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...

It's always an eye roll when you see people taking their clothes off on social media just to get a few extra likes. But there's something about getting naked in nature that feels a tiny bit more tasteful, no?

Model Sara Jean has gained a massive <a href="https://www.instagram.com/saraunderwood/">Instagram</a> following of over 7 million thanks to her sexy shots outdoors. She's a native of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/japanese-tree-portland/">Portland</a> and a self-described "nature-buff" who spent last year "hiking in the great outdoors and taking some amazing pictures along the way."

And she's not the only one! Here's a list of some notable names who have shown Instagram how they connect with the environment in their own way: by getting naked in nature!

&nbsp;
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
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<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQrUsW2DZWt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Painted Hills of Oregon. I wore my most painted on looking suit just to be ironic 😜 📸 by @stevebitanga</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Sara Underwood (@saraunderwood) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2017-02-19T02:46:43+00:00">Feb 18, 2017 at 6:46pm PST</time>

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQbTrrfAE-r/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pardon muah 💅🏼 📸 by @stevebitanga</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Sara Underwood (@saraunderwood) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2017-02-12T21:30:02+00:00">Feb 12, 2017 at 1:30pm PST</time>

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
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<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.52019386106623% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BAOI-40reBf/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">#sunset #pondebeach #islandlife</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2016-01-07T02:24:06+00:00">Jan 6, 2016 at 6:24pm PST</time>

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
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<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.5% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/_0fUvsLeKy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">#traditions #aspen #wintermoments Sending love to all my #lambs ❄️</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2015-12-28T03:19:04+00:00">Dec 27, 2015 at 7:19pm PST</time>

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<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQnU2p6BiXy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Into The Wild #theexperiencevol1</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by 📷Magdalena Wosinska📷 (@themagdalenaexperience) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2017-02-17T13:31:09+00:00">Feb 17, 2017 at 5:31am PST</time>

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Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Alena Ozerova

All-natural: Instagram celebrities get naked in nature

It's always an eye roll when you see people taking...

Plastic garbage wreaks havoc on the Earth’s sea creatures. If you spend any amount of time on the web, you’ve probably seen videos of friendly kayakers clipping plastic trash away from sea turtles and birds. In a recent story, a<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dying-whale-found-plastic-bags/"> dying whale washed up</a> off the coast of Norway with 30 plastic bags inside of its belly. Among the problems are plastic six-pack beverage rings – those ring holders that can be found on six-packs of beer and soda. 

Like plastic shopping bags, these beverage rings pose a double safety whammy to marine life, as creatures can get caught in them, but they can also ingest them. As a fish, whale, or turtle consumes non-digestible plastic, the material slowly fills up their stomachs and causes them to starve to death.

A brewery in Florida decided that they’d had enough. Americans consumed 6.3 billion gallons of beer just last year alone. Determined not to add to the plethora of plastic floating around the oceans, the <a href="http://www.saltwaterbrewery.com/">Saltwater Brewery</a> in Florida designed six-pack rings that are both edible and biodegradable. 

The rings are made from wheat and barley. Left to their own devices, the rings will eventually break down. However, if a sea turtle takes a nibble out of them, it won’t hurt. In fact, it could be a tasty treat!  

Saltwater Brewery estimates that if other, larger breweries would adopt their six-pack ring technology, hundreds of thousands of animal lives could be saved every year. One factor that might hold the innovative new rings back? They cost more than traditional, plastic six-pack rings. 

Saltwater Brewery’s head of brand, Peter Agardy, feels this sort of technology is worth spending money on. “It’s a big investment for a small brewery created by fisherman, surfers and people that love the sea,” he said. 

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Edible six-pack beverage rings offer alternative to plastic

Plastic garbage wreaks havoc on the Earth’s sea creatures. If...

When organic food first became “a thing,” naysayers scoffed, insisting that it was an overpriced fad that would never last. 

Retailers and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organic-agriculture-is-more-profitable/">organic food</a> producers are having the last laugh, as demand for organic food has soared. In fact, it’s at its highest level in over 10 years. 

This news comes courtesy of the Soil Association, which is expected to release an annual report on the organic food market that will show growth for the fourth year in a row. Although the industry was deeply impacted by the economic downturn, it appears to be bouncing back and shooting upwards. 

According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/">The Guardian</a>, individual stores are reporting an increase in their organic sales. Ocado, a store that specializes in grocery home delivery, reports that its organic sales have increased by 16%. In Tesco, they’ve gone up by 15% over the past year. 

“We are seeing that shoppers are increasingly looking to buy organic food but it needs to be affordable and consistently high quality all year round for it to be considered a viable option,” a spokesperson for Tesco said. “The popularity of organic food began with fruit and vegetables, but we are now seeing customers exploring areas such as grocery, fish and dairy. So you can now use organic produce for the whole meal.”

Tesco isn’t the only figure in the market who points to better price point and options as part of the reason why sales are moving on up. Adam Wakely, the managing director of Organic Farm Foods, agreed that these two factors have had a positive impact. 

“The organic food revival is gathering pace thanks to retailers offering a wider range of quality foods at more affordable prices. They continue to support the organic sector and the result is continued growth, outstripping non-organic foods,” he said. 

--
By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Organic food sales soar hitting 10 year high

When organic food first became “a thing,” naysayers scoffed, insisting...

When science meets agriculture, it’s an amazing thing. The development of genetically modified plants has given us drought-resistant wheat and pest-resistant corn. Could gene manipulation help animal breeders the same way it’s benefitted farmers? In <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-device-will-hunt-gmos-that-escape-into-the-environment/">biotechnology</a>, the field is known as gene editing, and researchers say that they are able to make beneficial changes to an animal’s genetics without causing unwanted changes. 

What kind of changes? Thanks to gene editing, cows that would normally need to be dehorned no longer have to go through that process. Scientists also hope that gene editing will be helpful to enhance the health and welfare of food animals.

Advancements in gene editing were made possible in part because of lessons learned from the dairy industry. Selective breeding among dairy cows has reduced greenhouse gas emissions related to that industry. Scientists accomplished this by breeding cows with improved productivity in mind. Thanks to this, despite their being a 1.6-fold increase in milk production, there are only around 9 million milk cows in the U.S. today, compared to 25.6 million in 1944.

Gene editing is accomplished through a variety of means. Van Eenennaam, a cooperative extension biotechnology specialist at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California Davis</a> explained how scientists expanded the limits of this field.

“A number of breeding methods, including artificial insemination, embryo transfer, crossbreeding and, more recently, genomic selection, have been used to achieve these improvements,” she said. “Now, genome editing promises to complement traditional breeding programs by precisely introducing desirable genetic variations into livestock breeding programs.”

Like genetically modified food, gene-edited food animals are sure to stir controversy and will possibly face regulation. 

“The resulting DNA sequence may be identical to existing, naturally-occurring DNA sequences,” Eenennaam explained. 

“The prospect that gene-edited animals would be subject to the same type of regulations that apply to an animal drug -- even though their genetic modifications might be indistinguishable from those obtained through conventional breeding -- is a concern for animal breeders who are eager to employ genome editing to complement traditional genetic improvement programs.”

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: Van Eenennaam, <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California Davis</a>

GMO burgers? Gene editing meets agriculture

When science meets agriculture, it’s an amazing thing. The development...

It’s important to thoroughly wash any fruit and vegetables you eat. Oh – and don’t forget to peel off the tiny labels. You didn’t just eat a label, did you?

Annoying produce labels may soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new fruit-branding method. No; farmers aren’t going to heat up metal and brand them, Wild-West style. Rather, they’ll be branded with a brand new (pardon the pun) eco-friendly laser that will completely eliminate the need for those teensy, sticky labels. 

Think of it as a fruit tattoo. Each piece of fruit or <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/amazing-amphibians-eat-vegetarian/">vegetable</a> will be zapped with a laser that will imprint the product’s name, country of origin, and produce code number for the grocery store cashier to type in when customers check out. The branding devices are low-energy carbon dioxide lasers that simply remove the pigment from the outer skins of the produce. 

They first tested the technique out on sweet potatoes and avocados because stickers have a hard time staying put on their skins. In addition to this, people don’t usually eat the skins of those veggies, so they made good fodder for experimentation.

<a href="http://www.icagruppen.se/en/about-ica-gruppen/our-operations/ica-sweden/">ICA</a>, a Swedish supermarket chain, is the first store to try the new branding system out. If the program works, they’ll expand it to the 1,350 stores across Sweden.

Peter Hagg, a senior produce manager for ICA, pointed out to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a> that the change will help with more than convenience – it’s also incredibly eco-friendly. 

“It's a new technique, and we are searching for a smarter way of branding our products due to the fact that we think we have too much unnecessary plastic material or packaging material on our products,” he said. 

For those concerned about the branding affecting the way their guacamole tastes, Hagg says that they shouldn’t worry, as the mark doesn’t go through the skin or affect the product. 

--
By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Supermarkets want to begin tattooing your fruit

It’s important to thoroughly wash any fruit and vegetables you...

Swiss skiers aren’t pleased this winter. While some parts of the Alps are covered in gloriously soft and powdery snow, their side of the mountains remains largely bare. This is because December 2016 was the driest in history. In fact, it was the most dry since record-keeping started more than 150 years ago. Ski buffs did not have a very merry Christmas, as there was very little snow for the third year in a row. 

Unfortunately, this picture isn’t likely to change in the years to come. Researchers have published a study in the journal<a href="http://www.the-cryosphere.net"> The Cryosphere</a> suggesting that man-made <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/kamchatka-peninsula-captured/">snow</a> may be the key to ski resort survival in the future. 

The discouraging news comes from those who know snow best: scientists with the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) and the<a href="http://cryos.epfl.ch"> Cryos Laboratory École Polytechnique Fédérale</a> in Switzerland. They predict that a whopping 70% of the snow cover on the Alps could disappear within the next 100 years.

They also predict that the Alpine winter season will become shorter. This means less time for people to ski, snowboard, and snowmobile their way through the beautiful Alps. In fact, if current trends continue, the season could start anywhere from half a month to an entire month later than it currently does. 

Some of this disaster may possibly be averted, however, if humans can maintain global temperatures and ensure that they don’t rise beyond 2°C. In that case, the snow cover reduction could be limited to 30% by 2100. 

"The Alpine snow cover will recede anyway, but our future emissions control by how much,” explained Christoph Marty, the lead author of the study. 

“The majority of the climate models used project slightly increasing winter precipitation towards the end of the century. However, since temperatures are clearly increasing simultaneously we may experience increasing rainfall and not snow fall," Marty said. "We hope our results convincingly show that even increasing winter precipitation cannot compensate for the effect of the strongly increasing temperatures.”

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 
Source: Christoph Marty,<a href="http://cryos.epfl.ch"> Cryos Laboratory École Polytechnique Fédérale</a>

Do you like to ski? You won’t like this story.

Swiss skiers aren’t pleased this winter. While some parts of...

Today’s pattern of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/water-waste-converts-to-energy/">water</a> usage is one that’s largely governed by waste. People leave the tap running while they brush their teeth. For most Americans, the shower isn’t simply a place to get clean; they stay under the hot water each morning until they experience a virtual rebirth and feel ready for the day. Between cooking, drinking, cleaning, and bathing – it takes a lot to keep our water cycle running every day. 

This is particularly true in urban areas, home to 80% of the U.S. population. The need for energy, agricultural products, and clean drinking water keeps growing as populations continue to rise. Because of this, scientists are working to figure out how we can make better use of our urban water supply. 

Engineers with the<a href="https://www.nsf.gov"> National Science Foundation</a> have created a fascinating design – an illustration of what they’re calling the urban water cycle "of our dreams.” They believe that systems like this could make an efficient engineered water cycle a reality. 

The process involves purification using membranes that would filter water removed from lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. This could be used as drinking water.

Another source of drinking water would be desalinated water. The ocean is a huge body of water – why not use it to quench our thirsts?

Healthy crops also need clean, desalinated water, so proper irrigation would also play a part in the system. The water for irrigation would need to be monitored for contaminants, high salt levels, or anything that may disrupt crop production. 

Treatment of wastewater provides another eco-friendly potential. We know it sounds gross, but it really is possible to remove microbes and recycle wastewater for water, as well as clean energy. 

The engineers also include aquaponics in the picture. This combines acquacultue (raising fish) with hydroponics (raising plants in soil-free conditions). 

Reuse of materials like greywater and biosolids top off the water cycle utopia imagined by the team. Greywater from baths, sinks, and washing machines could be reused for flushing toilets and irrigating lawns. Meanwhile, solid waste is ideal for fertilizer and creating clean energy. 

This vision could change the way we interact with our water, treating it like the precious commodity it truly is. 

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source:<a href="https://www.nsf.gov"> National Science Foundation</a>

&nbsp;

NSF scientists create the urban water cycle "of our dreams”

Today’s pattern of water usage is one that’s largely governed...

B002_C042_10165L

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dakota-access-easement/">Engineers</a> from all walks of life and all over the world will get to tell their stories in the new documentary<a href="http://macgillivrayfreeman.com/project/dream-big/"> Dream Big: Engineering Our World</a>, opening February 17 at the<a href="http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca"> Ontario Science Center</a>.  A celebration of the power of young people, key figures in the film include three young women engineers, as well as a high school engineering team. 

Viewers will experience engineering wonders such as a bridge that reaches high above the clouds, as well as powerful machines that bore huge tunnels. They’ll learn about the ingenuity behind designing the world’s tallest building, as well as the expertise needed to create underwater robots. 

The film will be narrated by Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges. The actor obtained cult icon status for his role as The Dude in 1998’s The Big Lebowski and on an Academy Award for his leading role in Crazy Heart. He was also awarded a Golden Globe after appearing in Hell or High Water. 

“I am a believer in encouraging our youth to make a difference in the world, and Dream Big encourages young people to do just that,” Bridges said.

Dream Big was directed by Greg MacGillivray and produced by Freeman Films in partnership with the<a href="http://www.asce.org"> American Society of Civil Engineers</a> (ASCE). 

“As an innovator in his own field, Jeff Bridges brings his passion and inspiration to a film that encourages young people to think about engineering as a meaningful way to help others and leave a positive mark on the world,” said MacGillivray. “Teachers and parents are looking for ways to turn kids on to science and engineering, and with Dream Big we hope to bring something new to that effort with an entertaining, visually spectacular film full of stirring human stories.”

The film is presented by Bechtel working in partnership with the ASCE Foundation, the<a href="http://ncees.org/"> National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying</a> (NCEES), the<a href="https://www.uefoundation.org/"> United Engineering Foundation</a> (UEF), as well as other engineering organizations. 

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image: <a href="http://www.dreambigfilm.com/">Dream Big</a>

Celebrate the wonders of Engineering with Dream Big

Engineers from all walks of life and all over the...

Getting a real, live person on the telephone line may be even harder if officials and businesses take the advice of a new report from a non-party think tank. The group poses the question: could robots replace hundreds of thousands of human jobs? 

The report, published by Reform, suggests that in order to save money, employers in the UK could cut almost 250,000 human workers and replace them with computers and robots. This will also increase efficiency. 

What would the actual numbers look like if robots replace jobs in bulk? As many as 130,000 government administrators who work in Whitehall would be sent packing. This amounts to nearly 90% of administrative staff employed in the offices there, and would save £2.6 billion each year. 

In addition to this, 90,000 NHS administrative posts, as well as 24,000 GP receptionists would be affected. Automating those roles would save over £1.7 billion.

Administrative staff aren’t the only ones who would see cuts. Nursing tasks such as giving intravenous medication and collecting patient information could also be robotized. Machines are also capable of filling in for doctors, as they are more effective than humans at things like diagnosing lung cancer. 

Another reason for doctors to be nervous? Robots are better at performing routine surgical procedures. 

There could also be an increased use of robots in security and police arenas, as machines can be used to monitor suspicious activity in crowds. Facial recognition <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/green-technologies-development/">technology</a> can also be used to identify known criminals or terrorists. 

Alexander Hitchcock, a co-author of the report, said, “Such a rapid advance in the use of technology may seem controversial, and any job losses must be handled sensitively. But the result would be public services that are better, safer, smarter and more affordable.”

The report suggest that those who work in the public sector could move to a gig-based, flexible jobs for which they are hired via websites and apps in the vein of Uber.

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Could robots replace a quarter million jobs in the UK?

Getting a real, live person on the telephone line may...

Eco-conscious car owners are buzzing about this bit of news: <a href="https://www.tesla.com">Tesla</a> is set to begin test builds on its $35,000 Model 3 sedan on February 20th. 

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk announced that Tesla will shut down the production line at its California assembly plant for one week this month. That will give the team time to prepare for production of the Model 3. During the shutdown, the plant will add capacity to its existing paint shop and do maintenance necessary to get ready to crank out the much-awaited new vehicles. 

Tesla hopes to start production of the new sedan in July. Over 370,000 customers have put down deposits for the Model 3.

“This will allow Tesla to begin Model 3 production later this year as planned and enable us to start the ramp towards 500,000 vehicles annually in 2018,” a Tesla spokesperson said of the plant shutdown. 

Musk said that the final design of the Model 3 production facility will resemble an “alien dreadnought.” It will be stunning, he said – “the machine that makes the machine.” 

“You can't have people in the production line itself, otherwise you drop to people speed,” he said. “So there will be no people in production process itself.”

People will still work in the factory, Musk said, in order to maintain, upgrade, and repair the machines. 

While <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/renewable-fuel-cars-hawaii/">electric cars</a> have traditionally cost more than their gas-guzzling counterparts, the move will help turn the dream of truly affordable electric vehicles into a reality. Tesla’s 2016 Model S retailed at $68,000. The Model 3 will cut that price nearly in half. 

Tesla is betting that the Model 3 will take the company out of the niche luxury electric car market and turn it into a brand for the masses. It hasn’t been profitable since 2010, when it first went public. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tesla announces pre-production tests on $35,000 Model 3

Eco-conscious car owners are buzzing about this bit of news:...

One of the engineering wonders of the world, the Panama Canal is a 48-mile waterway that cuts across the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/noaa-federal-waters-fish-farming/">Pacific Oceans</a>. First opened in 1914, the canal has seen big changes in the world over the past century. 

One of those changes – an increasing size in cargo ships, was the reason behind a canal expansion that began last year. 

Lately, though, the expansion has hit some snags. Specifically, large cargo vessels traveling through the canal are hitting snags. They’re scraping up against the walls and experiencing nail-biting near-misses when steel lock doors installed throughout the systems fail to open all the way. 

That’s what happened to the cargo ship Ever Living when it traveled through the canal while carrying more than 6,000 cargo containers. Although the ship made it through, they passed extremely close to the side of the locks as they made their way through the last of the steel doors.

It was too close, according to Mauricio Perez, a tugboat captain. 

These are things that shouldn't happen," he said to the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a>. "Sometimes the only thing we can do is pray."

The AP took its own journey through the updated canal and noted areas where the black rubber bumpers meant to keep ships from colliding with metal locks were worn or missing entirely. Because maneuvering large ships through the canal is incredibly difficult, sometimes captains must purposefully send a ship into a bumper in order to realign the vessel as it moves forward. This results in a huge amount of wear and tear on the protective cushions. 

Only 15 incidents occurred between June 2016 and January of this year, the Panama Canal Authority says. They say that the door lock incident was caused by debris collecting on a water-level sensor and that the problem has been resolved.

The authority isn’t ruling out future changes. Currently, though, the deputy administrator of the canal, Manuel Benitez, feels positive about the way personnel are navigating vessels through the treacherous canal. “The ships have not run aground; they continue their routes,” he said.

Hey! – at least there’s that. 

--
By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Large ships having close calls inside expanded Panama Canal

One of the engineering wonders of the world, the Panama...

Twenty-four family <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lost-topsoil-farmers-switchgrass/">farmers</a> have something to crow about: they were just awarded grants from<a href="https://foodanimalconcernstrust.org"> Food Animal Concerns Trust</a> (FACT) via the organization’s<a href="http://www.fundafarmer.org"> Fund-a-Farmer Project</a>. 

FACT was founded in 1982 in order to promote humane farming practices. It advocates for the safe production of meat and dairy products and works to help consumers make good choices in the products they purchase. 

On their website, FACT says that they believe “that all farm animals should be granted adequate space, access to the outdoors, clean water and air, the opportunity to express their natural behaviors, and safe feed.”

The Fund-a-Farmer Project grew out of that mission. It awards grants and provides the opportunity for peer-to-peer farmer education around humane animal farming practices. 

FACT realizes that oftentimes, farmers want to make positive changes in the way they raise their animals, but these changes often chest money. By providing financial assistance, FACT hopes to make those changes a reality.

This year, farms in 15 different states received Fund-a-Farmer grants. Nine farms won Animal Welfare Certification grants, while 15 farms won grants for pasture improvement projects. 

This year’s grants bring FACT’s total awards to 91 grants across 27 states since the Fund-a-Farmer Project began in 2012. In that time, FACT has awarded over $57,000 in grants. 

Larissa McKenna, FACT’s Humane Farming Program Director, explained that they hope these grants will help individual farmers, as well as food consumers, in general.

“Today, an increasing number of people want to know where their food comes from, who produces it, and how it was grown," McKenna said. "Small and mid-sized sustainable farms are essential to meeting consumer demand for humanely-raised food, but often face financial challenges due to high costs associated with economies of scale. Our organization supports these farms by funding projects that improve animal welfare and also help farmers increase their profit margins.”

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By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

It’s a FACT: 24 family farmers win Fund-a-Farmer grants

Twenty-four family farmers have something to crow about: they were...

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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?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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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...