable the aerosols to linger in the atmosphere longer.

Dr. Christian Pfrang is a professor of Physical &amp; Atmospheric Chemistry at the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a> and lead author of the study.

Dr. Pfrang told <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news">BBC News</a>, "We found these drops could form these self-assembled phases which means these molecules can stay much longer in the atmosphere. These self-assembled structures are highly viscous so instead of having a water droplet you have something that behaves much more like honey, so processes inside the droplet will slow down.”

Dr. Pfrang explained that the structures are resistant to oxidation which allows them to persist longer, making cloud formation easier.

Dr. Adam Squires from the <a href="http://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a> is the co-lead author of the study.

“We know that the complex structures we saw are formed by similar fatty acid molecules like soap in water,” said Dr. Squires."There, they dramatically affect whether the mixture is cloudy or transparent, solid or liquid, and how much it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere in a lab.”

Dr. Squires added, “The idea that this may also be happening in the air above our heads is exciting, and raises challenges in understanding what these cooking fats are really doing to the world around us."

The scientists hope this research will lead to further exploration of how fatty acids affect the atmosphere. The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Frying food can affect the weather and climate

Scientists are examining the fate of fatty acids that are...

Humans are exposed to radiation in some form or fashion every day. But a new study demonstrates that radiation is coming from an unexpected source - thunderstorms.

The researchers have discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/summer-storms-severe/">thunderstorms</a> create radioactive particles in the atmosphere that are shot down to Earth as lightning strikes. They also found that gamma radiation is produced when lightning reacts with nitrogen in the atmosphere. 

Dr. Teruaki Enoto, a scientist at <a href="http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en">Kyoto University</a>, is the study’s lead author.

“We already knew that thunderclouds and lightning emit gamma rays, and hypothesized that they would react in some way with the nuclei of environmental elements in the atmosphere,” said Dr. Enoto.

The team focused their study on Japan's western coast, which is ideal for viewing thunderstorms and lightning in the wintertime. In 2015, the experts started building small gamma-ray detectors and placed them in various locations along the coast.

During a storm in February, a gamma flash was recorded in Kashiwazaki city, Niigata. Immediately after lightning struck a few hundred feet away, detectors recorded the flash which had a duration of less than one millisecond. 

“It was the moment we realized we’re seeing a new, hidden face of lightning,” said the study authors. “When we analyzed the data, we found three distinct gamma-ray bursts.”

The first spike was followed by a second gamma-ray afterglow that lasted dozens of milliseconds, while a third flash lasted over a minute.

“We could tell that the first burst was from the lightning strike. Through our analysis and calculations, we eventually determined the origins of the second and third emissions as well,” Dr. Enoto. “The second afterglow, for example, was caused by lightning reacting with nitrogen in the atmosphere.”

He continued, “The gamma rays emitted in lightning have enough energy to knock a neutron out of atmospheric nitrogen, and it was the reabsorption of this neutron by particles in the atmosphere that produced the gamma-ray afterglow.”

According to Dr. Enoto, the final emission was from the breakdown of the unstable nitrogen atoms. The neutron-deprived atoms released positrons, “which subsequently collided with electrons in annihilation events releasing gamma rays.”

While these radioactive particles have been detected for decades by various forms of observation such as aircrafts and satellites, it was unclear whether the nuclear reactions were caused by lightning. 

The scientists say that the radiation is no more threatening to life on Earth than the radiation we are exposed to in everyday life.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

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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

Thunderstorms can cause nuclear reactions

Humans are exposed to radiation in some form or fashion...

Rainfall plays a critical role in food security, and rain shortages or excessive rainfall can cause poverty and hunger, particularly in low income countries. A new study reveals that rainfall may also become key in planning strategies to eliminate food insecurity. 

The study is the first to examine the association between food insecurity, smallholder farms, and rainfall patterns on a large scale. The research may provide a range of interventions to address the issue of hunger.

Smallholder farms are farms with few resources that depend on the family for labor and on their own crops for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-cues-people-overeat/">food</a> or income. There are 460 to 500 million of these smallholder farms in the world. They grow approximately 80 percent of the food consumed in the world’s poorest countries.

The researchers investigated the conditions of 2,000 smallholder farms in Africa and Asia. Meredith Niles of the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>'s Department of Nutrition and Food Science is the lead author of the study. 

"The big picture is that one strategy is unlikely to work everywhere," said Niles. "Understanding the climate context is important in determining what interventions may be most effective.”.

The farms analyzed in the study were grouped into three categories including those that received less than average rainfall, those that received average rainfall, and those that received more rain than average.

The farms with less than average rainfall experienced more food insecurity. These operations saw an average of 3.81 months without enough productivity in the year of the study. The average farms experienced 3.67 less productive months, while the wetter farms had 2.86 months with less food. Every farm surveyed experienced significant food insecurity. 

"The study reaffirms what we know: that food insecurity is a widespread problem in these areas," said Niles.

The study found that whether or not various interventions resulted in improved food security was statistically linked with the amount of rain the farms had received in the previous year.

For farms with drier than average conditions, cash from other businesses, loans, and cash gifts were more frequently correlated with better food security. 

"Water is a fundamentally limiting factor," Niles said. "If you don't have it, then agricultural inputs likely don't matter. What you need, at least in the short term, is cash."

With wetter farms, the use of pesticides, fertilizer, and veterinary medicines led to increased food security. For the farms with average rainfall, both strategies worked.

"We don't see an effect that financial strategies in wetter than average households make a difference in the short-term," said Niles. "But these financial strategies seem to be especially important when drought or reduced rainfall impacts crop production and income sources."

Niles explained that establishing which interventions work and which do not is increasingly urgent because of climate change. 

"The majority of smallholder farms rely on rain-fed agriculture, so they are vulnerable to climate change, which is slated to likely increase rainfall variability,” said Niles. “Our work suggests that absent appropriate interventions, these future conditions may worsen food insecurity."

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

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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

Weather statistics could help eliminate world hunger

Rainfall plays a critical role in food security, and rain...

A recent study suggests that babies have intuition that helps them perceive how people make decisions. According to the research, infants can assess how badly a person wants to accomplish a specific goal through observation.

Researchers from the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> and <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> teamed up for the groundbreaking research, which has established that babies as young as 10 months old can evaluate how much someone values a particular goal by noticing how hard they work to achieve it.

"Infants are far from experiencing the world as a 'blooming, buzzing confusion,'" said lead author Shari Liu. "They interpret people's actions in terms of hidden variables, including the effort [people] expend in producing those actions, and also the value of the goals those actions achieve."

Previous studies have demonstrated that adults and older children can interpret the motivations of others by gauging how much effort is being put in. For the current study, the research team set out to determine when and how this ability develops. 

The researchers showed 10-month-old infants animated videos in which an "agent," a cartoon character shaped like a bouncing ball, tries to reach a certain goal by leaping over walls. First, the agent jumped over a low wall but then refused to jump over a medium-sized wall. Next, the agent jumped over the medium-sized wall but refused to jump over a high wall.

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/babies-understand-related-words/">babies</a> were then shown a scene in which the agent could choose between the two goals, with no obstacles in the way. An adult would assume that the agent would choose the second goal, because he had obviously worked much harder to reach that goal. 

Remarkably, the researchers found that 10-month-olds reached this same conclusion.  When the agent was shown choosing the first goal instead of the second, the infants gazed at the scene longer, which indicated to the experts that they were surprised by the scene’s outcome. In studies, the length of time an infant looks at something is commonly used to measure surprise.

During similar trials, the researchers got the same reaction from the babies.

"Across our experiments, we found that babies looked longer when the agent chose the thing it had exerted less effort for, showing that they infer the amount of value that agents place on goals from the amount of effort that they take toward these goals,"said Liu.

The results of the study indicate that babies calculate the value of a reward based on the energy that is put into getting it.

Study co-author Josh Tenenbaum said,"This paper is not the first to suggest that idea, but its novelty is that it shows this is true in much younger babies than anyone has seen. These are preverbal babies, who themselves are not actively doing very much, yet they appear to understand other people's actions in this sophisticated, quantitative way.”

The findings of the study are published in the journal<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/"> Science</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Babies have intuition that senses how much adults want something

A recent study suggests that babies have intuition that helps...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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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...