What we eat is not just about hunger. Meals carry culture, habits, and values. They shape how we see ourselves and how others see us. 



Our diets also shape the world we live in. Animal agriculture drives climate change, damages ecosystems, and raises questions about health and ethics.



Scientists agree that cutting down on meat and dairy is one of the fastest ways to reduce harm. Yet progress is uneven. 



Men, in particular, resist plant-based eating more than women. Why? A new study offers an answer, pointing to masculinity as a hidden driver of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/low-carb-or-low-fat-food-quality-is-more-important-for-heart-health/">food choices</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-men-resist-dietary-change">Why men resist dietary change</h2>



The research was conducted by teams at the University of Bath, Bryant Research, and the <a href="https://www.uzh.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Zurich</a>. 



The team examined links between gender norms and food. The researchers asked a tough question: how can plant-based diets be marketed to men without clashing with their sense of identity?



“Animal agriculture is key culprit of environmental degradation, public health risks, and animal suffering. Reducing meat and animal product <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-identify-two-key-habits-for-losing-weight-without-dieting-meal-timing/">consumption</a> is widely recognized as an effective way to mitigate these harms," said Dr Annayah Prosser of the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bath</a> School of Management.



"However, men continue to consume more meat than women, are less likely to be vegetarian or vegan, and are more resistant to initiatives that promote reductions in meat consumption.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-masculinity-at-the-table">Masculinity at the table</h2>



The study surveyed over 1,000 men in the UK. The results showed a clear trend: the more men embraced traditional masculine traits, the more meat they ate.



This wasn’t only about taste. Men attached meaning to meat. For many, meat stood for strength, self-reliance, and even cultural pride. Vegetarianism, on the other hand, looked like a threat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-traits-shaping-men-s-diet">Traits shaping men’s diet</h2>



The researchers measured six traits: avoidance of femininity, emotional restraint, aggression, achievement status, self-reliance, and attitudes toward sex. Not all carried the same weight. Two stood out as the biggest predictors of high meat <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/popular-diet-restricting-calories-can-lead-to-mood-emotional-slumps-especially-in-men/">consumption</a>.



“Beyond the well-known link between masculinity and meat, our study identified two masculine norms that may drive this connection: ‘avoidance of femininity’ and ‘achievement status,'" said study lead author Elise Hankins of <a href="https://bryantresearch.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bryant Research</a>.



"Men endorsing these specific norms tended to eat more meat, were more attached to meat and dairy, viewed vegetarianism as a threat to British culture and found meat more masculine."



Hsnkins said that in order to shift men’s diets, the challenge is to address these norms and find ways to work with - not against - men’s identities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-men-s-contradictory-diet-views">Men’s contradictory diet views</h2>



Surveys showed numbers, but conversations told a more complicated story. In online focus groups, men often contradicted themselves.



 Many men insisted gender had nothing to do with their food choices. Minutes later, they described how friends, families, or peers influenced what ended up on their plates.



“Men in our focus groups were conflicted over the role masculinity played in their meat consumption. At first, many men wholly dismissed the role their gender had over their diet, but minutes later they would speak about the vast influences their social network and male peer group had on their menu choices,” said Dr Prosser.



“Researchers understand that eating is a fundamentally social activity, and our research shows that while men may not wish to recognise it overtly, masculinity has a major covert influence on dietary choices.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-problem-of-taste">The problem of taste</h2>



One issue kept coming up: flavor. Men doubted whether plant-based foods could match meat for taste. Many assumed alternatives were bland or unsatisfying.



The researchers argue that changing this perception is vital. If plant-based meals feel indulgent and rich, resistance will fade. Campaigns that spotlight flavor, cooking methods, and satisfaction could make a difference.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthier-diet-could-boost-memory-delay-dementia/">Nutrition</a> also matters. The study showed that men respond strongly to arguments about health, protein, and physical performance.



Marketing that shows plant-based eating as fuel for strength and longevity may resonate more than environmental appeals alone. Fitness-focused stories could make men view plant-based diets as tools for improvement, not sacrifices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-messaging-that-works">Messaging that works</h2>



The researchers warn against directly labeling plant-based foods as “manly.” This tactic risks rejection. Subtler connections to performance, adventure, or resilience could work better.



Packaging and labeling also need care. Familiar words like “meaty” can reassure consumers while helping them see these foods as genuine replacements, not poor imitations.



Food choices don’t happen in isolation. Friends, partners, and families play huge roles. Campaigns that work within these networks might succeed where individual-focused messages fail. 



Price is another barrier. Many men feel plant-based products cost too much. Policies that reduce prices or offer incentives could make plant-based meals more competitive with meat and dairy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-culture-shaping-men-s-diet">Culture shaping men’s diet</h2>



The findings show that resistance to plant-based diets isn’t just about food. It’s about identity, culture, and belonging. 



Men’s connection to meat often hides beneath layers of social influence and masculine ideals. To change diets, campaigns must work with these realities, not ignore them.



This study reminds us that the road to sustainability is cultural as much as scientific. Changing habits requires more than statistics on climate or health. It requires understanding the values people attach to what they eat. Only then can a shift toward greener diets gain real momentum.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494425001768?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Environmental Psychology</a>.



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Men face a masculinity barrier to greener diets

What we eat is not just about hunger. Meals carry culture, habits, and values. They shape how we see ourselves and how others see us. Our diets also shape the world we live in. Animal agriculture drives climate change, damages ecosystems, and raises questions about health and ethics. Scientists agree that cutting down on meat and dairy is one of the fastest ways to reduce harm. Yet progress is uneven. Men, in particular, resist plant-based eating more than women. Why? A new study offers an answer, pointing...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/">University of Kent</a> have established that just because people believe they are intuitive does not mean they actually are. A recent study showed that whether people believed they were highly perceptive or not was no indication of how well they could execute tasks which required intuitive skills. 

For the study, psychologists Dr. Mario Weick and Stefan Leach distributed surveys to 400 people from the UK and the United States. The forms contained a series of questions to determine how intuitive the participants believed they were.

The volunteers were then asked to perform various tasks that involved learning unfamiliar and complicated associations between letters and images. There were patterns hidden in the associations, and the test was developed so that the underlying rules could be learned subconsciously by the participants.

The findings of the study revealed that people who considered themselves to be intuitive did not perform better on the test than people who did not think of themselves as intuitive. In addition, those who considered themselves to be highly perceptive did not grasp the rules any better than people who claimed to be less perceptive.

After the assessments, the researchers asked participants more specifically about their test performance and how confident they were that their intuitions were correct.

Once again, people with more confidence were no more accurate than those with less confidence in their abilities. 90 percent of those with high levels of confidence in his or her intuition did not perform any better than the other participants.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/home/spp">Social Psychological and Personality Science.</a>

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People who consider themselves intuitive may not be accurate

Researchers at the University of Kent have established that just...

What makes dogmatic people – religious or not – so convinced their beliefs are the truth, even in the face of evidence to the contrary?

In a pair of studies, doctoral student Jared Parker Friedman and Dr. Anthony Jack of <a href="http://case.edu/">Case Western Reserve University</a> sought to understand why people with firmly held beliefs, whether about religion or atheism or something as simple as vegetarianism, refuse to consider evidence that they may be wrong.

Friedman and Jack found that, while people with higher critical thinking and reasoning skills in both studies were less likely to hold onto their beliefs in spite of contradictory evidence, the intersection of moral values and critical thinking skills influences which beliefs dogmatic people cling to.

“Emotional resonance helps religious people to feel more certain – the more moral correctness they see in something, the more it affirms their thinking,” Jack told <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/">Science Daily</a>. “In contrast, moral concerns make non-religious people feel less certain.”

In the first study, a group of participants filled out surveys assessing whether they are dogmatic people, and their levels of empathy, prosocial thinking and critical reasoning skills. In that study, 209 participants identified as Christian, nine as Jewish, five as Buddhist, four as Hindu, one as Muslim and 24 identified with another religion. Meanwhile, 153 people identified as non-religious.

While the religious respondents scored high on dogmatism, they also scored better on empathy and prosocial intentions, the researchers found. The non-religious people scored higher on critical reasoning, but lower on empathy. Empathy appeared to go up as dogmatism did, Friedman and Jack found.

The second study looked at another religiously diverse group: 210 identified as Christian, 63 as Hindu, 12 as Buddhist, 11 as Jewish, 10 as Muslim and 19 identified with other religions. There were 202 non-religious respondents.

This study repeated many of the questions the first study asked, but added sections on religious fundamentalism and perspective-taking.

People who were more rigid in their beliefs – whether religious or atheist – had a harder time considering issues from another person’s perspective, Friedman and Jack discovered.

“Study 2 also showed that religious fundamentalism was positively related to measures of moral concern among the religious,” they wrote.

The studies may offer insight into bridging the communication gap between dogmatic people who are religious and those who are not. Those who appeal to the empathy and moral concerns of religious fundamentalists or the logical reasoning of militant atheists have a better chance of getting their point across, the researchers said.

“Because the current studies used a content-neutral measure to assess dogmatic certainty in one’s beliefs, they have the potential to inform practices for most effectively communicating with and persuading religious and nonreligious individuals to change maladaptive behavior, even when the mode of discourse is unrelated to religious belief,” they wrote.

The two studies were published in the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10943-017-0433-x">Journal of Religion and Health</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Studies give clues to communicating with dogmatic people

What makes dogmatic people – religious or not – so...

We don’t need to read old religious medieval texts to know that the early 5th through the 15th centuries were not golden years by any stretch of the imagination. Feudalism, rampant disease and the black plague that wiped out millions. Illiteracy and few advances in medicine are just some of the reasons the Middle Ages are best studied from afar.

Because much of our understanding of the Middle Ages come from religious texts, we have assumed religious ideologies affected many societal and cultural norms as a whole. For example, one assumption of the period is that any infertility in couples was blamed on the woman. 

However, new research that examined medical texts from the Middle Ages reveal not only that men were also largely considered accountable for infertility as well, but also the cures of which were creative, to say the least. The texts even pointed to early science using a form of a “urine test” to find who was causing the problems in a couple. 

Studies from the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> examining medieval texts and medical books shows that counter to popular beliefs, male infertility was a widely held knowledge. Doctors of the time fully admitted that men could be infertile and sterile and discussed possible cures. 

Dr. Catherine Rider, A historian at the University of Exeter said of the findings and research, “Although medical texts tended to devote most space to female infertility, male infertility was nonetheless regularly discussed as a possible cause of childlessness in academic texts and by educated medieval medical practitioners, and this information may have been used on occasion when treating childless couples.”

These kinds of findings also reveal what types of experimental cures were tried out back then. For example, ground up pig testicles sprinkled in wine were thought to help cure infertility. 

The expansive study helps illuminate a bigger picture of the era we still have relatively little information about.

---

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New texts reveal infertility treatments of the Middle Ages

We don’t need to read old religious medieval texts to...

Scientists are working on a new treatment that drastically impacts melanoma tumors and slows their growth. This compound is naturally occurring in vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, but don’t run to the supermarket just yet. While the study shows the compound can help with treatment, eating a bunch of kale and broccoli may not be “potent” enough to be an effective treatment.

The study was conducted by scientists at the <a href="http://med.psu.edu/">Penn State College of Medicine</a> in collaboration with researchers from all over the world. The research team built a compound that was found to destroy the tumors in melanoma. Melanoma is one of the most dangerous forms of skin cancer and has become more and more prevalent in people today. 

The reason there's a connection to broccoli with this study is that the compound was based on naturally occurring isothiocyanates that are found in the cruciferous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/labeling-make-vegetables-appealing/">vegetables</a> like broccoli. Isothiocyanates have been found to be particularly effective in fighting cancer. 

Previously, isothiocyanates have been shown to inhibit those harmful carcinogens and have positive effects on lung and esophageal cancer research. And now, this study adds to the research of Isothiocyanates and their connection to decreasing tumor growth. 

While doctors will always tell you to eat your leafy greens, Dr. Arun Sharma who was part of the team for the study, added, “Those are OK recommendations for prevention, but the compounds in the vegetables alone may not be potent enough to be used in a therapeutic environment.” 

By creating a compound with the same properties and with such a high success rate, the implications for real world cancer research and developing better cures for late stage melanoma are enormous. 

---

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Could broccoli be a secret cure for melanoma?

Scientists are working on a new treatment that drastically impacts...

As countless servers and bartenders will tell you, the invention of the screw cap on wine bottles is one of the slickest new things to happen in the industry. No more are waiters struggling with stubborn corks, accidentally breaking the cork in half with a small part still stuck in the bottle, or even worse, finding pieces of cork floating in a guest’s newly poured glass. The screw cap is an easy twist off alternative and more and more bottles are making the switch. 

The question is, especially for the hardened sommeliers and winos, does the screw cap affect taste or the quality of the wine? 

But now, science is stepping in to settle the debate. <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford University</a> scientists are conducting an experiment that will use <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-cells-control-aging/">brain</a> scans of individuals and record their reactions to different wines both with cork and screw cap seals. 

Research has shown that the screw cap isn’t just a convenient trend for simplifying the steps to the get the wine from bottle to glass. Wines with screw caps also appear to age just as well as their corked counterparts. 

Man people remain unconvinced though, thinking the cork should reign supreme in all things wine related. But now, the new study aims to determine once and for all if the cork is all it’s cracked up to be. 

One of the scientists conducting the study is Professor Charles Spence, head of experimental psychology at the <a href="https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/research/crossmodal-research-laboratory">Crossmodal Research Laboratory in Oxford</a>. The Crossmodal Research Lab is an innovative endeavour meant to better understand “integration of information across the various different sensory modalities.” 

Spence and his team aren’t just looking at taste receptors to the wine, but also the sound, the feel, the smell, and their interconnectivity in response to the brain’s pleasure centers. According to Spence, “Our brains have a powerful hold over our taste buds, and it will be interesting to see the effects the multi-sensory aspects of wine drinking have on our perception of taste.”

Time will tell if their findings point to the cork or screw cap being the better seal for wine. The convenience of the screw cap makes it a hard act to follow, but traditionalists are happy to have science weigh on this debate.

---

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cork vs. screw cap: which wine tastes better?

As countless servers and bartenders will tell you, the invention...

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence of manmade climate change, the topic somehow continues to be up for political debate. But even amongst those who believe that climate change is a very real problem, there seems to be little drive to adopt any change in regular routines to help conserve and create a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fun-ways-families-act-green/">greener</a> lifestyle. 

<a href="https://today.yougov.com/news/2017/07/24/climate-change-believers-havent-changed-lifestyles/">YouGov</a>, a market research firm specializing in online polls, created a survey that specifically looked at individual “footprints on the environment." A recent YouGov article by Gregory McCarriston outlines the survey taken to determine if Americans who were adamantly in support of measures to reduce climate change were, in fact, making changes in their own lifestyles at home. 

According to the survey, a lot of us are talking the talk but not actually following through on any ways to alter our lifestyle to help reduce emissions and counter climate change. The survey found that over 50% of Americans agree that both human activity and natural causes contribute to climate change. And even more people (over 60%) felt that working together on a global scale was necessary to help the environment. 

But in terms of those who are actually taking steps on a micro level within their own homes to reduce their carbon footprint, the results of the survey found that just agreeing that climate change is a problem isn’t necessarily going to be the catalyst to change one’s habits. Simply agreeing or knowing something is a problem isn’t enough to motivate change it would appear.

The questions were personal, asking individuals about their own impact on the environment. As McCarriston writes, “We asked respondents about their consumption of fossil fuels and red meat, both of which have been noted for their impact on Earth’s ecosystems.” 

Hopefully, as we finally move past the debate of whether or not climate change is real, studies and surveys like this one can find ways to help individuals make even small changes to their daily routine to help reduce carbon footprints. 

---

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Survey: Many unwilling to alter lifestyle to fight climate change

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence of manmade climate change, the topic...

Research has revealed that forcing a smile comes with an unexpected set of consequences. Stress, strain, emotional exhaustion, and lower job satisfaction have all been linked to faking emotions in the workplace.

Emotional labor is the management of expressions and emotions to help satisfy relationships with people at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/men-work-family-conflicts/">work</a>. Sociologist Arlie Hochschild categorized emotional labor as either deep acting or surface acting. 

Deep acting is when people actually change their emotional state in order to become more positive and upbeat. Surface acting is adjusting facial expressions or gestures to simply appear happy, such as a fake smile. 

Deep acting generates a more authentic feeling, while surface acting, or faking, produces an unhealthy inner conflict between emotions that are expressed and emotions that are actually felt. 

Milda Perminiene, a senior lecturer in Occupational Psychology at the University of East London, detailed the potential effects of emotional labor in an article for <a href="https://theconversation.com/">The Conversation</a>. She pointed out that a meta-analysis of 95 studies revealed that surface acting can have serious repercussions. 

Surface acting was linked to emotional exhaustion, stress, and dissatisfaction with work. It was also found to cause psychosomatic issues such as headaches, chest pains, and insomnia. 

Deep acting was found to have both positive and negative outcomes. Some of the benefits included greater personal accomplishment, higher customer satisfaction, and more rewarding social interactions. Deep acting was also found to create emotional exhaustion and psychosomatic problems. 

Emotional labor can actually cause people to become irritable and aggressive by using up all of the mental resources one needs for self-regulation, according to some theories. 

Perminiene and colleague Asta Medisauskaite conducted a systematic review of existing research including 12 studies focused on emotional labor and dysfunctional relationships in the workplace. 

Perminiene said their review found that “in most cases surface acting was linked to aggressive behavior towards customers and colleagues at work.” One study showed a direct correlation between emotional labor and aggression toward co-workers.

“In the future we wish to see whether gender, cultural background, training and socialization in organizations affect emotional labor and relationships at work,” said Perminiene. “As a second step we are planning to implement a qualitative study, interviewing service sector employees.”

Perminiene said that people often rely on emotional labor to advance at work, “while in reality it may actually impede performance.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Faking happiness at work may do more harm than good

Research has revealed that forcing a smile comes with an...

Researchers have determined that the number of African-Americans killed by police in a specific region is directly proportional to the racial biases of Caucasians in the area. The correspondence is detailed in the journal <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/home/spp">Social Psychological and Personality Science</a>.

Eric Hehman of <a href="http://www.ryerson.ca/">Ryerson University</a> teamed up with colleagues to develop a predictive model of lethal force. The model is based on lethal force databases and regional demographics. The team also incorporated racial biases collected from 2,156,053 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/best-handling-aging-population/">United States</a> residents.

The researchers analyzed the use of lethal force against African-Americans and Caucasians, and combined it with data from the 2010 Census and "Project Implicit" at Harvard.

The research team assessed a total of 875 deaths by lethal force from January 1, 2015 to September 30, 2015. Overall, 22.76 percent of the deaths were African-Americans, even though African-Americans represented only 11.76 percent of the populations.

"We expected many economic or demographic variables such as the overall wealth of an area, residential segregation, average levels of education in the area, or overall crime levels, to be involved" said Hehman. 

The team did not, however, predict racial discrepancies in lethal force used by the police.
The primary indicator of lethal force was implicit bias, or the strength of preconceived notions and negative attitudes toward specific groups of people.

The study revealed that regional implicit biases toward African-Americans, or the implicit stereotypical association between African-Americans and weapons, were reliable indicators that African-Americans more likely to be killed by police. The stronger these implicit biases were, the more likely it became that African-Americans would be killed by police.

Hehman says the study "indicates that this is not specifically a problem of police officers, but reveals that there is something about the broader communities and contexts in which these officers make speeded, life and death decisions that is associated with killing more African-Americans."

The authors point out that this analysis "provides the first macro-psychological statistical models of lethal force, indicating that the context in which police officers work is significantly associated with disproportionate use of lethal force.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: Community racial bias linked to police use of lethal force

Researchers have determined that the number of African-Americans killed by...

One of the many pleasures in life is when you experience an Aha! moment, where you suddenly remember a long-lost piece of information, or figure out the answer to a difficult question. And researchers at <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> may have just discovered the biology behind this moment – suggesting that it could be linked to consciousness when information collected by the brain reaches a critical threshold.

The study also postulates that the piercing of the consciousness that occurs in this Aha! moment shares the same underlying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-brains-sync-conversations/">brain</a> mechanisms that are involved in making very simple decisions. It’s possible that this research may put us on the path to better understanding the biological foundations of consciousness.

“The vast majority of thoughts circling in our brains happen below the radar of conscious awareness, meaning that even though our brain is processing them, we are not aware,” explains Dr. Michael Shadlen, a principal investigator at <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia</a> and the paper's senior author. “How some of that information bubbles to the level of consciousness, however, remains an unsolved mystery. But now, we’ve found a way to observe that moment in real time, and then apply those findings to our understanding of consciousness itself.”

Dr. Shadlen has spent his career attempting to understand how the signals sent through the brain’s billions of cells result in the decisions we make. Even complex emotions and thoughts such as love, grief, and mortality can be essentially boiled down to a series of decisions made by the brain engaging with the outside world.

For their study, the researchers had five participants watch dots on a computer screen that moved like grains of sand blowing in the wind. The subjects were asked what direction the dots were blowing in, and a clock at the center of the screen kept the time. After the dots were finished moving, the participants decided on what direction the dots had been traveling and then asked to decide what time the clock had been at when they became aware of the answer.

The research team incorporated this data with a vast history of previous research on brain mechanisms in decision-making and combined this with a complex mathematical trick in order to validate that the participants’ subjective belief that their decision was made at this time was an accurate reflection of the brain’s decision-making process.

“Essentially, the act of becoming consciously aware of a decision conforms to the same process that the brain goes through to complete a decision, even a simple one – such as whether to turn left or right,” says Dr. Shadlen.

Although this study is just the beginning, it has piqued scientists’ curiosity about the possibility of our most complex thoughts and feelings being definable under biological standards.

“Some people think that the nitty gritty of neuroscience is far from the highfalutin stuff that a philosopher would consider,” says Dr. Shadlen. “But rest assured, explaining these concepts – whether it’s ethics, consciousness anything else – in terms of neuroscience isn’t explaining them away. Instead, I would argue that it is helping to bring the biological study of the brain closer to the philosophical study of the mind.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists explain why your brain’s Aha! moments occur

One of the many pleasures in life is when you...

Researchers at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">NYU School of Medicine</a> have determined that exposure to air pollution during the early stages of pregnancy may lead to preterm birth and low birth weight. The study found that susceptibility to air pollution during the first or second trimester increases the risk of negative birth outcomes.

Researchers studied the effects of fine particulate air pollution, which comes from car exhaust and various industrial processes. Exposure to fine particulate air pollution, or PM2.5, has been found to increase the risk of asthma and heart disease.

Previous studies linked PM2.5 inhalation during pregnancy to low birth weight, but the research did not establish which stages of pregnancy are the most vulnerable. The authors of the current study have found that exposure during the first two trimesters can cause the most harm. 

For the study, the researchers exposed one group of pregnant mice to PM2.5 levels comparable to those found in highly-polluted urban environments, while a second group was exposed to filtered air. The mice who were ingesting air pollution were at four varying gestational stages which represented the different trimesters of human pregnancy. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-premature-death-elderly/">Air pollution</a> inhalation during period one resulted in preterm birth for approximately 83 percent of the mouse litters. In addition, exposure to PM2.5 from conception to the end of the second trimester resulted in an 11.4 percent decrease in birth weight for half of the litters. 

Dr. Jason Blum is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at NYU School of Medicine and lead author of the study. 

"This first study of this problem in mice adds to the growing body of evidence that inhalation of particulate matter from implantation through the second trimester of pregnancy is potentially dangerous," said Dr. Blum.

Susceptibility to PM2.5 during the first and second trimester also caused decreased body length, decreased placental weight, and decreased anogenital distance in the mouse litters.

"These findings could lead physicians to advise women to avoid high pollution areas or use air filtration systems during the early stages of pregnancy," said senior author Judith Zelikoff, PhD. "With preterm birth and low birth weight having such serious health consequences, the need for further research in this area is greater than ever."

The study is published today in <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution exposure during pregnancy linked to birth problems

Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have determined that exposure...

According to the <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychology Association</a>, men report just as many work-family conflicts as women. The results were produced from over three decades of studies that included more than 250,000 participants.

Kristen Shockley, PhD, is an assistant professor of Psychology at the <a href="http://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> and lead author of the study. She said the results were surprising.

"We essentially found very little evidence of differences between women and men as far as the level of work-family conflict they report," explained Shockley. "This is quite contrary to the common public perception. The way this issue is presented in the media frames the way we think about it, and it creates a perpetual cycle. Women hear that other women are struggling with this issue, so they expect they will experience greater work-family conflict. There also is some socialization for it being OK for women to talk more about it than men."


Previous research has established that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sperm-count-significantly-declining/">men</a> are often not comfortable discussing work-family conflicts due to fear of negative repercussions at work or fear of being criticized. Shockley said that men feel more comfortable sharing their concerns in anonymous surveys.

"I do think it's harming men, who are silently struggling and are experiencing the same amount of work-family conflict, but no one is acknowledging it," said Shockley.

Men are spending increasingly more time caring for their children and participating in household chores, even though women still spend more time on both tasks. A study by the Pew Research Center found that fathers were just as likely as mothers to say that parenting is a huge part of their identity. 

Nearly half of the studies included in the meta-analysis were conducted in the United States, and the rest were mainly across countries in Europe and Asia. The researchers were surprised to find similar levels of work-family conflict between men and women regardless of the status of gender equality in their country. Shockley said this would not likely be the case with many countries in the Middle East, where few studies have been conducted and gender inequality is more extreme. 

Shockley explained that men and women may experience the same level of work-family conflict but perceive it differently. Women may experience more guilt about work interference with family since the mother's traditional role is caretaker. On the other hand, the father's traditional role is working, so they may have less guilt over work interference. These gender roles are changing in the United States as more women are entering the workforce and more men are staying at home.

Shockley feels that work-family policies should be created to provide greater support for both women and men such as flexible schedules, child care support, and both paid maternity and paternity leave. The United States, Suriname, and Papua New Guinea are the only countries that don't guarantee any paid maternity or paternity leave. This research is available online in the <a href="http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/apl/">Journal of Applied Psychology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study: Men have as many work-family conflicts as women

According to the American Psychology Association, men report just as...

Data from the Center for Disease Control has reported a decrease in smokers over the past few years. A study from the <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/">University of California</a> tried to discover if this decrease was related to the rise of e-cigarettes, which have been increasing in popularity.

The study, led by Professor Shu-Hong Zhu, has the largest group of e-cigarette smokers included in its data compared to other similar population studies. By looking at e-cigarette smokers and cessation smoking rates, the researchers tried to determine a connection between increased e-cigarette smoking and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dementia-preventable-treatment/">smokers</a> who quit or tried to. 

Research teams looked at five different population surveys from 2001-2015 with e-cigarette users identified from the latest survey. They gathered data on smoking cessation rates by looking at individuals who stopped smoking twelve months before the survey. All the data was compared to the earlier population surveys to see if the study's predictions were correct. 

The results of the study found that indeed the rate of quitting for individuals was much higher in 2014-2015 than the other surveys, and almost 50% of those who reported quitting in those years had tried e-cigarettes. 

But the study’s data comes with certain gaps making conclusive results difficult. For example, the surveys left no room to look at detailed descriptions of the quitting process or what products were used. But researchers expect these kinds of gaps with population surveys. Researchers also can’t rule out other factors that may have influenced those individuals who decided to quit. 

As the research team put it, “Other interventions that occurred concurrently, such as a national campaign showing evocative ads that highlight the serious health consequences of tobacco use, most likely played a role in increasing the cessation rate.” 

But without question, the study shows the drastic increase in smokers who quit or tried to in the past couple years, which could absolutely be related to the increase in popularity of e-cigarettes. 

--

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

As e-cigarettes get more popular, more smokers are quitting

Data from the Center for Disease Control has reported a...

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</div></figure>



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.

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</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.



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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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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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