New research suggests that a playful mindset can be instrumental during difficult times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals who score high on a playfulness scale exhibit stronger resilience compared to less playful counterparts. 



The findings indicate that this resource is essential to maintaining well-being and facing adversity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-playfulness">The power of playfulness</h2>



The research, conducted by researchers at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oregon State University</a> (OSU), offers profound insights into how playful people navigate adversity.



The research may ultimately guide the development of strategies and interventions aimed at helping individuals handle <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-eats-away-our-brains-cognitive-defenses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress</a> and uncertainty.



These findings are timely, given the increasing global challenges that demand both a realistic assessment and creative adaptation.



Xiangyou “Sharon” Shen of the OSU Health, Environment, and Leisure Research Lab (HEAL) is the study's lead author.



"Understanding how playful people navigate adversity can inform interventions and strategies to help people cope with stress and uncertainty," said Shen. 



"They shared similar perceptions of risk and protective factors as their less playful peers, but demonstrated greater optimism when envisioning future possibilities, engaged in more creative problem solving, and managed to infuse quality and enjoyment into everyday activities."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pandemic-stress-and-public-health">Pandemic stress and public health</h2>



Chronic stress is a significant public health concern in the United States, linked to a wide range of health problems including heart disease, diabetes, depression, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teachers-experienced-high-anxiety-during-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">anxiety</a>. 



External factors like the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and social issues can exacerbate stress levels and contribute to mental health diagnoses.



For the analysis, Shen and study co-author Zoe Crawley divided a group of more than 500 U.S. adults into two subgroups based on their levels of playfulness, as measured by the Adult Playfulness Trait Scale.



Shen noted that highly playful individuals actively altered challenging situations, found creative substitutes for what was lost, viewed obstacles as opportunities for growth, and maintained a strong sense of control over their responses.



Perhaps most revealing, she added, was that while the highly playful didn’t necessarily engage in different activities or do them more often than their less playful counterparts, they experienced those activities with higher quality - demonstrating greater immersion, activeness, and positive affect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-playful-people-during-the-pandemic">Playful people during the pandemic </h2>



Shen describes the approach of creating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dopamine-helps-us-learn-from-positive-and-negative-experiences/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">positive experiences</a> amid adversity as "making lemonade from lemons." 



This is deeply connected with resilience as it combines realistic assessment with flexible problem-solving, which offers a clear demonstration of how personality traits like playfulness shape our responses to stress.



"Highly playful people were just as realistic about COVID-19 risks and challenges as others, but they excelled at ‘lemonading’ - creatively imagining and pursuing the positive, discovering ways to create moments of joy even in difficult circumstances," said Shen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-playful-advantage-in-a-pandemic">Playful advantage in a pandemic</h2>



While it has been widely accepted that playful people "reframe" situations to make them more enjoyable, these findings suggest that it is not about wearing "rose-colored glasses." 



Playful individuals maintain their ability to view <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/consciousness-may-stem-from-unseen-dimensions-beyond-our-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reality</a> as it is while finding the silver linings.



Shen emphasized that playfulness doesn't distort reality - it enhances it, offering specific ways in which this trait helps individuals navigate challenging times.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-playfulness-can-be-cultivated">Playfulness can be cultivated</h2>



The study also suggests several approaches to cultivate playfulness, including engaging in activities that provoke joy and curiosity, embracing new experiences, creating opportunities for spontaneous exploration, spending time with inspiring, fun-loving people, and appreciating moments of silliness and humor.



"A key to all of this is focusing on the quality of engagement rather than simply doing what might be called play activities. True playfulness doesn’t require a playground, games, or toys. It’s about bringing a spirit of openness, flexibility, and fun to everyday moments," noted Shen.



She also emphasized that setting aside time for play can be beneficial, providing a safe space to express and practice playfulness. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-navigating-life-s-biggest-challenges">Navigating life's biggest challenges </h2>



No matter how occupied you might be, dedicating five to ten minutes daily for a small dose of play can make a meaningful difference in your life.



This research represents a significant step toward understanding the role of playfulness in helping individuals navigate challenging situations. 



In the context of our current global challenges - whether economic uncertainty, environmental concerns, or public health crises - the insights are invaluable. 



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1462980/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Psychology</a>.



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Playful people handled pandemic stress better than others

New research suggests that a playful mindset can be instrumental during difficult times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals who score high on a playfulness scale exhibit stronger resilience compared to less playful counterparts. The findings indicate that this resource is essential to maintaining well-being and facing adversity. The power of playfulness The research, conducted by researchers at Oregon State University (OSU), offers profound insights into how playful people navigate adversity. The research may ultimately guide the development of strategies and interventions aimed at helping individuals handle...

Teens who identify as LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning) are more likely to consider suicide than teens who are heterosexual, according to new research.

A new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a>, the <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">University of California, San Diego</a>, and <a href="https://www.sdsu.edu/">San Diego State University</a> found that among 15,624 high-school-age students, 40 percent who identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual considered suicide.

The leaders of the study were motivated to look into suicide-risk behaviors among adolescents who identify as LGBQ. 

“The most staggering finding, the one that really makes you think, is just how prevalent these suicide-risk behaviors are in the LGBQ adolescent community,” said Theodore L. Caputi, a member of the research team. “Research has shown that suicide-risk behaviors are an indicator of extreme distress.” 

The researchers examined data from the National Youth Behavior Risk Survey, which is administered by the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control</a>. 

The survey was most recently conducted in 2015 and covers a range of behaviors and actions for high school youth including smoking, carrying a gun, and suicide. 

For the study, the researchers collected data from the survey and analyzed the information with a new methodology that used risk ratios rather than odds ratios. 

Using the risk ratio methodology, the researchers identified a clear connection between LGBQ adolescents and an increased suicide risk. 

The results of the study also showed several concerning trends among teens with a higher risk of suicide behavior, including those identifying as bi-sexual. 

Bi-sexuality is sometimes considered with less weight as homosexality, and many people are often dismissive of bi-sexuality as legitimate identify. Among those surveyed, almost one-third of the teens who identified as bisexual reported a suicide attempt in the past year. 

The study is not a full representation of teens in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lgbtq-americans-harassment-violence/">LGBTQ</a> community, though, as there is a lack of survey data on transgender people. 

The researchers hope that even though data is lacking in the study, the results will help implement better strategies for mitigating the risk of suicide-behaviors in LGBQ teens. 

 “If people are thinking about suicide and their attempts are not successful, that does not mean we've won,” Caputi said. “The goal is to decrease the stressors that cause LGBQ adolescents to contemplate suicide in the first place. We're hoping our study will inspire social and policy changes that lead to happier and healthier lives for LGBQ adolescents.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

LGBQ adolescents are at a higher risk of suicide

Teens who identify as LGBQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning)...

A team of researchers has identified the traits that are favored by natural selection in modern populations. They found that reproductive success is associated with body-mass index in males and with the age at which females first give birth.

Jaleal Sanjak is a co-author of the study from the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a>.

“Natural selection is still happening in modern humans - it is observable, we can detect it,” Sanjak told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk">The Guardian</a>. “But they are fairly weak effects and secular trends, things due to modern medicine and social change, are likely to be bigger drivers of changes in these traits.”

To look for the presence of linear and nonlinear natural selection in a contemporary population, the researchers examined data on thousands of adults over the age of 45 from the <a href="http://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/">UK Biobank</a>. They explored the link between genetic variants and the number of children people have in their lifetime.

“Combining high-throughput molecular genetic data with extensive phenotyping enables the direct study of natural selection in humans,” wrote the study authors. “We see firsthand how and at what rates contemporary human populations are evolving.”

For some particular traits such as height and waist size, the researchers found that natural selection does not favor the extremes. The authors of the study explained that “individuals at either extreme of the phenotypic range have reduced fitness - the hallmark of stabilizing selection.”

The researchers discovered that body-mass index is favored by natural selection in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-determines-social-dominance/">males</a>. They explained this may be due to the fact that obesity is linked to infertility. The study also revealed that women who get an early start on having a family are likely to have more children.

While it has been previously believed that extreme weights are not favored in babies, the team discovered that this effect is not very strong and only occurs in females. The experts attributed this weakened effect is to advanced neonatal care, which gives babies of all sizes the chance to thrive.

The study is 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.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Natural selection is still molding humans, research finds

A team of researchers has identified the traits that are...

Patagonia is a company somewhat controversial in outdoors circles.  I’ve heard people from fisheries biologists in Alaska to cavers in South Dakota deride the company as being too expensive or calling it ‘Pata-Gucci’.   Many people think of Patagonia as a brand for the rich.  

Patagonia is expensive too.  I have several pieces of Patagonia clothes, shirts, pants, a coat all bought second hand. Patagonia claims that there’s a good reason for the price, they try hard to make a quality, sustainable, ethical product. Patagonia also sells their own clothes second hand online at cheaper prices than new.  For every person who is offended by Patagonia’s high prices, there is a true believer convinced by a commitment to ethical sourcing and quality. I’ve also seen fisheries biologists in Alaska and mountaineers from Colorado decked head to toe in Patagonia.

Who is Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia?  It’s hard to reconcile most people’s ideas of a billionaire with a man who bought discount damaged canned cat food to live off on extended climbing trips in his youth.  

Chouinard says in his autobiography, Let My People Go Surfing, “We took special pride that climbing rocks and icefalls had no economic value in society.”

It seems Chouinard is now interested in economic value; in improving society.  Patagonia’s new web page bolding proclaims, “The President Stole Your Land” and their blog, The Cleanest Line, crunches hard numbers, talking about jobs from the outdoor industry and economic benefit of National Monuments to local communities.

Chouinard isn’t afraid of a fight.  When Patagonia and other companies came under fire from the Christian Action Coalition for their support of Planned Parenthood, they didn’t back down.  CAC planned a boycott and a protest.  Patagonia coordinated a response, for every protestor to show up, they pledged to donate $10.00.  The protest fell apart.    

Chouinard is now going toe to toe with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-clean-power-plan/">Trump administration</a> in the fight for the future of our public lands. Patagonia’s new webpage make it easy for you to tweet outrage at Trump’s shredding of two national monuments and gives links to non-profits engaged in the fight.  Yvon is also suing the Trump administration.  

The reason for the lawsuit seems simple: Trump reduced two national monuments in Utah radically.  Yvon Chouinard has a long personal history enjoying public lands.  Beyond personal reasons, there is the fact that again and again, Patagonia acts as if companies should and do have responsibilities to the world they’re a part of.  Patagonia even may depend on public lands for its existence.  If there are no lands to recreate on, there is no reason to buy outdoor products, including Patagonia clothing.

Patagonia doesn’t stand alone either.  Environmental organizations and Native American tribes are suing or planning to sue Trump over the monument reduction too.              

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.copm">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Patagonia: Who are they and why are they fighting Trump?

Patagonia is a company somewhat controversial in outdoors circles.  I’ve...

According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/index.htm">Centers for Disease Control</a> (CDC), cigarette smoking accounts for 1 in 5 deaths every year in the United States. While <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quit-smoking-blame-genes/">smoking</a> has decreased considerably in the past several decades, it is actually increasing in certain populations.

New research has found that cigarette use has actually increased among people with substance abuse problems.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.mailman.columbia.edu/">Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health </a>and the<a href="http://www2.cuny.edu/"> City University of New York</a> set out to see if the decline of smoking for the general population was also true for those who use drugs. The study was published in the journal Addiction. 

Researchers examined data from 725,010 Americans twelve and older from the <a href="https://nsduhweb.rti.org/">National Survey on Drug Use and Health</a> from 2002 to 2014.

Of those individuals, 56 percent of people with drug-related issues reported smoking cigarettes or having a cigarette in the past month, while only 18 percent of people without substance abuse problems reported smoking. 

The 56 percent includes cannabis use, and when marijuana is excluded, the numbers increase to 64 percent. 

Cannabis was the only substance that had any affect on the numbers for the study, as smoking rates increased among individuals who abused a range of substances from hallucinogens to cocaine to sedatives. 

“We found that cigarette use was not only disproportionately common among those with a substance use disorder, but that the odds of smoking were five times greater than that of the general population," said Renee Goodwin, the senior author of the study. “And individuals with a substance use disorder other than cannabis were 7.5 times more likely to be smokers.” 

According to Goodwin, this means that all efforts and strategies to inhibit smoking including commercial campaigns and higher taxes on tobacco products had no impact on people with substance abuse disorders. 

“New and innovative public health strategies are needed if we are to reach those with substance use disorders and bring down the smoking rates among this vulnerable group of individuals,” said Goodwin. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cigarette smoking on the rise amongst drug users

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), cigarette smoking...

Approximately one out of every 100 people has an issue with speech fluency. Although the most common speech disorder is persistent developmental stuttering, little is known about its causes. Scientists have now identified a hyperactive network in the right frontal part of the brain which plays a crucial role in this disorder by inhibiting speech, movement planning, and execution.

Speech disorders affect one percent of adults and five percent of children. Previous studies have attributed stuttering to imbalanced activity of the two brain hemispheres, in which a region in the left frontal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/energy-drinks-brain-teens/">brain</a> is hypoactive and the corresponding region in the right hemisphere is hyperactive. 

Experts at the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/149614/kognition_neuro">Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences</a> in Leipzig and the <a href="http://www.med.uni-goettingen.de/index_en.html">University Medical Center Göttingen</a> set out to investigate the cause of this imbalance. They found that the hyperactivity in the right hemisphere is the central cause of stuttering.

"Parts of the right inferior frontal gyrus are particularly active when we stop actions, such as hand or speech movements,” said study first author and neuroscientist Nicole Neef. "If this region is overactive, it hinders other brain areas that are involved in the initiation and termination of movements. In people who stutter, the brain regions that are responsible for speech movements are particularly affected."

This hyperactivity impairs the left inferior frontal gyrus, which processes the planning of speech movements. The overactivity also hinders the left motor cortex, which regulates speech movements.

“If these two processes are sporadically inhibited, the affected person is unable to speak fluently,” explained Neef.

The scientists examined these processes using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in adults who have experienced stuttering since childhood. 

Participants were asked to imagine themselves saying the names of the months. This method of imaginary speaking was used to ensure that real speech movements did not interfere with the sensitive MRI signals. The neuroscientists then scanned for modified fibre tracts in the overactive right hemisphere regions.

The researchers discovered a fibre tract in the right network that was much stronger in the individuals with speech disorders.

"The stronger the frontal aslant tract, the more severe the stuttering. From previous studies we know that this fibre tract plays a crucial role in fine-tuning signals that inhibit movements,”said Neef. "The hyperactivity in this network and its stronger connections could suggest that one cause of stuttering lies in the neural inhibition of speech movements.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Stuttering caused by a hyperactive brain network

Approximately one out of every 100 people has an issue...

Surveys are used as an important metric to understand and measure public opinion. But as we saw in the 2016 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/public-health-2016-election/">presidential election</a>, surveys and polls are not perfect systems and can sometimes present inaccurate results.

Now, a new study examining surveys found that people exaggerate or over-emphasize negative feelings in their responses. 

Because these feelings are overstated, it represents a type of bias in the survey data, and research has found that over time these negative feelings actually decline. 

The study was conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> and was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal. 

For the study, the researchers asked participants about anxiety, energy level, and physical symptoms in four different experiments. 

Three of the experiments included survey responders that were dealing with a stressful event in school like an important exam. For these experiments, the subjects reported high levels of anxiety and stress. 

The fourth experiment was also a survey of college students, but subjects were asked to report on a bi-monthly basis rather than right before a stressful event.

For the first survey in all four experiments there were reports of high levels of stress and physical complaints. 

As time went on, even if the stressful event neared, these symptoms declined in subsequent surveys. 

The results prove that the initial negative bias that people report on surveys may wear off or decline over time. 

Surveys are typically a one-time occurrence, meant to gather a wide collection of data to get a feel for the population, but this study shows that the nature of these types of surveys will garner skewed results. 

“Because many political and health surveys only ask questions one time, the bias associated with the initial overstatement can be confused with levels of genuine negativity,” said Patrick Shrout, a professor in New York University's Department of Psychology and a co-author of the study. 

The results could help future research based on surveys and shows how unreliable this method can be.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

People exaggerate negative feelings and symptoms in surveys

Surveys are used as an important metric to understand and...

Energy drinks and junk food may be particularly harmful to teenagers during the later stages of brain development. Dr. Christine Curran of <a href="https://www.nku.edu/">Northern Kentucky University</a> explains that energy drinks can negatively influence neurological function, while Dr. Amy Reichelt of the <a href="http://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a> reports that junk food also has detrimental effects on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-older-people-forget/">brain</a> during formative teenage years.

According to Dr. Curran, the spike in the consumption of energy drinks by teenagers is made even more alarming by studies in animals that reveal the impacts of energy drinks on brain development.

"Our review indicates that we don't know enough about the effects of high consumption of energy drinks and the ingredients found in them at this critical time in mammalian brain development," said Dr. Curran. "Our recent findings in adolescent and young adult mice exposed to high taurine levels indicate there can be adverse effects on learning and memory and increased alcohol consumption in females."

Dr. Reichelt explains that key systems in the brain responsible for inhibition and reward signaling are still developing in teenagers. Because of this, “existing primarily on junk food could negatively affect decision making, increase reward-seeking behavior and influence poor eating habits throughout adulthood.”

The studies are published in a new issue of <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2472-1727">Birth Defects Research: The Teenage Brain</a>, published by the <a href="https://www.teratology.org/">Teratology Society</a> with John Wiley &amp; Sons. Dr. Michiko Watanabe is the co-editor of the journal's special issue.

"One piece of good news is that exercise might be the answer to steer teens away from certain exposures," said Dr. Watanabe.

The researchers found that exercise may be able to reverse the dangerous effects that junk food and energy drinks have on teenagers.

Dr. Watanabe added, "The long list of exercise benefits could motivate teens to get off the sofa.”

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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

Bad diet and energy drinks hurt brain development in teens

Energy drinks and junk food may be particularly harmful to...

While we <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genes-body-stays-sleep/">sleep</a>, our brain waves must harmonize hundreds of times a night in order to lock in new memories. A new study from the <a href="http://berkeley.edu/">University of California Berkeley</a> reveals that these brain rhythms are not as perfectly timed in older adults, which causes forgetfulness.

In order to create new memories, slow brain waves produced during non-rapid eye movement sleep must sync up with rapid bursts of brainwave activity known as sleep spindles. These brain rhythms are precisely timed in young adults, but the new research shows that this changes with age.

"The mistiming prevents older people from being able to effectively hit the save button on new memories, leading to overnight forgetting rather than remembering," said study senior author Matthew Walker. "As the brain ages, it cannot precisely coordinate these two deep-sleep brain waves. Like a tennis player who is off their game, they're swiping and missing."

Study lead author Randolph Helfrich explained that, when it comes to this overnight brainwave synchronization, “timing is everything.”

“Only when the slow waves and spindles come together in a very narrow opportunity time window (approximately one-tenth of a second), can the brain effectively place new memories into its long-term storage,” said Helfrich.

The researchers found that the older brain’s lack of coordination is likely due to degeneration of the medial frontal cortex, a key region of the brain that generates deep, restorative sleep.

"The worse the atrophy in this brain region of older adults, the more uncoordinated and poorly timed are their deep-sleep brain waves," said Walker. "But there is a silver lining: Sleep is now a new target for potential therapeutic intervention."

In future experiments, the research team plans to apply electrical stimulation to the frontal lobe in order to accelerate the pace of the slower brain waves to catch up with the spindles.

"By electrically boosting these nighttime brainwaves, we hope to restore some degree of healthy deep sleep in the elderly and those with dementia, and in doing so, salvage aspects of their learning and memory," said Walker.

The findings of the study are published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Disrupted brain rhythms cause older people to forget

While we sleep, our brain waves must harmonize hundreds of...

“Money doesn’t buy happiness” is a phrase you’ve probably heard a thousand times in your life, but is it true? 

In a new study published by the <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>, researchers found that people who earn more money tend to experience more positive emotions focused on themselves. On the other hand, people who earned less tended to take greater pleasure in their relationships and were more able to connect with others.

In this study, the researchers used a survey of a nationally representative sample of over 1,500 people. Individuals surveyed were asked about their household income and answered questions designed to measure their ability to experience seven distinct emotions that are believed to make up the core of happiness. These emotions are amusement, awe, compassion, contentment, enthusiasm, love, and pride.

Participants who made more money reported a greater tendency to experience emotions that focused on themselves – contentment and pride specifically, as well as amusement. Participants who made less money were more likely to experience emotions that revolved around other people, like compassion and love. Furthermore, those on the lower end of the economic scale also reported experiencing more awe and beauty in the world around them. 

“These findings indicate that wealth is not unequivocally associated with happiness,” says Paul Piff, lead author and professor at the University of California, Irvine. “What seems to be the case is that your wealth predisposes you to different kinds of happiness. While wealthier individuals may find greater positivity in their accomplishments, status and individual achievements, less wealthy individuals seem to find more positivity and happiness in their relationships, their ability to care for and connect with others.”

The researchers believe that the differences in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/notice-nature-boost-happiness/">happiness</a> may come from higher-income individuals’ desire for independence and self-sufficiency. Individuals with lower income experienced emotions that helped them form more interdependent bonds with others, which could help them cope in more threatening environments.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Money affects how you experience happiness

“Money doesn’t buy happiness” is a phrase you’ve probably heard...

A new study has found that the psychological consequences of the Industrial Revolution are lingering in many communities in the UK and the United States today. Even though this transitional period took place 200 years ago, former coal-mining and manufacturing communities are still contending with deep-rooted personality patterns distinguished by lower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/notice-nature-boost-happiness/">happiness</a>, well-being, and health.

An international team of psychologists analyzed personality data from 381,916 individuals in England and Wales and from 3,457,270 individuals in the United States. The study revealed that people living in former industrial hubs are more inclined to experience anxiety and depressive moods. These individuals were also found to be more impulsive and more likely to struggle with self-motivation.

Martin Obschonka is an associate professor at <a href="https://www.qut.edu.au/">Queensland University of Technology</a> (QUT) from the Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research.

"Our findings show that, generations after the white heat of Industrial Revolution and decades on from the decline of deep coal mining, the populations of areas where coal-based industries dominated in the 19th century retain a 'psychological adversity'," said Professor Obschonka.

The team evaluated individual test scores using the "Big Five" personality traits which include openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The researchers further classified the personalities by examining characteristics such as altruism, self-discipline, and anxiety.

"It is our belief that this generational unhappiness and dysfunction is the inherited product of selective migrations during mass industrialization compounded by the social effects of severe work and living conditions," said Professor Obschonka.

"This damaging cognitive legacy of coal is reinforced and amplified by the more obvious economic consequences of high unemployment and economic hardship we see today."

According to the experts, the two factors most likely driving the link between personality traits and historical industrialization are migration and learned behavior.

"The people migrating into industrial areas were often doing so to find employment in the hope of escaping poverty and distressing situations of rural depression - those experiencing high levels of 'psychological adversity'," said Professor Obschonka.

"However, people that left these areas, often later on, were likely those with higher degrees of optimism and psychological resilience. This selective influx and outflow may have concentrated so-called 'negative' personality traits in industrial areas - traits that can be passed down generations through combinations of experience and genetics."

The researchers pointed out that the findings of this study can be used to predict future economic and social conditions across these communities considering that regional personality patterns determine these trajectories. The analysis is published in the <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/psp/">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Psychological impact of Industrial Revolution still felt today

A new study has found that the psychological consequences of...

While marijuana has has a reputation as a trigger of psychosis, a cannabis compound may help ease symptoms of the condition, a British study found.

The study, led by researchers from <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King’s College London</a>, adds to a growing list of illnesses and symptoms that may be treated with cannabidiol. The cannabis compound known as CBD has also been shown to have therapeutic possibilities for multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, peripheral neuropathy, arthritis, chronic pain and other conditions.

“Although it is still unclear exactly how CBD works, it acts in a different way to anti-psychotic medication, and thus could represent a new class of treatment,” study lead author Dr. Philip McGuire told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>. 

CBD does not rely on dopamine receptor antagonism, unlike current treatments for schizophrenia. 

The Kings College scientists worked with 88 study participants to look at how the cannabis compound affected psychosis symptoms like visual and audio hallucinations. During the six-week study, some of the patients received CBD while others got a placebo. All of the study participants continued to take their regular medication. 

Those who were treated with cannabidiol reported fewer psychotic symptoms than those who took the placebo. 

It’s not the first study to show CBD’s abilities to ease psychosis symptoms. A review of existing studies showing cannabidiol could have anti-psychotic properties was published in <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924977X13003325">European Neuropsychology</a> in 2014.

The drug may also offer fewer side effects than traditional anti-psychotic medications, the researchers said.

But with cannabis also linked to triggering psychosis, scientists are stressing caution. 

While cases of marijuana triggering psychosis are relatively rare, Dr. Ian Hamilton of <a href="http://www.yorku.ca/">York University</a> found in a different study, strains with high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have been found to raise the risk of a psychotic episode. THC is the chemical that causes a high.

A previous study led by Dr. Sir Robin Murray, also of Kings College London, found that regular use of stronger strains of marijuana which contain more THC is associated with a higher risk of psychosis.

However, cannabidiol, which doesn’t cause a high, doesn’t appear to have the same negative effects, scientists said. 

The Kings College study has been published in <a href="https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17030325">The American Journal of Psychiatry</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Study: Cannabis compound may ease psychosis

While marijuana has has a reputation as a trigger of...

You cannot beat a trip to the beach for relaxation and rejuvenation, and just simply being near the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/end-ocean-plastic-litter/">ocean</a> has proven health benefits. A climate by the sea is particularly good for the respiratory organs and the skin, and is also known to strengthen the body's immunity and improve circulation. Before you plan your next trip to the coast, take a look at this list of the most stunningly beautiful beaches in the world.

&nbsp;

Trunk Bay Beach 

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Conserved within the Virgin Islands National Park, this beach is among the most photogenic places on the planet. Trunk Bay Beach has breathtaking views of white beaches against the aquamarine waters of the Caribbean.

&nbsp;

Pink Sands Beach

Harbour Island, Bahamas

Featuring three miles of pink sand and clear, turquoise water, Pink Sands Beach is a heavenly escape. The ocean is warm year-round, making it is the perfect spot for swimming.

&nbsp;

Whitehaven Beach

Queensland, Australia

This pristine white beach features the purest silica sand in the world. The unique sand does not retain heat so it is comfortable no matter how hot it gets along this stretch of Whitsunday Island, Australia.

&nbsp;

Beach Below the Ruins

Tulum, Mexico

Miles of white sandy beaches stretch out just below the ancient ruins of Tulum, and the views are incredible. This beach is known as a slow-paced, spiritual experience.

&nbsp;

Elafonissi Beach

Crete, Greece

Bright white sand against blue-green waters make Elafonissi Beach one of most gorgeous destinations on any coastline. This small island in western Crete also features black rocks, white lilies, and exotic animals.

&nbsp;

Grace Bay Beach

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Known for peace and quiet, Grace Bay Beach is widely considered the best beach in the world. Grace Bay Beach has turquoise waters and soft white sand that stretches out for 12 miles.

&nbsp;

Tortuga Bay Beach

Galapagos, Ecuador

Tortuga Bay Beach is a well-preserved and isolated beach on Santa Cruz Island. This destination is world famous for its immaculate white sand, volcanic rocks, and exotic wildlife.

&nbsp;

Blue Lagoon
Oludeniz, Turkey

The Blue Lagoon is located on the Turquoise Coast of southwestern Turkey where the Mediterranean and Aegean seas meet. The lagoon is a national marine sanctuary with unique panoramic views of lush green mountains.

&nbsp;

Matira Beach

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Located on “the Romantic Island" of Bora Bora, Matira Beach features crystal clear waters and soft sand. This magical setting in the South Pacific is perfect for swimming, snorkeling, or just relaxing under a palm tree.

&nbsp;

Sunset Beach

Oahu, Hawaii

Known for big wave surfing in the winter, Sunset Beach becomes as calm as a lake in the summer months. The two-mile stretch of wide beach located on the North Shore of Oahu looks like paradise, especially at sunset.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

10 of Earth’s most beautiful beaches

You cannot beat a trip to the beach for relaxation...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" 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> 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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" 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.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

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

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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

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

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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...