Have you ever found yourself in a quandary about whether children should use their fingers to count? If you have, you're not alone. Many preschool teachers are in the same boat. 



Some believe that little ones who resort to finger counting are struggling with math. Others see it as a clear sign of advanced numerical knowledge. 



One of the lead researchers for this study is Dr. Catherine Thevenot from the Institute of Psychology at the <a href="https://www.unil.ch/central/en/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Lausanne</a>. 



Her team decided to investigate if a finger counting strategy could give a leg up to kindergarten-aged children when faced with arithmetic problems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-of-finger-counting-on-kids">Impact of finger counting on kids</h2>



The experiment, which involved 328 five and six-year-olds (mainly white European kids living in France), set out to determine if children who don’t ordinarily count on their fingers could be trained to do so. And more importantly, it sought to find out if this training would improve their arithmetic abilities.



The process was straight-forward. Recruited through their teachers, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-with-too-much-screen-time-struggle-to-gain-language-skills/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">children</a> underwent a pre-test, a two-week training period, a post-test right after the training, and a delayed post-test.



The children who were trained and did not originally count on their fingers showed a substantial improvement in performance (from 37% to 77% of correct responses), outperforming those in the control group.



We now have the first study to prove that a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/board-games-help-children-improve-their-math-skills/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">child's arithmetic performance</a> can be boosted by teaching them a finger counting strategy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-crunching-numbers-with-dr-thevenot">Crunching numbers with Dr. Thevenot</h2>



As it turns out, the catalyst for this research was a question that kept cropping up during her interactions with primary school teachers -- should they encourage or discourage their pupils to count on their fingers? The lack of a clear answer in existing research prompted her to investigate the issue.



"Our findings are highly valuable because, for the first time, we provide a concrete answer to the long-standing question of whether teachers should explicitly teach children to use their fingers for solving addition problems -- especially those who don’t do so naturally. The answer is yes," Dr Thevenot said.



"Our study demonstrates that finger calculation training is effective for over 75% of kindergartners. The next step is to explore how we can support the remaining 25% of children who didn’t respond as well to the intervention." 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-of-finger-counting">Benefits of finger counting</h2>



"When I first saw the results, I was amazed by the huge improvement in performance among children who didn’t initially use their fingers to solve the problems. Before our intervention, these children were only able to solve about one-third of the addition problems at pre-test," Dr. Thevenot said.



"After training, however, they were solving over three-quarters of them! The difference was striking, especially compared to the control groups, where gains were insignificant. The extent of this improvement truly exceeded my expectations," she concluded.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-for-education">Broader implications for education</h2>



The insights gleaned from this study could have far-reaching implications for educational practices. 



By allowing children, particularly those who might initially struggle with arithmetic, the freedom to employ finger counting, educators can foster an environment that is both supportive and conducive to learning. 



This study challenges the traditional pedagogical stance that views finger counting as a crutch indicative of mathematical deficiency. 



Instead, it paints finger counting as a valuable tool that can enhance a child's comprehension of numbers and arithmetic processes, potentially leading to more effective teaching strategies that embrace individual learning styles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-comes-next">What's comes next?</h2>



What does the future hold? Well, they are now probing if the children have gained a deeper understanding of numbers or are simply following a procedure to solve problems. 



Initial results are promising according to Dr. Thevenot, but more tests are required for confirmation.



The study by Dr. Thevenot and her team opens several avenues for further investigation. Future research could explore the long-term impacts of finger counting as a foundational skill integrated into early mathematics education. 



Additionally, examining how cultural differences affect the perception and utilization of finger counting in various educational systems can provide a more comprehensive understanding of its benefits and limitations. 



Importantly, expanding the demographics beyond the initial cohort to include diverse populations will enhance the generalizability of the findings. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-show-of-hands">A show of hands</h2>



To sum it up, it seems that finger counting could be instrumental in reducing disparity in mathematics among children. 



So, the next time you see a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kindergarten-conduct-childhood-behavioral-problems-will-cost-society-later/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">child</a> using their ten tiny tools to solve a math problem, remember, they might just be on to something. And, who knows? Maybe we adults could pick up a thing or two from those little fingers.



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This study is summarized from an article in Child Development, titled "Finger counting training enhances addition performance in kindergarteners," authored by Poletti, C., Krenger, M., Létang, M., Hennequin, B., and of course, our Dr. Thevenot from <a href="https://www.unil.ch/central/en/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Lausanne</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cdev.14146" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Child Development</a>.



-----



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Finger counting boosts math skills in children

Have you ever found yourself in a quandary about whether children should use their fingers to count? If you have, you're not alone. Many preschool teachers are in the same boat. Some believe that little ones who resort to finger counting are struggling with math. Others see it as a clear sign of advanced numerical knowledge. One of the lead researchers for this study is Dr. Catherine Thevenot from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Lausanne. Her team decided to investigate if a finger counting...

A new study may pave the way for turning biofuel waste into plastics, fabrics, nylon and adhesives.

Currently, biofuel waste called lignin is burned to produce electricity or left unused because scientists haven’t figured out how to use it to make useful products. Finding out ways to use lignin could make biofuel, made from plants, more price competitive with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bp-oil-spill-damage/">oil</a>, since the biofuel waste could be sold for other products such as plastics, fabrics and adhesives.

<a href="http://www.sandia.gov/">Sandia National Laboratories</a> researchers working with a team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the <a href="https://www.jbei.org/">Joint BioEnergy Institute</a> have decoded the structure and behavior of LigM, an enzyme that breaks down molecules derived from lignin.

The enzyme is different from other proteins, which previously made it impossible for scientists to guess how it functions. 

The new study found that that half of LigM's structure is composed of a common protein architecture found in all forms of life, from bacteria to humans. The rest of the enzyme -- the active portion -- is not found in any other known protein structure. This unique structure gives LigM the ability to bind specifically to molecules derived from lignin.

"Solving the structure allows us to understand how the organism may have evolved its unique function, which I think is scientifically one of the most interesting findings," said Sandia scientist and study coauthor Ken Sale.

More research is needed to fully understand how to use lignin, said Sandia scientist and lead author Amanda Kohler.

"But now we have a much-needed understanding of a key step in this process, and are developing enzymes to fit our end goals of lowering the cost of biofuels by making products from lignin,” said Kohler.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.sandia.gov/">Sandia National Laboratories</a>

New study could help biofuel compete with oil

A new study may pave the way for turning biofuel...

What’s not to love about an energy source that’s free, endlessly abundant and non-polluting? That’s what renewable energy advocates would say about wind power. And yet, it’s not ideal in a lot of ways. 

The turbines that harness the wind are tall and massive, using up a lot of steel and concrete in their construction, and they take up a lot of land. They’re not very efficient, they’re noisy and the spinning blades kill tens of thousands -- or millions -- of birds annually, depending on who’s tabulating. In addition, the big turbines frequently break down and are considered an eyesore by some. Take, for example, the fact that the late Senator Ted Kennedy was involved in legal proceedings to block the establishment of a wind farm off Cape Cod coastal waters in his sight line. If the liberal senator from Massachusetts couldn’t put up with the view, can you find enough available land to set up all of the massive-footprint turbines we’d need to even significantly power the nation by wind?

But what if you could solve all of the problems of wind energy production by adopting a whole new wind-capture technology. One with a much smaller footprint, much lower construction and maintenance costs and so visually and sonically unobtrusive that most people wouldn’t even notice it if they lived a mile away from such a wind farm. And what if that power could be generated at rates that were competitive to coal and natural gas?

Kite power

We’re talking about airborne wind energy, or kite power. The concept is to use the motion of huge tethered kites  or wings (some look more like 84-foot wide parachute canopies) to generate energy in a variety of ways. One technology places turbines on each of the wings to create electricity, and then sends it down a wire to the ground station. Another method sets pumping cycles  in motion as kites are reeled out and reeled in on its tether, generating the electricity at the ground station level.

Although both conventional and kite systems use wind to make electricity, that’s where the similarities end. Wind is hard to consistently catch near the ground, which is why turbines must be built so tall. It’s much windier, say, 300 or even 500 feet above ground, so that’s how high the blades must reach. In order to support building to such impressive heights, the platform base of the tower must be truly massive and deeply entrenched in the ground. The base for one turbine can be fifty feet in diameter, using more than a thousand tons of concrete and steel rebar, and might be anchored as much as thirty feet below surface.

Kite technology, on the other hand, consists of little more that one or more gigantic kites on cable tethers, and the low-lying ground station that houses the generator, tether motor, generator, gear box, pulleys, belts and the like. The kites can go thousands of feet in the air to find and continuously use constant and predictable wind patterns. There’s no such thing as a windless day when you go up that high. In some technologies, computer programs help reposition the kits to take advantage of the best winds.

Dr. Roland Schmehl, associate professor of aerospace engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, said this about the greater efficiency of kite power over standard wind turbines in a TED Time talk on YouTube. 

“We looked at the concept of the wind turbine and realized that the last 25 percent of the rotor blade actually makes more than 50 percent of the energy, so why don’t we decouple the rotor blade from the hub and move it as a free-flying wing into the air. That way we can move it at high speed and have a very high energy density on this wing.”

The Delft University group is only one that’s exploring the possibilities. Another, Makani Power, was recently bought by Alphabet, the parent company of Google, and is testing kite technology in California. In Europe, work is being done in Scotland, Italy and elsewhere.

Cutting energy production costs

One of the pioneering companies  in the technology is Kite Power Systems (KPS), a United Kingdom-based company testing the technology in a military airfield in Scotland. In an email exchange with Earth.com, KPS interim CEO and Business Development Director David Ainsworth had this to say about how he thinks kite power will impact conventional wind turbine technology.

“It’s too soon to say whether kite power will overtake conventional wind turbines, but our technology transforms the economics of offshore and onshore wind power,” Ainsworth wrote. “We are expecting our patented technology to cut offshore costs by 50-60% in a number of ways: reduced need for steel or concrete, lower transport, installation and deployment costs (no jack-up vessels required), cheaper running costs, and a higher capacity factor as the wind resource at high altitude is better.  In our view, the offshore market gives us greater scope and opportunity for our systems to be deployed. However, we do see that there is a significant onshore market for our technology.”

That lack of a footprint is a major consideration of kite power enthusiasts. The technology uses 90 percent less building materials than conventional turbines and, according to online information provided by Makani Power, it can generate 50 percent more energy.

Also consider maintenance costs. When a kite needs repairs, you reel it in and do the work on the ground. Not so much if it’s a turbine blade 300 feet high that goes haywire.

Future gains

Too good to be true? Well of course there are challenges to this, as well as any developing technology. KPS’s Ainsworth writes of some of those roadblocks.

“Like any early stage technology, we encounter challenges (mainly technical) but we are pleased with the progress that we are making. Additional challenges could be with airspace regulators and other users, and we are learning from the lessons learnt by Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine [regarding] impacts on the natural environment (bats and birds). The investment by Shell, E.ON and Schlumberger (announced in December 2016) is a massive endorsement of our work to date and a statement of intent.”

Ainsworth also wrote that the company anticipates showcasing three megawatt and several 500 kilowatt kite systems to demonstrate the technology within the next three to five years. KPS also plans to land its first customer within that time frame.

It’s a start. Visionary innovators within the field can see wind farms of 1,000 very high-flying kites powering our future. Or a single system energizing a community center in a desert village far off of the power grid. They see kites flying so high they’re barely dots in the sky, but they’re cleanly powering our homes and businesses. 

Stand by. The future of airborne wind technology is still up in the air. But it’s in sight.

--

By <a href="mailto:DSearls@earth.com">David Searls</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/index.html">Nature Geoscience</a>

Image Credit: <a href="http://www.kitepowersystems.com/">Kite Power Systems</a>

Will kite power fly high as the next renewable energy solution?

What’s not to love about an energy source that’s free,...

People who are bilingual and speak two languages fluently think about time differently, according to a new study.

For Swedish and English speakers for example, the passage of time is perceived as distance travelled, according to the study. Greek and Spanish speakers tend to mark time by referring to physical quantities, such as a small break or a big wedding.

Bilinguals go back and forth between their languages rapidly and, often, unconsciously - a phenomenon called code-switching.

The study found that bilinguals seemed to flexibly utilize both ways of marking time, depending on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/orangutan-kiss-squeaks-language/">language</a> context.

When watching containers filling up and prompted by the Spanish prompt word, bilinguals based their time estimates of how full the containers were, perceiving time as volume. 

When given the Swedish prompt word, bilinguals suddenly switched their behavior, with their time estimates becoming influenced by the distance the lines had travelled, but not by how much the containers had filled.

“By learning a new language, you suddenly become attuned to perceptual dimensions that you weren’t aware of before,” said study coauthor Panos Athanasopoulos, a linguist from <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>.

The research shows that “bilinguals are more flexible thinkers, and there is evidence to suggest that mentally going back and forth between different languages on a daily basis confers advantages on the ability to learn and multi-task, and even long term benefits for mental well-being,” Athanasopoulos said.

The findings are reported in the<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge0000314"> Journal of Experimental Psychology: General</a> published by the American Psychological Association.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>

Study: People who are bilingual are also more flexible thinkers

People who are bilingual and speak two languages fluently think...

College students underestimate how obnoxious they are while drinking, according to a new study.

They tend to see themselves as fun or energetic rather than loud and aggressive, according to the study presented at the <a href="http://www1.bps.org.uk/">British Psychological Society</a>'s Annual Conference in Brighton, England.

An online survey was completed by 416 students from universities across the UK, who were asked to compare both their consumption of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crayfish-alcohol-effects/">alcohol</a> and their behavior while drinking.

The greatest misperceptions were found in males under the age of 21 who believe their behavior while drinking was less unruly than others, the study said.

“This research shows that students consistently view their behaviour whilst drinking in a positive light when compared with that of others,” said one of the researchers, Dr Emma Davies of <a href="https://www.brookes.ac.uk/">Oxford Brookes University</a>. "They also suggest that their own drunken behavior is generally motivated by a desire to have fun but judge others more harshly, as deliberately aggressive or out of control.”

The findings are relevant for programs aimed at curtailing excessive drinking by college students should consider the new findings, Davies said.

"Excessive drinking is known to be an issue within student populations, and this research suggests some of the reasons for campus drinking culture and why previous intervention attempts have tended to be unsuccessful," Davies said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www1.bps.org.uk/">British Psychological Society</a>

College kids underestimate how drinking affects their behavior

College students underestimate how obnoxious they are while drinking, according...

Anxiety disorders are very common mental diseases that are characterized by excessive worry, restlessness, and many other symptoms. These ailments affect more than 60 million people annually in the European Union, and the cost of treating anxiety disorders in the United States is estimated to be 42.3 million dollars each year. A new study examines the possibility that anxiety disorders may be caused by living in poor areas.

The exact causes of anxiety disorders are unknown, but scientists believe many of these disorders are caused by changes in the brain or environmental stress. Researchers from the <a href="http://www.iph.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge Institute of Public Health</a> set out to determine if the stress of living in a disadvantaged area could be to blame for some anxiety issues. They examined health surveys of over 21,000 residents of East England to gather data for their research. 

The findings of the study, published in BMJ Open, revealed that 1 and 40 women had a generalized anxiety disorder as opposed to 1 in 55 men. According to the research, women living in underprivileged areas were 60% more likely to battle anxiety, while the men seem to be largely unfazed by their surroundings.

While it is difficult for researchers to say that women in low-income areas are definitely at a higher risk of developing anxiety, the findings certainly indicate that this is the case. The team thinks one reason may be the simple fact that women are typically home more than men. The circumstances of living in a disadvantaged setting also may affect women more because they are the caretakers of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimps-learning-family-affair/">family</a>.

"Anxiety disorders affect a substantial number of people and can lead to poor health outcomes and risk of suicide. Now we know that women are particularly affected by deprivation, while men less so. This is intriguing and further research is needed on this, particularly in the most deprived regions,” said Professor Carol Brayne.

Even though men may not be as susceptible to anxiety due to living in challenging conditions, this does not mean they are immune to stress altogether. Research suggests men often turn to drugs and alcohol to deal with stress.

Dr. Louise Lafortune is a senior research associate at the Cambridge Institute of Public Health. "It's evident from our study that we need to take into account gender when determining what action to take. This is particularly important at a time of scarce economic and health-related resources," Lafortune said.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.iph.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge Institute of Public Health</a>

Women living in low-income areas more prone to anxiety than men

Anxiety disorders are very common mental diseases that are characterized...

Protected areas within the United States account for roughly 14 percent of the country’s total landmass. They are integral for conservation of natural resources that would otherwise be used up or mowed down in the pursuit of building even more infrastructure.

Despite the protected status these areas have, they still face outside threats due to their proximity to human beings. Researchers have recently found that noise pollution around protected areas poses a threat to the refuge that these lands provide.

In a novel study, lead author Rachel Buxton – a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> – found that noise pollution was two times higher than background sound levels in a majority of U.S. protected areas. Her team also found a ten-fold or greater increase in noise pollution in 21 percent of protected areas.

This noise pollution is a result of expansion of human activities and nearby transportation networks. “The noise levels we found can be harmful to visitor experiences in these areas, and can be harmful to human health, and to wildlife,” says Buxton. The major causes of the noise were found to mainly be from roads, aircraft, human development, and resource extraction.

For this comprehensive study, the research team analyzed millions of hours of sound measurements from 492 sites within the continental U.S. They found that human-caused <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traffic-noise-birds-stop-singing/">noise</a> doubled the level of background noise in 63 percent of protected areas. This also means that noise pollution reduced the area that natural sounds can be heard by 50 to 90 percent.

The mood enhancement and stress reduction that can come as a benefit of us humans spending time in nature is negatively impacted by these levels of noise, making a trip to these parks much less of the effective escape it’s meant to be. Noise pollution also negatively affects wildlife by scaring animals as well as distracting them. Scientists believe this can result in changes in species composition.

Significantly increased levels of noise pollution were also discovered to infiltrate the habitats of endangered species, mostly in endangered plant and insect habitats. “Although plants can’t hear, many animals that disperse seeds or pollinate flowers can hear, and are known to be affected by noise, resulting in indirect impacts on plants,” explains Buxton.

Luckily, some protected areas have already implemented noise-reduction strategies, starting shuttle services that reduce traffic and establishing quiet zones where park visitors are asked to quietly enjoy their natural surroundings. 

“Numerous noise mitigation strategies have been successfully developed and implemented, so we already have the knowledge needed to address noise issues,” says George Wittemyer, an associate professor at <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> and the senior author of this study. “Our work provides information to facilitate such efforts in respect to protected areas where natural sounds are integral.”

Hopefully this research will lead to more parks introducing plans to reduce surrounding noise pollution, allowing their visitors and wildlife to enjoy the real sounds of nature.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a>

Human noise pollution is invading protected areas

Protected areas within the United States account for roughly 14...

After many years of hearing how bad it is to utter profanities, people may now have good reason to swear. A new study, which is being revealed today at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society, proves that swearing makes people stronger. 

A team led by Dr. Richard Stevens of <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/">Keele University</a> conducted the project, which expanded on conclusions drawn from an earlier study. The team had previously established that swearing made people more tolerant of pain. 

“A possible reason for this,” said Dr. Stevens, “is that it stimulates the body's sympathetic nervous system - that's the system that makes your heart pound when you are in danger.”

The sympathetic nervous system responds to stress by releasing hormones that prepare the body for optimal performance. People experience a sudden burst of energy, also known as an adrenaline rush, when the sympathetic nervous system is initiated beyond its basic level of activity. The research team derived that if swearing does, in fact, stimulate the body's sympathetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-nervous-systems-fin/">nervous system</a>, then swearing may also make people stronger.

The experts used an exercise bike to test the anaerobic power of 29 individuals under two different circumstances - after swearing and after not swearing. The same conditions were used for isometric handgrip testing of 52 individuals. The results of both tests showed that participants performed better after they had used bad language. After cursing, participants produced more energy in the energy-output tests and displayed more strength in the handgrip tests. 

The research team expected to find stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system responsible for the results of their study. However, Dr. Stevens explained that when the team looked for symptoms of an activated sympathetic nervous system such as accelerated heart rate and dilated pupils, there were no changes significant enough to support this conclusion. 

"So quite why it is that swearing has these effects on strength and pain tolerance remains to be discovered. We have yet to understand the power of swearing fully,” added Dr. Stevens.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="https://www.keele.ac.uk/">Keele University</a>

Swearing helps you cope and makes you feel stronger, study says

After many years of hearing how bad it is to...

A bionic hand fitted with a camera that allows the wearer to reach for objects without thinking, will be tested by patients at a British hospital.

“Using computer vision, we have developed a bionic hand which can respond automatically -- in fact, just like a real hand,” said Dr Kianoush Nazarpour, a  senior lecturer at <a href="http://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> and coauthor of a study on the device. “The user can reach out and pick up a cup or a biscuit with nothing more than a quick glance in the right direction.”

The hand has already been tested on a few amputees and now the Newcastle University team is working to offer the “'hands with eyes” to patients at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital.

The camera  “'sees” an object, picks the most appropriate grasp and sends a signal to the hand -- all within a matter of milliseconds and 10 times faster than any other limb currently on the market, the university said.

The work is part of a larger research project to develop a bionic hand that can sense pressure and temperature and transmit the information back to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-creates-illusions/">brain</a>.

The goal is to develop electronic devices that connect to the forearm neural networks to allow two-way communications with the brain. The electrodes in the bionic limb would wrap around the nerve endings in the arm to establish direct communication between the brain and the prosthesis.

The “hand that sees” is an interim solution that will bridge the gap between current designs and the future, Nazarpour said.

"It's a stepping stone towards our ultimate goal," he says. "But importantly, it's cheap and it can be implemented soon because it doesn't require new prosthetics -- we can just adapt the ones we have."

A study on the new device is published in the <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1741-2552">Journal of Neural Engineering</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University </a>

New bionic hand with eyes could be a game changer for amputees

A bionic hand fitted with a camera that allows the...

All it takes is 10 minutes of meditation a day to help prevent your mind from wandering, a new study found.

Daily meditation is particularly effective if you frequently have repetitive, anxious thoughts, according to the research by the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> in Canada.

“Our results indicate that mindfulness training may have protective effects on mind wandering for anxious individuals,” said Mengran Xu, a researcher and PhD candidate at Waterloo. “We also found that meditation practice appears to help anxious people to shift their attention from their own internal worries to the present-moment external world, which enables better focus on a task at hand.”

Mindfulness is commonly defined as paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and without judgment.

As part of the study, participants were asked to perform a task on a computer while experiencing interruptions to gauge their ability to stay focused on the task. Researchers then put the participants into two random groups with the control group given an audio story to listen to and the other group asked to engage in a short meditation <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-pill-form/">exercise</a> prior to being reassessed.

“Mind wandering accounts for nearly half of any person’s daily stream of consciousness,” said Xu. “For people with anxiety, repetitive off-task thoughts can negatively affect their ability to learn, to complete tasks, or even function safely.”

The study was co-authored by Waterloo psychology professors Christine Purdon and Daniel Smilek and <a href="http://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>’s Paul Seli, was published in <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/consciousness-and-cognition/">Consciousness and Cognition</a>. 

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a>

&nbsp;

Research shows how 10 minutes of daily meditation works wonders

All it takes is 10 minutes of meditation a day...

The scent of rosemary oil can improve working memory in children, a new study found.

Researchers Mark Moss and Victoria Earle of <a href="https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/">Northumbria Universit</a>y tested 40 children aged 10 to 11 on mental tasks. Children were randomly assigned to a room that had either rosemary oil diffused in it for 10  minutes or a room with no scent.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/video/children-crossing-street-safely/">Children</a> in the aroma room received significantly higher scores on a test to recall words than those in the non-scented room. 

"Why and how rosemary has this effect is still up for debate,” Moss said. “I could be that aromas affect electrical activity in the brain or that pharmacologically active compounds can be absorbed when adults are exposed.”

A previous study demonstrated that the smell of rosemary cognition in adults, prompting the new study on children. 

"We do know that poor working memory is related to poor academic performance and these findings offer a possible cost effective and simple intervention to improve academic performance in children, Moss said. “The time is ripe for large-scale trials of aroma application in education settings."

The study is scheduled to be presented Thursday at the <a href="http://www1.bps.org.uk/">British Psychological Society</a> annual Conference in Brighton, United Kingdom.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www1.bps.org.uk/">British Psychological Society</a>

The scent of rosemary sharpens memory in children, study finds

The scent of rosemary oil can improve working memory in...

It’s almost <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmentally-friendly-cool-summer/">summer</a>, which means an increase in sun, fun, and… air pollution???

That’s right, because as the temperature rises what do we do? We crank up the air conditioner and bask in the glory of indoor cooling. But running these devices causes power plants to up their electricity production, leading to an increase in air polluting emissions.

Few studies have examined the specific effects of climate on electricity emissions and air quality, until now. In a comprehensive study of 27 states, researchers found that summer emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) go up by hundreds to thousands of metric tons per degree Celsius increase.

But it’s not all bad – overall emissions have dropped as a result of pollution control devices and a reduction in coal use. However, seasonal increases in power plant pollution can still affect public health as well as the environment.

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can both cause respiratory problems, and are regulated in the United States. These problems are exacerbated in children, people suffering from asthma, and the elderly.

Using data collected between 2003 and 2014, researchers Tracey Holloway and David Abel looked to quantify the historical relationship between summertime air temperatures and power plant emissions of SO2, NOx, and CO2. This data contained numbers on the electricity emissions in 27 states, mainly in the Eastern U.S.

In their analysis, the researchers found that power plants released over 3 percent more SO2, NOx, and CO2 on average per degree Celsius increase in air temperature. The biggest contributors in the SO2 division were states like Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, where coal power plays a big part in the energy grid. States like Texas with a large power demand were found to have high emissions of all pollutants, but smaller changes in emissions per degree Celsius. Ultimately, the researchers found that these increases in summertime air temperature are correlated with an additional 140,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. 

This area of research will hopefully lead to an increase in the energy efficiency of new buildings, and could also play a much needed role in decreasing power plant emissions, which will improve our air quality for the future.

More information on this study can be found in the journal <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a>

Summer air conditioning increases air pollution

It’s almost summer, which means an increase in sun, fun,...

Babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 may influence their social development, a new study says.

The study by the <a href="http://icahn.mssm.edu/research/seaver">Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment</a> at Mount Sinai, found the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/children-crossing-street-safely/">children</a> may be more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years.

The researchers analyzed 15,000 UK-based twins aged between four and 16. 

In order to learn whether children's social skills were affected by how old their father was when they were born, the team looked for differences in the developmental patterns of social skills, as well as other behaviors, including conduct and peer problems, hyperactivity, and emotionality. They also investigated whether the effects of paternal age on development were more likely attributable to genetic or environmental factors.

“Our results suggests that children born to very young or older fathers may find social situations more challenging, even if they do not meet the diagnostic criteria for autism,” said Magdalena Janecka, a Mount Sinai fellow.

The findings may offer insights into how paternal age influences children's risk of autism and schizophrenia, which was shown in earlier studies. 

The researchers found no link between the age of the mother and their offsprings’ social skill development. 

“Our study suggests that social skills are a key domain affected by paternal age,” Dr. Janecka  said. “What was interesting is that the development of those skills was altered in the offspring of both older as well as very young fathers.”

Researchers want to replicate those findings in further studies.

"Those developmental differences, if confirmed, are likely traceable to alterations in brain maturation," Dr. Janecka said. "Identifying neural structures that are affected by paternal age at conception, and seeing how their development differs from the typical patterns, will allow us to better understand the mechanisms behind those effects of paternal age, as well as, likely, autism and schizophrenia."

The study is published in the May issue of the <a href="https://www.aacap.org/">American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.aacap.org/">American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry</a>

Study: Father’s age could affect child’s social development

Babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or...

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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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[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...