Americans hear the same advice again and again - eat better and move more. Yet obesity keeps climbing. Almost 40 percent of adults live with it today. Healthcare costs soar past $170 billion each year.



Related diseases, including certain cancers, are rising too. If the answer were only diet and exercise, the trend would have reversed by now.



Scientists at <a href="https://www.uclahealth.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCLA Health</a> argue that something else is driving the epidemic. They point to stress, inequality, and life circumstances that change how the gut and brain work. 



These forces don’t just influence choices. They shape cravings, motivation, and biology itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-obesity-tied-to-social-pressures">Obesity tied to social pressures</h2>



The new review, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, shows how social conditions affect obesity. Researchers call these conditions social determinants of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-childhood-obesity-rate-is-expected-to-soar-by-2050/">health</a>. 



These includes income, education, neighborhood safety, healthcare access, childhood adversity, discrimination, and isolation.



Think of them as the backdrop of daily life, where cheap food options dominate, streets feel unsafe, health care is hard to reach, and stress never fades. 



Each of these pressures pushes the body toward weight gain, shaping how people eat, how much they move, and how they cope.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gut-microbes-influence-brain-cravings">Gut microbes influence brain cravings</h2>



The body has a messenger system linking the gut to the brain. Microbes in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-is-linked-more-to-food-than-fitness/">gut</a> release signals. The brain responds with hormones and chemical shifts. Together, they steer appetite and cravings.



Dr. Arpana Church, who co-directs the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, describes this loop as central. 



“Our findings reveal that tackling obesity requires more than focusing on individual choices - it demands recognizing the powerful role that social and environmental forces play in shaping gut health, behavior and long-term health outcomes," said Dr. Church.



"Reversing the escalating obesity epidemic in America demands a dual approach - personalized, equitable care for individuals and bold, systemic policy reforms that address the root causes."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stress-fuels-obesity-patterns">Stress fuels obesity patterns</h2>



Financial stress shapes food choices. Families on tight budgets often buy processed meals because fresh produce costs more. 



Food insecurity makes obesity more common in both adults and children. Stress hormones then reinforce those eating patterns.



Neighborhoods also matter. Poorer areas often lack grocery stores, safe spaces, or healthcare. Violence and crime raise daily stress, pushing people toward food for comfort. Structural racism deepens the problem by concentrating disadvantage in certain communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-loneliness-changes-brain-responses">Loneliness changes brain responses</h2>



Isolation adds another layer. People without strong social ties process <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fat-soaking-microbeads-could-be-the-next-weight-loss-breakthrough/">food</a> cues differently. The brain becomes more sensitive to rewards, and food looks more tempting. 



At the same time, the gut microbiome loses diversity. Inflammation rises and cravings grow stronger.



“Research shows that social determinants of health - such as access to nutritious food, safe spaces for physical activity, access to resources such as education, grocery stores, and quality health care - are powerful drivers of obesity risk, underscoring the need to address the conditions in which people live, work and grow,” said Dr. Church.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stress-rewires-the-brain-and-body">Stress rewires the brain and body</h2>



Stress, poor diet, and discrimination don’t just change behavior - they rewire systems. Brain scans show less gray matter in areas that control motivation and self-control.



Chronic inflammation lowers dopamine, reducing satisfaction from normal rewards. Harmful bacteria flourish in the gut, weakening metabolism and insulin response.



Racism-related stress leaves its mark too. Repeated exposure alters <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-over-matter-brain-boosting-diet-could-enhance-focus-in-children/">brain</a> networks that handle emotions and decision-making. 



It also shifts gut chemistry, promoting inflammation. These biological changes make food an easy, almost automatic coping tool.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-childhood-stress-sets-obesity-patterns">Childhood stress sets obesity patterns</h2>



The review shows that these effects start young. Stress during pregnancy changes fetal development. Children may inherit altered metabolic responses before they’re born. 



After birth, breastfeeding, antibiotics, and early diet shape the microbiome further. Breastfeeding can lower obesity risk in adolescents, especially in disadvantaged families. 



Still, ongoing stress and poor diet often outweigh those protections. By the time children reach school age, the patterns are set.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community-resources-reduce-risk">Community resources reduce risk</h2>



Dr. Church emphasized that policy shifts are vital. Health care must expand. Schools need <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-foods-can-be-staged-to-look-more-appealing/">healthier meals</a>, and neighborhoods need grocery stores and safe parks. But individuals can still act within limits.



Choosing affordable nutritious food, keeping social connections, and practicing stress relief can all help. Walking outside, journaling, and gratitude exercises are simple tools. 



"At the same time, healthcare providers have a vital role to play, not only by screening for current social determinants of health, but also by recognizing how these factors accumulate and evolve over time, which is rarely accounted for in today’s clinical practice," said Dr. Church.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mindfulness-and-therapy-show-promise">Mindfulness and therapy show promise</h2>



Clinics are trying new strategies. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tai-chi-reduces-inflammatory-risks-in-cancer-survivors/">Cognitive behavioral therapy</a> helps people change eating habits. Mindfulness reduces stress-driven overeating. 



Researchers are also testing probiotics and even fecal microbiota transplants to restore gut health.



“By understanding these influences and tailoring treatment plans to account for biological and psychosocial challenges, providers can offer more personalized plans that improve outcomes, empowers individuals to take control over their health,” noted Dr. Church.



The message is clear: obesity is not only about food or exercise. It reflects stress, inequality, and biology shaped by the world outside. Until those pressures shift, the numbers won’t change.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1542356525007323" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology</a>.



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New study claims obesity is driven by these two factors, not just diet and exercise, upending current beliefs

Americans hear the same advice again and again - eat better and move more. Yet obesity keeps climbing. Almost 40 percent of adults live with it today. Healthcare costs soar past $170 billion each year. Related diseases, including certain cancers, are rising too. If the answer were only diet and exercise, the trend would have reversed by now. Scientists at UCLA Health argue that something else is driving the epidemic. They point to stress, inequality, and life circumstances that change how the gut and brain work. These...

Finding motivation to exercise can be the greatest challenge in working out. This might be part of the reason why less than a quarter of people achieve the activity goals recommended by the World Health Organization.



 Yet new evidence shows that if we choose routines tailored to who we are, moving our bodies can feel less like a chore and more like fun.



A research team at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL), working with the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health and the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, has now examined this connection in detail.



Their study followed adults through an eight-week home program of cycling and strength <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/studies-learn-the-exact-amount-of-time-you-should-spend-training-to-build-muscle/">training</a> and compared them with a control group who stuck to stretching.



The scientists combined laboratory fitness tests with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/personality-has-a-profound-influence-on-gene-expression/">personality</a> surveys and weekly enjoyment ratings to see how the Big Five traits - extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness - shape experience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-joy-depends-on-personality">Joy depends on personality</h2>



But what if exercise could be more enjoyable? One way of achieving this could be opting for types of exercise that fit our personalities. That suggestion proved correct.



“We found that our personality can influence how we engage with exercise, and particularly which forms of exercise we enjoy the most,” said study lead author Flaminia Ronca from UCL’s Institute of Sport, Exercise, and Health.



“Understanding personality factors in designing and recommending physical activity programs is likely to be very important in determining how successful a program is,” added senior author Paul Burgess, a scientist at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.



The team recruited 132 volunteers aged between their twenties and late fifties. Half received a structured plan with four sessions per week that blended easy long rides, threshold training, high-intensity intervals, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-impairs-the-brains-response-to-nutrient-intake/">bodyweight</a> strength work. 



Each session was guided by heart-rate measurements taken in the lab. Everyone logged how much they enjoyed each session on a seven-point scale.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personality-guides-workout-choices">Personality guides workout choices</h2>



“Our brains are wired in different ways, which drives our behaviors and how we interact with our environment,” said Ronca. “So it’s not surprising that personality would also influence how we respond to different intensities of exercise.”



The data confirmed that everyday intuition. Participants high in extraversion flocked to the hardest rides and reported the greatest pleasure during maximal lab tests, mirroring earlier findings that sensation seekers chase bigger stimulation.



Contrary, people scoring high on neuroticism preferred private workouts. While they are fine with high intensity, they need short breaks in between.



Others who scored high on conscientiousness and openness exercised consistently, either out of discipline or curiosity, regardless of enjoyment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-personality-links-to-performance">Personality links to performance</h2>



The numbers behind those preferences were striking. Extraversion predicted a higher baseline aerobic capacity and peak cycling power. This suggests that outgoing personalities may already gravitate to vigorous activities and build fitness through them.



Conscientiousness predicted more weekly activity and leaner body composition, echoing the idea that disciplined people keep health promises even when motivation dips.



Neuroticism, often linked with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fear-and-anxiety-the-mental-health-impacts-of-wildfires/">anxiety</a>, showed a different pattern: these participants liked gentle sessions conducted at home and were less consistent in uploading heart-rate data, but they still completed the program.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-soothes-anxious-minds">Exercise soothes anxious minds</h2>



What was particularly interesting was the relationship between personality, changes in fitness, and stress, the researchers said.



Before the intervention, the stress levels of both groups were similar. After the intervention, however, especially people who scored high in neuroticism showed a strong reduction in stress.



“It’s fantastic news, as it highlights that those who benefit the most from a reduction in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-stress-makes-us-take-more-risks-in-financial-decisions/">stress</a> respond very well to exercise,” Ronca said.



The drop did not depend on how much their aerobic capacity improved, hinting that simply sticking with an activity they could manage was enough to calm the mind.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-follow-your-fitness-instinct">Follow your fitness instinct</h2>



The authors stress that enjoyment, not willpower alone, keeps people moving. The most important part of exercising is choosing something we enjoy and staying motivated even if we don’t find it right away.



“It’s okay if we don’t enjoy a particular session,” Ronca said. “We can try something else.”



“We hope that if people can find <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physical-activity-instantly-boosts-your-brain-speed-by-years/">physical activities</a> that they enjoy they will more readily choose to do them,” Burgess added. “After all, we don’t have to nag dogs to go for a walk: being so physically inactive that we start to feel miserable might be a peculiarly human thing to do."



"In effect, our body punishes us by making us miserable," he said. "But for some reason, many of us humans seem poor at picking up on these messages it is sending to our brain.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tailored-exercise-plans-stick-better">Tailored exercise plans stick better</h2>



Taken together, the findings argue for personalized coaching. Intense workouts may suit gregarious gym lovers, while introverted or anxious individuals could thrive on solo sessions that build intensity in short bursts.



Coaches might offer conscientious clients clear long-term goals, and give open types novel routines to satisfy curiosity. By aligning activity with personality, programs may boost adherence and health in populations where finding motivation to exercise is challenging.



The study isn’t the final word - its sample skewed toward educated Londoners and relied on self-reported enjoyment. But it still shows how psychological insight can turn exercise from an obligation into a reward.



Whether you relish the roar of a spin class or the quiet rhythm of a living-room workout, the lesson is the same: when the workout fits the person, the mind as well as the body stands to gain. 



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1587472/full">Frontiers in Psychology</a>



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Exercise feels better when it's matched to your personality

Finding motivation to exercise can be the greatest challenge in...

People don’t need training to pick up on biodiversity - just eyes and ears. A new study finds their snap judgments about forest richness match the numbers ecologists collect in the field.



Thus, our everyday senses give a surprisingly accurate readout of nature’s true diversity, a talent that may help explain why greener, livelier places lift our mood.



The research was led by experts at the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (<a href="https://www.idiv.de/">iDiv</a>).



The team asked volunteers with no ecology background to sort forest photos and sound clips by how “diverse” they felt. Researchers then compared those gut rankings with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-are-declining-fastest-where-they-were-once-common/">bird</a> counts and detailed vegetation surveys from the same sites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-our-senses-detect-biodiversity-well">Our senses detect biodiversity well</h2>



Forty-eight adults completed a visual session using fifty-seven photographs taken in mixed-species woodlands across Germany, Belgium, and Poland. Another 48 adults listened to sixteen 10-second audio recordings from the same patches.



The participants first grouped the images or sounds any way they liked, revealing the features that stood out to them, and then rearranged the material from low to high biodiversity.



The researchers measured the real complexity of each forest in two ways. For pictures they combined tree-species richness, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-cities-lack-sufficient-canopy-cover-despite-visible-trees/">canopy</a> structure, understory structure, and ground-layer cover into a single “actual diversity” score.



For sound they simply counted the different bird species singing in each clip. When the numbers were compared, perceived and measured diversity moved together: a strong correlation of 0.76 for sight and an even stronger 0.87 for sound.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lushness-hints-at-species-count">Lushness hints at species count</h2>



When volunteers explained their choices, they kept coming back to elements any hiker would notice. Dense foliage, dappled light, bright greens, and a mix of trunks signaled a thriving community.



Using simple image analysis, the team confirmed that a higher “greenness index” matched both the on-the-ground surveys and the ratings people gave. 



In other words, the greener the shot, the richer the habitat and the higher the score. By contrast, photos that looked washed-out or evenly lit tended to come from simpler, species-poor areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hearing-biodiversity-s-quiet-signals">Hearing biodiversity’s quiet signals</h2>



Sound told the same story through a different sense. Listeners paid closest attention to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-songs-human-speech-common-vocal-genetic-origin-syrinx/">birdsong</a> - its complexity, pitch range, volume, and rhythmic patterns.



Four standard acoustic indices, including the well-known <a href="https://www.authorea.com/users/813436/articles/1214821-the-acoustic-complexity-indices-acis-theoretical-and-applied-perspectives">Acoustic Complexity Index</a>, rose in lockstep with both perceived richness and the tally of bird species. 



Even without technical tools, participants homed in on the same signals: lively, layered choruses meant lots of birds, while sparse or repetitive calls hinted at poorer sites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-perception-and-wellness-connect">Perception and wellness connect</h2>



Earlier studies show that how biodiverse a place feels has a stronger link to mental health than the species list on a clipboard. That connection motivated the new work.



Lead author Kevin Rozario, a scientist at iDiv, emphasized the value of understanding how people sense biodiversity. 



“It’s important to identify what people perceive with regards to biodiversity, what the contribution of the different senses could be, and under which circumstances people’s perception of biodiversity best aligns with what ecologists measure.” 



Rozario noted that perceived biodiversity is thought to play a role in supporting mental health. The new data reveal that alignment is often tight, at least when people can compare several settings side by side.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biodiversity-loss-hits-the-senses">Biodiversity loss hits the senses</h2>



The study also underscores a cultural loss that runs alongside species decline. “Not only are we experiencing an extinction of species, but also an extinction of biodiverse experiences,” Rozario explained.



City living, indoor jobs, and digital leisure mean fewer chances to stand among varied trees or wake to a dawn chorus. Preserving those encounters may matter for public health as much as for conservation biology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forest-planning-with-people-in-mind">Forest planning with people in mind</h2>



One clear takeaway is that mixed forests with layered canopies and active birdlife satisfy both ecological targets and human senses.



“We recommend to conserve and restore <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-rich-tree-diversity-adapt-better-changing-climate/">diverse forests</a> characterized by a variety of tree species and structures to also provide habitats for different vocalizing bird species,” Rozario said.



“These conservation measures will have the dual benefit of meeting conservation goals while also increasing people’s experience of biodiversity and therefore likely increasing mental wellbeing.”



Planners can even use quick proxies. A handheld camera that registers shades of green, or a portable recorder that crunches acoustic indices, offers a cheap way to flag sites that feel and are alive. 



Urban designers might favor plantings that stay green through the year or host birds with distinctive songs, boosting the sensory richness visitors notice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-a-multisensory-picture">Building a multisensory picture</h2>



The study relied mainly on young, university-educated women and on brief comparisons rather than lone encounters. 



Future work will test broader groups and real-time walks to learn how age, culture, and context shape perception. 



Researchers also hope to add smell, touch, and even temperature to build a full, multi-sensory picture of how humans read living landscapes.



For now, the message is clear. Ordinary observers, armed with nothing more than eyes and ears, can still spot the difference between a sparse wood and a thriving one - and that instinct lines up with hard science. 



Protect the layered greenery and the singing birds, and you protect both biodiversity and the quiet joy people draw from it.



The study is published in the British Ecological Society journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pan3.70087">People and Nature</a>.



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Humans can accurately perceive biodiversity through the senses

People don’t need training to pick up on biodiversity -...

According to recent study, people who managed to fit regular exercise into their month while they were still under 50 now carry brains that look noticeably younger at 70. 



The finding comes from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/drc/research-clinical-trials/insight-46" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Insight  46 project</a>, which has tracked almost 500 members of Britain’s 1946 birth cohort for nearly eight decades. 



<a href="https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/59397-sarah-james" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dr Sarah-Naomi James</a> of University College London’s <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/drc/dementia-research-centre" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dementia Research Centre</a> led the work and calls it a reminder that, “staying active throughout your life, especially before turning 50, can help keep your brain healthy and delay early signs of Alzheimer's.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-activity-and-exercise">Brain activity and exercise</h2>



Researchers looked at how often each volunteer reported leisure‑time activity between ages 36 and 69. One session a month was all it took to be classed as “active,” yet even that light commitment predicted larger volumes in the hippocampus, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brains-use-storage-trick-to-keep-your-memories-in-sequential-order/">brain’s</a> chief memory hub.&nbsp;



The team also compared cognitive test scores with early Alzheimer markers like amyloid build‑up. 



People who kept moving scored higher even when those markers were present, suggesting exercise builds mental resilience rather than erasing the pathology.



Older adults typically lose about one to two percent of hippocampal volume every year. Aerobic training can add roughly two percent back, effectively buying an extra year or two of neurological youth.



Animal <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3072565/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> link that gain to boosts in blood flow, new neuron growth, and surges of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that primes synapses for learning. 



Human scans echo the trend, showing fitter seniors with denser hippocampal tissue and sharper spatial memory.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-and-hidden-alzheimer-s">Exercise and hidden Alzheimer's</h2>



The Insight 46 scans did not find a direct link between activity and the amount of amyloid lodged in the brain’s cortex. 



That matches other population <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31312836/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> where exercise softened the cognitive hit of amyloid without always lowering the plaques themselves.



<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23079557/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Researchers</a> think movement may raise the threshold at which damage turns into symptoms, a concept known as cognitive reserve. Reserve acts like a backup network, letting healthy circuits pick up slack when disease strikes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-following-participants-for-70-years">Following participants for 70 years</h2>



The Insight 46 study is part of the world's longest-running birth cohort, the 1946 <a href="https://nshd.mrc.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British National Survey of Health and Development</a>. 



Participants have been assessed regularly since childhood, providing researchers with a rare, detailed view of their lifelong health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic background.



At age 70, five hundred and two of these individuals underwent memory testing, PET scans to detect amyloid, and MRI scans to assess brain volume and hippocampal size. 



This combination of decades-long physical activity records and brain imaging allowed researchers to connect early-life exercise habits with structural and functional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-brain-literally-changes-based-on-daily-activities-and-lifestyle/">brain</a> markers nearly 40 years later.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-women-show-bigger-benefits">Women show bigger benefits</h2>



Women in the study saw the strongest benefits. Inactive women with amyloid deposits showed steeper memory loss than inactive men, yet a modest exercise habit erased much of that gap.



Hormonal shifts after menopause and higher baseline Alzheimer risk may make female brains more sensitive to lifestyle. That <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/12/701" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sensitivity</a> means the upside of activity could be bigger too, offering a practical target for prevention campaigns.



Exercise joins education, mentally demanding work, and social connection as major reserve builders. Each factor strengthens neural networks in different ways, so combining them multiplies protection over decades.



“Nearly half of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed by addressing health and lifestyle risk factors,” notes researcher <a href="https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/research/online-public-events/for-a-cure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">David Thomas</a> of <a href="https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alzheimer’s Research UK</a>. 



A separate 2020 <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7392084/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a> estimated that up to forty percent of dementia cases could be delayed or avoided by tackling modifiable risks, with physical inactivity sitting near the top of the list. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-for-your-brain-before-50">Exercise for your brain before 50</h2>



You do not need marathon medals to reap <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-the-speed-at-which-the-brain-processes-information/">brain</a> dividends. The study’s cutoff of one leisure session per month hints that consistency beats intensity for long‑term payoff.



Starting after 50 still helped but earlier movers enjoyed the largest hippocampi at 70, implying that earlier habits leave a structural imprint. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cardiorespiratory-fitness-cuts-early-death-risks-by-53-percent/">Cardiorespiratory</a> fitness later in life can still blunt the link between Alzheimer biomarkers and thinking decline, yet earlier routines give extra cushioning.



Public health guidelines call for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity each week, but any added movement counts. Regular walks, cycling to errands, or weekend dance classes all meet the threshold and most involve no special gear.



“It’s great to run with people because you keep each other accountable and stay connected,” said Graham Kent, a 74‑year‑old participant, while caring for his wife who lives with Alzheimer’s. 



Engaging friends or pets can double as social enrichment, another pillar of reserve.



The message lands clearly: move early, move often, and keep moving. A future cure would be welcome, but personal prevention starts with the next stroll.



The study is published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/braincomms/article/7/1/fcae431/7933115" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brain Communications</a>.



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Very simple lifestyle change before the age of 50 dramatically improves brain health and aging

According to recent study, people who managed to fit regular...

A global team of researchers has delivered new evidence that public backing for climate measures rises when people connect extreme weather with climate change.



The findings also reveal a nuanced picture. Certain hazards, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mapping-marine-heatwaves-to-understand-their-impacts/">heatwaves</a> and tropical cyclones, appear to shift attitudes more than others - and the size of this shift varies widely across regions.



The study gauged support for a suite of government policy measures. These included higher taxes on carbon-intensive foods, steeper levies on fossil fuels, expanded public transport infrastructure, wider deployment of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tapping-into-the-natural-power-of-plants-for-renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a>, and stronger protection of forests and other natural land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disaster-blame-shapes-climate-views">Disaster blame shapes climate views</h2>



Using a dataset that blended satellite-derived records of natural disasters including storms, floods, fires, and droughts with survey responses from 68 countries, the authors estimated how many citizens had faced each hazard in recent years. They then compared that exposure to stated policy preferences.



The results highlight the psychological weight of attribution - the extent to which respondents believe climate change has intensified local disasters.&nbsp;



“Our data suggest that if individuals attribute extreme weather events to climate change, support for climate policies is higher regardless of whether the events are more frequent,” the scientists explained.



They also conceded that reverse causality is possible: environmentally minded citizens may be more inclined to blame climate change for a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-we-outrun-the-flood-risks-of-climate-change/">flood</a> or heatwave.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biggest-supporters-of-climate-policies">Biggest supporters of climate policies</h2>



Taxation remains a tough sell. “Increasing carbon taxes received the lowest support, with only 22 percent and 29 percent of people, respectively, indicating they very much supported increased taxes on carbon-intensive foods and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-warnings-fossil-fuels-are-causing-climate-health-and-biodiversity-crises/">fossil fuels</a>,” the authors wrote.



“Protecting forested and land areas, by contrast, was a popular policy option. Eighty-two percent supported it very much and only three percent not supporting it at all.” 



Renewables ranked second, drawing strong approval from three in four respondents. Demographic factors moderated these views. 



“Participants who identified as men, were younger, more religious, had higher education, higher income, left-leaning politics, and who lived in urban areas were more likely to support climate policies,” the researchers explained.



Such patterns echo earlier work on environmental attitudes but gain statistical heft when paired with hard numbers on disaster exposure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-disasters-matter-more">Some disasters matter more</h2>



Support was highest across Africa and Asia, middle of the pack in Australia, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom, and below average in parts of Europe such as Czechia, Finland, and Norway.



To better understand why some disasters sway opinion more than others, the team examined the “management potential” of each event type.



Heatwaves and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/are-bomb-cyclones-increasing-due-to-climate-change/">cyclones</a>, they argue, lend themselves to engineering solutions - irrigation or seawalls - so citizens may associate them more closely with concrete policy interventions.



“One possible explanation is that these types of extreme weather events allow for management strategies that can directly reduce the hazard itself,” the scientists noted, listing measures like “flood protections, irrigation systems, prescribed burn-offs, and land-use policies.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-perception-shapes-climate-response">Perception shapes climate response</h2>



Another key takeaway: simply living through a disaster does not automatically translate into greener voting habits. For most hazard categories, raw exposure showed little correlation with climate policy support unless people also perceived a climate link.



The authors pointed out that attribution varies dramatically around the world. In South America - particularly Brazil and Colombia - people overwhelmingly agree that storms and heatwaves are climate-driven. 



Northern Europe and much of Africa report lower attribution levels, mirroring polls that find limited awareness of anthropogenic climate change in those regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disasters-demand-climate-framing">Disasters demand climate framing</h2>



The paper suggests that effective climate messaging should draw explicit connections between local disasters and broader warming trends, especially in places where that mental bridge is weak. 



At the same time, communication campaigns must navigate skepticism toward carbon pricing by highlighting co-benefits of renewables or ecosystem protection.



The authors caution that their results do not prove causation in a strict sense, but the statistical associations are robust across thousands of survey responses and multiple modeling approaches.



They call for follow-up studies focused on how to communicate about lesser-known hazards. These include prolonged droughts and slow-onset sea level rise, which citizens may not instinctively link to climate change.



Finally, the experts stress that policy design must account for demographic and cultural nuances. For officials drafting climate plans after a devastating storm, the lesson is clear. 



The public’s willingness to pay for mitigation will hinge not only on their lived experience but also on whether they see that storm as another symptom of a warming planet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02372-4">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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Connecting disasters to climate change drives public action

A global team of researchers has delivered new evidence that...

Ozempic,Insulin,Injection,Pen,Or,Insulin,Cartridge,Pen,For,Diabetics.

A once‑weekly injection of semaglutide or tirzepatide has become the hottest ticket in obesity care. Pharmacies struggle to keep the GLP-1 pens in stock, and billboards promise effortless appetite control. 



A new analysis out of the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a> shows the scale of the catch: most users are back at their starting weight roughly a year after the last dose of GLP-1.



“These drugs are very effective at helping you lose weight, but when you stop them, weight regain is much faster than after stopping diets,” said <a href="https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/team/susan-jebb" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Susan Jebb</a>, professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-glp-1-drugs-work">Why GLP‑1 drugs work</h2>



A class of medicines called <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GLP‑1 receptor agonists</a> mimics a gut hormone that slows stomach emptying and tells the brain that the tank is full. Semaglutide and tirzepatide also dampen reward signals linked to food, so cravings fade.



Clinical trials report average losses of 15 percent body weight in about 68 weeks when the injections are paired with nutrition counseling. Participants often see blood‑pressure and cholesterol numbers improve alongside the shrinking waistline.



Both drugs amplify insulin release after meals, lowering glucose swings that can drive hunger. At higher doses they carve out a new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-extracts-may-help-treat-metabolic-syndrome/">metabolic</a> set point, convincing the body that the lighter figure is normal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-if-you-stop-glp-1">What happens if you stop GLP-1</h2>



The Oxford team pooled data from 11 studies covering 6,370 adults and found that pounds crept back at roughly 1.5 each month once treatment ended. 



Within ten months the typical participant regained 18 pounds, erasing the 17‑pound loss recorded at the final clinic visit.



In trials of the newer, stronger agents, the bounce‑back was just as swift. The <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SURMOUNT‑1 study</a> showed a 21 percent weight drop on tirzepatide, yet follow‑up revealed nearly half of that loss returned in the first year after discontinuation.



Researchers see two forces at work. First, hunger hormones roar back to pre‑treatment levels within weeks, leaving people suddenly ravenous. Second, many patients never practiced portion control while medicated, so they lack habits that cushion the transition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-drug-discontinuation-vs-quitting-a-diet">Drug discontinuation vs. quitting a diet</h2>



Stopping a calorie‑restricted diet is also linked to regain, but the slope is gentler. 



A 2023 <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36974678/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">meta‑analysis</a> of behavioral weight‑management programs showed that participants took at least five years to drift back to baseline. Lifestyle plans demand daily choices, and those routines appear to leave a longer‑lasting imprint.



“It shouldn’t surprise anyone if people regain weight having used GLP‑1 drugs without seriously attempting to improve their lifestyle,” said <a href="https://www.elevatearena.com/london/speakers/tam-fry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tam Fry</a> of the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27316564/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Obesity Forum</a>, offering blunt criticism.&nbsp;



“They’re going to need psychological, nutritional, and behavior change support from that moment on to help them sustain healthier behavior,” noted <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/jane-ogden" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jane Ogden</a>, a health psychologist at the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Surrey</a>, explaining that counseling must start the moment a prescription ends.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-policy-dilemma-for-health-systems">Policy dilemma for health systems</h2>



Britain’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (<a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NICE</a>) limits semaglutide coverage to two years inside specialist services. Payers worry that footing the bill for lifelong injections would bust budgets, yet short courses look futile.



In the United States, employers negotiate steep rebates on GLP-1 medications but still face annual costs exceeding twenty thousand dollars per patient. 



Insurers now debate whether maintenance dosing at a lower level could hold the line without breaking the bank.



Clinicians face ethical questions as well. Should a physician start therapy knowing most users will eventually stop and rebound, or withhold the option until longer‑term answers arrive?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-helping-patients-transition-off-glp-1">Helping patients transition off GLP-1</h2>



Obesity specialists increasingly frame GLP‑1 therapy as a bridge rather than a cure. Structured exit plans include gradual dose tapering, monthly check‑ins, and enrollment in digital coaching platforms.



Dietitians encourage a higher protein intake and resistance training to preserve lean mass, which may blunt the metabolic slowdown that follows rapid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-identify-two-key-habits-for-losing-weight-without-dieting-meal-timing/">weight</a> loss. 



Simple self‑monitoring tools, such as a weekly step target or photo‑based food diary, add accountability once pharmacologic restraint disappears.



Group programs modeled on cardiac rehabilitation are being piloted in several NHS trusts. Early reports suggest that peer support helps maintain about three‑quarters of the initial loss at the one‑year mark, though results await formal publication.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-treatment-options">Long‑term treatment options</h2>



Pharmaceutical companies are testing oral GLP‑1 combinations that might be taken indefinitely at a lower cost. A once‑monthly antibody fusion is entering phase 2 trials, aiming to smooth appetite signals without daily injections.



Researchers also explore “set point locking,” using brief courses of appetite suppressants alongside neuromodulation to recalibrate weight‑regulating neural circuits. 



Animal data hint that the brain can adopt a lighter normal if changes in intake and expenditure are synchronized.



Until those ideas mature, many experts advocate shared decision‑making. Patients who accept open‑ended therapy may stay on the shots, while others cycle off with an intensive lifestyle package.



The study is published in <a href="https://karger.com/ofa/article-pdf/doi/10.1159/000545547/4375755/000545547.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Obesity Facts</a>.



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How and why health issues arise when people stop using new weight loss treatments

A once‑weekly injection of semaglutide or tirzepatide has become the...

For decades, researchers have questioned whether boys and girls are born with the same natural ability in math. In 2005, cognitive psychologist Elizabeth Spelke took a firm stand, stating that there are no differences in overall intrinsic aptitude for science and mathematics among women and men.



Now, the evidence is even stronger. In a new study, researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a> and several institutions across France examined math performance in more than 2.5 million French schoolchildren. 



The team found that at the very beginning of first grade, boys and girls start off nearly equal in math. But just four months into formal math instruction, a small gap appears - and it keeps growing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nationwide-study-tracks-the-math-gap">Nationwide study tracks the math gap</h2>



The research draws on a French government testing program that was launched in 2018. This nationwide effort tracked <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reminiscing-can-boost-language-development-in-preschoolers/">language</a> and math skills of young students from first through sixth grade. 



Over five years and across four student cohorts, the program gave researchers an unmatched view of early math development.



At school entry, French girls scored slightly better than boys in language. Math scores, though, were essentially the same. 



"The headline conclusion is that the gender gap emerges when systematic instruction in mathematics begins," Spelke explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-for-gender-differences">Looking for gender differences </h2>



Spelke had already spent decades studying how young children understand numbers and shapes. Back in 2005, she wrote a major review for American Psychologist. The piece challenged the notion that boys are biologically wired for better math performance than girls.



"My argument was, 'OK, if there really were biological differences, maybe we would see them in the infancy period,'" said Spelke. 



She and her team always tracked <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-children-learn-gender-stereotypes-from-storybooks/">gender</a> in their studies, but they never found infant boys outperforming girls in math, or vice versa. Still, Spelke admitted that something could be happening later in development.



"The fact that there are no differences in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/conscious-awareness-when-does-our-sense-of-purpose-emerge/">infants</a> could be because the abilities that show gender effects actually emerge during preschool," she proposed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-math-instruction-for-boys-and-girls">Math instruction for boys and girls</h2>



In recent years, Spelke has turned her attention to how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-better-way-for-kids-to-learn-math/">children learn counting</a> and numbers in real classrooms. 



Spelke partnered with Nobel Prize-winning MIT economist Esther Duflo to advise the Delhi office of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). The team is helping four Indian states create and test math lessons for children in preschool through first grade.



In France, she works alongside her longtime collaborator, neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene. Together, they serve on the French Ministry of Education's Scientific Council, which helped develop the EvalAide testing program. 



The idea was simple: measure where every child stands in math and language and use that data to guide better teaching.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gender-gap-emerges-in-math">Gender gap emerges in math</h2>



For this study, the team analyzed data from four full cohorts of first-graders entering school between 2018 and 2021. 



What they found was consistent: no math gap at the time of school entry, a small but significant gap favoring boys after four months, and a steadily widening gap by second, fourth, and even sixth grade.



"It was even bigger in fourth grade," Spelke said. "And in sixth grade it was bigger still."



Interestingly, the gender gap in language shrank slightly after the first few months of school and stayed relatively stable in later years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ruling-out-old-explanations">Ruling out old explanations</h2>



So why does the math gap grow with time in school? The researchers ruled out several familiar theories.



"If there was really a pervasive social bias, and the parents were susceptible to it, we would expect boys to be more oriented toward spatial and numerical tasks when they first got to school," said Spelke.



But that didn’t happen. At school entry, there was no math gap. This points away from both biological and early social bias explanations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-experiment-during-the-pandemic">An experiment during the pandemic </h2>



The EvalAide dataset offered other insights. French first-graders can be nearly a year apart in age, depending on when their birthday falls. 



The team wondered if the older students were skewing results. They weren’t. The widening gender gap aligned more closely with time spent in school than with age.



Then came an unusual variable: COVID-19. The 2019 cohort missed the final 2.5 months of first grade due to lockdowns. That gap year created a natural experiment.



"With less time in school, the amount of the gender gap grew by less than it did in the other years where there wasn't a long school closure," said Spelke.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-confirming-the-math-gender-gap">Confirming the math gender gap</h2>



The cohort also began school just after a national education crisis. In early 2019, French students had scored <a href="https://www.polytechnique-insights.com/en/braincamps/society/how-to-improve-the-relationship-between-education-and-employment/maths-an-essential-subject-whose-level-is-falling-in-a-majority-of-countries/#:~:text=In%202003%2C%2015%25%20of%20French,European%20average%20of%20527%20points.">lowest</a> among 23 European countries in math, according to international rankings. 



In response, the French Education Ministry - guided by its Scientific Council - called for more math teaching in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-pandemic-setbacks-reduced-kindergarten-readiness/">kindergarten</a>.



Sure enough, a tiny math gender gap appeared in fall 2019 among new first-graders. That gap hadn’t shown up in 2018 but was still present in 2020 and 2021.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-problems-in-early-math-instruction">Problems in early math instruction </h2>



The study doesn't pinpoint a single cause, but its message is clear: differences in math achievement between boys and girls seem to grow as a result of what happens in early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/schools-are-in-a-battle-with-cell-phones-to-keep-students-engaged/">school</a> instruction.



"We still don't know what that is exactly," Spelke said. "But now we have a chance to find out by randomized evaluations of changes to the curriculum."



The findings put pressure on education systems to ask hard questions about how math is taught in the early years - and what needs to change to make it fair for everyone.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09126-4">Nature</a>.



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Early math instruction may unintentionally favor boys

For decades, researchers have questioned whether boys and girls are...

Everyone knows exercise is good. It keeps hearts healthy, muscles strong, and minds calm. But what if it could also help fight cancer?



Scientists at the <a href="https://www.pitt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Pittsburgh</a> found something surprising. Exercise doesn’t just benefit the body. It also changes tiny microbes living inside us. These changes can make cancer treatments work better.



The study connects three things: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-in-a-pill-is-now-closer-to-reality/">exercise</a>, the gut microbiome, and cancer treatment success. For years, researchers knew exercise helped cancer therapies. They also knew exercise altered gut bacteria. But no one connected those dots before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-changes-gut-to-fight-cancer">Exercise changes gut to fight cancer</h2>



“We already knew that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/to-get-fit-and-stay-healthy-walk-this-exact-distance-every-day/">exercise</a> increases the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapies, and we separately knew that exercise changes the microbiome in mice and humans,” said Dr. Marlies Meisel, senior author of the research paper.



“This study connects those dots by showing how exercise-induced changes in the gut microbiome boost the immune system and enhance immunotherapy efficiency via formate. These findings open the door to new therapeutic strategies targeting the microbiome.”



In simpler terms, exercise reshapes the gut in ways that make cancer drugs work better. The team started by comparing two groups of mice. One group got plenty of exercise for four weeks, while the other group did not move much at all.



When cancer cells were introduced, the differences from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/studies-learn-the-exact-amount-of-time-you-should-spend-training-to-build-muscle/">exercise</a> became clear. The exercise group had smaller cancer tumors. They also lived longer.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gut-microbes-drive-cancer-protection">Gut microbes drive cancer protection</h2>



In a surprising twist, when the researchers wiped out the mice’s gut bacteria using antibiotics, exercise no longer helped.



“When we removed microbes from the equation, exercise no longer had any effect on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-sleep-times-linked-to-enhanced-activity-during-the-day/">cancer</a> outcomes in mice,” said Catherine Phelps, lead author of the study.



“We were surprised to see such a clear signal that the beneficial effects of exercise were due to the microbiome.”



That discovery flipped everything upside down. It wasn’t just exercise itself. It was the gut bacteria that responded to exercise and made the difference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gut-compound-linked-to-exercise">Gut compound linked to exercise </h2>



Next, the team looked deeper. What was it about those bacteria that helped? It wasn’t the bacteria alone. It was their chemical products.



The scientists used a machine learning tool called SLIDE to hunt for answers. SLIDE identified a surprising hero. That hero was formate.



This simple molecule, made by gut microbes, changed everything. Formate supercharged immune cells known as CD8 T cells. These are the body’s main cancer fighters.



When mice were given formate directly, their tumors shrank. They also survived longer. And when researchers paired formate with cancer immunotherapy, results improved even more.



“It’s really exciting to identify a specific bacterial metabolite that mimicked the effects of exercise in mice,” said Meisel.



“In the future, formate could potentially be investigated as an adjuvant therapy to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-responders.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-research-on-cancer-and-exercise">Research on cancer and exercise </h2>



Mouse studies on exercise and cancer were exciting, but humans matter more. So, the researchers studied cancer patients with advanced melanoma. 



The researchers checked the patients’ blood for formate. Those with more formate had better cancer treatment results.



Then came another clever test. The team collected stool samples from these patients. The samples went to mice with melanoma.



Some mice received stool from patients with high formate levels. Others got stool from patients with low formate.



The cancer outcome was clear. Mice that received high-formate samples from exercise-linked donors fought cancer better. Their immune systems kicked into gear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-gut-microbes-work-better">Some gut microbes work better</h2>



Fecal microbial transplants, or FMT, are already being studied to help cancer treatments. But nobody fully understands why some donor samples work better than others.



“We want to describe metabolic biomarkers to identify FMT super donors because that’s really a black box,” said Meisel.



“Currently everyone focuses on bacterial species, but our research suggests that it’s not just about which microbes are present, but what they are doing and which metabolites they are producing.”



That’s a big shift in thinking. Instead of worrying about which bacteria live in the gut, it may be smarter to focus on what chemicals those bacteria make.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-ways-exercise-may-help-fight-cancer">New ways exercise may help fight cancer</h2>



This research opens many new doors. Meisel and her team now wonder if exercise-triggered gut changes can help with other diseases too. 



The researchers are especially curious about autoimmune disorders. They also want to know how exercise actually transforms the gut microbiome in the first place.



One thing is certain. Exercise is more powerful than it seems in cancer care. It doesn't just move muscles or burn calories. It also changes gut chemistry, which may someday improve cancer treatments.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/abstract/S0092-8674(25)00684-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell</a>.



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Exercise helps fight cancer by changing gut microbes

Everyone knows exercise is good. It keeps hearts healthy, muscles...

Walk into any drugstore or open TikTok - everywhere you look, skin care products are calling your name. They promise miracles - clear <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-skins-bacteria-could-be-a-natural-sunscreen/">skin</a>, no wrinkles, no acne. But how do you know what works, especially now, with summer heating up?



Here’s the problem. The more products there are, the harder it gets to make sense of it all. You try one cream, then another, but still don't know what to choose. Luckily, a new study cuts through the noise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ingredients-for-common-skin-problems">Ingredients for common skin problems</h2>



A research team at Northwestern University <a href="https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Feinberg School of Medicine</a> set out to clarify skin care confusion. 



They identified ingredients that dermatologists most often recommend for seven common skin concerns. The study helps bridge the gap between marketing claims and actual results.



The project was led by Dr. Murad Alam, an expert in dermatology at Northwestern. His research provides a much-needed foundation for consumers seeking trustworthy information. 



According to the study, one of the most highly recommended ingredients is <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/mineral-vs-chemical-sunscreen" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mineral sunscreen</a>. It shields skin from wrinkles, redness, and dryness. 



<a href="https://www.henryford.com/blog/2022/10/what-you-need-to-know-about-retinoids" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Retinoids</a>, derived from vitamin A, also earned strong endorsements. Dermatologists trust them to reduce acne, wrinkles, dark spots, large pores, and oily skin.



The full study lists ingredients matched to specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-tech-will-track-emotions-through-changes-in-our-skin/">skin</a> problems. These findings allow consumers to focus on what works best for their unique needs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-selecting-the-most-effective-ingredients">Selecting the most effective ingredients</h2>



This study isn’t based on guesses. It followed a method called <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/delphi-method.asp">Delphi consensus</a> - a fancy name for a simple process. Experts rate ingredients, talk about them, and then rate them again.



Dozens of dermatologists took part. They gave each ingredient a score from 1 to 9. Then they discussed the results. After a second round of scoring, only the top-rated ingredients stayed on the list.



“This is the first time experts have come together nationally to cut through the overwhelming number of skin care options,” said Dr. Alam. 



“We wanted to help both doctors and everyday users understand which ingredients are backed by the most expert support.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fewer-skin-care-products-work-best">Fewer skin care products work best</h2>



Many people assume that using more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-c-promotes-skin-renewal-and-anti-aging-at-the-genetic-level-dna-demethylation/">products</a> leads to better results - a cleanser here, a serum there, and a moisturizer on top. It seems like more effort should mean better skin.



Dr. Alam strongly disagrees. “Using too many products can irritate your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teen-skin-bacteria-could-hold-the-secret-to-acne-prevention/">skin</a> and make things <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-plastics-chemical-bpa-linked-to-autism-adhd-in-children/">worse</a>,” he said. “It’s about knowing which ingredients are most effective for your specific concerns and are best for your routine.”



This matters, especially now, with social media hyping endless skin routines. Simplicity works best. Too many layers may backfire. Your skin doesn’t need a ten-step routine. It needs smart choices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-skin-care-products-are-not-strictly-tested">Skin care products are not strictly tested</h2>



There's another reason this study is noteworthy: skincare products aren’t held to the same rigorous standards as medications. 



While drugs must pass strict testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, your favorite serum typically bypasses that level of scrutiny.



Dr. Alam noted that most cosmetic products lack scientific review. This study fills that gap. The purpose is simple - give people a clearer path to healthier skin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simplify-your-skin-care-routine-nbsp">Simplify your skin care routine&nbsp;</h2>



Summer has fully arrived, bringing longer, hotter days along with plenty of sun exposure. This season often leads to more sweating, increased oiliness, and various skin problems such as breakouts, redness, and dryness. 



It is a time when your skin needs extra care and protection, but that does not mean you need a complicated routine. This is the perfect moment to simplify how you take care of your skin. 



Dermatologists recommend focusing only on ingredients that are backed by strong research and expert agreement, such as mineral sunscreen and retinoids. These ingredients have been shown to work effectively for many skin concerns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stick-with-what-works">Stick with what works</h2>



It is easy to get distracted by every new product that appears in stores or on social media. However, constantly switching between trendy products can do more harm than good. 



Instead, stick with what works. Choose the ingredients that dermatologists trust. Be consistent with your routine and, over time, your skin will show improvements.



New products will continue to appear in beauty stores. Brands will keep releasing items that promise fast results. But now, you can make smarter choices by focusing on proven solutions instead of getting caught up in every trend.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(25)00612-7/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology</a>.



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These are the very best skin care ingredients, according to an in-depth national study

Walk into any drugstore or open TikTok - everywhere you...

Wheat is a major part of our diet, especially in the form of bread. But not all wheat is the same - and the way in which it’s grown, processed, and baked affects the nutrients that are present in it.



Until now, the wheat industry has mostly focused on boosting yields, reducing inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, and ensuring good baking quality. 



What often gets overlooked, however, is that wheat can also be a valuable source of nutrients. In fact, it contributes over 20% to the global supply of fiber, minerals, and trace elements, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (<a href="https://www.fao.org/home/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FAO</a>).



But getting more nutrition out of wheat isn’t just about planting a different variety. It involves the entire chain - all the way from the field to the oven.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-bread-nutrition-the-basics">Understanding bread nutrition - the basics</h2>



Bread can be surprisingly diverse when it comes to nutrition. A slice of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5310957/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">whole grain bread</a>, for instance, can pack a good amount of fiber, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-b-paradox-supplement-linked-to-heart-disease-risk/">B vitamins</a>, iron, magnesium, and complex carbs. These nutrients help regulate blood sugar, support digestion, and provide long-lasting energy. 



On the flip side, white bread - made from refined flour - loses much of that fiber and many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/micronutrient-deficiency-rates-are-soaring-worldwide/">micronutrients</a> during processing. Manufacturers often enrich it to add some of those nutrients back, but it still doesn’t match the nutritional punch of whole grain varieties.



The kind of bread you eat matters, but so does how much. Bread is a carb-heavy food, and while carbs aren't the enemy, overdoing them - especially if the bread is low in fiber - can spike your blood sugar and leave you hungrier sooner. 



If you're aiming for a more nutritious option, look for loaves with at least 3 grams of fiber and minimal added sugar. Bonus points for sprouted grains, seeds, or sourdough, which can improve digestion and nutrient absorption.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-characteristics-of-wheat-varieties">Characteristics of wheat varieties </h2>



Scientists at the <a href="https://www.uni-hohenheim.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Hohenheim</a> and the University Medical Center at the <a href="https://www.uni-mainz.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Mainz</a> teamed up with four wheat breeding companies to study how wheat’s nutritional value can be improved across the whole value chain.



Over five years, they recorded more than 6,000 traits across 282 wheat varieties and 400 breeding lines.



Dr. Friedrich Longin is director of the Wheat Department at the <a href="https://lsa.uni-hohenheim.de/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">State Plant Breeding Institute</a> and coordinator of the <a href="https://lsa.uni-hohenheim.de/en/betterwheat_en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Betterwheat project</a>.



“The unique thing about the project was the holistic view of variety characteristics along the entire value chain,” explained Dr. Longin.



“In addition to important characteristics for successful cultivation, several dozen processing characteristics for bakeries were considered, as well as important ingredients and proteins that could be important for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/proper-nutrition-in-the-first-1000-days-of-life-is-crucial/">human</a> nutrition.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-wheat-just-has-more-nutrients">Some wheat just has more nutrients</h2>



The wheat varieties were tested in different environments across Europe to measure how both breeding and growing conditions influence the traits of the wheat.



“This allows us to estimate the extent of the influence of breeding, but also that of the growing environment, on these many traits,” noted Dr. Johannes Schacht, senior wheat breeder at <a href="https://www.limagrain.com/en">Limagrain</a> GmbH.



One of the team's main goals was to understand how nutrient levels vary between wheat types. They tested about 800 wheat samples for 13 key minerals and trace elements like iron and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/calcium-zinc-are-keys-to-healthier-pregnancy/">zinc</a> - nutrients that are important for immunity, metabolism, and cell health.



“We were able to determine that the nutrient content in different wheat varieties varies greatly - and can fluctuate by up to 50%,” stated Dr. Longin.



“Our trials also show that the nutrients in wheat can be combined well with the required baking qualities in terms of breeding. These correlated positively with the protein content and dough properties.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-wheat-nutrient-content">Measuring wheat nutrient content</h2>



To apply this research practically, the scientists explored how to quickly measure nutrient content in wheat. 



One method, x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry, could be a game changer. It scans wheat with X-rays and, based on prior calibrations, provides fast, reliable nutrient readings.



“In order to use this knowledge in practice, xrf fluorescence spectrometry is a method that can be used to measure the nutrient content in wheat quickly and reliably,” explained Dr. Longin.



But using this technology widely would require investment. “This is only possible if the additional work is also paid for,” he added.



And there’s another catch: boosting wheat’s nutrition only makes a difference if people eat more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/refined-grains-increase-the-risk-of-heart-disease/">whole grains</a> or at least <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chocolate-with-less-sugar-still-tastes-great-with-a-secret-ingredient/">flours</a> with high type numbers (1050 and up). 



That’s because most nutrients are in the outer layers of the grain, which are lost in refined flours like types 405, 550, and 812.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bakers-make-wheat-digestible">Bakers make wheat digestible</h2>



Even if wheat is nutrient-rich, our bodies might not absorb those nutrients unless the bread is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/freezing-bread-could-make-it-healthier/">baked</a> the right way.



“The healthy ingredients in wheat are bound in phytic acid. However, this acid cannot be digested and is excreted along with the beneficial nutrients,” said Dr. Longin.



So the researchers partnered with artisan bakers to test four common baking methods. One technique stood out: combining a long dough cycle with sourdough. 



“We found that the phytic acid is almost completely broken down during this baking process, making the ingredients available to the body,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-better-bread-starts-with-better-choices">Better bread starts with better choices</h2>



From field to bakery, everyone involved in wheat production can help improve the nutritional value of bread. But it starts with us.



“All partners in the wheat value chain can influence the nutritional content of bread,” said Dr. Longin. "However, clear priorities must be set: first of all, we consumers should eat more whole grains." 



"This should then be baked with a long leavening process, and only then does breeding and targeted grain trading make sense in order to further optimize the nutrient profile."



Wheat offers more than just <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-almonds-can-help-you-cut-calories/">calories</a>. With the right science, baking methods, and consumer choices, it can play a much bigger role in a healthy diet.



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Study reveals how to make wheat bread even healthier while also improving taste

Wheat is a major part of our diet, especially in...

Everyone talks about mindfulness these days. People say it helps with stress, improves sleep, and makes life calmer. But here is a question: can meditation actually sharpen your focus? Turns out, it can.



A new study from the <a href="https://gero.usc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology</a> reveals something surprising: just thirty days of guided mindfulness meditation can change how quickly and accurately people focus. Age does not seem to matter here.



This is not about feelings or guesswork. Researchers used eye tracking, a tool that shows exactly where your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-is-a-powerful-weapon-against-chronic-pain/">attention</a> goes. 



“This study shows that mindfulness isn’t just about feeling more relaxed - it can literally change the way your brain handles attention,” said Andy Jeesu Kim, the study’s first author. “And that’s incredibly important for maintaining cognitive health as we age.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-focus-fades-with-age">Why focus fades with age</h2>



As people get older, their brains <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-can-rapidly-reduce-ptsd-without-revisiting-trauma/">slow down</a>. They do not react as fast. Distractions take over easily.



This happens because of a brain system called the locus coeruleus–noradrenaline system. It controls attention, memory, and alertness - and it weakens with age.



Professor Mara Mather from the USC Leonard Davis School has studied this system for years. She found connections between its decline and early Alzheimer’s disease.



Earlier research hinted that mindfulness could strengthen this brain system. Meditation might boost areas that help with focus. But no one had tested this idea using precise eye-tracking methods - until now.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meditation-s-effect-on-focus">Meditation’s effect on focus</h2>



The researchers did not just ask people how mindful they felt. They watched their eyes when they recruited 69 people. Some were young adults. Others were middle-aged or older.



Half of the group practiced mindfulness meditation using the Headspace app. Just 10 to 15 minutes each day. The other half listened to an audiobook for the same amount of time.



Three times, participants visited the lab. They did visual tasks that measured how fast and accurately they could focus. Their eyes revealed everything. Every glance, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meditation-rewires-the-emotional-centers-of-the-brain/">distraction</a>, or quick decision.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-attention-improves-with-practice">Attention improves with practice</h2>



After a month of mindfulness meditation, something changed. People began reacting faster - their eyes moved directly to the right target, they ignored distractions more easily, and it didn’t matter how old they were.



“We expected older adults to benefit the most, but we found that mindfulness improved attention similarly across young, middle-aged, and older adults,” Kim said. “This suggests mindfulness can be a useful tool at any stage of life.”



Oddly, when the participants filled out mindfulness questionnaires, their answers did not change much. They did not <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-meditation-and-critical-thinking-matter-in-the-age-of-ai/">feel</a> different. Their brains, however, told a different story.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-second-test-backs-meditation">Second test backs meditation</h2>



The findings did not end there. Another study backed them up. Once again, participants practiced mindfulness meditation using Headspace for 30 days. 



The researchers tracked their eye movements while they performed attention tasks, examining both proactive focus and reactive responses. Reaction times improved again. People’s eyes became quicker - regardless of age.



However, not every gain came from meditation. Some improvements likely came from practicing the task itself. But meditation clearly sped up their visual attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meditation-works-quietly">Meditation works quietly</h2>



The second study confirmed something interesting. Meditation did not boost self-reported mindfulness. People did not feel much different.



But their eyes told a different tale. They reacted faster, spotted targets quicker, and showed subtle changes in focus.



This tells us something crucial. You might not notice the benefits of meditation right away. Yet your brain could already be working better in the background.



Both studies found that age did not limit the benefits. Young, middle-aged, or older, everyone improved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sharper-focus-for-daily-needs">Sharper focus for daily needs</h2>



People often think mindfulness is just about peace and calm. But these studies reveal something bigger.



Mindfulness can sharpen the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/action-observation-network-human-brain-perception-see-what-we-expect-to-see-mind-eye/">brain</a>’s attention. This affects everyday activities. Driving. Reading. Holding a conversation. Even crossing the street.



Sure, the audiobook group also improved a little. That is likely because they practiced the task more. But the meditation group improved faster and more clearly.



Mindfulness does not just make people feel calmer. It changes how the brain works with attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-meditation">Future research on meditation</h2>



The researchers are not done yet. They want to see what happens with longer mindfulness meditation programs. Could more time bring stronger results? They are also curious whether these quick gains stick around long term.



“We’re excited about the potential of digital mindfulness interventions to help people support their brain health,” Kim said. “It’s simple, low-cost, and widely accessible. The key is consistency.”



Mindfulness may seem small. Just a few minutes a day. But it is clear. It can quietly improve your brain’s focus, no matter your age. And all it takes is a little patience and practice.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.eneuro.org/content/early/2025/06/26/ENEURO.0356-23.2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eNeuro</a>.



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Mindfulness meditation can rewire your brain for sharper focus

Everyone talks about mindfulness these days. People say it helps...

People often judge a business by the smile or frown that greets them. Researchers following 401 hotel workers found that customer courtesy triggers extra helping behavior and sharper service outcomes. The authors observed that polite guests lifted staff morale and trimmed response times in real time.



“The results demonstrated that customer courtesy positively influenced prosocial service behavior, and organization-based self-esteem mediated this relationship,” reported the team led by <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Pan-Cuicui" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cuicui Pan</a>, a hospitality researcher from <a href="https://www.ysu.ac.kr/eng/Main.do" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Youngsan University</a> in Busan, South Korea.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-customer-courtesy-matters">Why customer courtesy matters</h2>



Good service is rarely one‑sided. When guests act with respect, employees mirror that tone and channel it into <a href="https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/prosocial-behavior" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prosocial service behavior</a>, the voluntary acts that go beyond formal job duties.



Front‑desk agents who fetch a phone charger unasked or servers who walk an elderly guest to the elevator fall into this category. 



Such gestures are <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.698027/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">linked</a> to higher guest satisfaction and stronger return intent according to a multi‑hotel survey on employee citizenship.



The study shows kindness is not just decorum, it is a practical resource. Courteous interaction appears to replenish emotional energy depleted by shift work and customer demands.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-of-courteous-exchange">The science of courteous exchange</h2>



Customer courtesy works partly by boosting <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278431917304930" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">organization-based self-esteem</a>, or how valuable workers feel inside their company. Staff who sense that value are more eager to solve problems, greet newcomers, and protect the brand image.



Pan’s team found that self‑esteem carried about half of the total influence of customer kindness on employee helping. 



Put simply, a warm “thank you” told staff their skills mattered, and they responded by raising the bar for everyone else on the floor.



Those gains were most obvious among <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/employees-need-vacations-to-fully-disengage-from-work/">employees</a> who naturally paid close attention to work‑related cues. Here, the researchers introduced focus of attention at work, a trait describing how much mental bandwidth people devote to the job while on duty.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-attention-shapes-the-loop">Attention shapes the loop</h2>



Workers high in this focus noticed polite behavior quickly. As a result, the link between courtesy and self‑esteem grew stronger for them than for distracted peers.



The same high‑focus group also converted self‑esteem into extra service with greater force. That pattern suggests training programs that teach mindfulness on the job could multiply the returns of every gracious guest interaction.



Conversely, low‑focus employees let many positive cues slip past. They gained less confidence from friendly customers and served them with standard effort rather than the discretionary sparkle hotel brands crave.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-customer-courtesy-has-ripple-effects">Customer courtesy has ripple effects</h2>



Kindness benefits do not stop with staff feelings. An engaged, enthusiastic team “leads to satisfied guests who trust the brand, return frequently, and recommend it to others,” notes an industry analysis by <a href="https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/employee-engagement-method-hospitality-success" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EHL Graduate School</a>.



Repeat visits and free word‑of‑mouth represent concrete revenue, especially in a sector where acquisition costs are high and margins tight. 



Service studies consistently show that guests remember acts of care more vividly than décor upgrades or app features.



The inverse is also true: verbal hostility undercuts morale and performance. A 2022 retail‑bank <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211973622001362" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiment</a> found that customer insults reduced job satisfaction and effort across the shift that followed.



Pan’s findings help explain both sides of the ledger. Courtesy feeds self‑esteem, which fuels helping; incivility drains it, pushing employees toward withdrawal or turnover.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practical-steps-for-managers">Practical steps for managers</h2>



Front‑line leaders can nudge the cycle in the right direction by celebrating polite guest behavior publicly. Shout‑outs in daily briefings or digital leaderboards remind staff that management notices when kindness flows in their direction.



Hotels might also design subtle cues that invite courtesy, such as thank‑you cards on check‑in counters. Research on behavioral nudges shows that priming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-who-keep-their-cell-phones-on-silent-mode-share-similar-psychological-traits/">people</a> with polite language increases civil conduct throughout the encounter.



Onboarding programs should teach new hires how to recognize and savor positive guest feedback. A brief reflection exercise after each shift can lock those moments into memory and enlarge their esteem‑building impact.



Finally, managers can screen for high focus of attention using short validated questionnaires. Applicants who naturally stay mentally present at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/practical-guide-overcoming-burnout-maintain-workplace-mental-health/">work</a> will reap even bigger gains from a courteous clientele.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-research-goes-next">Where research goes next</h2>



Pan’s project sampled South Korean hotels, a context steeped in cultural norms of respect. Future studies should test whether the same dynamics hold in more informal service cultures.



The digital service boom also raises questions. Do emojis and chat bubbles convey enough warmth to trigger the esteem loop for contact‑center agents and delivery couriers?



Longitudinal data could reveal whether habitual kindness from guests stabilizes self‑esteem over months, shielding staff from occasional rude outbursts. 



Such insights would help firms weigh the cost of civility training for customers against the value of lower turnover and better reviews.



-----



Pan’s colleague <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kFQiEfsAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hyung‑Min Choi</a>, Assistant Professor at the <a href="https://www.ysu.ac.kr/eng/CMS/Contents/Contents.do?mCode=MN095" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of Foodservice Management at Youngsan University</a>, co‑authored the work.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/14/9/736" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Behavioral Sciences</a>.



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Study shows that customer kindness transforms service quality and job satisfaction

People often judge a business by the smile or frown...

Horses are helping fill a major gap in mental health care for children. With long waitlists and limited success from traditional talk therapy, many kids are still falling through the cracks. 



For some, sitting in a therapist’s office just doesn’t work. But therapy sessions held outdoors, with horses as part of the team, are starting to make a real difference.



A recent study from the <a href="https://www.unisa.edu.au/">University of South Australia</a> shows that equine-assisted therapy is shifting the way social workers support children. The research highlights the experiences of ten professionals already using horses to connect with kids in powerful ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-horse-therapy-in-nature">Horse therapy in nature</h2>



Equine-assisted interventions (EAI) are a form of therapy that brings children and horses together in natural, outdoor settings. 



The sessions are led by trained <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-reduces-depression-and-anxiety-in-children-and-teens-with-mental-health-issues/">mental health</a> professionals working alongside experienced equine practitioners. And the results, according to those involved, can be transformative.



The study found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supportive-adults-help-protect-children-from-mental-health-issues/">children</a> often connect more easily in this environment than they do in traditional therapy rooms. The calm of nature, the presence of horses, and the physical space to move and breathe - these all contribute to a sense of safety and openness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-children-trust-horses">Children trust horses</h2>



Morgyn Stacy, a University of South Australia Social Work graduate who led the study as part of her Honors project, noted that conventional talk therapy doesn’t work for every child.



“But give them the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-nature-heals-outdoor-activities-greatly-improve-mental-health/">space</a> to be outside, to connect with a horse, and something powerful happens. They begin to feel safe, calm, and ready to open up,” noted Stacy.



The connection doesn’t happen by chance. Horses are naturally sensitive to human emotions and body language. 



The horses reflect the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/words-shape-how-our-brains-process-feelings-and-guide-decisions/">feelings</a> of the child standing next to them. This mirroring effect can help children understand and manage their emotions in ways they haven’t before.



One practitioner in the study described the experience as “being seen through the eyes of a horse,” a kind of connection that can shift something deep inside a child.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extended-benefits-of-horse-therapy">Extended benefits of horse therapy</h2>



Therapists working in these settings don’t just use the horses - they also use the land. Sessions might include walking barefoot in sand, noticing animal tracks, or standing quietly with a horse. These simple activities help children feel grounded and present.



"The benefits go beyond mental health," said Stacy. "Children often gain confidence, improve communication skills, and build stronger emotional resilience."



Some kids even come in afraid of horses. Therapists help them work through those fears by matching them with the right animal. And when a child overcomes that fear, it becomes a confidence boost they can carry into other areas of life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-horses-can-help-kids-with-trauma">Horses can help kids with trauma</h2>



Dr. Fatin Shabbar, a senior researcher at the University of South Australia and a qualified social worker, said this approach can be especially helpful for children who have experienced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/childhood-trauma-can-cause-physical-pain-in-late-life/">trauma</a>, such as those in the child protection system.



"Practitioners in the study described deeply moving examples of children bonding with horses in ways that sparked emotional breakthroughs where other therapies had failed," said Dr. Shabbar.



But this kind of therapy isn’t widely available. It costs a lot to care for horses and maintain rural therapy spaces. Without funding support - from programs like the NDIS or child protection services - many families just can’t afford it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-need-for-recognition-and-guidelines">Need for recognition and guidelines</h2>



Despite its potential, equine-assisted therapy still faces major roadblocks. The absence of national standards in Australia means there's no consistent guarantee of practitioner training - raising serious concerns about the safety of both children and animals.



"Another concern is the lack of regulation in Australia," said Dr. Shabbar. "Without clear guidelines, unqualified practitioners may offer equine-assisted services without appropriate training, which puts both children and the animals at risk."



Even highly qualified professionals face an uphill battle. The therapy isn’t formally recognized as evidence-based in many settings.



"This research shows that equine-assisted therapy can be a deeply healing experience. But for it to reach more children, we need formal recognition, ethical guidelines and proper funding," noted the authors of the study. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-what-healing-looks-like">Rethinking what healing looks like</h2>



This study isn’t just about horses. It’s about expanding how we think about healing. It’s about listening to the people on the ground - therapists, social workers, and most importantly, the kids - who are saying that there’s another way to do things.



With the right support, equine-assisted therapy could become more than a niche offering. It could become a trusted option for children who need something different, something real, and something that works.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02650533.2025.2495741">Journal of Social Work Practice</a>.



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Therapy horses are helping children heal from trauma

Horses are helping fill a major gap in mental health...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
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On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" 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> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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