Imagine your child being able to enjoy the simple pleasure of a peanut butter sandwich without worrying about a potential allergic reaction. For parents of children with peanut allergies, this may no longer be a distant dream, but an attainable reality.



Researchers have found a promising new treatment strategy and the secret ingredient is regular, store-bought <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/midnight-snack-the-best-foods-for-a-good-nights-sleep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">peanut butter</a>.



The study revealed that, after ingesting peanut butter at incremental doses over an 18-month period, all children with a moderate level of peanut allergy were able to consume three tablespoons of peanut butter without an allergic reaction.



This presents a potential solution for many children with mild to moderate peanut allergies who have a higher tolerance threshold, which equates to tolerating at least half a peanut.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-breakthrough-for-peanut-allergies">A breakthrough for peanut allergies</h2>



"Children with high-threshold peanut allergy couldn't participate in previous food allergy treatment trials, leaving them without opportunities to explore treatment options," noted <a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NIAID</a> Director Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo.



"Today’s report focuses on this population and shows that a very safe and accessible form of therapy could be liberating for many of these children and their families."



While existing FDA-approved food allergy treatments are primarily designed for children with low-threshold peanut allergy, the recent study offers a glimpse of hope for an estimated 800,000 U.S. children who have high-threshold peanut allergy.



Before now, their only management strategy has been peanut avoidance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



The researchers aimed to identify whether a simple, low-cost treatment could help children with high-threshold peanut allergies tolerate an even greater amount of peanut protein.



The mid-stage trial was conducted with a diverse group of 73 children, aged between 4 and 14 years. 



The children were randomly assigned to either implement the new treatment strategy or persist with their peanut avoidance regimen.



Those following the new protocol started with a daily dose of 1/8 teaspoon of peanut butter, which was gradually increased every eight weeks to a maximum of one tablespoon. 



This increase was carefully monitored by medical professionals with minimal reported cases of severe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/over-500000-americans-are-now-allergic-to-red-meat-because-they-were-bitten-by-a-tick/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">allergic</a> reactions during the treatment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exceptional-success-rate">Exceptional success rate</h2>



After successful completion of the treatment plan, the children participated in an oral food challenge to evaluate how much peanut butter they could consume without an allergic reaction. 



All of the children who completed this challenge successfully tolerated up to 9 grams of peanut protein, which is equivalent to 3 tablespoons of peanut butter.



This was in stark contrast to the avoidance group, where only a fraction of the children could tolerate this amount.



The trial notably took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, with certain essential logistical restrictions.



Nevertheless, using statistical techniques to account for missing results, the study showed an exceptional success rate among the children in the trial who were exposed to increasing amounts of peanut butter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peanut-tolerance-a-lasting-effect">Peanut tolerance: A lasting effect?</h2>



After the initial treatment, the children continued to ingest 2 tablespoons of peanut butter weekly for 16 weeks, then avoided <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/peanuts-have-a-beneficial-impact-on-vascular-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">peanuts</a> entirely for eight weeks.



The children returned to the study site for a final oral food challenge after this period. The sustained success rates were impressive, with over 86% of the treated children continuing to tolerate peanut protein.



Follow-up trials are needed to determine whether the therapy has a long-lasting effect on peanut tolerance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-food-allergy-treatments">Expanding food allergy treatments</h2>



The researchers are now exploring whether similar strategies could be applied to other common allergens, such as tree nuts, eggs, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beef-and-dairy-contain-a-powerful-cancer-fighting-nutrient/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dairy</a>.



If effective, this approach could revolutionize allergy management, reducing the burden of strict food avoidance and offering a more inclusive diet for millions of individuals.



Additionally, experts highlight the importance of accessibility. Unlike existing FDA-approved treatments that rely on pharmaceutical interventions, this method of desensitization uses an affordable, widely available food product. This makes it a practical and scalable solution for families worldwide.



Looking ahead, the experts aim to conduct larger, long-term studies to confirm the durability of peanut tolerance and assess whether sustained exposure is necessary for lifelong immunity.



Ultimately, the research could reshape food allergy treatment and offer renewed hope to families navigating the challenges of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indoor-pets-reduce-the-risk-of-food-allergies-in-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">food allergies</a>.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://evidence.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/EVIDoa2400306" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NEJM Evidence</a>.



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New therapy may help reduce peanut allergies in children

Imagine your child being able to enjoy the simple pleasure of a peanut butter sandwich without worrying about a potential allergic reaction. For parents of children with peanut allergies, this may no longer be a distant dream, but an attainable reality. Researchers have found a promising new treatment strategy and the secret ingredient is regular, store-bought peanut butter. The study revealed that, after ingesting peanut butter at incremental doses over an 18-month period, all children with a moderate level of peanut allergy were able to consume three...

Photos by Alastair Fyfe

Prehistoric women who lived during the Neolithic Era and the Bronze Age performed considerable physical labor, from tilling the soil for crops to grinding grain into flour by hand.

A new study has revealed that life was so labor intensive during these times that prehistoric women had stronger arms than today’s top female rowing athletes. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> and published in the journal Science Advances. 

It’s the first study of its kind to compare the bone strength in prehistoric women to modern women. Previous studies have made similar comparisons but usually to men, and male bones show wear and strain differently. 

“By interpreting women's bones in a female-specific context we can start to see how intensive, variable and laborious their behaviours were, hinting at a hidden history of women's work over thousands of years,” said Alison Macintosh, the lead author. 

The researchers analyzed arm and leg bones of female participants using a small CT scanner. The participants represented a wide range of physical fitness and sedentary lifestyles. 

Among the participants were members of the <a href="http://cuwbc.org.uk/">Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club</a>, who trained twice a day and rowed an average of 120 kilometers a week. 

The CT scans were compared to bones scans of women from early eras when agriculture and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-changes-greenhouse-gases/">farming</a> were a prominent part of daily life. 

The reason the researchers chose to analyze bone strength is that bones can tell a great deal about the physical strains they’ve been subjected to. 

“It can be easy to forget that bone is a living tissue, one that responds to the rigours we put our bodies through,” said Macintosh. “Physical impact and muscle activity both put strain on bone, called loading. The bone reacts by changing in shape, curvature, thickness and density over time to accommodate repeated strain.” 

The researchers found that Neolithic women from 7,000 years ago had arms bones that were 11 to 16 percent stronger than the rowers. 

Women in the Bronze Age had arm bones that were nine to thirteen percent stronger than the rowers. 

The differences in arm strength make sense, even when you factor in the physical stamina of today’s rowing athletes. Prehistoric women spent much of their time tilling the soil by hand, taking care of livestock, and grinding grain into flour for hours at a time. 

“We can't say specifically what behaviours were causing the bone loading we found. However, a major activity in early agriculture was converting grain into flour, and this was likely performed by women,” said Macintosh.

The study gives a more accurate picture of what life was like for prehistoric women, fairly demonstrating their contribution to day to day work thousands of years ago. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Alastair Fyfe for the University of Cambridge

Prehistoric women had stronger arms than today’s rowing athletes

Prehistoric women who lived during the Neolithic Era and the...

The rise of sea-levels as a result of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a> carries many consequences, particularly for coastal areas and those living in them. But the wide-scale flooding that appears imminent in our future won’t just impact our present, it will also destroy some of our past.

According to a study published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>, sea-level rise may impact a great number of archaeological and historic sites, cemeteries, and landscapes on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the southeastern United States. 

David Anderson of the <a href="https://www.utk.edu/">University of Tennessee</a> and his colleagues estimated the impact of sea-level rise on archaeological sites by analyzing data from the Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINNA). DINAA pulls together archaeological and historical data sets from numerous sources developed over the past century. This provides a comprehensive window into the history of human settlement for both research communities and the general public today.

The results of the study show that if projected trends in sea-level rise continue, over 13,000 recorded archaeological sites in the southeast alone may be submerged in the next 100 years. This includes over 1,000 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places as important cultural properties – not to mention how many sites will be lost that have yet to be discovered.

Studies such as this – which rely on large linked data sets like DINAA – are essential to developing plans for sampling, triage, and mitigation efforts across entire regions. The data that is gathered and analyzed is essential for forecasting our future and making public policy decisions about the consequences of man-made climate change. “Developing informatics capabilities at regional and continental scales like DINAA is essential if we are to effectively plan for, and help mitigate, this loss of human history,” explains Anderson.

Now that we have access to this data and the scientists to analyze it, the push for action and results should be the logical next step.

[caption id="attachment_966117" align="aligncenter" width="273"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/archaeological-sites.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-966117" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/archaeological-sites-273x300.jpg" alt="" width="273" height="300" /></a> Image Credit: Anderson et al., 2017[/caption]

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sea-level rise may destroy over 13,000 U.S. archaeological sites

The rise of sea-levels as a result of climate change...

It has long been thought that prehistoric villagers in the American Southwest survived on corn. But according to new research from the <a href="http://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinnati</a>, even though corn was an important part of life thousands of years ago, it was not the main fare for all people in that region.

The study was led by Alan Sullivan, a professor of archeology, who argues that prehistoric people who lived near the Grand Canyon burned down the understory of forests and lived off of wild crops. Sullivan’s theory comes from years of research and excavations around the Grand Canyon where no presence of corn as a crop has been found. 

“It's been widely considered that prehistoric peoples of Arizona between A.D. 900 to 1200 were dependent on it,” said Sullivan. “But if corn is lurking out there in the Grand Canyon, it's hiding successfully because we've looked all over and haven't found it.” 

The Grand Canyon is home to vast, dense forests on both the south and north rims in the Upper Basin, and this is where Sullivan and his research team have completed their excavations. The archaeological team found ancient shards of pottery but little evidence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetically-modifying-corn-nutrition/">corn</a>. 

However, the researchers did identify pollen from the clay pot remnants which date back 1,000 years and found evidence around the excavation sites that point to fires being set to burn the grassy, weedy understory of the forest. 

Sullivan examined ancient tree rings and found no burn scars, which are caused by massive wildfires. If there wasn’t a buildup of underbrush and felled trees, there would be fewer major wildfires. 

The research team also examined the geologic layers at the excavation sites and found that there were more edible plants available during this time, further proof that native plants were the primary foodsource for ancient people around the Grand Canyon. 

The fires not only managed the underbrush but also created ideal soil conditions for ruderals, which are edible plants and quickly spring up after a fire. 

These prehistoric land management practices could help foresters enlist stronger policies that drastically reduce forest fires. 

Controlled burning and clearcutting are common practices by the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/">National Parks Service </a>and the <a href="http://dnr.wi.gov/">Department of Natural Resources</a>, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to control the fire hazards in national forests.

“These forests are unnatural. They're alien to the planet. They have not had any major fires in them in decades,” said Sullivan. “The fuel loads have built up to the point where you get a little ignition source and the fire is catastrophic in ways that they rarely were in the past.” 

Preserving forests in the face of climate change and deforestation is important for conservation, biodiversity, and reducing the risk of wildfires destroying homes in residential areas. Sullivan’s research could help present alternative strategies based off ancient cultivation practices. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Prehistoric people in the Southwest relied on fire, not corn

It has long been thought that prehistoric villagers in the...

With today's changing climate conditions, certain species of animals will be pushed into extinction if trophy hunting and other activities which target strong males are not properly managed.

Researchers from <a href="http://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a> (QMUL) predict that the harvesting of even five percent of robust males may be enough to lead to extinction.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunting-reduces-populations/">Hunters</a> target male animals with extravagant features such as large horns or antlers. These individuals are often equipped with the healthiest genes, which are removed from the population once they are killed.

"This demonstration that trophy hunting can potentially push otherwise resilient populations to extinction when the environment changes is concerning,” said lead author Dr. Rob Knell. “Because these high-quality males with large secondary sexual traits tend to father a high proportion of the offspring, their 'good genes' can spread rapidly, so populations of strongly sexually selected animals can adapt quickly to new environments. Removing these males reverses this effect and could have serious and unintended consequences.”

Dr. Knell explained, "We found that 'selective harvest' has little effect when the environment is relatively constant, but environmental change is now a dangerous reality across the globe for considerable numbers of species."

In Sub-Saharan Africa, more land is conserved for hunting than is protected in national parks. Trophy hunting is an important industry that is thought to have little impact on animal populations. But now, the researchers have shown that damage caused by this recreational sport may be irreparable in a changing environment.

The research team used computer simulation to forecast the outcome of selectively targeting males and to examine how the climate influences this outcome. Based on their findings, the authors recommend restricting hunting to older males who have already reproduced.

"Our results clearly show that age restrictions on harvest which allow males to breed before they are taken is effective at reducing the impact of selective harvest on adapting populations,” said Dr. Knell. "When properly regulated trophy hunting can be a powerful force for conservation which is why we're suggesting a different management approach as opposed to calling for a ban."

The study appears in <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.
--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trophy hunting amidst climate change can wipe out entire species

With today's changing climate conditions, certain species of animals will...

When researchers set out to gain a better understanding of how American gun owners perceive firearm ownership, they found that white men who are financially stressed are more likely to cling to their guns for moral support.

A research team at <a href="https://www.baylor.edu/">Baylor University</a> analyzed data on gun owners from across the United States and established a link between economic stress and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/higher-suicide-rates-rural-areas/">gun</a> ownership. White males who feel that their financial security is threatened often develop an emotional attachment to their firearms.

In addition, the experts determined that this particular group of white males is more likely to consider violence against the United States government as being justified.

Paul Froese is a Sociology professor at Baylor and co-author of the study.

“This speaks to the belief in some ‘dark state’ within the government which needs fighting,” said Froese. “What’s paradoxical is that white male gun owners in the U.S. see themselves as hyper-patriotic, but they are the first to say, ‘If the government impedes me, I have the moral and almost patriotic right to fight back.’”

Nonwhite gun owners, however, place much less value on their guns in times of financial hardship, according to the study authors. Nonwhites are also less inclined to justify violence against the government.

Froese explains that these individuals have most likely “developed different coping mechanisms” to deal with economic stress.

The researchers used data from a Gallup poll of 1,572 Americans in January 2014, which included 577 gun owners. The participants were asked about the types of guns they owned, why they owned firearms, their attitudes toward gun policies, and their feelings on violence against the government.

The research team identified differences between gun owners and non-owners. They found that gun owners were more likely to be white, male, married, older, earn more, and live in rural areas. In addition, gun owners reported being more conservative, attending church regularly, and feeling more alienated from society compared to those individuals who did not own guns.

There were also notable differences among the gun owners when it came to their sense of authority.

“Simply owning a gun does not predict an individual will express anti-gun control opinions, but rather whether the person feels empowered by the gun,” said Froese. “The emotional and moral connection explains variation within the population of gun owners.”

The findings of the study are published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/socpro">Social Problems</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

White American men cling to guns out of economic hardship

When researchers set out to gain a better understanding of...

A recent study reveals that marriage may actually lower a person's risk of getting dementia, while widowers and single adults are at a higher risk of developing the chronic disorder.

Researchers collected data from 15 relevant studies published through 2016. The experts analyzed the reports, which were based on over 800,000 participants from Europe, North and South America, and Asia, to determine whether there was a link between marital status and dementia risk.


After accounting for age and gender, the study showed that lifelong single adults were 42 percent more likely to develop <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dementia-expensive-families/">dementia</a>. The researchers pointed out that this single group has poorer overall health, which may help to explain the heightened risk.

However, studies based on single people born after 1927 showed that dementia risk was just 24 percent higher. This indicated that the health risk lessened across single adults over time, but the researchers have not identified the reason for this.

Widowers were found to be 20 percent more prone to dementia than married people, and the experts believe this may be partially attributed to the heightened stress levels caused by bereavement. These stress levels are linked to impaired nerve signaling and cognitive functioning.

According to the researchers, the connection between lower dementia risk and marriage strengthened as the study became more in depth. The team believes that married couples engage in healthier lifestyles, such as eating well and exercising more, which are associated with a lower risk of dementia.

While the findings of the study suggest that there are factors which reduce the chance that a person will develop dementia, the researchers pointed out that dementia is still not easily prevented.

"Therefore, ways of destigmatising dementia and producing dementia-friendly communities more accepting and embracing of the kinds of disruptions that dementia can produce should progress alongside biomedical and public health programs," said the study authors.

The research is published online in the <a href="http://jnnp.bmj.com/">Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery &amp; Psychiatry</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Marriage could lessen your chances of developing dementia

A recent study reveals that marriage may actually lower a...

Around the time that urban societies were developing in Egypt and Mesopotamia between 5,300 and 3,300 years ago, the Indus Civilization was also evolving. Scientists have long believed that the settlements of this era sprung up along the banks of a thriving river, but new evidence shows that a major Himalayan river central to the Indus Civilization was no longer active.

The Ghaggar-Hakra River in northwest <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/smoke-fog-northern-india/">India</a> and Pakistan is believed to have dried up due to changes in the climate or shifting tectonic plates. But, prior to this study, scientists did not know exactly when the river ceased. It was assumed that the Indus settlements depended on the river and developed around it.

However, a research team from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> and the <a href="https://www.iitk.ac.in/">Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur</a> has now provided surprising evidence that the Ghaggar-Hakra was no longer flowing at the time the settlements of the Indus Civilization emerged. The findings of the study suggest that ancient urban societies did not depend exclusively on an active, flowing river system to flourish.

"The findings challenge our current understanding of how urbanization in many ancient civilizations began and grew in relation to natural resources,” said lead author Professor Sanjeev Gupta. “Contrary to current belief, it was the departure of a large river, rather than its arrival, that triggered the growth of Indus urban centers."

The researchers discovered that a major Himalayan river, the Sutlej River, once flowed in the tracks of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, but abruptly changed course about eight thousand years ago. By the time the Indus people settled into the region, there was only an abandoned large river valley.

The large impression in the ground left behind from the the Sutlej River collected water seasonally from monsoons, providing the Indus settlements with a temporary source of water.

"We now know that, given the right conditions, valleys that have lost their rivers can still serve as a water source,” said study co-author Rajiv Sinha. “The civilization would also not have been threatened by the risk of devastating floods that living next to a big river brings."

Since most previous research has been focused on the link between rivers drying up and the abandonment of ancient urban centers, the team believes this study may encourage archaeologists to take a new look at the development of settlements in early civilizations. The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ancient societies did not all need active rivers to thrive

Around the time that urban societies were developing in Egypt...

An unprecedented study by researchers at <a href="http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/">Columbia University Medical Center</a> (CUMC) has investigated the nature of deaths from opioid overdoses. The study revealed that 60 percent of individuals who died as a result of opioid overdose were previously diagnosed with chronic pain, while a great number of fatalities also occurred in individuals who had psychiatric disorders.

The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Center for Disease Control</a> reports that the number of opioid-related deaths quadrupled between 1999 and 2015, jumping from 8,048 to 33,091.

The research team analyzed the clinical diagnoses and medication prescriptions of over 13,000 adults who died of an opioid overdose between 2001 and 2007. Over 50 percent of these individuals had been diagnosed with chronic pain, while many others had been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. 

"The frequent occurrence of treated chronic pain and mental health conditions among overdose decedents underscores the importance of offering substance use treatment services in clinics that treat patients with chronic pain and mental health problems,” said study lead author Dr. Mark Olfson. “Such a strategy might increase early clinical intervention in patients who are at high risk for fatal opioid overdose.”

While nearly a third of those who died had been diagnosed with a drug use disorder in the year prior to death, less than one in twenty had been diagnosed with an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-fight-opioid-addiction/">opioid</a> use disorder in the month before death.

"Because clinical diagnoses generally indicate treatment, this service pattern suggests that dropout from drug treatment is common before fatal opioid overdose,” said Dr. Olfson. “Improving treatment retention with contingency management or other effective behavioral interventions might help lower the risk of fatal overdose in these patients.”

More than half of the individuals who overdosed had filled prescriptions for opioids or benzodiazepines in the year before death, and many had filled prescriptions for both types of medications. 

"This medication combination is known to increase the risk of respiratory depression, which is the unusually slow and shallow breathing that is the primary cause of death in most fatal opioid overdoses," said Dr. Olfson. "In the years since, there has been an increase in the proportion of US overdose deaths involving benzodiazepines and opioids." The authors urged providers to restrict the combination, in the lowest possible dose and duration, to those patients for whom alternative strategies have proven inadequate.

The study, “Service Use Preceding Opioid-Related Fatality,” is published in the <a href="https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/">American Journal of Psychiatry</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Opioid deaths linked to chronic pain and mental disorders

An unprecedented study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center...

As we enter the colder months in the Northern hemisphere, we’re beginning to see an influx of people sniffling, coughing, and sneezing all around us. The common cold usually makes its first appearance around this time, spreading like wildfire through offices, schools, and homes. But why is it that we seem to catch this same virus every single year? Why hasn’t our body developed an immunity to it yet? 

These are questions that new research published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> might just answer. Professor Pierre Talbot from <a href="http://www.inrs.ca/english/homepage">Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique</a> (INRS) in Canada has been studying coronaviruses – which include the common cold – for many years. These viruses come in a wide variety, and include other infections such as neurological diseases. In this study, Talbot and his colleagues attempted to find out why coronaviruses are able to adapt and evolve so effectively while evading a host’s immune system.

In appearance, coronaviruses look like tiny, spiky spheres. Now, the researchers believe that these spikes play a role in the virus’s ability to adapt to new environments. The spikes are made up of S proteins (the S stands for spike, of course), which allow the virus to attach itself to host cells. Specifically, the spike’s receptor binding domain (RBD) initiates the interaction between a cell and the virus. However, these RBDs are also targets for antibodies in the host’s immune system that are seeking to neutralize the virus.

So for coronaviruses to infect a host cell, it needs an exposed RBD. But that same RBD is a target for antibodies, so in order for the virus to be effective, the RBD needs to be masked. Talbot and his colleagues figured out that the coronavirus does this by having an RBD that is made up of three parts that vary significantly between strains. Due to this variation, antibodies are unable to detect a new strain, but the RBD still retains – and in some cases improves – its affinity for the target cell. Furthermore, the RBDs can alternate between visible and masked states.

The research team analyzed the RBD’s structure up close, finding three long loops that attach to the host cell protein. Previous analyses of these viruses dating back roughly a half-century have found that these loops are essentially the only thing that varies from one coronavirus strain to the next.

Through this research, we now have a better understanding of why the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruit-flies-teach-humans-common-cold/">common cold</a> is so persistent. Although there is a lot more work to be done, it’s possible that research such as this could lead to a welcome reduction in wintertime sniffling, coughing, and sneezing.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why can’t humans develop immunity against the common cold?

As we enter the colder months in the Northern hemisphere,...

Carbon-based organic semiconductors could soon play a major role in electronics and solar energy conversion.

Semiconductors, usually made of silicon, are essential to all modern electronics and can be found in everything from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rational-choices-smartphones-computers/">smartphones</a> to televisions. 

Semiconductors are somewhere between a conductor and an insulator. They don’t work as a true insulator like glass, nor do they have the same conductive strengths as metal, hence the name semi. 

Doping is required to increase the conductive properties of a semiconductor. Doping is a process where chemicals or impurities are added to the semiconductor which then changes the electrical behavior of the semiconductor.  

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a>, the <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> and <a href="https://www.hu-berlin.de/en/">Humboldt University in Berlin</a> have found a way to increase the conductivity of organic semiconductors with doping. 

“Organic semiconductors are ideal materials for the fabrication of mechanically flexible devices with energy-saving low-temperature processes,” said Xin Lin, one of the researchers. “One of their major disadvantages has been their relatively poor electrical conductivity.  In some applications, this can lead to difficulties and inefficient devices. We are working on new ways to improve the electrical properties of these organic semiconductors.” 

For the study, the researchers developed a new type of dopant which drastically improves the conductivity of organic semiconductors. 

The dopant is a ruthenium-containing compound and a reducing agent. It adds electrons to the semiconductor. The results show that the ruthenium compound dopant increases the conductivity of organic semiconductors nearly one million times its original value. 

For the compound to work with organic semiconductors, the research team had to figure out how to break apart the ruthenium.  The ruthenium compound is a dimer, and it contains two identical molecules which are connected by a chemical bond. 

The researchers examined different possibilities for breaking the compound's molecules apart in order for it to work as a dopant, eventually finding that when exposed to ultraviolet light the dopant increased the conductive properties by almost 100,000 times. 

Even when the UV light was turned off, the dopant still worked with the organic semiconductors. 

“Once the light is turned off, you might expect the reverse reaction to occur and the increased conductivity to disappear. However, that is not the case,” said Seth Marder, one of the leaders in the development of the new dopant. “The light activates the system more, which leads to more light production and ore activation until the system is fully activated.” 

This discovery is a breakthrough for semiconductors and increasing the conductivity of organic semiconductors. 

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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

Organic electronics might be right around the corner

Carbon-based organic semiconductors could soon play a major role in...

Cinnamon could be a new key ingredient in your diet, as a new study has revealed that a compound in cinnamon could help fight obesity and hyperglycemia. 

Cinnamaldehyde is a naturally occurring oil found in cinnamon that has been proven to help counter obesity and hypoglycemia in mice, and researchers from the<a href="https://umich.edu/"> University of Michigan</a> wanted to see if humans could reap similar benefits.

The new study was published in the journal Metabolism. 

The researchers found that cinnamaldehyde activates metabolic responses and aids in thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is an essential metabolic process in humans where the energy used to burn calories produces heat. 

Cinnamaldehyde gives fat cells an added boost to burn energy. 

For the study, the researchers used adipocytes (fat cells) from both mice and humans. First, fat cells from mice were treated with cinnamaldehyde and the researchers observed how the compound affected the cells. 

Then the researchers used adipose stem cells from human volunteers to see if the results of the mice testing could be duplicated in human fat cells. 

The cinnamaldehyde worked similarly in humans, boosting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harder-burn-off-belly-fat/">metabolism</a> by increasing proteins that are helpful to thermogenesis. 

The results are promising, showing that cinnamon, even in small amounts used in baking and seasoning, could help counter weight gain and even help with treating diabetes. 

“Cinnamon has been part of our diets for thousands of years, and people generally enjoy it,” Jun Wu, a co-author of the study, told <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/11/25/cinnamon-may-help-attack-fat-fight-obesity-study-finds/894486001/">USA Today</a>. “So if it can protect against obesity, too, it may offer an approach to metabolic health that is easier for patients to adhere to.” 

The study shows that cinnamaldehyde activates thermogenesis in both mice and humans, but further testing will need to be done before your doctor suggests cinnamon as a new way to lose weight. 

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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

Cinnamon could help boost your metabolism and fight obesity

Cinnamon could be a new key ingredient in your diet,...

California mayoral candidate Kevin Saunders is pushing for the legalization of psychedelic mushrooms. Saunders, who is running for mayor in the town of Marina, hopes to give voters in California the option of legalizing magic mushrooms on the 2018 ballot.

Saunders believes that psychedelic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-depression-brain/">mushrooms</a> may help adults work through the stress of today's world.

“The world is really hurting and everybody is at a loss about what’s going on right now with Trump, Brexit, the refugee crisis and everything else,” said Saunders.

The former cannabis advocate stands behind the transformative power of psilocybin, saying that, “It could allow people to figure out what to do and could revolutionize the way we treat those with depression, addiction and cluster headaches.”

Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in magic mushrooms, is classified as a Schedule I drug. However, the use psilocybin has been approved for medical trials in dozens of states.

In fact, the concept of having magic mushrooms legalized may not be as far-fetched as it seems, as clinical trials are underway in both the United States and Europe to test the potential of psilocybin in treating alcoholism, tobacco addiction, severe anxiety, and treatment-resistant depression.

Saunders told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk">The Guardian</a> that magic mushrooms helped him recover from a “debilitating five-year heroin addiction” at age 32. He explained,“I got to the root of why I made a conscious decision to become a heroin addict; I’ve been clean almost 15 years.”

Researchers have also demonstrated that psilocybin is safer than other drugs, including alcohol. The 2017 <a href="https://www.globaldrugsurvey.com/">Global Drug Survey</a>, a comprehensive poll that investigates the drug use of 120,000 people in 50 countries, found that 90 percent less patients sought emergency medical treatment for psilocybin compared to alcohol.

Regardless, the U.S. Justice Department's <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs6/6038/#risks">National Drug Intelligence Center</a> compares psilocybin to heroin and LSD. The organization reports, “The psychological consequences of psilocybin use include hallucinations and an inability to discern fantasy from reality. Panic reactions and psychosis also may occur, particularly if a user ingests a large dose.”

In August, Saunders filed paperwork with the State Attorney General's office to let voters in California decide whether psilocybin will be legalized in 2018. He needs 365,880 signatures to get his <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/17-0024%20%28Legalize%20Psilocybin%29_0.pdf">California Psilocybin Legalization Initiative</a> on the ballot.

Saunders told <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/">The Sacramento Bee</a> that the legalization of psilocybin is "a natural step after voters’ legalization of pot." 

The <a href="https://www.opsbuzz.com/">Oregon Psilocybin Society</a> has started its own initiative to raise awareness about the safety and benefits of controlled psilocybin, and the organization aims to get psilocybin on Oregon’s statewide ballot in 2020.

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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

California could legalize psychedelic mushrooms next year

California mayoral candidate Kevin Saunders is pushing for the legalization...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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



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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



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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...