Scientists Drill A Record-Breaking 1.2 Kilometers Into Earth’s Mantle, Humans Could Use "Glitter" To Terraform Mars, And Much More This Week

This week, two new victims at Pompeii were found trying to rescue their valuables but sadly could not rescue themselves, everyone is surprised Stonehenge’s famous Altar Stone doesn’t come from Wales as thought but somewhere else entirely , and we now know where the asteroid that took out the dinosaurs came from . Finally, we delve into who made the oldest known human burial site .

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Stonehenge's Famous Altar Stone May Be From Scotland, Over 700 Kilometers Away

The Altar Stone at Stonehenge may not come from Wales as thought but instead northeast Scotland, at least 700 kilometers (434 miles) away from its final placement in southwest England. It’s not clear how prehistoric humans managed to transport the 6-ton rock to the other side of the British Isles, but the new research adds further intrigue to the story of the famed Neolithic site. Read the full story here

Scientists Drill 1,268 Metres Deep Under The Atlantic Ocean, Scooping Out Huge Piece Of Earth's Mantle

Humans have drilled a record-breaking 1,268 meters (4,160 feet) into Earth’s mantle, gifting scientists with an extraordinary glimpse into the planet’s deep geology – and possibly the origins of life. The drill hole was made in a volcanically active region of the mid-Atlantic ridge located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. Read the full story here

Two New Pompeii Victims Found Clutching Coins And Jewelry As They Met Their Doom

The discovery of two skeletons at the doomed ancient site of Pompeii has enabled researchers to reconstruct the panicked final moments of those who perished during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. Identified as a young man and a middle-aged woman, the pair appear to have become trapped in a room in which they sought shelter, before being obliterated by a fast-moving current of scorching volcanic gasses . Read the full story here

Humanity Could Use "Glitter" To Terraform Mars (And Add A Little Razzle Dazzle)

If future humans consider living on Mars, rather than global warming being a problem, we would actually need to heat the planet artificially to make it liveable for us. There have been plenty of proposals on how to do this, from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to fluorinated versions of methane, ethane, and propane. But these ingredients are rare on Mars, making them less practical for the huge terraforming project. A new team has a different suggestion which they compare to glitter in size. Read the full story here

Dinosaur-Killing Impactor Was Probably A Rare Asteroid From Beyond Jupiter

The minerals left behind when the Chicxulub Crater was created, ending the Cretaceous Era and the dinosaurs’ reign, indicate it was an asteroid, not a comet. However, the same analysis indicates it came from the outer Solar System, rather than the main asteroid belt, knowledge that is useful, if disheartening, in trying to prevent the next such event. Read the full story here

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Feature of the week:

What's The Oldest Human Burial In The World?

Today's humans host a countless variety of funerary practices for remembering and honoring the dead, but what is the earliest we know of, who made it, and what does it tell us about early human behaviors? Read the full story here

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Have you seen our e-magazine, CURIOUS ? It’s just turned 2! Issue 25 August 2024 is available now . Check it out for exclusive interviews, book excerpts, long reads, and more.

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