In the midst of our busy lives, those seemingly insignificant everyday experiences - like booking a flight home for Thanksgiving or writing a thank-you note - may feel less meaningful.



But according to Erin Westgate, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida, these experiences carry more value than we attribute them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-purpose-behind-the-research">Purpose behind the research</h2>



Alongside her team at the <a href="https://socialcognition.psych.ufl.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Social Cognition and Emotion Lab</a>, Westgate recently secured a grant from the National Science Foundation.



The researchers intended to examine why people underestimate the significance of future life <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/facial-expressions-arent-enough-to-understand-human-emotions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiences</a>. The spark for this exploration ignited during Westgate's school days.



“This started a long time ago when I was in grad school where I was talking to another student who asked me if we know how meaningful events will be in the future,” Westgate said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meaningful-experience-of-thanksgiving">Meaningful experience of Thanksgiving</h2>



The question prompted an interesting study involving <a href="https://www.virginia.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Virginia</a> undergraduates. The students were asked about their expectations of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday's meaningfulness and their thoughts afterward. 



“Surely people know how significant Thanksgiving will be, right? It’s the poster child for gratitude and meaning,” Westgate said.



Much to Westgate's surprise, the students extensively misjudged their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-likes-have-a-strong-emotional-effect-on-young-people/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">feelings</a> about the holiday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-missing-out-on-meaningful-experiences">Missing out on meaningful experiences </h2>



Fast forward to the pandemic-ridden 2020. Westgate revisited her initial findings, asking, “We found it once, but can we find it again?”



With a larger sample of University of Florida undergraduates, the results echoed the first study. People chronically underestimated the value of their Thanksgiving holiday.



“We want to live meaningful lives, we want to do meaningful things and so if we are not realizing that an experience is going to be meaningful, we may be less likely to do it and miss out on these potential sources of meaning in our own lives,” Westgate said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decision-factors-in-meaningful-experiences">Decision factors in meaningful experiences</h2>



The research indicated a key factor in decision-making - anticipated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-emotions-linked-to-unique-brain-activity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">feelings</a>.



Whether it's a life-altering decision like a career choice or a family start, or a minor one like attending a holiday event, our decisions lean towards promoting a sense of purpose and fulfillment.



Over the course of a three-year study, Westgate aims to condense the reasons behind our underestimation of experiences - from our career choices to the seemingly mundane task of writing thank-you notes.



The research considers both positive and negative experiences, including the acceptance or rejection of medical school applications.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-sense-of-events">Making sense of events</h2>



The study also explores personal growth experiences that entail discomfort, leading to avoiding certain decisions out of fear.



Still, these very decisions could play an instrumental role in developing resilience and yielding deep satisfaction.



“We don’t make sense of events until they actually happen. We don’t process events until we need to, when they actually happen and not before,” said Westgate. Jumping the gun might lead us to underestimate the potential meaning of certain events.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seeking-solutions-for-underestimation">Seeking solutions for underestimation</h2>



The research aims to go beyond merely identifying problems; it seeks actionable solutions. Many of us often overlook the true value of meaningful experiences. 



This oversight can lead to a less fulfilling life, as we fail to appreciate the depth and significance of our everyday moments. By delving into the reasons behind this underestimation, Westgate’s work strives to illuminate the cognitive biases and misconceptions that cloud our perception of meaning.



Understanding the root of these misconceptions is crucial. It involves exploring psychological patterns and societal influences that lead individuals to undervalue their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emotional-intelligence-may-be-secret-to-academic-success/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiences</a>. 



By identifying these patterns, the research can offer strategies to shift our perspectives and encourage a deeper appreciation of our lives. This shift could not only enhance individual well-being but also promote a more profound connection with others and the world around us.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-harnessing-meaningful-experiences-in-daily-life">Harnessing meaningful experiences in daily life</h2>



The findings suggest that by becoming more aware of our tendency to underestimate the meaningfulness of experiences, individuals can purposefully cultivate more fulfilling daily lives.



Simple changes, such as being more present in the moment, keeping a gratitude journal, or actively reflecting on past experiences, can enhance appreciation for life's ordinary events. 



These practices can help individuals recognize the intrinsic value in seemingly minor experiences, thereby enriching personal happiness and well-being.



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



The research carries significant implications for psychological interventions aiming to promote mental well-being. Interventions could focus on enhancing awareness of meaningful experiences and encouraging individuals to engage in activities that nurture a sense of purpose.



By integrating these insights into therapy and counseling, mental health practitioners can better support clients in recognizing and capitalizing on the meaningful dimensions of their lives, potentially improving mental resilience and overall life satisfaction.



“Sometimes we go into a project, and we know what we are going to find. This is one of those projects that surprised us,” concluded Westgate.



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We often undervalue the most meaningful experiences in life

In the midst of our busy lives, those seemingly insignificant everyday experiences - like booking a flight home for Thanksgiving or writing a thank-you note - may feel less meaningful. But according to Erin Westgate, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida, these experiences carry more value than we attribute them. Purpose behind the research Alongside her team at the Florida Social Cognition and Emotion Lab, Westgate recently secured a grant from the National Science Foundation. The researchers intended to examine why people underestimate the...

Plants set their circadian clock in the evening to make sure they have enough energy to make it through the night, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>. The experts identified a metabolic signal that the plants use to set their "bedtime alarm." 

The researchers believe that the newly identified metabolic signal informs the plant on how much sugar is available at dusk so the plant can adjust its metabolism to survive the night. 

Plants use sunlight to produce sugar through photosynthesis, and the sugar is stored up for energy during nighttime hours. It is critical for plants to be able to anticipate the duration of these dark hours so that they do not run out of energy. 

Predicting sunrise and estimating the duration of the night depends on the circadian rhythm, which is a 24-hour cycle that is part of the body's internal clock.

"We think this metabolic signal is acting rather like setting an alarm clock before bedtime to ensure the plant's survival," said Dr. Mike Haydon.

"Plants must coordinate photosynthetic metabolism with the daily environment and adapt rhythmic physiology and development to match carbon availability."

To investigate how sugars alter the circadian clock, the researchers modified the sugar supply of some seedlings and measured their gene expression. They zeroed in on a set of genes regulated by the chemical compound superoxide, which is associated with metabolic activity. 

Most of these genes are active in the evening, including those that regulate the circadian clock. When the experts inhibited the production of superoxide, the evening effects of sugar on the circadian clock genes were also inhibited.

"Distinguishing the effects of light and sugars in photosynthetic cells is challenging," said Professor Ian Graham. "Our data suggest a new role for superoxide as a rhythmic sugar-related signal which acts in the evening and affects circadian gene expression and growth."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plants set a "bedtime alarm" that helps them survive the night

Plants set their circadian clock in the evening to make...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> has revealed a link between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frequent-social-media-use-causes-depression-not-the-other-way-around/">social media</a> use and binge eating among preteens in the United States. The researchers found that children who engage in excessive screen time around age 10 have a higher risk of developing a binge-eating disorder one year later.

Binge-eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States. It is characterized by quickly consuming large quantities of food, a feeling of loss of control during the binge, and feeling shameful or guilty afterward. Binge-eating disorder can turn life-threatening when it causes heart disease or diabetes. 

According to the study, each additional hour of social media engagement was associated with a 62 percent increase in the odds that the child would be suffering from a binge-eating disorder a year later. Furthermore, each additional hour of television was linked to a 39 percent increase in the risk of a binge-eating disorder.

"Children may be more prone to overeating while distracted in front of screens. They may also be exposed to more food advertisements on television. Binge-watching television may lead to binge-eating behaviors because of overconsumption and a loss of control," said study lead author Dr. Jason Nagata.

The analysis was focused on data from 11,025 children between the ages of nine and 11 who are part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. 

The children reported on the time they spent in front of a screen watching television, using social media, or text messaging. In addition, parents answered questions about the children's binge-eating behaviors.

"Exposure to social media and unattainable body ideals may lead to a negative body image and subsequent binge eating," said study senior author Dr. Kyle T. Ganson."This study emphasizes the need for more research on how screen time impacts the well-being of young people now and in the future."

The study findings are especially relevant during the pandemic. "With remote learning, the cancellation of youth sports, and social isolation, children are currently exposed to unprecedented levels of screen time," said Dr. Nagata.

"Although screen time can have important benefits such as education and socialization during the pandemic, parents should try to mitigate risks from excessive screen time such as binge eating. Parents should regularly talk to their children about screen-time usage and develop a family media use plan."

The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1098108x">International Journal of Eating Disorders</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Social media use linked to binge eating among preteens

A new study from the University of Toronto has revealed...

Global warming is reducing the efficiency of food chains and threatening the survival of larger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changing-ocean-soundscapes-impact-animals-worldwide/">animals</a>, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>.

Single-celled algae called phytoplankton transfer energy to the small animals that eat them. The researchers found that four degrees Celsius of warming reduced energy transfer in the plankton food webs by a much as 56 percent.

Rising temperatures increase the metabolic cost of growth, which leaves less energy available to flow through the food chain. Less energy in the food chain ultimately leads to a reduction in overall biomass.

"These findings shine a light on an under-appreciated consequence of global warming," said Professor Gabriel Yvon-Durocher. "Phytoplankton and zooplankton are the foundation of food webs that support freshwater and marine ecosystems that humans depend on."

"Our study is the first direct evidence that the cost of growth increases in higher temperatures, limiting the transfer of energy up a food chain."

Professor Mark Trimmer of Queen Mary University of London noted that if the effects found in this experiment are evident in natural ecosystems, the consequences could be profound.

"The impact on larger animals at the top of food chains - which depend on energy passed up from lower down the food chain - could be severe. More research is needed," said Professor Trimmer.

Dr. Diego Barneche of the University of Western Australia explained that about 10 percent of the energy produced on one level of a food chain makes it up to the next level.

"This happens because organisms expend a lot of energy on a variety of functions over a lifetime, and only a small fraction of the energy they consume is retained in biomass that ends up being eaten by predators."

"Warmer temperatures can cause metabolic rates to accelerate faster than growth rates, which reduces the energy available to predators in the next level up the food web."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rising temperatures limit the efficiency of the food chain

Global warming is reducing the efficiency of food chains and...

Coral Reef Fiji Pacific Panarama

Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists at the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> have conducted the first investigation into how many corals there are in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/benefits-of-sea-otters-in-the-north-pacific-greatly-outweigh-costs/">Pacific</a> Ocean, as well as their risk of extinction. Prior to this study, the global number of individual coral colonies was a mystery.

"In the Pacific, we estimate there are roughly half a trillion corals," said study lead author Dr. Andy Dietzel. "This is about the same number of trees in the Amazon, or birds in the world."

The findings are critically important for the conservation of coral reefs, which are severely threatened by climate change.Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean

"We need to know the abundance of a species to assess its risk of extinction," explained Dr. Dietzel. "However, there is very little data on most of Earth's wild animal and plant species - not just corals."

Dr Dietzel said that each of the eight most common coral species in the region have a population size greater than the 7.8 billion people on Earth.

While local losses can be devastating to coral reefs, the results of the new study suggest that the global extinction risk of most species is lower than what was previously thought.

With broad geographic ranges and huge population sizes, the extinctions of many types of corals will unfold over a much longer timeframe than expected.

The analysis shows that 12 of the 80 species considered by the IUCN to have an elevated extinction risk have estimated population sizes of more than one billion colonies, noted Professor Sean Connolly.

"As an example, the finger-coral, Porites nigrescens, ranks amongst the ten most abundant species we examined. It's also not considered to be highly susceptible to coral bleaching - yet it is currently listed by IUCN as vulnerable to global extinction," said Professor Connolly.

On the other hand, Professor Michael Bode pointed out that one third of the species examined that had the lowest population numbers are listed by the IUCN as being of Least Concern.

According to Professor Terry Hughes, the study results have major implications for managing and restoring coral reefs.

"We counted an average of 30 corals per square metre of reef habitat. This translates into tens of billions of corals on the Great Barrier Reef--even after recent losses from climate extremes," said Professor Hughes.

"Coral restoration is not the solution to climate change. You would have to grow about 250 million adult corals to increase coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef by just one percent."

Professor Hughes said the study highlights the opportunity for action to mitigate the threats to reef species - and well before climate change causes global extinctions - to make an eventual recovery of reef coral assemblages possible.

"The challenge now is to protect wild populations of corals, because we could never replace more than a tiny percentage of them. Prevention is better than cure."

"Given the huge size of these coral populations, it is very unlikely that they face imminent extinction. There is still time to protect them from anthropogenic heating, but only if we act quickly on reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean

Half a trillion corals counted in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists...

Shops,And,Passenger,Ships,On,The,Banks,Of,The,Royal

Looking into the past, researchers can see that human populations have not always collapsed in the face of climate change. In fact, a new study from <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a> reveals that during the early Bronze Age, people in the central plains of China responded quite successfully to long-term <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glass-bottles-have-an-unexpectedly-large-environmental-impact/">environmental</a> changes.

The experts found that when a new climate emerged, humans turned to innovation, including advancement in agriculture and increasingly complex social structures. Such innovations set the stage for a dramatic increase in the human population around 3,900 to 3,500 years ago.

"In China, especially, there has been a relatively simplistic view of the effects of climate," said Professor Tristram R. Kidder. "Our work shows that we need to have a nuanced appreciation of human resilience as we consider the effects of climate and its effects on human societies."

"We have remarkable capacity to adapt. But part of the lesson here is that our social, political and technological systems have to be flexible. People in the past were able to overcome climate adversity because they were willing to change."

The researchers set out to quantify the types of demographic and subsistence changes that took place over the course of thousands of years in the central plains of China. 

Based on pollen data from a lake sediment core collected in Henan Province, the experts determined that a warm and wet climate about 9,000 to 4,000 years ago shifted to a cool and dry climate during the Neolithic-Bronze Age transition.

The team used radiocarbon dating and archaeological data to analyze what people were growing and eating during periods of significant population surges and declines throughout the time when the climate was stable and when it shifted. 

The researchers discovered that as resources began to fluctuate and become more limited in drier conditions, people expanded the number of plants they cultivated for food. They embraced new diversity, including foxtail millet, broomcorn millet, wheat, soybean and rice.

The time when the climate was changing is also marked by innovations in water management approaches for irrigation and new metal tools.

"Certainly, by 4,000 years ago, which is when we see this change in the overall environmental condition, this is a society with complicated political, social and economic institutions," said Professor Kidder. 

"And what I think we are seeing is the capacity of these institutions to buffer and to deal with the climatic variation. When we talk about changes in subsistence strategies, these changes didn't happen automatically. These are human choices."

According to study co-author Michael Storozum, the fact that climate change does not always equal collapse is an important point in both a prehistoric and modern context.

"Humans have been heavily modifying their environments for thousands of years, often in the pursuit of increasing food production which grants societies a higher degree of social resilience," said Storozum.

"As more environmental scientists and archaeologists work together, I expect that our understanding of what makes a society resilient to climate change in prehistoric and historical times will grow as well."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humans can overcome climate change by being flexible

Looking into the past, researchers can see that human populations...

Koalas are being infected with a rapid-spreading <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-transmission-confirmed-in-deadly-outbreak-of-chapare-virus/">virus</a> that causes cancer, according to a new study from the <a href="http://www.izw-berlin.de/">Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research</a>. 

The experts report that at some point in the last 50,000 years, the koala retrovirus (KoRV) has infected the eggs or sperm cells of koalas, and their offspring now carry the retrovirus in all of their cells. 

The virus inserts itself into the DNA of an infected cell near spots that are linked to cancer. The entire koala population of Queensland and New South Wales now carry copies of KoRV in their genome. 

"Retroviruses are insertional mutagens, affecting the host in multiple potentially deleterious ways, including the disruption or alteration of gene expression," explained the study authors. 

"The ongoing conflict between virus and host (sometimes termed a retroviral 'invasion' of the host germline), unfolds over millions of years, during which time proviruses can frequently reintegrate in the host genome causing further germline mutations."

The Leibniz-IZW team has previously shown that old retroviruses present in the koala genome can help to rapidly degrade KoRV. The koalas are essentially in a race to survive the effects of KoRV long enough for the virus to be degraded, according to the researchers. 

There is a high frequency of lymphoma, leukemia, and other cancers among koalas in northern Australia. The experts used DNA sequencing to determine that there are multiple links between KoRV and genes known to be involved in the types of cancers found in wild koalas.

Professor Alex Greenwood is the head of the Department of Wildlife Diseases at the Leibniz-IZW. 

"Each koala carries around 80 - 100 inherited copies of KoRV in its genome. The genomic locations of most of these are not shared between koalas, indicating a rapid expansion and accumulation of KoRV copies in the population," explained Professor Greenwood.

"Each time a retrovirus copies and re-inserts itself into the genome, it causes a mutation, potentially disrupting gene expression, which could be detrimental to the host."

The researchers noted that tumor tissues contain many new copies of KoRV, indicating that KoRV is more active in tumor cells. Furthermore, these copies are generally located close to genes associated with cancer. 

While there are other factors that may also contribute to cancer in koalas, the mutational burden from KoRV likely increases the frequency of cells becoming cancerous and may shorten the time for cancer to develop.

"In summary then, we find multiple links at the genomic level between cancer-related genes and KoRV, revealing ways in which KoRV underlies the high frequency of cancer in koalas," said study co-author Gayle McEwen.

The results are particularly concerning at a time when koalas face multiple environmental and health issues, including habitat loss accelerated by bush fires, dog attacks, and deadly chlamydial infections.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Koalas are infected with a virus that causes cancer

Koalas are being infected with a rapid-spreading virus that causes...

Older women who eat more plant protein lower their risk of premature <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-in-five-premature-deaths-tied-to-fossil-fuel-pollution/">death</a> from all causes, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a>. The researchers found that substituting nuts for red meat, eggs, or dairy products was associated with a lower risk of death from all causes by up to 47 percent, depending on the type of protein that is replaced.

In particular, plant-based proteins substantially lowered the odds of developing fatal cardiovascular disease and dementia.

"Our findings support the need to consider dietary protein sources in future dietary guidelines," said study lead author Dr. Wei Bao. "Current dietary guidelines mainly focus on the total amount of protein, and our findings show that there may be different health influences associated with different types of protein foods."

Previous studies have indicated that there is a link between diets high in red meat and cardiovascular disease, but the data is sparse and inconclusive about specific types of proteins, explained the researchers.

The current investigation was focused on data from more than 100,000 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79 who participated in the national Women's Health Initiative study, which ran from 1993 to 1998. The women were then followed up with over the next two decades. 

The participants had initially completed questionnaires about their diets, including how often they ate eggs, dairy, poultry, red meat, and fish. They also documented the amount of plant proteins they consumed, such as tofu, nuts, beans, and peas. 

The researchers analyzed the amount and type of protein that the women consumed, and then divided them into groups based on who ate the most or least of each protein. 

The study revealed that women with the highest amount of plant protein intake had a nine percent lower risk of death from all causes, a 12 percent lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease, and a 21 percent lower risk of dementia-related death.

In addition, high consumption of processed red meat was associated with a 20 percent greater risk of dying from dementia.

Women who ate more eggs had a 24 percent higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and those who consumed the most dairy products had an 11 percent higher risk. The participants who reported consuming high levels of eggs also had a 10 percent higher risk of death due to cancer, but a 14 percent lower risk of death from dementia. In addition, higher poultry consumption was associated with a 15 percent lower risk of dementia.

"It is unclear in our study why eggs were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular and cancer death," said Dr. Bao. "It might be related to the way people cook and eat eggs. Eggs can be boiled, scrambled, poached, baked, basted, fried, shirred, coddled or pickled or in combinations with other foods."

"In the United States, people usually eat eggs in the form of fried eggs and often with other foods such as bacon. Although we have carefully accounted for many potential confounding factors in the analysis, it is still difficult to completely tease out whether eggs, other foods usually consumed with eggs, or even non-dietary factors related to egg consumption, may lead to the increased risk of cardiovascular and cancer death."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/jaha">Journal of the American Heart Association</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plant protein lowers risk of premature death by up to 47 percent

Older women who eat more plant protein lower their risk...

Despite the fact that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-lower-their-heart-rate-before-diving-to-conserve-oxygen/">dolphins</a> have not shared a common ancestor with humans for 95 million years, experts have identified a number of personality traits that the two species have in common.&nbsp;

While dolphins are known for being intelligent, the new research from the <a href="https://www.hull.ac.uk/">University of Hull</a> shows that dolphins also score high on some of the Big Five personality traits. This model is widely used to assess human characteristics, including openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

The study was focused on 134 bottlenose dolphins from around the world. The dolphins' personalities were assessed with the help of staff members who worked with them regularly.

The results suggest that dolphins exhibit sociable and curious behavior, just like humans, even though their environments are very different.

Study lead author Dr. Blake Morton said this is the first time dolphin personalities had been studied this way.

"Dolphins were a great animal for this kind of study because, like primates, dolphins are intelligent and social. We reasoned that if factors such as intelligence and gregariousness contribute to personality, then dolphins should have similar personality traits to primates," said Dr. Morton.

"We've known for some time that dolphins are similar to us in other respects - for instance, you can just watch dolphins on television and see they're very obviously smart and social."

The researchers assessed 56 male and 78 female dolphins from eight countries, such as Mexico, France, Sweden, and the Bahamas. While the experts found similarities between the personalities of dolphins and humans, there are still many obvious differences.

"I don't want people to misinterpret that and say humans and dolphins have the same personality traits - they don't. It's just that some of them are similar," said Dr. Morton.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/com">Journal of Comparative Psychology</a>.

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

Dolphins have human personality traits

Despite the fact that dolphins have not shared a common...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.yorku.ca/">York University</a>, experts have investigated the social lives of bees on a molecular level. The researchers found that over the course of their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paper-wasps-demonstrate-the-evolution-of-selflessness/">evolution</a>, maternal instincts and the cooperative care of offspring have helped to promote the selection of social genes among various bee species.

"Studies have repeatedly shown that the evolution of animal sociality is strongly influenced and accompanied by a variety of genomic changes. An emerging theme in sociobiology is the observation that, in addition to genes affecting social behavior, social life itself may drive new patterns and processes in genome evolution," explained the study authors.

"For example, it has been proposed that changes in demography, levels of selection, and the novel demands of social life can drive rapid sequence evolution, changes in genome organization, and other forms of genomic change. To date, however, there remains a paucity of genomic information for multiple closely-related species that vary in levels of sociality, leaving these ideas without robust empirical support."

The experts propose that the genome itself responds to socialization by selecting more social rather than non-social genes. This means that the social behavior comes first, which sets the stage for future molecular evolution.

The researchers discovered that this pattern of genetic evolution happened independently in different species at different times.

"There seems to be something about sociality specifically that is driving the genome to evolve in this way. It's a very interesting finding previously reported only in ants and honeybees," said study lead author Professor Sandra Rehan.

The research was focused on 16 different bee species, including three different independent origins of eusociality - the highest level of animal sociality a species can attain. Eusocial animals live in a multigenerational group cooperatively caring for offspring in which there is a reproductive division of labor.

The experts sequenced the genomes of six of the carpenter bee species to find out how sociability effects genome evolution. The study revealed that in many cases, caring for the young in a group setting promoted the selection of social rather than non-social gene regulation.

"When we see the rise of queens and workers in complex sociality, we tend to see a rise of more complex genomic signatures, rates of evolution in the genome, but also the complexity of the structure of the genomes," said Professor Rehan. 

"We know so little about how sociality evolves." Most bees are solitary, but some, like honeybees and carpenter bees, have transitioned to being social. Overall, though, sociality is relatively rare in the animal kingdom, and in bees.

"We are trying to understand how life evolved from simple to complex. We're mostly interested in how they got there. By studying these kinds of intermediary groups and simple societies, we really can ask that question empirically."

"It gives us a window into the evolution of complexity and behavior broadly. We can study it very practically in insects and bees because they show remarkable diversity in behavior, but it gives us insights into all animals, including ourselves."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsbio/">Communications Biology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The social life of bees was driven by maternal insincts

In a new study from York University, experts have investigated...

Experts at <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">CU Boulder</a> report that evidence found inside the Chicxulub impact crater has confirmed that an asteroid slammed into Earth 66 million years ago. The discovery of asteroid dust at the impact site finally solves a long-standing debate about how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-teenage-dinosaurs-wiped-out-many-smaller-species/">dinosaurs</a> were wiped out, and shuts down the theory that the extinction event was caused by volcanic eruptions.

In the 1980s, scientists found asteroid dust in the geologic layer that marks the extinction of the dinosaurs. The findings indicated that dust from the vaporized asteroid encircled the entire planet, blocking out the sun and triggering a devastating "impact winter." Over time, the dust fell out of the atmosphere and rained down onto the Earth. 

In the 1990s, the 125-mile-wide Chicxulub impact crater was discovered beneath the Gulf of Mexico. The crater turned out to be the same age as the rock layer. 

According to the researchers, the new study seals the deal by finding asteroid dust with a matching chemical fingerprint within the crater at the precise geological location that marks the time of the extinction. Study lead author Professor Steven Goderis said that the circle is now finally complete

The report is the latest in a series of studies based on the 2016 International Ocean Discovery Program mission. During this expedition, nearly 3,000 feet of rock core was collected from the crater buried under the seafloor. 

A telltale signature of asteroid dust is iridium, which is present at elevated levels in certain types of asteroids. An iridium spike in the geologic layer found all over the world is how the asteroid theory was proposed in the first place. In the new study, researchers found a similar spike in a section of rock pulled from the crater. 

"We are now at the level of coincidence that geologically doesn't happen without causation," said study co-author Professor Sean Gulick. "It puts to bed any doubts that the iridium anomaly [in the geologic layer] is not related to the Chicxulub crater."

The researchers estimate that the asteroid dust circulated in the atmosphere for no longer than a couple of decades. This helps to determine how long the dinosaur extinction took, said Professor Gulick.

"If you're actually going to put a clock on extinction 66 million years ago, you could easily make an argument that it all happened within a couple of decades, which is basically how long it takes for everything to starve to death."

In collaboration with experts at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics and Bureau of Economic Geology, the researchers plan to return to the crater this summer. The goal is to begin surveying sites at the center of the crater, where the scientists will plan a future drilling effort to recover more asteroid material.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Asteroid dust solves the mystery of what killed the dinosaurs

Experts at CU Boulder report that evidence found inside the...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/">University of Manchester</a> have narrowed down the "perfect bedtime routine" for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-help-children-improve-their-confidence-and-social-skills/">children</a> between the ages of two and eight. The psychologists defined the ideal bedtime by scoring different routines and activities over the course of a week. 

The study showed that a combination of activities like brushing teeth or reading a bedtime story are the most essential, but talking to children is also helpful.

The researchers assigned scores to various bedtime activities, such as 35 points for brushing teeth and 20 points for going to bed at a consistent time each night. The most effective routines were found to be those that scored more than 50 points.

Some of the other high-scoring nighttime activities include avoiding food, drinks, and screen time before bed.

According to the researchers, different combinations of methods work. They noted that once you have made a task part of your regular routine, but then fail to do it one night, the points associated with that task will be lost.

"Bedtime routines are important family activities and have important implications on children’s well-being, development and health," said study lead author Dr. George Kitsaras.

"Organizations as diverse as the Book Trust to the BBC and the NHS are all engaged in this debate - but up to now, there has been no real scientific consensus to inform them; we need untie the conflicting signals and messages parents receive."

"This lack of a clear consensus-based definition of limits health professionals' ability to communicate best practice effectively with families."

“This lack of a clear consensus-based definition of limits health professionals’ ability to communicate best practice effectively with families."

Dr. Kitsaras said that the new definition considers the parental stresses and difficulties that can arise at bedtime while incorporating best practice and available scientific advice. “This study for the first time provides that expert and scientific guidance.”

The list of core bedtime activities was compiled by 59 experts, including psychologists, dentists, and public health specialists.

“All activities around bedtime matter for children’s development and well-being. From the wide range of activities around bedtime, our experts considered toothbrushing to be the most important to remember each night," said Dr. Kitsaras.

“There are strong links between inadequate oral hygiene practices and dental decay in children and adults. For children, early childhood caries can lead to higher occurrence of dental disease in later life and, in some cases, untreated childhood caries can lead to extractions under general anaesthetic causing additional problems for children and parents."

“Washing or having a shower each night before bed, on the other hand might be a common practice for families but our experts considered it to be part of a wider umbrella of child-parent interactions rather than a standalone practice we need to specifically target."

“I have no doubt the debate will continue and our definition might even be refined as more people engage with it.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">Plos One</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The best bedtime routine for children has now been defined

Experts at the University of Manchester have narrowed down the...

Why are so many people addicted to social media? A new study from <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">NYU</a> is helping to explain why social media tends to dominate people's lives. The researchers discovered that our efforts to maximize "likes" and other forms of online approval follows a pattern of reward <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/writing-by-hand-boosts-learning-and-memory/">learning</a> - a type of learning that is motivated and reinforced by payoffs.

According to the study authors, social media use parallels the behavior of animals seeking food rewards.

"These results establish that social media engagement follows basic, cross-species principles of reward learning," explained study co-author Professor David Amodio.

"These findings may help us understand why social media comes to dominate daily life for many people and provide clues, borrowed from research on reward learning and addiction, to how troubling online engagement may be addressed."

Many people refer to social media use as being addictive. People are so driven to pursue positive feedback online that they are often neglecting direct social interaction and even basic needs like eating and drinking.

In 2020, more than four billion people spent an average of several hours per day on internet platforms including Facebook,  Instagram, and Twitter. 

The researchers said that while social media use has been studied extensively, what actually drives people to engage, sometimes obsessively,  is less clear. To investigate, the experts analyzed whether social media use can be explained by the way our minds process and learn from rewards.

The study was focused on more than one million social media posts from over 4,000 users. The researchers found that people post more frequently in response to a high rate of likes and less frequently when they receive fewer likes.

By analyzing this pattern with computational models, the team confirmed that it closely follows the known mechanisms of reward learning. In particular, social media engagement appears to be driven by similar principles that lead animals to maximize their food rewards

"Our findings can help lead to a better understanding of why social media dominates so many people's daily lives and can also provide leads for ways of tackling excessive online behavior," said study lead author Dr. Björn Lindström.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why are so many people addicted to social media?

Why are so many people addicted to social media? A...

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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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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



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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://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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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...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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...