Not long ago, the common belief was that only a subset of media consumers - often less educated and highly biased - would let their political allegiance override the truth. They would believe the news that favors their political inclinations, even if it wasn't authentic.



Then some intriguing studies emerged which indicated quite the opposite. The research suggested that media consumers across the spectrum value truth over partisanship.



The studies proclaimed that the authenticity of news was more influential than its alignment with a consumer's political views by more than four times.



However, as we stand on the brink of a national election fraught with misinformation, a fresh study shakes this understanding to its core.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-and-political-views">News and political views</h2>



The research, led by top psychology scholars at Stanford University, suggests that the masses tend to prioritize partisanship over truth when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/political-views-change-our-perception-of-the-past-and-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consuming news</a>.



Quite unexpectedly, this behavioral pattern spans across all political orientations, educational backgrounds, and reasoning capabilities.



Study lead author Michael Schwalbe is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Psychology at the School of Humanities and Sciences at <a href="http://www.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a>.



"We saw an effect of people being more influenced by political alignment than truth," said Schwalbe. 



"We saw it on both political sides and even among people who scored well on a reasoning test. We were a bit surprised to see how widespread this tendency was. People were engaging in a lot of resistance to inconvenient truths."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pervasive-problem-across-political-parties">Pervasive problem across political parties</h2>



The researchers unearthed intriguing ways in which political views and partisanship can impact the analysis of news. 



In one measure of bias, people's beliefs about the impartiality of their political side compared to their rivals were assessed. Ironically, those who were most confident in their side's neutrality were the most biased.



Furthermore, partisanship seemed to have a more robust effect on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-opinions-swing-voting-and-elections-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">processing real news</a> than fake news. People demonstrated a higher propensity to reject true information that challenged their political views and accept false information that supported their ideological stances.



"Everyone thinks it's the other person who is the problem," said Geoffrey L. Cohen, the James G. March Professor of Organizational Studies in Education and Business, professor of psychology in H&amp;S, and senior author of the study. 



"People say, 'Not me!' But it turns out, like with a lot of social psychological research, it's actually a pretty pervasive problem across political parties and up and down the educational ladder. The problem isn't just misinformation but the filters of our own mind - perhaps more so."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-news-sources-and-political-beliefs">News sources and political beliefs</h2>



The study is based on research conducted on a sample of the voting-age U.S. population, matched to the demographics of the census. This group included supporters and opponents of former President Donald Trump.



A distinctive aspect of this research is its deviation in methodology from previous studies. According to Cohen, this could be why the findings contradict them. While the other studies used existing news headlines, this research involved fabricated ones.



Also, in prior investigations, subjects could see the news sources, which may have influenced their acceptance or rejection of the information, whereas this study focused on the headlines alone.



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



The research team conjured fake headlines like "Trump Beats Grandmaster Chess Champion" and "Trump Attended Private Halloween Gala with Sex Orgies Dressed as the Pope." 



Surprisingly, the experts discovered that Trump's supporters and opponents were more likely to believe headlines that aligned with their views than to accept <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cities-are-largely-unprepared-for-the-effects-of-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">true headlines</a> that opposed their beliefs.



The researchers suggest that one contributing factor for this situation is the increased consumption of partisan media. 



"We found that the strongest predictors of bias include extreme views of Trump, a one-sided media diet, and belief in the objectivity and lack of bias of a person's own political side relative to the other side," Schwalbe said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growing-concern-about-news-consumption">Growing concern about news consumption </h2>



The findings of this study underscore concerns about news consumption in the 21st century, especially with the advent of social media and the constant availability of political news. 



Gaining access to one-sided information has become easier, which can reinforce beliefs in personal objectivity and lead to deepened polarization over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-possible-paths-to-improvement">Possible paths to improvement</h2>



Having identified the problem, the next logical step is to propose interventions. A measure suggested by Cohen, known as "pre-bunking," involves proactive fact-checking where media sources warn of potential misinformation, or people independently learn to recognize manipulation tactics.



However, Cohen and Schwalbe emphasized that the solution doesn't solely lie in policy changes focused on fake news; people are also biased in their disbelief of true news.



Accordingly, they highlight the significance of promoting intellectual humility, wherein media consumers acknowledge the fallibility of their minds and learn to question their perceptions.



"There's still much more to do to understand the problem," said Schwalbe. So, while this study forms a solid foundation for further exploration, there's no denying that we're only at the beginning of this investigative journey.



The study is published in the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2025-33892-004.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Experimental Psychology: General</a>. 



-----



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People trust news that matches their political views, even when it's fake

Not long ago, the common belief was that only a subset of media consumers - often less educated and highly biased - would let their political allegiance override the truth. They would believe the news that favors their political inclinations, even if it wasn't authentic. Then some intriguing studies emerged which indicated quite the opposite. The research suggested that media consumers across the spectrum value truth over partisanship. The studies proclaimed that the authenticity of news was more influential than its alignment with a consumer's political views...

When you really think about it, it’s interesting to imagine how the differing accents between individuals that speak the same <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/different-language-make-decisions/">language</a> actually arose. Accents can be distinctly different not just between countries, but states and provinces and cities as well.

A new study published in the journal Language examines how accents change over differing periods of time, and how this shows the limited impact of intense social interactions in isolated environments. The study also reveals the significant differences among individuals in how susceptible their accents are to change.

The goal of the study was to analyze how people’s accents can change over time as a result of social interactions. Although the study of accent change has been well-documented by past research over the short term (just in the context of a single conversation) and the long-term (evolving based on exposure over a period of years), the middle period between the two has barely been documented.

One of the most interesting aspects of this study is that it derived all of its information from a reality TV show. Big Brother UK is a reality show where contestants live in an isolated house for three months while their interactions are continually recorded. Because of this set up, the house is a linguistically closed system, where the researchers could both determine the dynamics of contestants’ speech from day-to-day and analyze any sources of observed changes.

Through analysis of five variable accents of any individual speaker’s accent, the researchers found that accent change over the medium term is ubiquitous, meaning that large daily fluctuations in each sound variable are common, while longer-term change over weeks to months only occurs in a minority of cases.

When compared to similar research on both long and short-term accent change, this research shows that even within settings of intense social contact, accent change is highly unique and complex. Even with constant and isolated interaction over three months, people don’t just adopt each other’s way of speaking automatically. Ultimately, this study shows that – like most other characteristics – speech patterns and accents are highly individualistic.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How accents develop and change over time

When you really think about it, it’s interesting to imagine...

According to new research, acknowledging how others are perceived by the world can help promote empathy, even though forming conclusions about another person usually comes with a negative connotation, as we are repeatedly told not to judge. The difference is that understanding how we see others and how they perceive themselves is different from forming a snap judgment without merit. 

Brittany Solomon, a research assistant professor of management and organization at <a href="http://mendoza.nd.edu/">Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business</a>, led the study that proves our perceptions are an important part of how we interact with others. 

Solomon, in her study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, discusses how we are in tune not just with our own perceptions of people, but how they are perceived by society or others. 

“Understanding others' subjective realities can enhance empathy, cooperation, and communication and may also influence one's own opinions. This can prompt people to deliberate and even re-evaluate their own views or enable them to influence others,” said Solomon.

No matter how you perceive someone, you are also aware of how they are perceived by the world and how that person views themselves. This is an important skill to access as it can enhance social and professional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/checking-phone-ruining-relationships/">relationships</a>. 

Solomon discusses a workplace environment in her study, whereby a manager who understands how an employee is perceived by others in the workplace can find the best ways to highlight that employees strengths.  

“If you know that one person is seen in positive or negative ways, you can highlight their attributes that perhaps other group members aren't aware of. Or, you could avoid potential conflict by not grouping certain individuals together in the first place,” said Solomon. 

The study makes sure to point out that everyone’s perceptions, to a point, will be skewed. It’s not about having the correct perception, but rather, having the awareness to factor in how another person is viewed can improve communication and interpersonal relationships.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Understanding how others are perceived improves relationships

According to new research, acknowledging how others are perceived by...

In 2016, there were a reported 40,000 road traffic deaths in the United States, a jump of 6 percent from the previous year. According to the <a href="http://www.nsc.org/NewsDocuments/2017/12-month-estimates.pdf">National Safety Council</a>, the year before saw a 7 percent increase from 2014. Experts attribute many factors to the rising number of traffic incidents, including cell phone use and speeding. Now, new research shows that rising temperatures may also be linked to road deaths and traffic collisions, a factor not previously considered.

Dr. Leon Robertson from the University School of Public Health in Green Valley, Arizona conducted research to see if climate change was at all to involved, as 2015 was a particularly <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/2015-was-the-hottest-year-ever-recorded/">warm year</a> across the United States. 

From 2014 to 2015, annual temperatures rose 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the areas that Robertson studied. Robertson gathered data from recorded temperatures, precipitation, mileage, and traffic fatalities to see if there was a correlation between temperatures, rainfall, and the number of miles driven annually. 

Robertson found that people drove 60 miles more per year for every degree the temperature rose, and drove 66 more miles annually with every additional inch of rainfall. 

The research also found that road deaths increased in warmer areas and in places with more rainfall. That rate also increased in areas where freeway speed limits were higher. 

Robertson noted that given the correlation between mileage and temperature, in 2015 drivers would have tacked on 13.6 billion extra miles because of the 1.5 degrees increase. He also noted that road deaths increased on warmer days for a number of reasons, including more people driving and an increase in foot and bicycle traffic. 

“As temperatures continue to increase from heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, road deaths will likely increase more than expected unless there are major mitigating countermeasures,” said Robertson. 

Robertson’s research is based on an observational study and comes with a certain set of limitations. Most observational studies cannot be taken at face value because of external factors that were perhaps not considered. 

But Robertson’s study is important as it points to a “vicious cycle” of higher temperatures equalling more miles driven, which in turn creates more carbon emissions and the rotation repeats again. 

The research further adds to the mounting evidence that climate change is drastically changing our environment, and disastrous consequences could ensue if measures aren’t taken to hinder the effects. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How climate change relates to the rising number of road deaths

In 2016, there were a reported 40,000 road traffic deaths...

These days, when you hear the word diet, one of the first things that comes to mind is cutting back on carbs and sugar. Bread has gotten a bad reputation over the years, with Atkins and gluten-free diets reinforcing the idea that carbs are the enemy. But now, a new study has found that Americans are missing out on grains that contain many important nutrients we need, such as dietary fiber, iron, zinc, and folate.

Researchers found that grain foods account for less than 15 percent of total caloric intake for American adults, which is problematic because they are packed with important nutrients needed for a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/species-survival-adapt-diets/">healthy diet</a>. Despite their bad reputation, grains contribute over 20 percent of three critical shortfall nutrients: dietary fiber, folate, and iron, as well as calcium, magnesium, and vitamin A.

Researchers collected data from more than 10,000 dietary surveys conducted by the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/index.htm">National Center for Health Statistics of the Centers for Disease Control</a>. The surveys included information on what the participants had eaten in the last 24 hours. The researchers took these surveys and measured the number of grains that were consumed by the participants. The results found that grain food consumption is low across the board, lower than it should be.

“Finally, we can enjoy bread again. The nutrient contribution of all whole and refined grain food products, including bread, rolls and tortillas and ready-to-eat cereals, can play a key role in helping American adults meet recommendations for under-consumed nutrients and nutrients of public health concern,” said Papanikolaou.

Papanikolaou also clarified that although whole grains are preferred, you can still get necessary nutrients from refined and enriched grains. The study’s findings also aligned with prior research that found grain foods were just as beneficial for children and adolescents. 

The study was published in the journal Nutrients.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Americans don’t eat as much bread and grains as they should

These days, when you hear the word diet, one of...

An initiative known as <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/consideration-deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca">Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals</a>, or DACA, was established to protect people who immigrated to the United States as children. Illegal citizens asked for the opportunity to stay in the country to pursue their education and careers, and DACA has provided over 800,000 immigrants with temporary work permits and protection from deportation.

Many of those granted the chance to stay in America through DACA have given birth to children here. While the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/us-mexico-border-wall-threaten-100-endangered-species/">Trump administration</a> and Congress debate whether or not to keep the program, the unstable immigration status of the families can have a difficult impact on children.

Approximately 4 million children born in the United States have at least one parent who is unauthorized. A recent study focused on how the lives of these children could be improved dramatically without worry of their parents being deported. Linna Marten is a postdoctoral scholar at the <a href="https://www.immigrationlab.org/">Stanford Immigration Policy Lab</a> and co-author of the research.

''DACA is the largest immigration reform in the US since the mid-1980s, but so far there have been almost no credible studies of how it has affected unauthorized immigrants and their families,” said Marten. “Hence, policymakers have lacked concrete evidence to make informed decisions about the future of DACA.”

It is known that fear of separation is a significant source of stress for children of unauthorized parents, but it is difficult to distinguish this anxiety from issues tied to poverty, cultural barriers, and other factors common among immigrants. 

For the study, the research team tracked immigrant mothers born just before and after the date established to qualify for DACA. Next, the experts looked for a range of mental illnesses known to be provoked by external stress among the 8,610 children born to these mothers between 2003 and 2015. These illnesses included adjustment disorder, acute stress disorder, and anxiety disorder.

The results of the study revealed that protecting immigrant parents from deportation leads to huge improvements in the mental health of their children, giving them security and peace of mind. The occurrence of stress disorders dropped by more than half among children whose parents were protected by DACA.


"Our results imply that expanding deferred action, or providing more permanent protection, to the millions of unauthorized immigrant parents who do not meet the current DACA eligibility criteria could equally promote the wellbeing of their children,” said co-author Duncan Lawrence. “This would have important implications for this next generation of American citizens.”

The authors of the study urge policymakers to consider DACA’s broader impact, which may have decades of positive and life-changing consequences for U.S. citizens.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Deportation fears impact the mental health of American children

An initiative known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or...

Researchers have conducted a study that may explain why yawning is so infectious. The experts say that primitive reflexes in the primary motor cortex are responsible for contagious yawning. This is the latest in a series of studies by the research team, who has set out to discover new methods of treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders by analyzing their underlying biological causes.

The current study proves that it is difficult to resist yawning when someone is yawning within sight. The research also reveals that the need to yawn is increased when people are instructed to resist. The likelihood of yawning is not decreased by an attempt to stifle it, but holding back may change the way that the yawn is expressed, according to the study.

It turns out that contagious yawning is triggered involuntarily when another person yawns. This is a common form of echophenomena, or the automatic imitation of another person's words or actions. The researchers say that chimpanzees and dogs have a propensity for contagious yawning as well. 

Stephen Jackson is a professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the <a href="http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a> who led the study.

"We suggest that these findings may be particularly important in understanding further the association between motor excitability and the occurrence of echophenomena in a wide range of clinical conditions that have been linked to increased cortical excitability and/or decreased physiological inhibition such as epilepsy, dementia, autism, and Tourette syndrome,” explains Jackson.

Echophenomena exists in a variety of clinical conditions linked to increased cortical excitability and/or decreased physiological inhibition. The neural basis of echophenomena, however, is unknown.

The researchers set out to find the link between motor excitability and contagious yawning. The team tested 36 adults using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The participants viewed video clips that showed someone else yawning and were instructed to either resist or give in to yawning.

Through the use of video recording, both yawns and restraint attempts were monitored.  The intensity of each participant's perceived urge to yawn was continuously recorded, and the scientists were able to increase this urge using electrical stimulation.

Georgina Jackson is a Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychology. She says that this study reveals that “the 'urge' is increased by trying to stop yourself.” 

“Using electrical stimulation we were able to increase excitability and in doing so increase the propensity for contagious yawning,” explains Jackson. “In Tourette's if we could reduce the excitability we might reduce the ticks and that's what we are working on."

"If we can understand how alterations in cortical excitability give rise to neural disorders we can potentially reverse them,” adds Professor Stephen Jackson. “We are looking for potential non-drug, personalized treatments, using TMS that might be effective in modulating imbalances in the brain networks."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why yawning is so contagious and how it could help treat diseases

Researchers have conducted a study that may explain why yawning...

Hurricane Harvey made landfall yet again on Tuesday night, this time hitting the state of Louisiana and eastern parts of Texas. So far, Houston has seen over 50 inches of rainfall and <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/hurricane-harvey-slamming-texas/">unimaginable flooding</a>. Louisiana has been on high alert since the storm first hit Texas, urging citizens to take all precautionary measures and preparing evacuation sites with cots, food, and water. 

Beaumont, Texas has seen especially disastrous flooding, with as much as 26 inches of rain in just one day. Rescue operations in Beaumont are in full swing, but the death toll is still rising. 

Port Arthur, Texas is already so overwhelmed from flooding that even evacuation sites are taking on water, with one <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/30/us/harvey-texas-louisiana/index.html">CNN</a> report showing pictures of muddy water almost knee deep in an evacuation center. Port Arthur is in danger of even more flooding as waters from Beaumont could flow towards it. 

Newscasters, journalists, rescue personnel, and government officials have described the flooding from Hurricane Harvey as biblical and catastrophic, as it has set a new record for rainfall dumped on the US mainland. 

There is so much water in Harris County, Texas that one meteorologist, Jeff Lindner, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-texas-harvey-20170829-story.html">remarked</a>: “In four days, we’ve seen a trillion gallons of water in Harris County — enough water to run Niagara Falls for 15 days.”

But how does Hurricane Harvey compare to the worst hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. mainland? To give some perspective, Hurricane Ike, another massive storm that hit the Texas area in 2008, caused billions in damages. But the damage caused by Harvey are already set to surpass the costs of Ike by 12 billion dollars. 

Hurricane Katrina also saw massive flooding in Louisiana. However, the actual hurricane only dropped between six to nine inches of rainfall along the Mississippi River. It was the storm surge with waves cresting at <a href="https://www.livescience.com/60257-harvey-vs-katrina-storm-comparison.html">eight to twenty-five fee</a>t that caused most of the devastation in New Orleans. 

Hurricane Sandy slammed in the New York-New Jersey area in 2012 and cost <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/08/28/hurricane-harvey-much-less-damaging-than-katrina-sandy-hannover-re.html">36 billion</a> in damages, according to Hannover Ren.

But according to <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/accuweather-predicts-hurricane-harvey-to-be-the-most-costly-natural-disaster-in-us-history/70002597">AccuWeather</a>, Hurricane Harry could have a $190 billion impact on the U.S. economy. The flooding damage, in particular, in Texas has been unprecedented. 

One of the reasons that Harris County, Texas is so prone to flooding is the disappearing wetlands in place of booming economic development. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/08/why-cities-flood/538251/">Stripping away wetlands in place of pavement </a>also destroys the natural barriers that protect against flooding by soaking up rainwater. More pavement means higher flooding, and a longer time until floodwaters recede. 

The sheer strength of Hurricane Harvey has been inevitably linked the climate change. The warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico certainly fueled the storm as it slammed into Texas, and lingered longer than any weather predictions reported. It was a deluge of perfect conditions, the severity of which can certainly be linked to climate change. But scientists also point out that climate change was not completely responsible for all of the damage.

"It's important to say that this event — or something close to it — could have happened without climate change," said Adam Sobel director of <a href="http://extremeweather.columbia.edu/">Columbia University’s Initiative on Extreme Weather and Climate</a> in an interview with <a href="https://www.livescience.com/60269-did-climate-change-intensify-harvey.html">LiveScience</a>.

Rescue operations will continue as FEMA, the Red Cross, and volunteers work to evacuate victims and provide shelter, food, and clothing for those displaced. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

How Hurricane Harvey compares to the worst hurricanes ever

Hurricane Harvey made landfall yet again on Tuesday night, this...

A recent study from the <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford University School of Medicine</a> has found that the average age of newborns’ fathers in the U.S. has increased by 3.5 years in the last four decades. This Stanford study was the first comprehensive analysis of all live births reported to a federal data depository in the U.S. from 1972-2015 – encompassing almost 170 million births.

The data was accrued from the National Vital Statistic System, which is an intergovernmental data-sharing program sponsored by the CDC. It records births and deaths reported in all 50 states, as well as self-reported maternal and paternal ages where available. Other data recorded includes race, ethnicity, and levels of education of the parents. Reports are periodically released on maternal statistic from this database, but little information on newborns’ dads has been analyzed.

The researchers found that between 1972 and 2015, the average paternal age at the time of birth increased from 27.4 years to 30.9 years. Asian-American dads were around 36 years old on average, making them the oldest of any ethnicity. Overall, the percentage of newborns’ <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fathers-treat-daughters-differently/">fathers</a> who were older than 40 doubled, and the share of fathers over 50 almost doubled as well.

So why does this matter? Well, according to the authors, a rising paternal age can affect the total number of children a man will have, causing a decrease in population growth – which can affect national and international economies. Furthermore, “every potential dad acquires an average of two new mutations in his sperm each year,” explains Dr. Michael Eisenberg, an assistant professor of urology at <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford</a> and senior author of the paper. “And there are associations between older fatherhood and higher rates of autism, schizophrenia, chromosomal abnormalities, some pediatric cancers and certain rare genetic conditions."

However, some of the benefits of this rise in paternal age include data that shows older fathers are more likely to have better jobs and more resources. They’re also more likely to have relatively stable lifestyles and be involved in raising the child.

But paternal ages are not the only thing that has increased in the last four decades, “Maternal ages at birth have been increasing, too,” says Eisenberg. “In fact, they’ve advanced even more than paternal ages have in the same time frame. This may be a consequence of women waiting longer to get married or putting off childbearing as the years they spend in higher education increase and as careers become more central to their lives. The result is that the average age difference between moms and dads has been shrinking, from 2.7 years in 1972 to 2.3 years in 2015.”

These patterns are applicable across all racial, regional, age, and education categories. The authors believe this could be due to the spread of reliable contraception and integration of women into the workforce.

There were also some other interesting data points found in this study. The youngest dad recorded during this 44-year period was 11 years old, while the oldest was 88. However, the world-record holder oldest new dad was a man from India who fathered two children at the age of 94 and 96 with a wife who was in her late 50s. “Unfortunately, they wound up separating,” Eisenberg says. Apparently, not even setting world records is enough to keep people together.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Men in the U.S. are becoming fathers at older ages

A recent study from the Stanford University School of Medicine...

Research from the <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/">University of South Australia</a> shows that people who use marijuana may actually walk differently from those who do not. The study found changes in the movements of the shoulders, knees, and elbows of cannabis users.

The evaluation focused on 44 participants - half marijuana users and half non-users. The individuals were given screening tests and clinical neurological examinations of movement. They were also given gait and balance tests which involved motion capture systems.

The study revealed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-use-kidney-function/">marijuana</a> users have stiffer shoulders and more flexible elbows as they walk. The cannabis users also had faster knees capable of reaching higher walking speeds than those of non-users. There were no noticeable differences between the neurological functions or balancing abilities of users and non-users, however.

Study co-author Verity Pearson-Dennett told <a href="http://www.psypost.org/">PsyPost</a>, “The changes in walking were small enough that a neurologist specializing in movement disorders was not able to detect changes in all of the cannabis users. However, many of the participants in the cannabis group were moderate-to-light cannabis users, therefore heavier cannabis users may have greater impairments.”

While the majority of the participants for the study were in their twenties, the authors of the study say that more research is needed “to investigate if the subtle gait changes observed in this population become more apparent with aging and increased cannabis use.” The researchers also want to conduct further analyses to determine exactly how marijuana affects people's movements.

“Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug, with 35% of Australians aged 14 years and over reporting use on at least one occasion,” said Pearson-Dennett.

According to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Center for Disease Control</a> (CDC), marijuana is also the most used illegal drug in the United States with over 22.2 million users. More than half of the states in America have now legalized the use of marijuana, and there is heightened curiosity about the influence the drug has on overall health and well-being. 

The CDC <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/index.htm">reports</a> there is strong evidence that marijuana use is linked to increased risk of cancer, stroke, heart attack, and decreased IQ. On the other hand, marijuana has been associated with many positive benefits. Some studies have linked cannabis use to a healthier metabolism and improved lung capacity. In addition, marijuana has been proven to ease pain and nausea during intense medical treatments, relieve arthritis discomfort, and help with a variety of other ailments.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Using marijuana can change the way you walk

Research from the University of South Australia shows that people...

Scientists have identified skeletal remains that belonged to one of the very first known settlers in the Americas. A detailed analysis of a skeleton found in the Chan Hol cave near Tulum in Southern Mexico revealed that human settlement in the Americas may have occurred in the late Pleistocene era.

The appearance of the first humans in the Americas is a timeline that scientists have not been able to clearly record and has been the subject of much debate. The majority of early osteological evidence is fragmentary, yet researchers have managed to find and date well-preserved prehistoric human skeletons in the caves of Tulum.

Wolfgang Stinnesbeck from <a href="https://www.heidelberg.edu/">Heidelberg University</a> led a team of researchers to learn more about the earliest settlers of the Americas. To do this, they meticulously examined the skeleton discovered in the Chan Hol cave. The scientists analyzed the uranium, carbon, and oxygen isotopes found in its bones and in the stalagmite which had grown through its pelvic bone in order to date the skeleton.

The results of the study found that the skeleton dated back to ~13 k BP, or approximately 13,000 years before present. This indicated that the Chan Hol cave was inhabited during the late Pleistocene era and defined the skeleton as one of oldest examples of a human settler in the Americas. 

The researchers pointed out that changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warmer-climate-preview-2080s/">climate</a> over time may have influenced the dating of the skeleton. They said that future research may be able to determine how climate impacted the Chan Hol archaeological record. The study is published today in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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
Image Credit: Tom Poole, Liquid Junge Lab

Humans settled in the Americas at least 13,000 years ago

Scientists have identified skeletal remains that belonged to one of...

17th century mathematician Blaise Pascal introduced the theory that humans often calculate the expected value of a decision by multiplying its value with the probability that it can be obtained. Researchers at the <a href="http://icahn.mssm.edu/">Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai</a> have now determined which parts of the brain are involved in making decisions. This breakthrough may ultimately be used to help treat depression and anxiety.

"For a long time, we thought that representations of value and probability were being evaluated in the same, single part of the brain," explains lead author Peter Rudebeck. "What's exciting here is that we're showing that it's being done in two different parts of the brain, which are separate both functionally and anatomically."

The research team focused on two regions of the brain, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC). Previous studies have indicated that people whose OFC was damaged by injury or disease have impaired decision-making abilities. Despite these findings, little was previously known about the precise roles of the OFC in the decision-making process.

For the first of two tests, monkeys were set up with a game where they could touch images on a screen to earn rewards. The researchers changed the probability at various times throughout the task and found that the control monkeys and the monkeys with OFC lesions were able to adjust their choices accordingly. The monkeys with VLPFC lesions, on the other hand, were unable to continue tracking the reward probability.

Next, the monkeys played a game where they had to track the value of two rewards. The monkeys with the OFC lesions were the only group that did not acknowledge the value of one reward versus the other

"We've known for a long time that these two parts of the brain are highly interconnected," says Dr. Rudebeck. "Previous research indicates that both send connections to another area of the frontal lobe called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) and functional magnetic resonance imaging suggests that the VMPFC may be where choices ultimately get made."

In a separate set of experiments, the investigators wanted to determine whether VMPFC is involved in comparing different values, and they induced lesions in that region to find out. The tests revealed that animals with a damaged VMPFC were able to make a decision based on probability or value alone, but were much less capable of comparing values.

The study, which is published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>, gives researchers insight as to why people with damage in certain areas of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brains-detect-pitch-meaning/">brain</a> have a harder time making decisions.

"Depression and anxiety disorders are characterized by changes in the way that people process rewards and make decisions. In some cases, changes in decision-making can be so extreme that individuals are unable to lead normal lives," says Dr. Rudebeck. "Determining which parts of the brain help us to make decisions based on the subjective value and probability is therefore a critical step in understanding how these debilitating disorders are caused."

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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

Decisions are made by two independent regions of the brain

17th century mathematician Blaise Pascal introduced the theory that humans...

Remaining active is a big part of both mental and physical health for many individuals, especially as we age – and nothing is less active than sitting in front of a TV. Now, a new study has found that older people who watch more than five hours of TV per day and have only three or fewer hours per week of total physical activity could have a more than three-fold higher risk of losing their ability to walk years later.

This study looked at all types of sedentary behavior, as well as light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity, and found that prolonged sitting and TV watching were two factors that were especially harmful. These factors were only exacerbated by decreased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/older-adults-work-stay-active/">physical activity</a>.

“TV viewing is a very potent risk factor for disability in older age,” says <a href="https://publichealth.gwu.edu/departments/exercise-and-nutrition-sciences/loretta-dipietro">Loretta DiPietro</a>, PhD, MPH, lead author of the study and Chair of the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/">George Washington University's</a> Milken Institute School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH). “Sitting and watching TV for long periods (especially in the evening) has got to be one of the most dangerous things that older people can do because they are much more susceptible to the damages of physical inactivity.”

The researchers looked at data from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, which tracked men and women ages 50 to 71 for roughly ten years, recording how much they watched TV, exercised, and did other physical activity. By the study’s end, almost 30 percent of previously healthy participants reported a mobility disability. 

One of the study’s most concerning findings was that participants who watched five or more hours of TV per day had a 65 percent greater risk of having a mobility disability by the end of the study compared to those who watched less than two hours of TV per day. This association was independent of their level of physical activity. Increased levels of sitting and TV watching combined with low physical activity were even more harmful, and resulted in a decrease of ability to walk.

Although younger people may be able to get away with sitting for long periods of time, after the age of 50 this begins to become more of an issue. “We’ve engineered physical activity out of our modern life with commuting, elevators, the internet, mobile phones and a lifestyle (think Netflix streaming) that often includes 14 hours of sitting per day,” says DiPietro. “Our findings suggest that older people who want to remain fit must ramp up their daily physical activity and reduce the amount of time they spend sitting.”

DiPietro suggests that we should begin to incorporate more physical activity into our daily lives. This could mean taking walking breaks from your desk at work, or simply taking the stairs. “To stay active and healthy as you age, move more and sit less – throughout the day – every day,” DiPietro says.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Watching TV linked to diminished mobility in older years

Remaining active is a big part of both mental and...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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