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>.



-----



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



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



-----

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....

One of the main concerns of climate change is the increasing prevalence of killer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heat-waves-increase-mortality-rates/">heat waves</a>, which will only become more common as the climate warms. But heat isn’t the only issue. 

A new global study states that, with the current trend of climate change, humidity will also increase in many areas and serve to magnify the effects of heat waves. In some cases, these conditions may surpass humans’ ability to work – or in some cases, survive.

Regions that could be affected include the southeastern United States, the Amazon, western and central Africa, southern areas of the Mideast and Arabian peninsula, northern India, and eastern China.

“The conditions we’re talking about basically never occur now – people in most places have never experienced them,” says Ethan Coffel, a graduate student at <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>'s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the study’s lead author. “But they’re projected to occur close to the end of the century.”

While a warming climate has been predicted to make many currently dry areas even dryer, as global temperatures rise, this same change in precipitation patterns may also allow the atmosphere to hold more water vapor – and thus result in an increase in humidity in some climates. Chronically humid areas along coastlines or linked to humid-weather patterns may become even more humid. 

If you’ve ever been outside in hot and humid conditions, you know that the effects are noticeably less tolerable than hot and dry conditions at the same temperature. This is because we cool our bodies through sweating, where our sweat evaporates off our skin into the air, taking excess heat with it. But when the air is already heavy with moisture, evaporation off the skin slows down – and at a certain point, becomes impossible. When this cooling process is no longer working, our core body temperature rises and results in lethargy, sickness, and possibly death. 

The researchers did their study through using global climate models to map and project future “wet bulb” temperatures, which shows the combined effects of heat and humidity. They found that by the 2070s, high wet-bulb readings that now occur maybe once a year could happen 100 to 250 days per year in some parts of the tropics. Coauthor Radley Horton, a climate scientist at <a href="http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/">Lamont-Doherty</a>, believes these climate effects could be “transformative” for all areas of human activity – “economy, agriculture, military, recreation.”

Elfatih Eltahir, a professor of hydrology and climate at the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> who has studied the issue in the Mideast and Asia, says this new study “is an important paper which emphasizes the need to consider both temperature and humidity in defining heat stress.”

Unless we curtail greenhouse gas emissions, many people will be put at risk of health problems as a result of overheating, and nations’ economies could be severely affected. One silver lining is that, if we substantially cut emissions in the next few decades, we can avoid the worst effects.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change to make some places too humid for humans

One of the main concerns of climate change is the...

Some schools take field trips to national monuments or museums, but for a group of students from Glasgow and Ullapool, Scotland, their field trip took the form of a beach cleanup on Isle Martin in Loch Broom. 

The students ended up removing thousands of plastic straws among the washed-up marine pollution. Inspired by their efforts, the village of Ullapool has officially stopped use of plastic straws in bars, restaurants, and cafes. 

The <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-42439946">BBC</a> first reported on the success of the campaign, wherein 14 businesses agreed to either stop using straws or switch to an eco-friendly alternative such as paper straws. 

Students from Ullapool Primary School and Glasgow's Sunnyside Primary School ran the campaign with aid from the <a href="https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/">Scottish Wildlife Trust</a>. 

The decision to go plastic-free was motivated in part by the students’ realization of how harmful plastics are in the world’s oceans. 

There are millions of tons of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-find-plastic-in-the-most-remote-parts-of-the-ocean/">plastic</a> floating in the oceans, and millions more added every year. The accumulating plastic harms ecosystems and often form deadly traps for marine wildlife. 

The plastic problem is so dire that according to an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur">Ellen Macarthur Foundation Report</a> presented at the World Economic Forum in 2016<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/more-plastic-than-fish-in-the-sea-by-2050-warns-ellen-macarthur">,</a> plastic waste could outnumber fish by 2050. 


Everything from takeout containers, microbeads from synthetic fabric and hygiene products, plastic bottles and bags, and countless plastic straws are currently dumped in the ocean and washing up on beaches. 

“There's no need for plastic straws. If you do use a straw it shouldn't be a throwaway one. We're killing our seas with single-use plastic and it's just not necessary,” Caillín Erin Patterson, a student from Ullapool told the BBC. 

The Scottish government has commended Ullapool, noting that it’s a great step forward in reducing marine pollution and keeping shorelines clean. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Village in Scotland agrees to stop using plastic straws

Some schools take field trips to national monuments or museums,...

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.umontreal.ca/en/">University of Montreal</a> set out to examine the causes of aggressive behavior in children. The study revealed that aggression is strongly influenced by genetics in young children, but as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-healthy-self-esteem/">kids</a> get older their aggressive behavior is influenced by various environmental factors.

The researchers focused their study on 555 sets of twins. The children's aggressive behaviors were reported by their teachers at ages 6, 7, 9, 10, and 12. The experts compared their tendencies toward proactive and reactive aggressive behavior.

Proactive aggression is physical or verbal behavior that is intended to dominate or obtain a personal advantage at the expense of others, while reactive aggression is a response to feeling threatened. Some children only demonstrate reactive aggressive behaviors, yet proactive and reactive aggression are closely related.

The researchers found that both types of aggression have most of the same genetic factors in children at age six, but the aggressive behavior of the children started to decline with age. The study revealed that whether aggression decreased or increased beyond age six up until age 12 could be attributed more to external factors than to genetics.

“Too often we forget that aggression is a fundamental part of a young child's social development,” said study co-author Stéphane Paquin. “Human beings show the highest levels of aggressive behaviour towards their peers between the ages of 2 and 4. As children grow, they learn how to manage their emotions, communicate with others and deal with conflict. They are able to channel their aggressive impulses, whether proactive or reactive.”

The team also found that genetic factors which influenced aggression at age 6 were different than those associated with changes in behavior up to age 12. This indicated that cognitive functions such as planning, decision-making, control, and concentration were going through a maturation process over those years.

The researchers can expand upon this study by examining specific social factors associated with changes in proactive and reactive aggression in childhood. 

“This work will also have a direct impact on clinical practices and prevention programs,” said Paquin. “Our results have revealed the importance of developing different prevention methods for reactive and proactive aggression, specifically by offering support to families and providing interventions in schools.”

"Our findings also corroborate those of other studies, demonstrating that programs designed to prevent reactive aggression should focus on reducing experiences of victimization, whereas those meant to counter proactive aggression should be based on the development of prosocial values.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Childhood aggression greatly impacted by environment

Researchers from the University of Montreal set out to examine...

Mussels are a popular seafood that are eaten around the world and in many cultures. But this tasty dish may be containing slightly more unnatural ingredients than you would hope.

A new study has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-tap-water-contains-plastics/">microplastics</a> – which are tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm long – are contaminating mussels from the European Arctic to China. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.niva.no/en">Norwegian Institute for Water Research</a> (NIVA) discovered that plastic had been found in mussels in Arctic waters, which they believe was being moved north by ocean currents and winds from European and America. Past studies have also found microplastics near countries like China, Chile, Canada, and the UK.

“Microplastics have been found in mussels everywhere scientists have looked,” says Amy Lusher, one of the study’s authors.

Off of Norway, the mussels contained 1.8 bits of microplastic on average. But the mussels in the supposedly pristine Arctic waters had the most plastic of any tested on the Norwegian coast – with 4.3 bits per mussel. 

Although the impact of microplastics on humans and marine life when eaten is not known, researchers have suggested in the past that mussels could be a global bioindicator of microplastic pollution. This is because they live on the seabed – where many plastics end up – and stay in one place. “It’s a warning signal that we need to do something about reducing the input of plastic to the ocean,” says Richard Thompson, a professor and expert on microplastics at <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">Plymouth University</a>.

Thompson’s research has shown that extremely high levels of plastics in the seabed can harm animals such as lugworms – which live in the seabed – and build up in their tissues. However, most microplastics pass through the guts of both shellfish and humans, and it is not known if they cause any harm to our bodies. However, this is still a cause for concern simply from the standpoint of how much plastic is filling up our oceans. Whether or not it is detrimental to consume small bits of plastic, we can all agree they don’t belong in the ocean.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Seafood lovers beware: there may be plastic in your mussels

Mussels are a popular seafood that are eaten around the...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clues-easter-island-mysteries/">Easter Island</a>, or Rapa Nui, located about 2,300 miles off the coast of Chile, has alway been an enigma for historians, archeologists, and tourists alike. 

From the iconic giant stone heads to the first inhabitants on the island, researchers are still uncovering new information as they look deeper into the island’s geographical and archaeological past. 

But a new study may have uncovered some secrets about the people of Rapa Nui’s ancient civilization. 

Previous research suggested that Rapa Nui's ancient people belonged to a warrior culture. But after analyzing giant stone hats found on the island, scientists now believe that Rapa Nui was an inclusive and supportive community. 

A team of researchers studied the moai, the famed the giant stone statues of Rapa Nui, and analyzed the pukao which are giant stone hats that were placed on top of the statues. Pukao are large, cylindrical, stones made from red scoria (a type of volcanic rock) and weigh multiple tons. 

The team analyzed the pukao and used photography to create detailed 3D models of the hats as they had eroded through the years. 

The models revealed that the pukai had many more drawings carved into them than previously realized. 

An analysis of the models and carvings revealed more cooperation between the Rapa Nui people rather than a society at odds. 

“In our analysis of the archaeological records, we see evidence that demonstrates the prehistoric communities repeatedly worked together to build monuments,” said Carl Lipo, an anthropology professor and member of the research team. 

This new analysis provides not only new evidence about the ancient people of Rapa Nui, but also how important further archaeological research is for learning about how people survived on Easter Island and what their society would have been like.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Image Credit: Carl LIpo

New research suggests Easter Island was a supportive community

Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, located about 2,300 miles off...

Previous studies have suggested that a September peak in birth rates is due to seasonal changes in human biology that lead to more pregnancies at the end of the year. But now, scientists are reporting that the mood and behavior of society shifts around the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-chocolate-poisoning-christmas/">holidays</a>, and people become more interested in sex.

The researchers found evidence of this heightened interest in intimacy by analyzing internet searches and social media posts, which enabled them to explore underlying desires and motivations. Luis M. Rocha is a professor at <a href="https://www.iu.edu/">Indiana University</a>’s School of Informatics and co-lead author of the study. 

“The rise of the web and social media provides the unprecedented power to analyze changes in people's collective mood and behavior on a massive scale,” said Rocha. “This study is the first 'planetary-level' look at human reproduction as it relates to people's moods and interest in sex online.”

The study was focused on sex-related Google search terms in nearly 130 countries from 2004 to 2014. The experts also examined 10 percent of public Twitter posts from 2010 to 2014.

The research team found that the appeal of sex rises substantially during major cultural or religious celebrations. This observation is based upon a greater use of the word "sex" or other sexual terms in web searches. The study also revealed that the elevated interest in sex widely corresponded to an increase in births nine months later.

Furthermore, the effect was noted in two different cultures, with the biggest spike in sexual activity occurring during Christmas in Christian-majority countries and during Eid-al-Fitr in Muslim-majority countries. 

Eid-al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, is of particular significance because the holiday does not fall on the same day each year. The measured effects, however, were found to shift accordingly.

The researchers ruled out the possibility that the sex trends are due to biological shifts which are affected by factors such as changes in daylight or temperature.

“We didn't see a reversal in birth rate or online interest in sex trends between the Northern and Southern hemispheres - and it didn't seem to matter how far people lived from the equator,” said Rocha. “Rather, the study found culture - measured through online mood - to be the primary driver behind cyclic sexual and reproductive behavior in human populations.”

Rocha said the findings of the study, which are published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18262-5">Scientific Reports</a>, could help public health researchers identify the most effective dates to launch public awareness campaigns encouraging safe sex in developing countries.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Christmas causes more sex, followed by more September baby births

Previous studies have suggested that a September peak in birth...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brain-lsd-microdosing/">Artificial intelligence</a> continues to be a rapidly developing field with fascinating new advancements. For example, a team from <a href="http://www.botnik.org/">Botnik Studios</a> fed a predictive text keyboard all seven Harry Potter novels by J.K Rowling, and the system then wrote <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2017/dec/13/harry-potter-botnik-jk-rowling">its own version</a> of a Harry Potter book. 

As fun as these technologies can be, many people are weary of one particular faction of artificial intelligence known as machine learning technology, where computer systems improve with more experience. 

There is growing concern that machine learning could potentially take over human jobs, as it has already significantly improved facial recognition technology, credit card fraud detection, and financial market analysis. 

These concerns are not necessarily unfounded, as machine-learning computer systems could have as drastic an impact on the economy as electricity did when it was first introduced.

But according to two researchers, Tom Mitchell from<a href="https://www.cmu.edu/"> Carnegie Mellon University</a> and Erik Brynjolfsson from the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>, machine learning (ML) will not take over all jobs or replace the workforce entirely.

Mitchell and Brynjolfsson co-authored a Policy Forum which will be published in the journal Science discussing 21 criteria for evaluating whether a job is likely to be completed by ML.

For example, ML is even predicted to be able to detect cancers and conduct medical diagnosis in the future. But does this mean computer systems will replace medical professionals?  

Tom Mitchell and Erik Brynjolfsson say that’s not likely to happen, but instead what will change is the nature of jobs themselves. 

"We don't know how all of this will play out,” said Mitchell. “People whose jobs involve human-to-human interaction are going to be more valuable because they can't be automated.” 

According to the authors, ML is perfect for tasks that require sifting through lots of data like scheduling. 

But ML would not work with making decisions that require lots of thinking, or giving detailed explanations. 

For example, a cancer detection program can study hundreds of thousands of skin lesions and tumors which helps it make an accurate diagnosis, but only a dermatologist or doctor can go into detail as to why a lesion is cancerous. 

Time will tell how ML shapes the economy and jobs, and the researchers note that caution is needed when developing ML technology. 

“The potential for large and rapid changes due to ML, in many cases within a decade, suggests that the economic effects may be highly disruptive, creating both winners and losers,” write Mitchell and Brynjolfsson. “This will require considerable attention among policymakers, business leaders, technologists and researchers.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Machine learning could change the economy as much as electricity

Artificial intelligence continues to be a rapidly developing field with...

From Black Friday through New Year’s Eve, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-chocolate-poisoning-christmas/">holidays</a> often mean shopping, travel, and stress.

Shopping this time of year can bring out the worst in people, but working as a retail employee during the holidays can be especially draining.

According to new research, shoppers who are looking for a deal or discount tend to treat staff as less than human. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.sauder.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia, Sauder School of Business </a>and published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology. 

“When shoppers focus only on paying the lowest price, they become less attuned to understanding the human needs of others, or even recognizing them,” said Johannes Boegershausen, the co-author of the study. 

The researchers conducted several experiments dealing with consumers and their opinions on products and employees from both high-end and bargain brands. 

In one experiment, the researchers analyzed passenger reviews for several airlines including Ryanair, a discount carrier, and Lufthansa, a high-end airline. The reviews for Ryanair had fewer humanizing trait words compared the higher-tier airlines. 

For another similar experiment, study participants were shown pictures of a flight attendant wearing a Lufthansa, Ryanair, or neutral uniform.  

The participants rated the Ryanair attendants poorly compared to to the other uniforms. For the participants, the discount air carrier uniform was equated with being less capable. 

Another experiment involved participants interacting with a rude customer service representative via live chat.

If the participants had a price-conscious mentality, they were 18 percent more likely to give a poor rating that would result in disciplinary action against the representative. 

An interesting result of the study is that people may not even be consciously aware that when deals and bargains are the priority, they tend to treat staff poorly. 

The researchers say that understanding customer-employee relations is important for brands and consumers. 

“I think most consumers, myself included, are guilty of this at some point. When you really drill down, you don't really recognize that someone is fully human anymore,” said Boegershausen. “But it doesn't take much to be human and to let others know you recognize them as human. Everyone has the right to be considered human.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandett@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bargain shoppers mistreat customer service, report finds

From Black Friday through New Year’s Eve, the holidays often...

Across <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-african-turtle-europe/">Europe</a>, countries are legally obligated to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, which basically means that buildings must be transitioned to consume the minimal amount of energy. All public buildings must use nearly-zero energy by January 1, 2019, and all new buildings must achieve this target by January 1, 2021.

"It is only 1 year until the first commitment and yet many countries are a long way from meeting this level of energy efficiency in buildings," explained study co-author Juan María Hidalgo. “The countries that have made the most progress in this challenge are the ones in central and northern Europe.”

The study, which was led by the <a href="https://www.uliege.be/">Université de Liege</a>, was focused on the construction of buildings in seven countries in Southern Europe including Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Spain. 

Differences in the technical definitions of each country make it very difficult to directly compare the nearly-zero energy building (nZEB) regulations. The researchers explained that they “made an effort to reach agreement on a common methodology. It was the only way of making real comparisons on a like-for-like basis.”

The study revealed that there are more than just technical barriers making it difficult to achieve minimal energy usage in the buildings of Southern Europe. The team also identified sociological and climate barriers in each country which are greatly affecting progress toward nZEBs.

"The poor training of practically all the players, starting with the administration, including construction workers, and going right up to citizens, constitutes a huge human chain in which there is still a lack of understanding about what nZEBs are and how to achieve them," explained Hidalgo. 

"If these barriers are not overcome, there will very likely be dissatisfaction with the actual result, since problems of thermal comfort, overheating, unnecessary additional costs in the building, etc. could arise, often exacerbated by the poor functioning of the buildings," said Hidalgo. He added that "the study is proposing improvements in the regulations, design, construction and use for buildings of this type.”

The researchers hope that their report will help to resolve some of the major challenges in developing energy efficient buildings. The findings of the study may enable the countries of Southern Europe “to get to 2020 with a better-prepared building sector, with better tools and greater awareness.” As a result, "it will be possible to build nZEBs that meet the needs of everyone, at the lowest cost and with the least environmental impact possible.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Southern Europe struggling to achieve energy efficient buildings

Across Europe, countries are legally obligated to improve the energy...

When I was very young, I went on a camping trip with my family and some friends.  We visited an expansive prairie filled ranch of an acquaintance.  The ranch was near Badlands National Park, South Dakota.  In my memory there were piles of fossil bones everywhere.  I collected a tooth that was later identified as a mastodon tooth.  I was mesmerized by the smooth enamel surface, worn on the edge by a live animal chewing.  As a child I imagined I could feel the residual energy of the animal’s life force still inside the fossil.  I would brush my fingers along the varnished surface of bone and imagine the life of an ancient creature.  This feeling and the fascination it spawned lead me down a path that landed me a job working at a museum quality fossil replica studio in western Colorado.

Fossil replication is tedious, exacting.  The basic principle is simple: you make a mold by painting a layer of liquid rubber over a fossil, wait for it to harden and peel it off.  Making the fossil replica then involves pouring liquid epoxy into the rubber and waiting for it to harden, then pulling the replica out of the rubber.  The devil is in the details.  

I remember the delicately curved horns arching over the modestly sized frill of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-fossil-racist-nazi-science/">dinosaur</a> skull.  Diabloceratops was aptly named, looking like a horned demon of mythology.  I’ve spent hours trimming the jagged seam lines on casts of ceratopsian skulls from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  Some of the weirdest, alien looking dinosaurs I’ve worked on in about 8 years in the business have been from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and it’s really no great surprise.  Grand Staircase-Escalante has long been looked at a great ‘science monument’ a kind of giant, natural lab where everything from wildlife to archaeology is looked at.  Some of the world’s most important dinosaur fossils have been found in Grand Staircase-Escalante.

To learn more about paleontology in Grand Staircase-Escalante, I got in contact with Randall Irmis, Chief Curator and Curator of Paleontology at Natural History Museum of Utah.  Dr. Irmis describes himself as a kid who liked dinosaurs and never grew up, right out of grad school for a PhD in Integrative Biology, he got a job at NHMU.  Randall describes the scientific curiosity that lead him and other researchers to Grand Staircase-Escalante,

 “One of my major field-based projects is in Late Cretaceous rocks in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM), where we are documenting ancient ecosystems on land between ~90 and 74 million years ago.  My collaborators and I are interested in why we find so many unique species in GSENM - does it relate to physical barriers, climate, sea level, or a combination of those factors?  Also, what does it tell us about ecosystem evolution in a greenhouse world?”    

Under Trump’s reduced monument(s) the Kaiparowits Plateau will be cut from National Monument status.  The plateau is the recent site of the excavation of a Tyrannosaur skeleton.  Dr. Irmis tells me about working in the National Monument and what could be lost, “Working in GSENM is a truly spectacular experience.  I love the high desert, and the landscape is beautiful, striking, and stark.  The fossils are really quite abundant, beautifully preserved, and few other places in the United States afford the chance to regularly discover so many new species of ancient animals and plants!  The many moments of discovery make working in GSENM so exciting.  It is incredible to excavate and study new species never before known to science, but literally every fossil we excavate is a visceral experience - as you uncover the specimen its remarkable to think you are the first human to ever lay eyes on this bone, shell or leaf, and the first living thing of any kind to see it in 75+ million years…The areas removed from the monument contain fossil bearing rocks from the Triassic Period (252-201 million years ago) and part of the Cretaceous Period (particularly those from 95-80 million years ago). These include fossils that document the beginning of the age of dinosaurs (Triassic), those documenting marine ecosystems of the Western Interior Seaway and a climate change event that caused a mini-mass extinction in the ocean called 'Oceanic Anoxic Event 2' during the Late Cretaceous (~94 million years ago), and important Cretaceous fossils of early mammals from 90-80 million years ago.”       

On one wall in the fossil casting business hangs a poster.  On the poster is a photograph of a dinosaur trackway.  Tracks with three toes lead through sandstone but end at the edge of a body of water.  The poster reads, “The Lost Trackway” and below that, “Lake Powell”.  The poster is a sad nod to the realities of the west and how land is treated here.  Lake Powell of course is the damming of Glen Canyon, a place that has been spoken of by old timers with the same reverence used for Zion or Canyonlands or Arches.  When Glen Canyon Dam was built sacred Native American sites were flooded; the town of Hite, Utah was destroyed in the deluge and people were uprooted.  A giant sandstone arch was covered by Lake Powell.  Lake Powell has more miles of shoreline than the West Coast of the US.  Imagine the things we don’t even know of covered by Lake Powell.  This time, there isn’t a flood threatening, just the slow, steady wave of development.

What we may potentially lose is priceless.  Dr. Irmis makes the scientific importance obvious.  The curiosity that would drive one to spend a life pouring over fossils from this area is palpable, 

“The paleontological resources of GSENM are truly unique and spectacular.  It preserves fossils from the Late Permian (~270 million years ago) all the way to the Late Cretaceous (~66 million years ago), and nearly every geological layer has significant fossils in it.  Particularly notable are the Late Cretaceous deposits from 95-74 million years ago, where we and others have discovered dozens upon dozens of new species of fossil organisms not found anywhere else on Earth.  These new species include plants, clams, snails, fish, amphibians, lizards, turtles, crocodilians, dinosaurs, birds, and mammals - basically the entire spectrum.  Because they are unique to GSENM, they document ancient ecosystems not found anywhere else in the world, and as mentioned above, are critical to understanding how life on earth responds to greenhouse conditions (i.e., globally warm temperatures, high atmospheric CO2, high sea levels, and no polar ice caps).  As such, they're an important study system for where our Earth might be going in the future…

Although there are abundant and important dinosaur footprint fossils from the Early and Middle Jurassic sediments in GSENM (~200-165 million years ago), all the named species based on skeletal material come from the Cretaceous sediments that are between 95-74 million years old.  Over two dozen new species of dinosaurs have been discovered from this time interval, but only about half of those have been formally named and scientifically described because we have so many new species, and it takes a lot of time to do the research.  Its worth noting that we also have discovered from these same rocks many new species of turtles, crocodilans, amphibians, lizards, and mammals that are also unique to GSENM.  During this time GSENM was a sub-tropical environment similar to the bayous of Louisiana today - a broad floodplain crisscrossed by rivers and streams with cypress-like conifers and other lush vegetation.” 

The threat to the one-of-a-kind fossils in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument stands in stark contrast to Trump’s declaration.  In reference to the potential loss of protection on fossil sites of Grand Staircase-Escalante Trump proclaims, “The modified monument boundaries take into account this new information and, as described in more detail below, retain the majority of the high-potential areas for locating new fossil resources that have been identified within the area reserved by Proclamation 6920.”  Really in the end it comes down to: do you really believe this president; or is this just another case of ‘Alternate facts’?

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

What will be lost as Trump slashes the Grand Staircase-Escalante

When I was very young, I went on a camping...

For the first time in over 50 years, life expectancy in the United States has declined for two consecutive years. Experts from the the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm">National Center for Health Statistics</a> (NCHS) say the lower life expectancy can be partially attributed to drug overdoses, which rose by 21 percent in 2016.

According to the NCHS, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/big-gaps-life-expectancy/">life expectancy</a> for a baby born in 2016 dropped to 78.6 years, a decline of 0.1 percent. Despite the fact that the death rate slightly decreased overall, mortality increased for younger groups of people between 15 and 44, which lowered the estimated life expectancy at birth.

There was a one-year decline in the life expectancy of Americans in 1993 due to substantial loss of life from AIDS. Experts say that the fact the opioid epidemic has impacted death rates so significantly for a second year in a row suggests that this crisis is worse than America's AIDS epidemic at its peak.

The last time the United States experienced a two-year decline in life expectancy was in 1962 and 1963 when a flu outbreak grew out of control.

Bob Anderson is the chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch of the NCHS, which is part of the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control</a>.

“I think we should take it very seriously,” said Anderson. “If you look at the other developed countries in the world, they’re not seeing this kind of thing. Life expectancy is going up.”

Anderson pointed out that the opioid crisis is particularly troubling, and rates of drug overdoses are still on the rise.

"We have data for almost half of 2017 at this point. It's still quite provisional, but it suggests that we're in for another increase,” said Anderson. "If we're not careful, we could end up with declining life expectancy for three years in a row, which we haven't seen since the Spanish flu, 100 years ago."


In 2016 alone, there were 42,000 opioid-related overdoses, which is a 28 percent increase from 2015. Deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids more than doubled in 2016 compared to the previous year, while heroin and prescription opioid overdose deaths also increased.

The NCHS reports that there were a total of 63,600 drug overdose deaths in 2016, a rate that has nearly tripled since 1999. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Drug overdose rates drive down life expectancy in the U.S.

For the first time in over 50 years, life expectancy...

A new study has found that rising temperatures will nearly triple the number of migrants applying for asylum in the European Union. If carbon emissions are reduced and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-coal-company-climate/">climate change</a> is mitigated, the asylum applications are still projected to rise by at least a quarter by 2100.

"Europe is already conflicted about how many refugees to admit," said study senior author Wolfram Schlenker of <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>. "Though poorer countries in hotter regions are most vulnerable to climate change, our findings highlight the extent to which countries are interlinked, and Europe will see increasing numbers of desperate people fleeing their home countries."

Schlenker collaborated with study co-author Anouch Missirian, comparing asylum applications to the EU filed from 103 countries between 2000 and 2014. They observed temperature variations in the home countries of the applicants. 

The analysis revealed that the more temperatures in each country's agricultural region deviated from 68 degrees Fahrenheit during growing season, the more likely people were to seek refuge.

Once the researchers accounted for future warming, they found that an increase of average global temperatures of 1.8 °C would cause a 28 percent rise in asylum applications by 2100. The current rate of global warming  would cause a 188 percent increase in applications by the end of the century.

The research adds to a growing collection of evidence that extreme weather changes can destabilize societies, escalate conflict, and force people to leave their home countries. 


Solomon Hsiang, an economics professor at UC Berkeley who was not involved in the research, referred to the study as an "incredibly important" alert. 

"We will need to build new institutions and systems to manage this steady flow of asylum seekers," said Hsiang. “As we have seen from recent experience in Europe, there are tremendous costs, both for refugees and their hosts, when we are caught flat footed. We should plan ahead and prepare." 

Colin Kelley is a climate scientist at Columbia's International Research Institute for Climate and Society.

"It's unclear how much more warming will occur between now and the end of the century, but the study clearly demonstrates just how much climate change acts as a threat multiplier,” said Kelley. “Wealthier countries can expect to feel the direct and indirect effects of weather shocks from man made climate change in poorer, less resilient countries."


The research is published today in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Migration to Europe to drastically increase as global temps rise

A new study has found that rising temperatures will nearly...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



---



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



---



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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