Wish,To,Meet,Santa,Claus.,Merry,Christmas,And,Happy,New

Every December, colorful lights and festive tunes remind kids, and adults, that Santa Claus is on his way. Families fill their homes with decorations, children write wish lists, and a sense of anticipation hangs in the air. 



Parents have long told their kids that if they behave well, Santa will bring them just what they asked for. Until recently, few studies examined whether this belief actually influenced how kids act.



In a new project, researchers decided to see if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/irregular-bedtimes-disrupt-the-well-being-and-behavior-of-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">children</a> truly become more considerate when they think Santa is watching. 



They explored whether kids act better because of the story of Santa or because of everything else going on during the holiday season. 



Professor Kapitány from the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a> led the investigation along with colleagues from <a href="https://www.durham.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Durham</a>, <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Edinburgh</a>, and <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leeds</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kids-santa-and-surprises">Kids, Santa, and surprises</h2>



The study tracked 533 kids between ages four and nine over three separate Christmases and visits from Santa. Families <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-with-behavioral-issues-have-high-cortisol-levels-in-their-hair/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported on behaviors</a> like sharing, helping others, and following rules. 



Parents also described whether their kids believed in Santa and took part in festive traditions. According to the data, there was no direct link between Santa belief alone and an increase in kindness.



Instead, good behavior rose as Christmas neared when families engaged in activities such as decorating their homes, singing carols, and enjoying special treats.&nbsp;



The study noted that these experiences led to small but consistent boosts in generous and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kindergarten-conduct-childhood-behavioral-problems-will-cost-society-later/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">respectful actions</a>. 



This shift also came with a bump in more rowdy moments, highlighting that heightened excitement can show up in many ways.



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



For many families, hanging ornaments or baking Christmas cookies is more than just a fun holiday pastime. 



These rituals offer children a chance to feel a sense of togetherness and excitement that breaks up their usual routine. 



The study suggests that these shared activities have a greater <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-consider-their-own-past-actions-before-judging-others/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">effect on kindness</a> than the idea of being judged by a mysterious gift-giver in a red suit.



Parents often say they remind kids to be on their best behavior so Santa will reward them. Yet the findings show it’s the holiday atmosphere itself that has the strongest pull. 



One researcher described it by saying “the magic is in the time of year, so to speak, not in the claim over the supernatural big man.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supernatural-beliefs-and-morality">Supernatural beliefs and morality</h2>



Some scholars point out that Santa is often placed on the same pedestal as other powerful beings in certain cultures. 



Parents treat him as a figure who can watch children from afar, keep track of good deeds, and decide on gifts. 



This study adds to conversations about how belief in unseen forces might shape moral choices.



Other work shows that religious ideas can sometimes bring out prosocial behavior. Hearing about rules or promises of rewards can prompt more cooperation.&nbsp;



In the case of Santa, though, the results suggest that the presence of traditions might play a bigger role in guiding kids toward friendly, generous actions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-contrasting-philosophies-on-kids-and-santa">Contrasting philosophies on kids and Santa</h2>



Philosophers have different views on whether parents should even promote Santa’s story. 



Dr. Joseph Millum from the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of St. Andrews</a> worries it “breaches trust,” calling Santa a “preposterous lie.” Others feel that Santa can be a healthy way to bring joy into children’s lives. 



Tom Whyman, a lecturer in philosophy at the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Liverpool</a>, says that “kids need Santa.” 



These opinions highlight the varying attitudes people have toward a figure whose influence has become an enduring feature of holiday culture.



When parents choose whether to encourage this tale, they grapple with how it shapes their children’s sense of wonder and truth. 



Some families see Santa as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pretend-play-builds-the-foundation-for-learning-and-relationships/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">harmless make-believe</a>, while others wonder if creating a magical visitor might later undermine a child’s trust. 



The study reminds us that cultural myths carry weight, yet they may not fully explain shifts in children’s behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-holiday-traditions">Implications for holiday traditions</h2>



The research shows that singing festive songs, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/christmas-trees-have-unique-strategies-to-survive-freezing-winters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">placing ornaments on a tree</a>, or preparing traditional foods creates a distinct environment. That environment is linked with both extra kindness and occasional bursts of negative behavior. 



While the belief in Santa himself did not correlate directly with improved conduct, the coordinated celebration of the season proved to be more powerful.



Families can consider how these moments <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personality-traits-are-not-strongly-inherited-from-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bring the household closer</a>. Children who help bake cookies or watch a classic Christmas movie often feel a greater sense of involvement. 



This sense of participation aligns with the study’s findings that holiday events can be a driving force behind thoughtful gestures, cooperation, and cheer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bigger-questions-about-childhood-and-culture">Bigger questions about childhood and culture</h2>



Santa’s modern image traces back to a blend of folklore, marketing campaigns, and traditions inspired by Saint Nicholas. 



For countless children, the idea of a kindhearted figure traveling the skies in a single night is a highlight of December. 



This study encourages us to think about how such stories fit into broader questions about parenting approaches and cultural myths. 



Many communities celebrate special figures who reward the nice and ignore or punish the naughty. 



In each case, children experience stories they can hold onto, if only for a few magical years. The current research suggests that these stories may matter less than the rituals and music, but they still add color to the season.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



Plenty of families continue to share the Santa story, watch Christmas movies, and maintain lively traditions. 



The researchers point out that more studies could explore how different cultural celebrations, and the potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/holiday-stress-is-higher-this-year-compared-to-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress levels surrounding them</a>, ultimately help shape child development. 



From the outside, it might seem obvious that gatherings, songs, and decorations encourage bright and kind behavior, yet measuring these elements takes careful planning.



Some psychologists are curious about whether similar patterns show up around other holidays or special events with strong rituals.&nbsp;



The core message remains that communal practices, family bonding, and joyful anticipation often spark gentler and more considerate behavior in children. 



The Santa myth is part of that puzzle, but it may not be the only factor making kids play nicely.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-did-we-learn-about-kids-and-santa">What did we learn about kids and Santa?</h2>



The takeaway here is that Christmas is a powerful backdrop for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/many-parents-use-threats-to-discipline-children-but-its-not-effective-in-the-long-run/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shaping how children behave</a>. 



A lively household filled with festive foods, carols, and colorful decorations can steer kids toward more thoughtful choices, even if the well-known Santa story doesn’t stand alone as a motivator. 



Traditions that families share appear to matter more than the promise of presents under the tree.



These observations offer a new way to think about how myths and rituals come together to create a meaningful holiday experience.&nbsp;



Children may still look forward to Santa’s arrival each year, but the real spark for positive behavior lies in those precious moments spent enjoying the season.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/osf/e8jm6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OSF Pre-prints</a>.



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Does believing in Santa make kids behave better? A new study found out

Every December, colorful lights and festive tunes remind kids, and adults, that Santa Claus is on his way. Families fill their homes with decorations, children write wish lists, and a sense of anticipation hangs in the air.  Parents have long told their kids that if they behave well, Santa will bring them just what they asked for. Until recently, few studies examined whether this belief actually influenced how kids act. In a new project, researchers decided to see if children truly become more considerate when they think...

In the state of California, as many as 10,000 children under six years old are poisoned by lead each year. An investigation by researchers from the <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">University of California San Francisco</a> have found that much of this lead contamination is found in an unexpected source - imported candy.

In 2006, the state passed a law which required the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to test candy for lead and issue alerts when levels get high. The experts from UC San Francisco joined up with researchers at the CDPH to analyze the outcomes of the law, which was proposed following several high-profile poisoning cases.

The CDPH issued more alerts for lead in candy than for the top three sources of food combination combined in the years that followed the new legislation. While the CDPH had routinely tested food for contaminants and warned the public of toxic exposure before this law was passed, lead levels in candy were not assessed on a regular basis.

The new study revealed that in the six years before the law went into effect, only 22 percent of the alerts about food contamination involved lead in candy. Once the testing was mandated by law, however, 42 percent of the food contamination alerts issued by state health officials were for lead in candy, nearly all of which was imported.

Lead is a toxic metal that can cause developmental delays, neurological damage, and other serious health problems. The researchers determined that active community monitoring can identify lead in food products such as candy, which can help them to be recalled before too many people have eaten them.

"With this policy change identifying lead sources is more upstream and community-based," said first author Margaret Handley. "By testing candy and issuing alerts when foods are found to be contaminated, we can identify and remove sources of lead before children become poisoned."

Over the 14-year time frame examined by the researchers, public health officials issued 164 health alerts for food contamination in California. 60 of these were lead-related and 55 of those were for imported food, mostly candy from Mexico, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollution-chinas-solar-energy/">China</a>, and India. 

"As more lead sources are identified we must develop prevention approaches for all of them, and not just replace one prevention approach with another," said Handley. "If there is anything we have learned from the lead poisoning disaster in Flint, Michigan, it is not to oversimplify or cut corners when it comes to identifying and removing sources of lead poisoning."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff

Imported candy tops the California contaminated foods list

In the state of California, as many as 10,000 children...

A new study confirms that the arched back of a woman is attractive to men. 3D imaging and eye-tracking technology provide scientific evidence that slight changes to the angle of a woman's body, such as the arching of the back, can captivate both a male and female audience.

The research team was led by Farid Pazhoohi of the <a href="https://www.uminho.pt/EN">University of Minho</a>. Pazhoohi explained that this particular posture may have evolved as part of the mating behavior of humans. Previous studies of animals such as sheep, cats, and primates have shown that this posture in which the lower spine is curved towards the belly, or lordotic posture, can signal readiness to mate.

The researchers set out to investigate the role of body posture in the development of human mate attraction and selection. For their study, the experts generated 3D computer models of the upper bodies of six women. The backs were positioned at slightly different yet natural body angles, which caused variations in how the backs were arched and the buttocks were extended.

Views from the front, side, and the back of each of the models were presented to 82 male and female participants. The individuals, who were all undergraduate students, were asked to rate how attractive they found each posture. Eye-tracking technology was used to monitor what the students were specifically looking at as they examined the images.

The results of the study showed that even the smallest changes in the angle of the back influenced how attractive others perceived the women to be. As the backs was arched slightly more, the 3D models were rated as being more appealing by both male and female participants.

"Increased curvature increases the perception of attractiveness," said Pazhoohi.

The eye tracking provided evidence that the students, regardless of their gender, gazed at the rear view of the simulated women much longer than the side or front angles. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/modern-couples-women-house/">female</a> participants focused more on the waist area, while the men looked longer at the hips. 

In addition, both the attractiveness ratings and eye tracking data indicated that the mesmerizing effect is stronger from side and rear views compared to the front, which is where the hips are most easily viewed.

"The latter highlights the unique influence of an arched back on the perception of attractiveness," explained Pazhoohi. "The perception of attractiveness and visual attention to the hip region suggests that lordosis or the arching of the back might signal human females' proceptivity or willingness to be courted. This also might explain why women wear high heel shoes and why wearing high heel shoes increases womens' attractiveness."

The findings are published in Springer's journal <a href="http://www.springer.com/psychology/personality+%26+social+psychology/journal/40806">Evolutionary Psychological Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why an arched back is considered more attractive

A new study confirms that the arched back of a...

According to a new study, teenagers now are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, smoke, or engage in criminal activities like stealing and fighting. 

The study was conducted by researchers at the <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/">Washington University School of Medicine</a> in St. Louis, who analyzed years of data from the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a survey of 12 to 17 year-olds from every state in the US. 

The researchers examined data from 2003 to 2014 which included information on 210,599 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/acknowledging-opinions-teens/">teens</a> in total. 

The study was published in the journal Psychological Medicine and shows a definite drop in substance use and participation in delinquent behaviors. 

The researchers discovered that substance abuse disorders among teens dropped 49 percent over the past 12 years, and delinquent behaviors like fighting, stealing, and selling drugs declined 39 percent. 

Substance abuse disorders are declining in teenagers despite increases in opioid addiction in adults.

Despite the severe opioid epidemic amongst adults, in the 12 to 17 year age bracket opioid use has dropped almost 50 percent.  

The researchers estimate that there were almost 700,000 fewer adolescents with substance abuse disorders in later years compared to 2003. 

An interesting result of the study is how both substance abuse and criminal activities are connected considering their similar patterns of decline. 

“What we learned in this study is that the declines in substance abuse are connected to declines in delinquency,” said Richard Grucza, the study’s first author and a professor of Psychiatry. “This suggests the changes have been driven more by changes in adolescents themselves more than by policies to reduce substance abuse or delinquent behavior.” 

The researchers suggest that higher cigarette taxes and new anti-bullying policies may have contributed to the decline in both substance abuse and delinquent behaviors, but other factors could be having a positive effect as well. 

“Seeing these trends across multiple behaviors suggests that larger environmental factors are at work. These might include reductions in childhood lead exposure, lower rates of child abuse and neglect, and better mental health care for children,” said Grucza.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Teen substance abuse and criminal behavior have declined

According to a new study, teenagers now are less likely...

There is no better time than the present to modify your daily activities and make them more environmentally responsible, and choosing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/11-eco-friendly-celebrities/">eco-friendly</a> office supplies is a great place to begin. To start greening your office, simply make a list of all the supplies used and research earth-friendly alternatives.

If transforming the entire office is not in your budget, consider switching out one or two items at a time. The following are some of the best environmentally friendly supplies available to help reduce your office's carbon footprint.

Recycled Paper Products

From envelopes to compostable paper cups and plates, recycled paper products now come in many forms. A green transition in this department will have a particularly positive impact considering how frequently paper products are used in the office.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.greenlinepaper.com/">greenlinepaper.com</a>

Eco-Friendly Pens

Adopting biodegradable pens made from renewable material is a great way to make your office more green. You may even print your company logo on eco-friendly pens to give potential customers a great first impression.

Where to buy: <a href="http://eco-pens.com/">eco-pens.com</a>

Non-Toxic Cleaner

Why introduce formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals into the air if you don't have to? There are plenty of green products available to clean all of the surfaces in your office while keeping the air quality up to a good standard.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.seventhgeneration.com/">seventhgeneration.com</a>

Compostable Trash Bags

Disposing of non-biodegradable trash bags week after week just adds to our enormous waste problem. When you think about it, trash bags made of post-consumer recycled (PCR) material just make good environmental sense.

Where to buy: <a href="http://evolutionbags.com/">evolutionbags.com</a>

Solar USB Chargers

The time has arrived when you can easily charge all of your office's USB devices with solar power. This is an inexpensive green transition that every office should make to save energy, particularly for charging devices that are constantly plugged up while not in use.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.renogy.com/">renogy.com</a>

Staple Free Stapler

This unique concept eliminates the need for tons of metal staples which are only used once and discarded. The device works like a hole puncher and uses the paper itself to stitch pages together. 

Where to buy: <a href="https://madebyhumans.net/">madebyhumans.net</a>

Smart Power Strips

Even when appliances and electronic devices are in standby mode, they are still using electricity. Smart power strips cut the power supply off to these gadgets and significantly cut back on electricity usage.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/">Amazon.com</a>

LED Light Bulbs

Not only do LED lights consume less energy to produce the same amount of light, but they are also free of the toxic chemicals such as mercury. In addition, LED lights typically last six times longer than traditional lights.

Where to buy: <a href="https://greenlightdepot.com/">greenlightdepot.com</a>

Recycled Pencils

Forests the size of 90 tennis courts are cut down every minute to supply wood to make wooden pencils, according to a company known as Treewise Pencils. This company makes pencils from 100 percent recycled newspaper in an effort to combat deforestation.

Where to buy: <a href="http://www.treewisepencils.com/">treewisepencils.com</a>

Biodegradable Packaging and Packing Tape

These packaging products are not only compostable but also lightweight and cut down on shipping costs. This is another great way to show your customers that your organization is environmentally responsible.

Where to buy: <a href="https://www.ecoenclose.com/">ecoenclose.com</a>

For over 60,000 products that are ranked by their “greenness,” check out t<a href="https://www.thegreenoffice.com/">hegreenoffice.com</a>. The Green Office has also developed a comprehensive <a href="https://www.thegreenoffice.com/services/calculator">Office Footprint Calculator</a> where you can calculate your office's carbon footprint and track your progress as you help to create a healthier planet.

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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

The top 10 best eco-friendly office supplies

There is no better time than the present to modify...

When rinsing off an apple to eat, it may not occur to you that this fruit is most likely contaminated with pesticide residue. A new discovery by scientists found that baking soda, an item commonly found in homes, effectively reduces the pesticide remains found on fruit.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found 47 different pesticides on apples tested for the <a href="https://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/pdp">Pesticide Data Program</a>. While pesticides are helpful in improving crop yields, concerns have been growing over their potentially harmful impact on human health.

It is standard practice in the food industry to wash fruit with running water, but some of the plant-protecting compounds that get absorbed by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/best-diet-longer-life/">fruits</a> and vegetables may not be removed by tap water. A research team led by Lili He set out to identify a washing strategy that can successfully eliminate contamination found on produce.

The researchers applied two common pesticides, the fungicide thiabendazole and the insecticide phosmet, to organic apples. They then washed the apples with tap water, a baking soda/water solution, and a U.S.-EPA-approved commercial bleach solution. 

The study revealed that the baking soda solution removed the most of the two pesticides from the apples. The water and the bleach solution proved to be much less effective in reducing the contaminants.

After 12 minutes of washing the apples with the baking soda solution, 80 percent of the thiabendazole was removed and 96 percent of the phosmet was removed after 15 minutes. 

Because thiabendazole is absorbed more into the apple, it may not be as easy to remove. 

Images showed that thiabendazole had penetrated up to 80 micrometers deep into the apples, while phosmet only reached a depth of 20 micrometers. 

The findings of the study are published in the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a>'s <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/journal/jafcau">Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry</a>. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The best way to wash pesticides off apples

When rinsing off an apple to eat, it may not...

The global demand for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/palm-oil-plantations-tropical-butterflies/">palm oil</a> has resulted in the clearing of large areas of forest in Indonesia. Researchers have found that these changes in land use are causing temperatures to get warmer. The additional heat is not only a threat to plants and animals but could also make the region more susceptible to wildfires.

Palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet. As the world's largest producer of palm oil, Indonesia has replaced vast areas of rainforest with oil palm plantations. Sumatra has the highest loss of rainforest in the country, and the changes in land use have led to a substantial loss of biodiversity on the island. 

An international team of researchers led by Alexander Knohl and Clifton Sabajo of the <a href="http://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/1.html">University of Gottingen</a> conducted the first-ever analysis to examine the impact that these land-use modifications have on Indonesia's temperatures. The results of their study, which was focused on the Jambi province in Sumatra, showed that the expansion of cash crops has made temperatures rise significantly.

"Land use change from forest to cash crops such as oil palm and rubber plantations does not only impact biodiversity and stored carbon, but also has a surface warming effect, adding to climate change," said Knohl.

The team compared the surface temperatures associated with various types of land cover such as forests, clear-cut land, and cash crops in Sumatra. They used satellite data collected between 2000 and 2015 by NASA, as well as data collected on the ground.

The researchers established that clear-cut land, which is primarily used for agriculture, was up to 10 degrees Celsius warmer than forests. Mature palm oil plantations were 0.8 degrees Celsius warmer than forests, while young palm oil plantations were found to be 6 degrees Celsius warmer. 

"Young palm oil plantations have fewer and smaller leaves and an open canopy, thus they transpire less water. Also, the soil receives more solar radiation and dries out faster," explained Sabajo.

Overall, the average surface temperature in the Jambi province increased by 1.05 degrees Celsius between 2000 and 2015. Some of this warming can be attributed to climate change, but some of it is a direct result of the changes in land use.

Knohl pointed out that "land surface temperature is an important part of the microclimate, which shapes habitat conditions for plants and animals." The authors of the study also warned that this spike in temperatures will lessen the amount of water available over the dry season and make the area more vulnerable to wildfires.

"We think that current land-use developments in Indonesia need to carefully evaluate all aspects of environmental and socio-economic consequences. Land-surface temperature and microclimate should be considered," said Knohl.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.egu.eu/publications/open-access-journals/">European Geosciences Union journal</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Palm oil production causing increased temperatures in Indonesia

The global demand for palm oil has resulted in the...

Extreme weather events attributed to climate change have cost the United States federal government over $350 billion over the past decade to provide disaster relief and insurance, according to a new report from the <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/687465.pdf">U.S Government Accountability Office</a> (GAO). 

The report comes at the same time that Congress is working to approve funding for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americans-climate-change-hurricanes/">hurricane relief</a> after the string of historic hurricanes that hit Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean. 

"Climate change impacts are already costing the federal government money, and these costs will likely increase over time as the climate continues to change," the report said.

Senators Susan Collins from Maine and Maria Cantwell from Washington asked the GAO to conduct a full report on the cost of climate change. 

The report proves that not only will unmitigated changing climate have disastrous effects on our towns cities, but will also be extremely costly to taxpayers as well. 

The GAO was asked specifically to look at the economic impact of climate change and how it would affect the federal government. The report outlines the methods used to estimate the costs of climate change and recommendations for reducing these costs. 

The report includes reviews of 30 studies on climate change and interviews with 26 experts including researchers, agency officials, and consultants selected specifically by the GAO.

Two of the studies had “national-scale information about the economic effects of climate change across multiple sectors and regions in the United States,” according to the report. 

Those two studies in particular show that the costs of climate change will differ from region to region, with some coastal areas facing damages between 4 and 6 billion dollars per year due to storm surges and potential sea level rise. 

"We cannot ignore the impact of climate change," Senator Collins said in a statement. "This nonpartisan GAO report Senator Cantwell and I requested contains astonishing numbers about the consequences of climate change for our economy and for the federal budget in particular."

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Climate change costing the U.S. billions, says new report

Extreme weather events attributed to climate change have cost the...

A recent study has discovered an increase in herbicide levels found in the urine of older adults. 

The study, conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://ucsd.edu">University of California</a>,<a href="https://ucsd.edu"> San Diego</a> found a jump in detectable urine levels of the herbicide glyphosate and its metabolite in Southern California adults between the years 1993 and 2016. 

Used in herbicides for genetically modified crops (GMO), glyphosate’s increased presence in humans further adds the body of the evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-device-will-hunt-gmos-that-escape-into-the-environment/">GMOs</a> may have unforeseen negative repercussions. 

The study used data from the<a href="https://knit.ucsd.edu/ranchobernardostudy/"> Rancho Bernardo Study of Healthy Aging</a>, which had 112 of its participants take a urine sample every clinic visit from 1993 to 2016. 

Of these, 100 were randomly selected for the new study looking at herbicide levels in the urine samples. 

University of California Researchers took the data from the Rancho Bernardo Study and measured levels of glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) from the urine samples that were collected over the years. 

Glyphosate levels increased from .24 micrograms per liter from 1993 through 1996 to .314 micrograms per liter in 2014 through 2016. For 70 of the participants with levels above the limit of detection, the researchers found glyphosate numbers at .449 micrograms per liter from 2014 through 2016. 

AMPA levels also increased from .008 micrograms per liter in 1993 through 1996 to .285 micrograms in 2014 through 2016. Levels above the limit of detection reached .401 micrograms per liter in 70 of the study participants. 

These numbers are worrying, especially since levels above the limit of detection were so pronounced and increased over time in a large number of the samples. 

Glyphosate was listed as a probable carcinogen in 2017 by the State of California, and the researchers note that herbicides using glyphosate may cause adverse health effects. 

More research will need to be done to find out of the extent of harm herbicides like those using glyphosate will have on health and wellbeing of humans in the future.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Increased levels of herbicides found in older adults

A recent study has discovered an increase in herbicide levels...

In a study led by the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a>, researchers found that people would sacrifice one person in order to save a larger group of people – not surprisingly. However, they also found that the force with which an individual would carry out this action could actually be predicted by known psychopathic traits.

The study used a questionnaire to compare what people “said” they would do with what they actually did during actions in immersive moral dilemmas that used virtual-haptic technologies. These technologies included using a robotic device that measured force, resistance, and speed when simulating the action of a test subject harming a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brain-tripled-size/">human</a>.

In some of the moral dilemmas participants were presented with, they had to decided whether or not to sacrifice a person by performing a harmful action against them in order to save a larger group of people. Although all participants were more likely to sacrifice others in these immersive environments than in the questionnaire, the researchers found that individuals with strong psychopathic traits were more likely to perform these actions with greater physical power.

Common traits of psychopathic behavior include antisocial behavior and impaired empathy. Previous research has shown that resilience to performing actively harmful acts enables psychopathic individuals to act for the “greater good” in situations such as what was studied here. 

“This research highlights our proneness to moral inconsistency; what we say and what we do can be very different,” says Dr. Kathryn Francis of the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a>. “For the first time, we demonstrate how personality traits can influence the physical power of our moral actions.”

This research shows that psychopathy may actually be beneficial in some specific situations. “This work shows how techniques developed to study human movement can play a value role in psychological assessment and thereby lead to new insights into human social behavior,” adds Dr. Ian Howard of the Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems.

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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

Psychopaths can actually contribute when used for greater good

In a study led by the University of Plymouth, researchers...

A team of researchers at <a href="http://www.clarku.edu/">Clark University</a> examined parenting techniques in Ghana and the United States, two countries with very different cultures. They found that when parents recognize the viewpoints of their adolescent children and encourage them to express themselves, teens are more motivated in school, have a stronger sense of their self-worth, and are less prone to depression.

"A parenting approach that allows teens to feel they are being heard has been linked to youths being happier, more self-motivated, and more confident," explained lead author Kristine N. Marbell-Pierre. 

On the other hand, the freedom to make their own choices did not result in the same outcomes across teens in the two countries. Independent decision-making had positive consequences in the United States, but not in Ghana.

"This type of parenting is considered western in its approach and there have been questions about its benefit in nonwestern, more hierarchical cultures that place greater emphasis on respect for and obedience to elders by children and youths,” said Marbell-Pierre. “In our study, helping adolescents feel that their perspective mattered was helpful to youths - in both Ghana and the United States - while the role of decision making and choice differed between the two cultures."

The researchers investigated responses to surveys completed by 245 adolescents from the United States and 156 adolescents from Ghana. The teenagers answered questions about the extent to which their parents acknowledged their perspectives and allowed them to make their own choices and express their opinions. 

Questionnaires also measured how controlling the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-longer-grow/">teens</a> perceived their parents to be over their behavior, their academic motivation, the extent of their self-worth, level of depression, and perception of themselves as a single unit with their parents or a separate entity.

The study revealed that when students were encouraged to express themselves and their points of view were acknowledged by their parents, their engagement in school and feelings of self-worth improved. Levels of depression were also lessened. 

"Our study resolves conflicting findings from previous studies," said co-author Wendy Grolnick. "It suggests that supporting adolescents' sense of agency is universally beneficial, but how this support is given may not necessarily look the same across cultures."

The findings of the study are published in the journal <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/index.html">Child Development</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

Acknowledging the opinions of teens helps them in the long run

A team of researchers at Clark University examined parenting techniques...

Little is known about when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-avoid-racial-bias/">children</a> begin practicing various skills without being prompted, even though this type of deliberate practice is critical for cultivating basic skills and expertise. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> have now broken new ground on this subject. Their investigation has found that children begin spontaneously practicing skills to prepare for their future at age 6. 

"Our study contributes to our understanding of how young children start to regulate their own learning to achieve their long-term goals, as well as the development of the cognitive processes that allow people to acquire a range of general skills and highly specialized expertise throughout life," said lead author Melissa Brinums. "It is one of only a small number of studies documenting age-related differences in children's future-oriented behavior beyond the preschool period."

The research team set out to determine when children begin to engage in practice on their own, and also wanted to examine what kids understand about practice. They recruited 120 participants between the ages 4 and 7 and set up two rooms for their experiment.

In the first room, the children were taught three games and told they would be later be tested on one game in particular, a target game. The children were then placed in the second room which also contained the games they had just learned. They were told they had five minutes to play before they would be brought back to the first room for their test.

The researchers expected that children who understood the importance of practice would spend more time playing the target game in their free time to prepare for the test. After playing in the second room, the children were asked which game they played the longest and why. They were also asked to explain practice.

Most of the 6-7 year olds were able to describe what practice is and were aware that it helped to improve their skills. Most of the children in this category also played the target game longer and acknowledged that they were practicing for the test. 

The majority of 5-year-olds showed an understanding of practice and spent a little more time playing the target game. However, this group did not convey to the researchers that they spent more time on the target game in order to practice for the test. In addition, most 4-year-olds did not understand the concept of practice and did not spend more time playing the target game.

"By providing insight into children's understanding of practice and the age at which they start to practice for the future with and without prompting, our study may help caregivers and teachers structure age-appropriate learning activities for children," explained study co-author Kana Imuta. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-8624">Child Development</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

Children start practicing skills for the future at age 6

Little is known about when children begin practicing various skills...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-depression-stress-anxiety/">Numerous studies</a> have shown the importance of getting a good night’s sleep to the mind and body’s overall health and well-being. But according to a new study, better quality sleep actually reduces your brain’s sensitivity to fear and otherwise traumatic stimuli.

Monitoring sleep habits early on could even predict the risk of developing PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to the research.

The study was conducted by researchers at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University </a>and published in the journal JNeurosci.

PTSD typically occurs when someone has undergone a dangerous or extremely life-changing event, but not everyone who has PTSD witnesses a major event. The unexpected death of a loved one could also trigger PTSD. 

PTSD can be acute or chronic and comes with a wide range of symptoms, including re-living or flashing back to the event that triggered it, avoiding certain situations and places, and misplaced feelings of blame and guilt. 

Poor sleep, nightmares, and sleep disturbances are also a common part of PTSD. Previous studies involving PTSD and sleep usually focused on single sleep episodes, analyzing how one night’s sleep impacted fear memories in patients with PTSD. 

This new study, however, looks at sleep patterns in younger people before a traumatic event occurs to see if sleep habits and sleep quality have any effect on the brain’s coping response to fear. 

For the study, the researchers asked students to participate in a one-week sleep monitoring test, where the students recorded their sleep in a log and wore headbands that measured brain waves and bracelets that measured arm movements. 

The students also underwent a fear conditioning test where a neutral image was associated with a mild electric shock, developing a fear response to the image in question. 

The results showed that the students who had better quality sleep and spent more time in REM sleep had weaker responses to the fear learning. To put it another way, their brain was not as sensitive to the fear stimuli. 

The researchers replicated the same results in a second study and monitored participants’ sleep patterns with polysomnographic technology the night before fear learning was to take place. Once again, they found that better quality sleep impacted how the brain coped with fear responses. 

--

By <a href="http://mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a>, Staff Writer

Better quality sleep reduces your sensitivity to fear

Numerous studies have shown the importance of getting a good...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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

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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...