[ad_1] In its 4.6 billion-year history, Mars has received its fair share of punches from falling asteroids and rushing comets. Today the surface of the red planet is covered by no less than 43,000 impact craters larger than 5 kilometers; some ancient regions have received more blows than others. In …
Read More »Ancient dust from the depths of the ocean may have helped keep the last ice age cool
[ad_1] The ocean floor of the South Pacific contains traces of ancient dust that may have changed the Earth’s own climate, and new research suggests it came from beneath the ice age glaciers of what is now Argentina. Driven by strong westerly winds some 20,000 years ago, these microscopic minerals …
Read More »Here’s how microbes help build up the largest greenhouse gas reserves on Earth
[ad_1] The huge reserves of greenhouse gases, frozen deep beneath the seabed, are starting to disintegrate at an alarming rate. This is according to an international team of scientists whose preliminary results were recently reported The Guardian. These deposits, technically called methane “gas hydrates”, are often described as “burning ice” …
Read More »Ancient tree rings can contain stories of epic space explosions
[ad_1] A massive dying star is not a peaceful event. It expels its outer material in a colossal explosion, irradiating space with high-energy gamma radiation for several years. However, empty space isn’t the only thing exposed to this radiation. New research suggests that Earth’s ancient trees may contain evidence of …
Read More »New radio images show galaxies as flames burning in the dark
[ad_1] The universe can be a bit like a magic trick. When you move around to observe the different wavelengths of light, you can see all kinds of objects, events and interactions that would otherwise be invisible to the human eye. Using the Very Large Array telescope in New Mexico, …
Read More »A 31,000-year-old tomb reveals the world’s oldest twin twin burial
[ad_1] An ancient tomb in Austria may represent the oldest twin burial ever recorded, according to a new study. The 31,000-year-old burial dates back to the Upper Paleolithic (a period from 40,000 to 10,000 years ago), also known as the Old Stone Age. One of the babies died shortly after …
Read More »Wild New Paper proposes to use “tractor beams” to control lightning
[ad_1] It may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, but real-life scientists have been busy working on a super-precise laser tractor beam system to change the path and direction of the lightning. There is also a very practical reason behind it: Lightning strikes are the leading natural …
Read More »What You Need to Know About That Controversial New “Turning Point” Climate Study
[ad_1] Even if humanity stops emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow, the Earth will warm up for centuries to come and oceans will rise by meters, according to a controversial modeling study released Thursday. Natural factors of global warming – more heat-trapping clouds, permafrost melting and sea ice shrinkage – already set …
Read More »Unseen rivers of air in the sky have left giant holes in the Antarctic ice
[ad_1] It appeared in 1973, seemingly out of nowhere: a hole in sea ice off the coast of Antarctica. But this was no ordinary hole. It was so big it could swallow California. The mysterious opening remained in effect for the next three winters. Then it seemed to largely disappear …
Read More »A brilliant new test detects superbugs in a patient’s blood in just an hour
[ad_1] Speed is important when it comes to detecting antibiotic resistant bacteria in the blood – the sooner these superbugs are found, the sooner doctors can prescribe the correct treatment. In addition to significantly improving the outlook for patients and limiting the spread of these insects, faster diagnosis also means …
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