Who is most vulnerable to online misinformation and why? A new study offers a revealing look at how different demographic and psychological factors - such as age, education, political identity, and analytical thinking - shape individuals’ ability to assess the accuracy of news.&nbsp;



Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development analyzed data from 31 experiments conducted in the United States between 2006 and 2023.



Surprisingly, the findings do not align with many long-held assumptions about who is more likely to be duped by fake news.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-demographics-psychological-factors-and-fake-news">Demographics, psychological factors, and fake news</h2>



The study was led by Mubashir Sultan, a doctoral candidate at the <a href="https://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute for Human Development</a>’s Center for Adaptive Rationality.&nbsp;



Sultan and his colleagues performed an individual participant data meta-analysis, often considered the gold standard because it compiles and re-examines raw data from multiple studies rather than simply aggregating previously reported effect sizes.&nbsp;



This approach allowed the team to analyze 256,337 individual decisions made by 11,561 participants, whose ages ranged from 18 to 88 years.&nbsp;



Participants were asked to judge whether headlines covering politics, health, and other topics were true or false. 



The researchers then connected participants’ responses to four demographic factors (age, gender, education, and political identity) and four psychological factors (analytical thinking, partisan bias, motivated reflection, and familiarity with the news).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-common-assumptions-about-education">Common assumptions about education</h2>



Education emerged as one of the most surprising factors. Higher education is often presumed to protect against misinformation - under the assumption that college and advanced degrees teach critical thinking.



However, the meta-analysis found no significant difference in susceptibility between those with higher and lower educational attainment. 



In other words, a four-year degree or postgraduate study did not predict better performance in distinguishing real from fake headlines. This finding runs counter to the conventional wisdom that more education automatically translates into greater immunity to misinformation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-misconceptions-about-age-and-fake-news">Misconceptions about age and fake news</h2>



Age also challenged expectations. Previous studies often blame older adults for being more prone to sharing or believing misinformation.&nbsp;



In contrast, the new analysis showed that older adults were actually better than younger adults at discerning true headlines from false ones. They tended to label more headlines as false, indicating a greater degree of skepticism.&nbsp;



However, these findings exist alongside the well-documented observation that older adults do share more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/digital-misinformation-rumors-spread-like-nuclear-reactions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fake content</a> online - suggesting a complex interplay between careful headline scrutiny and actual sharing behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-political-identity-and-partisan-bias">Political identity and partisan bias</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-trust-news-that-matches-their-political-views-even-when-its-fake/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Political identity</a> proved to be another influential factor. The meta-analysis confirmed that Republicans, on average, are more likely to accept news headlines as true, resulting in lower overall accuracy when distinguishing real from false stories.&nbsp;



Democrats, for their part, were more skeptical, labeling more headlines as false. Sultan and his colleagues link these findings to partisan bias, in which people are more willing to believe stories that align with their political affiliations and to reject those that conflict with them.



That said, analytical thinking - the ability to logically evaluate information and solve problems systematically - generally predicted better performance in detecting misinformation.&nbsp;



However, a twist emerged in the form of motivated reflection: individuals who scored higher in analytical thinking were actually more susceptible to partisan bias.&nbsp;



In other words, rather than using their critical skills to transcend personal beliefs, these analytical thinkers often deployed their reasoning faculties to defend their existing political identities. 



This paradox highlights the fact that reasoning can sometimes serve entrenched worldviews instead of open-minded evaluation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-familiarity-as-a-powerful-persuader">Familiarity as a powerful persuader</h2>



One of the strongest indicators of misinformation susceptibility turned out to be familiarity with the news. If participants recognized a headline from having seen it before, they were significantly more likely to accept it as true.&nbsp;



This result highlights the perils of repeated exposure, especially on <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> platforms where the same headlines (whether accurate or false) can circulate extensively.&nbsp;



Over time, familiarity can breed acceptance, making misinformation more persuasive simply by virtue of being encountered multiple times.



The findings come at a time of growing concern over how misinformation shapes public opinion and election outcomes.&nbsp;



According to co-author Ralf Kurvers, a senior research scientist at the Max Planck Institute, the study’s relevance is heightened by the rise of right-wing populism and the dire warnings from the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024</a>. This report identifies misinformation as one of the world’s greatest short-term threats.&nbsp;



Kurvers advocates for targeted media literacy efforts, particularly for younger adults, who, despite being “digital natives,” were less able to differentiate between genuine and fake news in the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-challenges-of-misinformation">Addressing the challenges of misinformation </h2>



Moving forward, the researchers recommend that interventions account for how political bias and repeated exposure can reinforce incorrect beliefs. 



They point to the need for fostering respectful conversations across political divides and designing social media tools that reduce the repeated circulation of false content. 



As part of a broader initiative on online environments at the Max Planck Institute, the team aims to develop strategies for addressing these challenges, including methods that help people become more reflective about the information they encounter.



Ultimately, the study underscores the complexity of combating misinformation. Simply improving education levels does not appear to be a magic bullet, nor does encouraging more analytical thought if that thinking is subverted by partisan motives.&nbsp;



Instead, the research suggests that a multi-pronged approach - combining critical reflection, awareness of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quick-decisions-are-often-biased-and-misleading/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bias</a>, and caution about familiar-seeming claims - is needed to help individuals navigate the vast sea of online information.



The study is published in the <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2409329121" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Who falls for fake news? New study challenges what we thought

Who is most vulnerable to online misinformation and why? A new study offers a revealing look at how different demographic and psychological factors - such as age, education, political identity, and analytical thinking - shape individuals’ ability to assess the accuracy of news.&nbsp; Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development analyzed data from 31 experiments conducted in the United States between 2006 and 2023. Surprisingly, the findings do not align with many long-held assumptions about who is more likely to be duped by fake news....

Researchers at <a href="http://www.uwo.ca/">Western University</a> in Canada are reporting that short-term <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hour-exercise-prevent-depression/">exercise</a> works wonders for the brain. The experts have found that even 10 minutes of aerobic activity can boost regions of the brain that help us focus and solve problems.

Previous studies have demonstrated brain-health benefits after 20 minutes of exercise. Researchers have also shown that commiting to an exercise program of 24 weeks or more is beneficial to the brain.

"Some people can't commit to a long-term exercise regime because of time or physical capacity," said study co-author Matthew Heath. “This shows that people can cycle or walk briskly for a short duration, even once, and find immediate benefits.”

Participants in the study were divided into two groups. They were directed to either sit and read a magazine or to perform 10 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise on a stationary bicycle. 

Next, the researchers used eye-tracking equipment to examine how fast the individuals could react to an eye movement task. The activity was designed to challenge the regions of the brain responsible for executive functions such as decision-making.

“Those who had exercised showed immediate improvement,” said Heath. “Their responses were more accurate and their reaction times were up to 50 milliseconds shorter than their pre-exercise values. That may seem minuscule but it represented a 14-percent gain in cognitive performance in some instances.”

The work may be used to develop strategies for older people who are in early stages of dementia and are less mobile. The findings of the study also have significance for anyone looking to gain quick a mental edge.

"I always tell my students before they write a test or an exam or go into an interview - or do anything that is cognitively demanding - they should get some exercise first," said Heath. "Our study shows the brain's networks like it. They perform better.”

Heath is now conducting a study to determine how long the benefits last after a burst of exercise. The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/neuropsychologia">Neuropsychologia</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Just ten minutes of exercise gives the brain a major boost

Researchers at Western University in Canada are reporting that short-term...

As another year ends and a new one begins, many people resolve to eat better, exercise more, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/losing-weight-saves-money/">lose weight</a>. A Nielsen survey found that about a third of Americans pledged to slim down and tone up as we rang in 2017, but Professor Pamela Keel of <a href="https://www.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a> says a better resolution is to simply lose the critical thoughts about your body.

Keel’s research team is testing a new program encouraging body acceptance, and they are seeing dramatic results. 

“Consider what is really going to make you happier and healthier in 2018: losing 10 pounds or losing harmful attitudes about your body?” said Keel.

Keel has dedicated her entire career to studying body-image issues and how they relate to eating disorders. These problems are commonplace in America, particularly among young women.

An ideal body type has emerged over the past 35 years that is essentially unattainable for most people. Keel pointed out that the majority of Americans are overweight, which means there is a huge discrepancy between reality and the body types shown in the media.

“There's a big gap between what we're shown as being ideal and what to aspire to and where we actually are as a population,” said Keel. “That leaves people feeling bad about themselves, and, unfortunately, feeling bad about your body does not actually motivate a person to pursue healthy behavior.”

An intervention program called "The Body Project" was developed by Eric Stice of the <a href="http://www.ori.org/">Oregon Research Institute</a> and Professor Carolyn Becker of <a href="https://new.trinity.edu/">Trinity University</a>. Using ideas from this project, Keel has documented strategies to help people feel better about themselves. 

An exercise called mirror-exposure directs a person to stand in front of a full-length mirror in little clothing and identify specific body traits that are good. The praise can be focused on the body's outward appearance or the body's function.

“You would say, 'I really appreciate the way my legs take me wherever I need to go,’" said Keel. “‘Every day without fail, they get me out of bed, to the car, up the stairs and into the office. I don't have to worry about walking.' It can be that kind of functional appreciation of what your body does for you.”

The individual may choose instead to appreciate the appearance of a body feature like the skin or the shape of the shoulders.

“You can even go for higher risk body parts," said Keel. “Rather than looking at yourself and saying, 'I hate my gut,' you could say, 'I really like the shape of my legs.' If there is something about you that you like, the idea is to spend time focusing on it.”

Keel found that focusing on positive things helped transform people's feelings about their bodies.

"It turns out that discarding those unattainable body ideals also improves your mood, self-esteem, reduces disordered eating behaviors and may reduce the risk of self-injurious behavior," said Keel. "All sorts of things get better as a result of feeling better about your body."

Attainment of a healthy body image was also found to lead to healthier eating patterns. These results have been replicated among diverse groups of participants, including a national sorority system and men at risk for eating disorders.

"When people feel good about their bodies, they are more likely to take better care of themselves rather than treating their bodies like an enemy, or even worse, an object," said Keel. "That's a powerful reason to rethink the kind of New Year's resolutions we make for 2018."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reshaping body image may be the most effective resolution

As another year ends and a new one begins, many...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-birth-defects/">Air pollution</a> is detrimental to health and wellbeing and has been linked to cardiovascular disease, reduced respiratory health, and even death. 

According to the <a href="http://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/sota/key-findings/">2017 “State of the Air Report”</a> released by the <a href="http://www.lung.org/">American Lung Association, </a>almost 4 in 10 people in the United States live in areas with risky levels air pollution. 

Now, a new study has found that even short-term exposure to air pollution levels below current quality standards increases the risk of death in older adults. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a>, Boston. 

The researchers analyzed data from Medicare patients between the years 2000 and 2012 from almost 40,000 zip codes across the United States. 

The team examined pollution levels including particulate matter and ozone levels and compared these to death rates among the Medicare data used for the study. 

The results show that daily growth in pollution levels increases the risk of death for more than 22 million Medicare patients. Even if the levels calculated by the research team were below legal limits, exposure to pollution still correlated with a risk of death. 

This means that air pollution levels may need to be re-evaluated and that people with Medicare living in areas with ozone and particle pollution below current standards are still at risk of health problems and now, as the study shows, even death.

As it stands now, the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-air-act">Clean Air Act</a> mandates that air quality standards for pollution be reviewed every five years, but with increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants are becoming more and more harmful. 

The researchers say that in order to revise the acceptable levels of pollution, further studies will need to be done specifically examining the risk of death at differing levels of air pollution. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Even below legal limits, air pollution increases risk of death

Air pollution is detrimental to health and wellbeing and has...

As some environmental ideas become mainstream, such as ‘sustainability’ and the practice of recycling, companies are scrambling to catch up.  It’s important to know how to separate the wheat from the chaff, the truly green companies from those pretending to be <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-emissions-100-companies/">environmentally friendly</a>.  

From my perspective, every company claiming to be environmentally friendly is in some way lying.  One case of this fakeness is Best Buy.  I worked stocking shelves in Best Buy on an overnight shift for the holidays a couple years back.  Best Buy went out of its way to paint the image of an environmentally friendly tech company.  Best Buy will recycle your electronics and batteries for free.  Some Best Buy gift cards that year had environmental slogans.  Why isn’t Best Buy green?  Let me spell it out.  When I was young and still in college I felt solar, wind and other alternative energies could save the planet.  I travelled to Tasmania and got a big wake up call.  

I worked on a small subsistence farm in Tasmania for free room and board.  The farm was entirely vegetarian, there was no electricity and as much food as possible was grown on the farm, organically.  Peter, the man who ran the farm, was one of the first people to question my environmental presumptions.  When talking about a large pulp mill being built in Tasmania, Peter said, ‘It’s the fault of people who use electricity.  You buy a light bulb that was shipped to a store in a cardboard box and packaged in paper, you’re contributing to pulp mills.’  

The point wasn’t that electricity use was the worst thing you could do, obviously reading books also contributes to pulp mills.  The point is that the more resources, any resources you consume, the larger your impact on the environment.  Peter, in his comment, also highlights the interconnectedness of our actions in society and the environment around us.  By writing this article on my laptop, using electricity and publishing it on a website to be read by other people using electricity, I’m making a compromise.  I’m knowingly making a trade-off between consumption (electricity, metals, plastics, etc. in my laptop) and informing the public (that’s you, reader).  

Even with solar panels producing electricity that is clean, few people think of the initial environmental impact of producing solar panels.  Recycling everything from plastic bottles to electronics isn’t without its problems either.  Recycling takes a lot of energy input.  Besides the carbon produced from recycling, it can contribute to child labor borne from the desperation of poverty with unsafe conditions.

The best practice when it comes to deciding whether an action, a purchase or life style is ‘green’ is to do as little as possible.  What I mean is, don’t buy something to support ‘green’ industry.  The less you buy, the greener it is; live simply.  When you do buy, buy used.  Buying used contributes less energy towards production of goods.  Second hand stores are often a better deal as well and sometimes profits go towards non-profit causes.  

Besides simplicity, we should always think deeply and look at unintended consequences.  For instance, I don’t eat meat.  It’s true that meat eating contributes more of a carbon footprint than vegetarian eating.  It’s also true that meat production demands more land and contributes to predator ‘control’ on wild animals.  There are many other environmental reasons for being vegetarian but it’s just an example.  Don’t assume an electric car is greener.  Think about where the electricity for that car is coming from; consider the environmental impact of producing and shipping an electric car.  If the electricity comes from solar or wind, think about the impact of installing windmills or solar panels.  An easy thing to do is walk instead of drive.  There’s no environmental downside to walking over driving and you might actually enjoy the environment you walk through more.

Remember that global climate change is only one of many environmental problems.  Plastic is quickly replacing fish in the ocean.  We’re on the edge of a massive global extinction, set to wipe out many plants, animals and fungi.  Getting out and connecting to our environment is more important than ever and yet federal public lands are under attack.  Kids spend more time inside and less outside connecting to the world around them and others.    

What’s green and what’s just green washing is a matter of opinion in the end.  The important thing is not to just believe a label or the hype around a certain product.  Being green is a personal responsibility, not something that can be passed off to business or government.  Trying your best and being imperfect is better than getting overwhelmed and giving up.  Inform yourself, think for yourself, trust yourself.                

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Greenwashing: How easy is it to ‘go green’?

As some environmental ideas become mainstream, such as ‘sustainability’ and...

German scientists may have finally solved the mystery of what part of the brain recognizes human voices. The researchers are reporting that the area of the brain responsible for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/politicians-voice-impacts-success/">voice</a> recognition is a small region known as the superior temporal gyrus (STG).

The STG is part of the right posterior temporal lobe, which is one of the four major lobes in the brain. Claudia Roswandowitz is a researcher at the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/149614/kognition_neuro">Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences</a> and the lead author of the study.

Roswandowitz teamed up with other experts from the research group <a href="http://www.cbs.mpg.de/independent-research-groups/human-communication">Neural Mechanisms of Human Communication</a> for the investigation. The study was focused on 58 individuals with brain injuries in an effort to examine their ability to learn and recognize voices.

“Very valid statements about which brain areas are responsible for which functions are derived from investigations in patients with lesions,” explained Roswandowitz.

The <a href="http://www.cbs.mpg.de/voice-recognition-in-the-brain">study</a> revealed that patients with damage to the right posterior temporal lobe had trouble identifying the voices of other people, and individuals who had suffered from a stroke had even more difficulty.

Overall, 9 percent of the patients examined had difficulty in distinguishing one voice from another. The results of the study indicate that this particular region of the brain is critical in voice recognition. 

“These findings improve our understanding of how the brain identifies voices and provide the basis in the search for effective therapies for those affected by phonagnosia, a fairly common deficit which is sometimes present from birth but especially after a stroke,” said Roswandowitz.

“In our studies nine percent of the participants reported suffering from difficulties in recognizing voices, a problem that is almost unheard of in the medical sector.Thus, we have to raise awareness of this matter.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

This part of the brain allows us to remember voices

German scientists may have finally solved the mystery of what...

A new <a href="https://qzprod.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/6043f-meyers-fallout-mortality-website.pdf">study</a> from <a href="http://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> economist Keith Meyers reveals that radiation from nuclear tests during the Cold War led to many more deaths than previously thought. 

Between 1951 and 1963, the United States conducted over 100 above-ground nuclear tests at sites in Nevada. Meyers has found that as many as 690,000 casualties resulted after radioactive pollution made its way into the environment and the food supply.

Exposure to high levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-travelers-fly-radiation-clouds/">radiation</a> can cause serious illness or death, and even low doses of radiation can cause cancer. The weapons developers were either unaware of these risks or just completely careless, and people working at test sites or living closeby were not the only ones in harm's way. Ultimately, millions of people were exposed to “tremendous" amounts of radiation.

“Counter-intuitively, the areas where fallout had the largest impact on the crude death rate was not in the region surrounding the test site, but rather in areas with moderate levels of radioactive fallout deposition in the interior of the country,” said Meyers.

Early attempts to calculate the extent of the fallout from nuclear tests were inaccurate because they did not account for the collateral damage that happened over time and space. 

“The largest health effects appear in areas far beyond the scope of previous scientific and medical studies,” explained Meyers. “The scientific and medical literature has studied the effects of atmospheric testing on populations residing in downwind counties in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah.”

After the nuclear tests, pollution was carried far away by winds. In addition, cows consumed irradiated grass which leaked radioactive material into the milk supply.

To analyze the number of deaths which resulted from nuclear testing, Myers used an empirical alternative approach which combined measures of radioactive fallout exposure from the <a href="https://www.cancer.gov/">National Cancer Institute</a> and mortality data from across the continental United States. 

Meyers found that radioactive fallout was to blame for between 340,000 and 690,000 deaths from 1951 to 1973, which is up to fourteen times more casualties than earlier research had demonstrated. 

Meyers explained that putting a stop to nuclear testing inadvertently saved millions of Americans from additional exposure. He estimated that the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was responsible for saving between 11.7 and 24 million lives.

“The evidence presented in this paper reveals that the health cost of domestic nuclear
testing is both larger and more expansive than previously thought,” said Meyers. 

“The mortality estimates may understate the magnitude of the true number of deaths attributable to nuclear testing and the magnitude of the health costs of this polluting defense policy. It is plausible that
these estimates are lower bounds of the true health effects.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

1950s nuclear tests exposed millions to radiation

A new study from University of Arizona economist Keith Meyers...

An odor can trigger memories and emotions from experiences long ago, and neuroscientists from the <a href="http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/index_en.htm">Ruhr-Universität Bochum</a> set out to determine which region of the brain stores long-term memories of scents. They discovered that an area of the olfactory brain called the piriform cortex plays a role in saving memories, yet it does not operate alone.

“It is known that the piriform cortex is able to temporarily store olfactory memories," said study co-author Christina Strauch. “We wanted to know, if that applies to long-term memories as well.”

A biological process known as synaptic plasticity alters communication between neurons found in the brain. These synaptic changes contribute to memory and learning by storing new information on the brain's memory structures.

Through experimentation in mice, the researchers investigated if the piriform cortex is capable of expressing synaptic plasticity. They also wanted to examine whether synaptic changes lasted for more than four hours, which would indicate that long-term memory had been established.

The experts used electrical impulses in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salad-vegetables-brain-young/">brain</a> with varying frequencies and intensities to emulate processes that trigger the encoding of an olfactory sensation as a memory. 

It is known that these procedures can produce lasting effects in the hippocampus, which is another region of the brain responsible for long term memories. Surprisingly, the protocols did not induce synaptic plasticity in the piriform cortex.

Next, the scientists set out to determine whether the piriform cortex needs to be instructed to create a long-term memory. To do so, they stimulated a brain area called the orbitofrontal cortex, which is responsible for the recognition of sensory experiences. This stimulation resulted in synaptic change in the piriform cortex. 

“Our study shows that the piriform cortex is indeed able to serve as an archive for long-term memories,” said Strauch. “But it needs instruction from the orbitofrontal cortex - a higher brain area - indicating that an event is to be stored as a long-term memory.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cercor">Cerebral Cortex</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why certain smells turn into long-term memories

An odor can trigger memories and emotions from experiences long...

There are thousands of premature deaths from particle pollution in the United States each year, and the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) has the responsibility of writing and enforcing regulations that will protect both the environment and human health. Researchers are reporting that the amount of lives saved by legislation from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scott-pruitt-doubts-global-warming/">EPA</a> has been substantially underestimated in the past.

Colette Heald is an associate professor of Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences and Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>.

“In the United States, the number of premature deaths associated with exposure to outdoor particulate matter exceeds the number of car accident fatalities every year,” said Heald. “This highlights the vital role that the EPA plays in reducing the exposure of people living in the United States to harmful pollutants.”


The 1970 Clean Air Act and its amendments were proposed by the EPA to address the health effects of particulate matter. More specifically, the legislation regulated the emissions of air pollutants and promoted research into cleaner alternatives. 

The EPA reported in 2011 that the regulations set forth in the Clean Air Act had led to a substantial decrease in particulate matter in the atmosphere, and estimated that over 100,000 lives were saved every year from 2000 to 2010 as a result of the enforcement of the new laws. 

The report, however, did not account for organic aerosol, a major component of particle pollution, as a large contributor to the decline in particulate matter during this time frame. Organic aerosol is emitted directly from vehicles, residential burning, and wildfires, and is also chemically produced in the atmosphere from the oxidation of  hydrocarbons.

The research team examined surface measurements of organic aerosol from all over the country between 1990 to 2012, which enabled them to develop a comprehensive map of organic aerosol in the United States.

“Widespread monitoring of air pollutant concentrations across the United States enables us to verify changes in air quality over time in response to regulations,” said Heald. “Previous work has focused on the decline in particulate matter associated with efforts to reduce acid rain in the United States. But to date, no one had really explored the long term trend in organic aerosol.

The researchers discovered that there had been a much more significant decline in organic aerosol than previously thought, which suggested that more lives has been saved by the EPA than what was reported.  

“The EPA report showed a very large impact from the decline in particulate matter, but we were surprised to see a very little change in the organic aerosol concentration in their estimates,” explained study co-author David Ridley. “The observations suggest that the decrease in organic aerosol had been six times larger than estimated between 2000 and 2010 in the EPA report.”

The findings of the study are published in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/earth/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Report: EPA clean air policies have led to longer lives

There are thousands of premature deaths from particle pollution in...

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to end the inhumane act of puppy farming. The proposed legislation will outlaw the sale of puppies without their mother present, and will mandate that the sale of a dog can only be made by licensed dog breeders.

“It is all too easy to be moved by images online or adverts in the local Press advertising newborn puppies looking for a home for Christmas,” said Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

“But what we don’t see is all too often a sad history of mistreatment and malpractice. That is why we are looking at how we can go further to crack down on unscrupulous breeders so pet owners will have no doubt their new dogs have had the right start in life.”

Interbreeding and unhealthy kennel conditions can cause major health issues in dogs, including psychological problems and hereditary defects. In a puppy farm, the animals are commercially bred. The puppies are separated from their mothers and kept in unsanitary conditions.

In the United States alone, there are an estimated 10,000 puppy mills, both licensed and unlicensed, that sell over 2,000,000 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-chocolate-poisoning-christmas/">puppies</a> a year. 

The Prime Minister's proposed guidelines would help to put an end to the suffering of tens of thousands of dogs.

“The arrival of a happy, healthy puppy, as I know myself, is a memorable time for a family – but it’s absolutely right we do everything we can to eradicate animal cruelty from our society,” said May.

“Any unscrupulous mistreatment of animals is disturbing – so in our drive to achieve the highest animal welfare standards in the world, we continually look at what more can be done.

The Prime Minister said that the proposals made by her administration are an important step in the right direction. The reforms will eradicate the sale of sick, underage puppies and the breeding of unhealthy dogs. 

The Prime Minister also intends to address puppy smuggling and the regulation of online sales. 

“In our drive to achieve the highest animal welfare standards in the world, we will continually look at what more can be done,” said the Prime Minister.

The legislation could be passed as soon as early 2018.

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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

UK Prime Minister aims to eliminate puppy mills

UK Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to end the...

Whether you’re singing Christmas carols or simply rocking out with your friends in the car, belting the hits can be a blast. But according to new research, singing out loud with others is actually good for your health.

A recent study found that singing in a group has a positive impact on people with anxiety or depression, and it can maintain and even improve mental health. 

In fact, researchers noticed that group <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traffic-noise-birds-stop-singing/">singing</a> had a therapeutic effect and was a primary part of the recovery process for some of the individuals.

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> in collaboration with the Sing Your Heart Out project, which is based in Norfolk. 

Sing Your Heart Out is a program that hosts weekly singing workshops open to the public but geared toward people suffering from mental health issues. Since its launch in 2005, there are a little over 100 people who attend the workshops each week. 

Sing Your Heart Out isn’t about talent or performing, as the group doesn’t rehearse for any public presentations. Instead, it’s an inclusive and supportive program that offers something unique and fun. 

For the study, researchers observed the workshops for six months. There were also interviews and focus groups with program participants and the workshop organizers.

The researchers found the workshops had such a positive impact because the singing and weekly interaction resulted in a sense of wellbeing, improved confidence, and social skills. 

The program also offers a free, low-pressure alternative to other common group treatment options for people with mental health conditions. 

"All of the participants we spoke to reported positive effects on their mental health as a direct result of taking part in the singing workshops,” said Tom Shakespeare, the study’s lead researcher. “But the key thing for everyone was that the Sing Your Heart Out model induced fun and happiness.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Singing in groups improves mental health and wellbeing

Whether you’re singing Christmas carols or simply rocking out with...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-understand-humans-better/">Dogs</a> have long been companions for high adventures of all kinds.  John Muir wrote of Stikine, a little black dog that accompanied him on an Alaskan expedition and even jumped over glacial crevasses with him.  There was the South American botanist explorer Spruce and his dog Sultan who explored Amazonia together.  In Jewel Cave there is a tight passage called Dog Balk for when explorer couple’s dog had enough and was ready to leave the cave.  Of course there are sled dogs which have been instrumental in much polar exploration.

I’ve seen dogs happily hiking peaks 13,000 or 14,000 feet high in Colorado and Wyoming.  My friend Matt has brought his Yellow Labrador, Pokey on many long hikes with us; including one where we helped him from ledge to ledge, held safe with a harness made from climbing webbing.  Outdoor films and books often feature dogs; there is Ace and the Desert Dog, a documentary about a man’s 60 day backpacking trip to celebrate his 60th birthday with his dog Genghis Khan.  There are books like Merle’s Door about dogs that hike, raft, go on hunting trips and generally live many outdoor enthusiasts’ dream.  There is even When Dogs Fly, a film about a professional rock climber and base jumper that brings his dog along, in a specially designed roll cage in his parachute bag.  Recently I watched a man doing flips and rolls in his Kayak at the river park in Salida Colorado as his dog sat with his friends and nervously barked and whined, watching what she must’ve thought pure human madness.        

Before one paints too rosy an image of dogs along for adventure there are some considerations to keep in mind.  Both Antarctic explorers Amundsen and Shackleton ungratefully and cruelly killed their dogs for consideration of human life and cold calculation of expedition objectives.  Spruce Killed his dog when he ‘went mad’ after experiencing the roar of rapids in a canoe, and refused to eat or drink.  More recently Anthony Ortolani left his German Shepherd at 13,000 feet on Mt. Bierstadt with bloody paws for seven nights of cold temperatures and dehydration.  Eventually kind strangers rescued the German Shepherd renamed Lucky against high odds and with considerable personal risk.

Today the focus on the outdoors, even among professional adventurers and explorers has shifted from serious scientific and mapping expeditions to more personal or intrinsic outdoor pursuits.  Likewise there is growing concern about the welfare and wellbeing of non-human animals, including the animal closest to us, the dog.  One may easily question the purity of motives behind those who bring dogs on the most extreme of adventures.  The Iditarod and other dog sled races are often criticized for being cruel.  Many people think dogs don’t belong on any of Colorado’s 14,000 ft. peaks (14ers).  The National Parks don’t offer much for someone wanting to recreate outside with their canine friend. 

The problem seems one of balance.  Only those who just plain don’t like dogs or don’t like the outdoors would suggest that dogs should never go on hikes.  When Anthony Ortolani left his dog on Bierstadt, he was ridiculed online and in the media but most of the ridicule was because he didn’t mount a rescue for his dog as soon as possible.  Ortolani left Lucky with two of his three liters of water when carrying her down became impossible and then remained silent for the next week while other people organized her rescue on the 14ers.com forum.  There have been dogs that have summited all of Colorado’s 14ers and opinions on the subject are all over the map.  I, with my girlfriend, Erin carried our Shih Tzu, Zari to the top of 14,229’ Mt. Shavano where we were greeted with a hail storm.  On the way to the summit of Mt. Shavano and back down, we saw at least 5 other dogs, all seemingly happily hiking the mountain.  Zari was quite happy to be let out of her bag after the storm had passed and walk most of the way down the mountain under her own power.  On Cloud Peak in Wyoming we also witnessed a Rottweiler with injured paws, scared and alone in a bolder field high on the mountain.  We gave the dog food and water lapped from our hands but when we tried to lead him down towards the camping areas he was resistant and disappeared, making his own way, we hoped towards his people.

In some ways smaller dogs seem to have advantages to bigger dogs on harder, longer hikes.  The Rottweiler on Cloud Peak and the German Shepherd on Bierstadt were both undoubtedly strong hikers but when the route became too much, they’re quite a burden to carry.  Smaller terriers, sheep and some cattle dogs seem to fit in a good middle place where they can be high energy and love walks and runs but are small enough to be carried in a pinch.  On a desert trail in western Colorado I saw a Jack Russel Terrier racing after a mountain bike speeding downhill; the dog looked to be having the time of her life.  

Of course there is the consideration of knowing your dog and easing him or her into outdoor adventures.  Some outdoor pursuits by their nature are unpredictable.  Lucky, the dog left on Bierstadt had summited 6 14ers before that fateful mountain.  I’ve felt great on some mountains and sick and weak on others with out completely understanding why.  Dogs age faster than humans too, just because a dog hiked something last year, it gives no guarantee for the coming year.      

In the end, taking your dog (or not) on outdoor adventures comes down to consideration.  Ryan Kushner set out to summit all of Colorado’s 14ers with Sophie, his dog but stopped a little short because his Sophie was getting old and arthritic and he didn’t want to cause unnecessary pain.  One could ask why he took his dog on any 14er in the first place but the answer is plain when one sees dogs and humans happy together high in the mountains.  Because dogs can’t communicate clearly, because they may push themselves further than they should for a human they love, we should show dogs more consideration than we show ourselves.  

On a long hike when I was in my teens, I took our mix breed family dog, Chance with me, we got a little lost and took longer getting back than I anticipated.  Eventually it was obvious Chance’s paws were getting sore from walking longer than he was accustomed to. I picked Chance up and carried him for miles over my shoulders back to the car; it was the only time I remember Chance letting me pick him up.  Carrying Chance made the hike harder for me but I got him into the mess in the first place and I felt truly sorry his feet were sore.  Showing a dog more consideration than yourself means not only being willing to carry your dog or invest in booties or salve.  Putting your dog first can also mean what is anathema to many peak baggers: turning around before the summit.  Your dog is more important than any amount of posturing for the perfect photo at the top.         

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Earth.com exclusive: Hiking With Dogs

Dogs have long been companions for high adventures of all...

The rise of self-driving <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-driving-cars-ethical-decisions/">cars</a> has been occurring more in the public sphere over the last few years, with companies like Tesla and Google rising to the forefront. But there have been questions of safety concerns with this new technology. 

A recent study from <a href="http://web.mit.edu">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) highlights a potential breakthrough in improving the safety of self-driving cars.

In their paper published in IEEE Access, members of the Camera Culture group at MIT’s Media Lab discuss their new approach to time-of-flight imaging – an approach that measures distance by analyzing the time it takes light projected into a scene to bounce back to a sensor. 

The team’s new approach increases the depth resolution by 1,000-fold, which is the type of resolution needed to make self-driving cars practical. Furthermore, their technology could allow for accurate distance measurements through fog, which has been a significant obstacle in the development of these vehicles.

PhD student and first author of the paper, Achuta Kadambi, explains why increasing the resolution is so important:

“As you increase the range, your resolution goes down exponentially. Let’s say you have a long-range scenario, and you want your car to detect an object further away so it can make a fast update decision. You may have started at 1 centimeter, but now you’re back down to [a resolution of] a foot or even 5 feet. And if you make a mistake, it could lead to loss of life.”

However, the MIT team’s new system at a distance of 2 meters has a depth resolution of a whopping (or tiny) 3 micrometers. And at 500 meters, the system theoretically would have a depth resolution of only a centimeter. This is an enormous difference compared to the systems that are currently in place.

Fog has been an issue for these time-of-flight systems in the past, as it scatters light and deflects returning light signals so that the arrive back to the sensor late and at odd angles. The researchers are currently working on a new gigahertz optical system that combines the ideas of interferometry, light detection and ranging (LIDAR), and the principles of acoustics. This system has been shown in theoretical analyses to produce a usable signal in the presence of fog. 

-

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

One step closer to self-driving cars thanks to new sensors

The rise of self-driving cars has been occurring more in...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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...

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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