Evidence of 'Doomsday comet' that wiped out forgotten civilization 12,800 years ago found in US

• READ MORE: Archaeologist says his team has finally discovered lost city of Atlantis as they unveil compelling evidence 

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

New geological evidence unearthed in the US suggests that a catastrophic cosmic event may have wiped out a once-thriving culture more than 12,800 years ago. 

Researchers analyzing sediment samples in California, Arizona and New Mexico discovered shocked quartz, tiny mineral grains deformed under extreme pressure, dating back to around 10,800 BC.

Shocked quartz forms when minerals are subjected to sudden, intense pressures such as those generated by a meteorite impact or large-scale atmospheric explosion. 

The presence of this material at the sites indicates that an airburst or impact event likely devastated large portions of the continent, igniting wildfires, destabilizing the climate and wiping out many of the massive Ice Age animals that roamed the region. 

The dating of the shocked quartz coincided with the rapid disappearance of the Clovis people, a technologically advanced hunter-gatherer culture that had dominated much of North America for centuries. 

Archaeological evidence has shown that their distinctive stone tools vanish abruptly from the record shortly after this period. 

This timing also marked the beginning of the Younger Dryas, a sudden and dramatic cooling event that lasted about 1,200 years. 

Some researchers, including well-known author Graham Hancock, have long proposed that a giant 'Doomsday comet' passed through Earth's atmosphere, which blocked sunlight, disrupted ocean currents and abruptly plunged the Northern Hemisphere into a sudden, century-long cooling.

The evidence of the cosmic collision was found in California, Arizona and New Mexico

The team identified shocked quartz (pictured) in the samples, which forms when minerals are subjected to sudden, intense pressures such as those generated by a meteorite impact or large-scale atmospheric explosion

Shocked quartz forms when the crystal lattice of minerals is irreversibly deformed under extreme pressures, often millions of times greater than normal atmospheric pressure. 

In the new study, the grains were carefully extracted from sediment layers precisely dated to the onset of the Younger Dryas. 

'The onset of the Younger Dryas (YD closely coincided with two significant events: the sudden extinction of >70% of North American megafauna (35 genera), including mammoths, camels, horses, and saber-toothed cats and the collapse of the Clovis technocomplex,' reads the study published in PLOS ONE.

The team collected sediment samples from Blackwater Draw, New Mexico, Murray Springs, Arizona and Arlington Canyon on Santa Rosa Island, California.

Blackwater Draw is a Clovis-type site where the first Clovis artifacts were found just below a 12,800-year-old black mat, marking the onset of the Younger Dryas and the end of the Clovis technocomplex.

Evidence from the site, including a nearby Clovis-butchered mammoth, suggests a major environmental disruption coinciding with megafaunal extinctions and a significant human population decline. 

Murray Springs preserves terminal Clovis artifacts and extinct megafauna remains.

Those are also under a black mat, which contained a butchered mammoth and hundreds of footprints rapidly buried after the proposed Younger Dryas event. 

Some researchers, including well-known author Graham Hancock, have long proposed that a giant 'Doomsday comet' passed through Earth's atmosphere, which blocked sunlight, disrupted ocean currents and abruptly plunged the Northern Hemisphere into a sudden, century-long cooling (stock)

Archaeological data indicate a post-Clovis human hiatus of several hundred years, supporting theories of population decline and abrupt cultural and ecological changes at the YD onset. 

Arlington Canyon yielded Clovis-era human remains beneath a black mat, showing a 600- to 800-year gap before subsequent human occupation, highlighting a post-Clovis hiatus even in potential refuges. 

The site also records the extinction of pygmy mammoths around 12,800, making it a key location for studying the impact of environmental disruptions during the Younger Dryas. 

The team used 10 different lab techniques to identify glass-filled cracks in quartz and then ran computer simulations to determine the pressures and speeds needed to produce such shocks.

They found that the shocked quartz taken from the southwest US resembled samples found at nuclear airburst sites, Meteor Crater, and other YD sites in Syria, the eastern USA, the Netherlands and Venezuela. 

Blackwater Draw is a Clovis-type site where the first Clovis artifacts were found just below a 12,800-year-old black mat, marking the onset of the Younger Dryas and the end of the Clovis technocomplex

Murray Springs preserves terminal Clovis artifacts and extinct megafauna remains. Those are also under a black mat, which contained a butchered mammoth and hundreds of footprints rapidly buried after the proposed Younger Dryas event

Arlington Canyon yielded Clovis-era human remains beneath a black mat, showing a 600- to 800-year gap before subsequent human occupation, highlighting a post-Clovis hiatus even in potential refuges

Many of these quartz grains showed signs of exposure to extremely high temperatures, above the melting point of quartz, which is 3,123 °F.

Some parts of the grains remain amorphous, and others have recrystallized. 

Previous research has shown that melted silica within shock fractures indicates airburst- or impact-related shock, meaning these YD grains can be classified as 'thermally and mechanically shocked quartz.' 

'These sites are among the best-documented in North America, each providing crucial evidence of an interrelationship between the collapse of the Clovis technocomplex and the extinction of the megafauna,' the team shared.

'The presence of airburst/impact-related materials at these key locations strengthens the temporal and spatial link between the proposed cosmic event and major ecological and cultural changes

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

17-09-2025 om 18:11 geschreven door peter  

Newly released records have revealed never-before-seen footage of unidentified objects invading an Ohio military base connected to one of the most infamous UFO encounters in history.

Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request (FOIA), the US military has just been compelled to release documents and video of two incidents over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in December 2024.

According to Air Force personnel and other witnesses in the area, the UFOs may have been part of the same drone swarms that both captivated and terrified the nation late last year.

While the vast majority of those reports came from New Jersey and other East Coast locations, the newly declassified files show that on December 13 and December 16 personnel at Wright-Patterson tracked and recorded the objects hovering over the secure facility.

The files on the incident revealed that the Air Force considered the invasion serious enough to stop flight operations around the base, call local law enforcement, and have security use thermal imaging cameras to find the intruders.

However, the case has remained unsolved as the military has not found out who or what sent the drones, the declassified documents stated.

The mystery of the 2024 drone swarms has become even more compelling because of the secretive work that has taken place at Wright-Patterson.

UFO researchers and government whistleblowers have said on multiple occasions that the Ohio compound has a direct tie to the 1947 UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio has been linked to UFO activity since the 1940s

Newly released video by the military shows unknown drones swarming over the base in December 2024

The Air Force documented revealed that on December 13, 2024, security forces around the base spotted several unmanned vehicles in the sky over Wright-Patterson around 10pm ET.

Patrols reported seeing at least one small drone that was about six inches in length and had four propellers hovering over the facility.

Another guard station stated that 'four quad-copter drones with red and green lights in a tight diamond formation' were swarming the base, but they 'gained altitude and flew away at a rapid speed' after the soldiers shined their car's spotlight on them. 

The base's air traffic control tower issued a full shutdown of Wright-Patterson's airspace during the incident, but airmen never found the drones or anyone in the area who may have sent them.

On December 16, a civilian walking his dog near the base perimeter spotted another cluster of drones and reported it to base personnel near the gate around 9:30pm.

According to the witness's account, the drones 'were slowly moving in different directions.'

'The objects appeared to be lights moving as a group, but too high up to get an accurate assessment of what they looked like,' one officer at Wright-Patterson reported.

At 11:43 pm, another officer spotted an unknown aircraft descending towards the base, getting within 500 feet of landing before it suddenly ascended and disappeared.

Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that the Air Force does not know who or what sent the drones

Drones swarmed over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (pictured) on both December 13 and December 16, 2024

A second patrol confirmed the startling report, saying the 'unidentified flying object' just vanished after approaching the base's runaway.

The FOIA release included multiple video clips taken by witnesses tracking the drones at various security checkpoints. 

Although President Trump has said the mysterious swarms were 'not the enemy' and had been authorized to conduct 'research,' the new documents revealed that federal officials have a much different story behind closed doors. 

The declassified report showed that both air traffic control and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were contacted by officials at Wright-Patterson on December 13 and December 16.

Both agencies told the Air Force there were 'no authorized aircraft operating in WPAFB airspace' on those nights.

The FOIA request by The Black Vault, a website dedicated to sharing declassified government documents, has thrown Wright-Patterson back into the spotlight, as UFO conspiracy theorists have been focused on this facility for decades.

During a congressional hearing in May, Dr Eric Davis, a physicist who has been a consultant for the Pentagon's UFO program since 2007, revealed that debris from the Roswell incident was allegedly flown to Wright-Patterson after the crash in 1947.

The Air Force base has also been connected to the secret government group known as the Majestic 12 (MJ-12), a committee of high-ranking military, scientific, and intelligence officials assembled after the Roswell crash.

UFO researchers have said that the 1947 UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico 'was the real deal' and that debris from the ship was taken to Wright-Patterson for analysis

For over two decades, these experts were allegedly tasked with managing investigations into UFOs and extraterrestrial contact.

Recently unearthed CIA files stated that MJ-12 oversaw four specific projects charged with communicating with aliens, researching UFOs, recovering crashed alien ships, and testing out whatever advanced technology they could find.

That research and development program was based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, according to an alleged government whistleblower in 1984.

The base was also the headquarters for Project Blue Book, the Air Force's official UFO investigation program from 1947 to 1969. It investigated 12,618 sightings, with 701 remaining 'unidentified,' according to declassified records in the National Archives.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

17-09-2025 om 16:24 geschreven door peter  

A mysterious black cube has joined the chilling list of objects spotted hovering over the US during last year's drone invasion. 

Newly released government reports have revealed five incidents near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio that have never been disclosed since the swarms of UFOs were seen along the East Coast in late 2024.

Along with several sightings of unidentified drones around the secretive Air Force base in December 2024, federal officials now say a 'black cube'-shaped craft was spotted by a nearby airplane less than 80 miles from Wright-Patterson.

Witnesses of the strange object sent their claims to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on December 19, describing how the cube was flying within 500 feet of the plane, which was soaring 16,000 feet above the ground.

This would make it incredibly unlikely to be a commercial drone, since those types of devices fly only a few hundred feet above the ground.

The FAA recorded this event in their 'SKYWATCH dataset,' which tracks drone sightings near airports or in restricted airspace.

However, when the FAA originally published this sighting in their publicly visible reports, they didn't include any mention of the object being a black cube.

Thanks to a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, it was revealed that this sighting and the other drone incidents near Wright-Patterson led to a major security response, including temporarily closing off military airspace.

Newly released documents from the FAA reveal that military personnel in Ohio spotted a 'black cube' flying near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in December 2024 (Artist rendering)

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio has been linked to UFO activity since the 1940s and 5 new incidents have just been revealed

The new documents were released roughly nine months after the first drone swarms were spotted over the East Coast in November 2024.

Hundreds of sightings were made near military bases, residential neighborhoods, and even President Donald Trump's golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, sparking fears of foreign adversaries spying on American citizens.

After promising answers about the origin of these large, slow-moving objects once he took office, Trump said on January 28 the mysterious swarms were 'not the enemy' and had been authorized to conduct 'research.'

However, the new documents revealed that federal officials still don't believe what's being told to the public. 

The recently released reports showed that both air traffic controllers and the FAA were contacted by officials at Wright-Patterson, but both agencies told the Air Force there were 'no authorized aircraft operating in WPAFB airspace' in December 2024.

Just days before the black cube was spotted near Wright-Patterson, four other incidents involving unknown aircraft were reported.

On December 17, three reports were made, revealing how military personnel spotted multiple objects on the base's radar just after 12:40am ET.

Base personnel, who assumed the objects were more drones, never saw the intruders with their own eyes but alerted local police to search.

The statements come months after the first drones appeared in November, soaring above military bases and Trump's golf course in Bedminster, sparking fears of foreign threats watching American citizens

Multiple drones swarmed over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (pictured) between December 13 and December 19, 2024

Less than 20 minutes later, the situation exploded, with radar screens at Wright-Patterson detecting between seven and 17 UFOs moving within 40 miles of the base's airfield.

This time, Wright-Patterson security guards were able to visually confirm that the objects were drones swarming around the base. The Air Force tracked the unmanned drones, but no other action was taken.

More than 12 hours later, an aircraft heading in for a landing at Wright-Patterson spotted a silver object just five miles from the base.

Records released from SKYWATCH noted that the crew believed this craft was a drone and recorded it flying at about 3,200 feet above the ground, much lower than the cube.

Just three days earlier, air traffic controllers had spotted what they believed was another drone over several sensitive locations at Wright-Patterson on December 14, forcing the base's commander to close the facility until the intruder flew off.

Newly released video by the military revealed unknown drones swarming over Wright-Patterson in December 2024

The cube spotted by a airplane less than 500 feet away was reportedly flying at around 16,000 feet, far higher than a normal commercial drone

(Stock Image)

Read More

• Fighter pilot reveals near miss with 'perfect rectangle' UFO that defied the laws of physics 

The FOIA request by The Black Vault, a website dedicated to sharing declassified government documents, has thrown Wright-Patterson back into the spotlight, as UFO conspiracy theorists have been focused on this facility for decades.

In July 2025, the US military was compelled to release never-before-seen video of two additional incidents over Wright-Patterson on December 13 and December 16, 2024.

Guards at the base recorded several craft flying slowly around the facility, including a group of 'four quad-copter drones with red and green lights in a tight diamond formation.'

After guards shone their car spotlight on them, they reported that the swarm 'gained altitude and flew away at a rapid speed.'

In another chilling incident, another officer spotted an unknown aircraft descending towards the base, getting within 500 feet of landing before it suddenly ascended and vanished into thin air.

UFO researchers and government whistleblowers have said on multiple occasions that the Ohio Air Force base has a direct tie to the 1947 UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico.

During a congressional hearing in May, Dr Eric Davis, a physicist who has been a consultant for the Pentagon's UFO program since 2007, revealed that debris from the Roswell incident was allegedly flown to Wright-Patterson after the crash.

The base was also the headquarters for Project Blue Book, the Air Force's official UFO investigation program from 1947 to 1969.

It investigated 12,618 sightings, with 701 remaining 'unidentified,' according to declassified records in the National Archives.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

17-09-2025 om 16:08 geschreven door peter  

China 'intercepts meteor or UFO' as fireball blasts through sky before exploding

A flaming object was seen tearing through the night above China's Shandong province last Friday (September 12) but appears to explode mid way through its flight

BY Jake Holden and Abigail Hunt Assistant News Editor

Social media users are buzzing with theories that a meteor or UFO was blasted out of the sky by Chinese forces after footage of a blazing fireball ending in a spectacular explosion went viral online.

The burning object was spotted hurtling through the darkness over China's Shandong province last Friday (September 12), only to seemingly detonate midway through its journey.

Clips shared on X appear to capture the moment a small bright light intercepts the fireball, obliterating it in an instant. Multiple videos from various vantage points documented the extraordinary event. The fireball seemed to follow a curved trajectory before the blast occurred.

Users on X are debating whether this was evidence of a missile interception trial. Self-proclaimed UFO investigator Tom Thompson posted on X: "Defense analysts say this fits a missile-intercept test," before elaborating, "A point of light moved fast on a curved path.", reports the Mirror.

"A second light approached from another vector. They crossed, a flash lit the sky, and two sharp booms followed. Clips flooded Chinese social platforms. Local media described the first track as target-like. The second behaved like an interceptor closing the gap."

The missile test allegations remain unverified, with Chinese officials yet to issue any formal response. Nevertheless, residents did report hearing "two loud bangs, resembling artillery shells," according to The Sun.

Another X user, UFO mania, asked: "Can anyone explain this video from China? I was thinking it was a meteor or something. But then it hits whatever that thing is that comes from the left. Pretty interesting Don't know what it is though."

Astrophysics expert Dr Alfredo Carpineti, who writes for IFL Science, reviewed the footage and expressed doubts about it being a meteor. Speaking to the Metro, he said: "The problem is that it partly looks like a meteor until it doesn't. That's why I'm sceptical.'".

Carpineti also criticised the quality of the footage, describing it as "weird" and "bouncy", making it difficult to identify the object. He speculated on the possibility of it being a missile: "The fastest hypersonic missile is still slower than the slowest asteroid and there is no planetary defence system that uses missiles".

Asteroids travel at speeds ranging from 25,000mph to 160,000 mph, while the fastest hypersonic missile can only reach speeds of 20,700 mph.

China's space programme is reportedly planning a mission to strike an asteroid with a spacecraft, following the US's successful Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) in 2022. Wu Weiren, the chief designer of China's lunar programme, stated that the programme's aim was at "defending against asteroids".

Earlier this year, an asteroid dubbed a "city killer" was detected with a potential to collide with Earth. The asteroid, named 2024 YR4, measures between 40-100 metres in diameter and could obliterate an entire city on 22 December 2032, as per the forecasts of the European Space Agency (ESA).

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/ }

16-09-2025 om 23:54 geschreven door peter  

A stunning explosion was captured after a missile appeared to destroy an unidentified flying object, sparking many wild theories about what was really hit.

Residents in the Shandong Province of China recorded a bright, slow-moving object flying close to the ground moments before it appeared to disintegrate in a brilliant flash and fall to Earth.

Videos shared on Chinese social media platforms showed a red fireball seemingly being launched like a surface-to-air missile towards the object, followed by two loud explosions.

The incident occurred on Friday, September 12, near the cities of Weifang and Rizhao, around 9pm local time in China (9am ET in the US).

News of the mysterious explosion spread quickly online, reaching social media platforms in the US, where people began to speculate that the Chinese military had either shot down a drone, a meteor, or a UFO.

No official statements from the Chinese government or military have confirmed what happened.

However, the incident happened at the same time as scheduled military exercises in the nearby Bohai Sea, where China's military announced they were practicing with live weapons.

The potential missile strike came just days after a US congressional hearing revealed shocking footage of a military drone's Hellfire missile appearing to bounce off a UFO.

Local residents in China captured a giant mid-air explosion on September 12, where a red fireball collided with an unidentified flying object

The explosion appeared to destroy the object, which fell from the sky in a cloud of debris

Some of those commenting on social media believed the object was a target, possibly a drone or fake missile, used in the Bohai Sea exercises, and the Chinese shot it down during a test of their defense systems.

In one angle of the explosion, viewers can see the supposed missile rise from a distant position on the other side of the horizon, quickly speed across the sky, and then angle down to strike the unknown object.

While some have suggested that the target was a natural object, like a meteor, there didn't appear to be a fiery tail extending from the object that the suspected missile hit. 

When small pieces of space rocks enter Earth's atmosphere, they travel at extremely high speeds, causing friction as they move through the air and creating a glowing tail of electrically charged air around the meteorite.

Moreover, meteors don't typically fly parallel to the ground, like the object in the video appeared to do.

If it were a meteor, which typically travels between 25,000 and 160,000 mph, China's ability to intercept such a fast-moving object would represent a major leap forward in military defense technology.

However, many people online fear that the Chinese military targeted and destroyed an extraterrestrial craft last week.

'Another UFO UAP has been shot down... This is definitely part of their reverse engineering program,' one person claimed on X.

Videos appeared to show a missile launched from the ground which quickly intercepted the object and exploded

Chinese officials have not commented on the incident or what may have been flying over the Shandong Province

The new video appeared to show the object flying over Shandong Province being completely destroyed and breaking into several pieces when the reddish fireball struck it on Friday.

Meanwhile, a similar incident on October 30, 2024, which has just been made public, produced a very different outcome.

During the third congressional hearing on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri unveiled never-before-seen footage of a UFO being struck by a US military drone's missile off the coast of Yemen.

Unlike the object in the Chinese video, the glowing orb-shaped craft continued to fly after being struck by the laser-guided bomb.

Military whistleblower Jeffrey Nuccetelli, a former Air Force police officer for 16 years, called the new video 'exceptional evidence' of the existence of UFOs.

While it may never be confirmed by China if the object struck was a genuine UFO, initial reports of the incident have leaned towards calling the red fireball a military weapons test.

In 2025, both the US and Chinese armed forces have ramped up military exercises in the Pacific, including multiple reports of China conducting live-fire drills in the East China Sea, just 200 miles from the mysterious explosion. 

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

16-09-2025 om 23:36 geschreven door peter  

A controversial new scientific paper has sent shockwaves through the academic community by suggesting that life on Earth may not have emerged through natural processes alone, but could instead be the result of deliberate terraforming by advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. The research, published by Imperial College London's Professor Robert Endres, applies cutting-edge information theory and AI models to demonstrate that the odds of life spontaneously arising from chemical chaos are so astronomically low that alien intervention becomes a "logically open alternative."

The study, titled " The unreasonable likelihood of being: Origin of life, terraforming, and AI," challenges fundamental assumptions about Earth's biological origins. Using mathematical frameworks based on rate-distortion theory and algorithmic complexity, Endres concludes that assembling a viable protocell within Earth's available timeframe would require persistence over geological timescales that strain credibility.

• Panspermia – The Idea That Life Came From The Stars
• Unexplained Mysteries: Ancient Alien Theories Debunked or Proven?

Information Theory Meets Astrobiology

Professor Endres developed a novel approach using Kolmogorov complexity to estimate the informational content required for life's emergence. His calculations suggest that a minimal protocell requires approximately one billion bits of organized information - equivalent to the complexity of sophisticated computer programs. When compared against the estimated entropy of prebiotic chemical environments and molecular persistence timescales, the mathematics paint a sobering picture.

"A purely random soup, made up of molecules that eventually enabled the formation of life on Earth, was too lossy," Endres explains in his yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper. The research indicates that some form of persistent directional process - lasting hundreds of millions of years - would be necessary to accumulate sufficient biological information naturally.

The study draws parallels between ancient theories and modern science, noting that humanity now seriously contemplates terraforming Mars and Venus. "If advanced civilizations exist," the paper argues, "it is not implausible they might attempt similar interventions out of curiosity, necessity, or design."

Image from the paper, Fantasy sci-fi imagery of terraforming. Chatgpt4.0’s hallucination of early Earth with seeded biomaterial, jump starting Darwinian evolution.

(R. Endres)

Directed Panspermia: From Science Fiction to Science

The concept isn't entirely new. In 1973, Francis Crick - the co-discoverer of DNA's helical structure - and chemist Leslie Orgel proposed "directed panspermia" as a potential explanation for life's unlikely emergence. Their theory suggested that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations deliberately seeded Earth with microbial "starter kits" to establish biological evolution.

Dr Francis Crick, one of the discoverers of DNA’s helical structure.

(CC BY 4.0)

Crick and Orgel's hypothesis emerged from recognition of the same statistical improbabilities that drive Endres' modern analysis. Even with primitive 1970s knowledge, the mathematical challenges of abiogenesis appeared formidable. Their proposal offered an elegant solution: relocate the explanatory burden to more advanced civilizations operating under unknown conditions.

Ancient cultures worldwide contain creation myths describing divine or celestial beings bringing life to Earth. From the biblical Book of Genesis to Mesopotamian texts describing sky gods, humanity has long contemplated external origins for terrestrial biology. Modern directed panspermia theories provide scientific frameworks for concepts that have persisted across civilizations.

• Where Did We Come From? Unusual Theories on Human Origins
• Inhabited Planets and Alien Life Common in Universe

The Mathematics of Impossibility

Endres' calculations reveal staggering temporal requirements for natural abiogenesis. His models suggest that without persistent directional bias, random molecular assembly would require time periods exceeding the universe's age by factors of millions or billions. Even with optimistic assumptions about chemical environments and molecular stability, the informational bottleneck remains severe.

The research applies principles from bacterial chemotaxis - where organisms exhibit "run-and-tumble" behavior - to model how chemical evolution might accumulate biological information. If molecular interactions behave like random walks without persistent memory, assembly times become cosmologically implausible.

"With persistence time of one year, the required time is still approximately 10^17 years, about ten million times the universe's current age," the paper states. These calculations suggest that either unknown physical principles accelerate biological organization, or external intervention provided necessary starting conditions.

AI and the Future of Origins Research

The study leverages artificial intelligence tools including AlphaFold protein folding algorithms and comprehensive whole-cell computational models to estimate biological complexity. These modern approaches provide unprecedented precision in quantifying life's informational requirements compared to earlier theoretical frameworks.

Endres acknowledges that invoking extraterrestrial terraforming "violates Occam's razor" by adding explanatory complexity. However, he argues that the mathematical constraints of natural abiogenesis may warrant considering alternatives previously dismissed as science fiction.

The research represents growing intersection between astrobiology, information theory, and AI. As computational models become more sophisticated, scientists can quantify biological complexity with increasing accuracy, potentially resolving longstanding debates about life's origins.

Whether Earth's biosphere emerged through undiscovered physical principles, highly improbable natural processes, or deliberate extraterrestrial intervention remains an open question. However, Endres' work demonstrates that serious scientific investigation of unconventional possibilities may be necessary when conventional explanations encounter mathematical impossibilities.

• Top image: Concept depicting potential alien terraforming of early Earth. 
• Source: dottedyeti/Adobe Stock

By Gary Manners

References

{ https://www.ancient-origins.net/science-space }

16-09-2025 om 23:07 geschreven door peter  

The Moon, unlike Earth, is a cosmic time capsule. No atmosphere, no liquid water, no tectonic plates. No weather to corrode. No oceans to drag remnants beneath their waves. No wind to scatter. In fact, conditions on the Moon have remained largely unchanged for billions of years. Anything that landed there,whether a natural meteorite, a human probe, or something far stranger, could remain preserved almost indefinitely.

This fact has led some scientists and thinkers to wonder: what if something did land there? Not from Earth. Not from our time. Imagine. Just imagine.

The Oldest Surface in the Inner Solar System

The Moon formed shortly after Earth itself, around 4.5 billion years ago, likely the result of a violent collision between the early Earth and a Mars-sized body. Since then, it has served as a passive observer to the evolution of our solar system.

Its surface tells a story no other celestial body can. While Earth has erased its past with continental drift, volcanic activity, and erosion, the Moon has done none of that. It is a preserved relic. A memory. And it may be holding more than we think.

So just by using common sense, if you’re going to look for ancient, technological artifacts from a planet other than ours, look where things can survive for billions of years. And the Moon, airless, geologically dead, stable,is one of the best preservation environments in the solar system.

A Logical Target for Interstellar Probes

Now imagine a distant civilization seeding the galaxy with interstellar probes, durable, autonomous, and built to endure deep time.

We’ve done something similar with Voyager 1 and 2, and Pioneer 10. Our probes are slow and few. But a far older and more advanced species could have launched thousands, maybe millions, across space,blindly, systematically, over epochs.

If just one of those alien probes ever passed through our solar system, it might not slow down. It wouldn’t need to. But it could be pulled in, by Jupiter, by the Sun, or by the Earth-Moon system.

Here’s the thing: if a high-speed object like that struck Earth, it would almost certainly burn up in the atmosphere, disintegrate in the ocean, or be destroyed by tectonic forces and time.

But the Moon is different. No atmosphere. No oceans. No erosion. Just rock, dust, and silence.

A probe crashing into the lunar surface,even at high velocity,might break apart… but pieces could survive. Metal fragments. Unusual alloys. Embedded structures. Preserved for millions of years beneath layers of regolith. Not by design. Not by intent. Just by the nature of where it fell. It is only logical. And the best part is, we have a couple of more places to search for in the solar system. Any of the Moons of Jupiter or even Saturn possibly could have objects rashed on their surface.

Interstellar Visitors: We’ve Seen Them

Until recently, the idea of interstellar objects visiting our solar system was mostly hypothetical. But that changed in 2017.

That year, astronomers spotted a cigar-shaped object hurtling through our solar system at incredible speed. It was the first confirmed interstellar visitor, and it was named ʻOumuamua, meaning “a messenger from afar arriving first” in Hawaiian.

ʻOumuamua was strange. It didn’t behave like a comet or asteroid. It had no tail. Its acceleration was unusual. Its shape was unlike anything seen before. Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb even suggested it could be artificial,a discarded light sail or fragment of alien technology. Most scientists disagreed, favoring natural explanations. But the seed was planted.

In 2019, a second interstellar object arrived: 2I/Borisov. This time it looked more like a standard comet,though with unusual chemical composition.

And in 2014, long before these two, sensors detected an object called CNEOS 2014-01-08, now believed to have interstellar origin based on its velocity and trajectory. It crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea. If confirmed, it would be the first known interstellar object to have struck Earth. Loeb beleives this could have been a technological artifact. Since it crashed to Earth, it is almost impossible to find. However, had it crashed on the surface of the Moon, the story would be completely different. Future lunar missions could have found it.

So, as of writingh we have three interstellar objects that we have found. In less than a decade. Which raises a question: how many more have passed by, unnoticed? And how many may have struck the Moon?

Buried Beneath the Dust

The Moon is constantly bombarded by micrometeorites. Its surface, known as regolith, is a fine layer of broken rock and dust, formed by billions of years of impacts. This layer can be several meters thick in places. And beneath that dust… lies mystery. At least for now. What the apollo astronauts explored on the Moon is literally insignificant. That is why I am partifucalry excited about Artemis, and the future. Becasue if an alien probe (or any alien technology) landed or crashed on the Moon tens of millions of years ago, it’s likely that it’s now buried, shielded from further damage. It wouldn’t need to be large. A meter-wide sensor. A metallic shard. An engineered alloy. A signal recorder. Something that might not even be visible from orbit.

And that’s a problem. Because we’ve barely begun to explore the Moon’s subsurface.

We’ve Only Scratched the Surface

Between 1969 and 1972, twelve astronauts walked on the Moon. They explored just six locations, all near the equator and on the near side. Since then, lunar missions have been limited to orbiters, landers, and rovers, most of them covering small areas.

Today, the Moon is becoming a focus again. NASA’s Artemis program aims to return humans to the surface by the late 2020s, with the long-term goal of building a sustainable lunar presence. China, India, Russia, and private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin also have ambitious lunar plans.

New missions are beginning to probe the Moon in greater detail than ever before. China’s Chang’e program continues to expand its reach with successful landers, sample-return missions, and upcoming south polar expeditions. Instruments like NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) have been mapping the Moon for over a decade, yet only a fraction of the surface has been studied up close, and virtually none of the subsurface.

Several upcoming efforts, including crewed missions under NASA’s Artemis program, aim to establish a long-term human presence. But until we dig, scan, and explore beneath the regolith, vast regions of the Moon,and any secrets they might hold, will remain untouched.

Though smaller than Earth, the Moon still holds over 38 million square kilometers of surface, enough terrain to hide secrets in craters, crevices, and deep beneath the dust.

The Birth of Lunar Archaeology

In time, we may develop the tools and missions necessary to search not just for water ice or minerals, but for anomalies. Artificial patterns. Unusual materials. Electro-magnetic signatures. Things that don’t belong. Things that we did not bring to the Moon.

Lunar archaeology may one day become a field of study. And it won’t just be about exploring human history (space archaeology), like the remnants of Apollo modules or robotic landers. It could become a tool for uncovering non-human history. A cosmic archaeology.

If even a single fragment of alien engineering were found, the implications would be staggering. It would mean we are not alone. That we are not the first. That others have walked, or drifted, through the stars before us.

And we might not have to go far to find them.

It’s tempting to look outward, to scan exoplanets, listen for distant radio waves, and dream of civilizations light-years away. But maybe, just maybe, the first evidence of intelligent alien life isn’t waiting in some distant galaxy. Maybe it’s beneath our feet. Or just a three-day journey away. Maybe we should stop looking only at the stars. And start digging.

{ https://curiosmos.com/category/alien-theories/ }

16-09-2025 om 22:54 geschreven door peter  

Mysterious ancient papyrus 'confirms' Bible story of the 10 plagues

• READ MORE: Biblical mystery solved as 5,500-year-old factory is discovered

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

An ancient Egyptian manuscript may prove the biblical 10 plagues described in the Book of Exodus.

Known as the Ipuwer Papyrus, the document takes the form of a poetic lament attributed to a scribe named Ipuwer. 

It recounts widespread catastrophes and societal upheaval in ancient Egypt, describing famine, mass death and environmental disasters. 

According to Exodus, God sent a series of devastating afflictions, including turning the Nile to blood, swarms of locusts and three days of darkness, to convince the Pharaoh to free the Israelites from slavery.

The Ipuwer Papyrus appears to describe many of these same events, as one line reads, 'There's blood everywhere…Lo, the River is blood,' mirroring the Nile turning to blood in the Bible.

'Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, he lifted the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood,' reads Exodus 7:20.

The papyrus also describes environmental devastation: 'Lo, trees are felled, branches stripped,' likely reflecting the hailstorm that destroyed crops, and 'Lo, grain is lacking on all sides,' illustrating widespread famine. 

While the Ipuwer Papyrus, now housed in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities, was discovered in the early 19th century, it has resurfaced on social media, where users are amazed that they have never heard about the manuscript and believe it proves the Bible to be true. 

The Ipuwer Papyrus, attributed to a scribe named Ipuwer, recounts calamities striking the land, including rivers turning to blood, destruction of crops, famine and widespread death

The Bible recounts that God sent ten plagues upon Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to free the Israelites from slavery. 

The first plague turned the Nile to blood, killing fish and poisoning the water.

Following this, Egypt was struck by swarms of frogs, lice and flies, along with deadly livestock disease and painful boils. 

A severe hailstorm, locust swarms, three days of thick darkness and finally the death of every firstborn son forced Pharaoh to release the Israelites. 

Against this biblical backdrop, the Ipuwer Papyrus offers a strikingly similar account of calamities in Egypt.

Estimates place the Ipuwer Papyrus between 1550 and 1290 BC. However, some scholars suggest it may align with the biblical timeline of the Exodus around 1440 BC. 

Biblical historian Michael Lane said in a recent study: 'No conclusive evidence exists to pinpoint the exact date of its composition, but because of its written style, it appears to have been written by an eyewitness. A large number of scholars place it around the time of the biblical date of 1440BC.' 

Despite the intriguing parallels, scholars caution against interpreting the papyrus as direct proof of the Exodus. 

The Book of Exodus describes the Ten Plagues of God. The first curse saw the Nile's waters struck by Moses' staff at God's command, turning them to blood in a divine act of judgment

The text is poetic and fragmentary, and it does not explicitly mention Moses or the Israelites. 

Some have suggested that it may instead reflect broader natural disasters and social turmoil that Egypt experienced independently of the biblical narrative. 

The manuscript vividly portrays societal collapse, with lines such as 'Groaning is throughout the land, mingled with laments,' mirroring the mourning described in Exodus 12:30, when 'there was not a house where there was not one dead.' 

One passage reads: 'Birds find neither fruits nor herbs,' which is reminiscent of the biblical plague of locusts, which 'covered all the ground until it was black…nothing green remained on trees or plants in all the land of Egypt' (Exodus 10:15). 

The text also echoes the biblical plagues' attacks on Egypt's gods, with the river of blood, frogs, and darkness recalling Hapi, Heqet, and Ra. 

It references slavery and wealth, noting precious metals and stones fastened on female slaves, reflecting the Israelites' bondage and the transfer of treasures described in Exodus. 

Another passage, 'Lo, many dead are buried in the river, the stream is the grave, the tomb became a stream,' aligns with biblical descriptions of mass burials (Numbers 33:4). The devastation is summarized simply yet powerfully: 'All is ruin.'

Together, these passages suggest a society under environmental, social, and spiritual crisis, echoing the layered calamities of the biblical narrative.

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

16-09-2025 om 22:32 geschreven door peter  

Ex-NASA engineer claims trillions of shape-shifting, cloaked devices are hidden across Earth

• MORE: Harvard scientist warns mystery interstellar object could be 'hostile' alien craft bound for Earth

By CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR

A former NASA engineer has made sensational claims that humans are not only reverse-engineering alien technology, but that trillions of invisible extraterrestrial devices may already be hidden across the planet.

Richard Banduric, CEO of Field Propulsion Technologies and a former propulsion engineer for NASA and Lockheed Martin, shared the shocking allegations during a December 2024 episode of the Ecosystemic Futures podcast, which has recently resurfaced on social media platform X.

In the interview, Banduric described a covert effort by the US government and private research groups to study advanced materials allegedly recovered from unidentified flying objects. 

He claimed that many of these mysterious objects were not simply crash debris, but part of what he suspects is a vast, invisible sensor network scattered around the world.

The engineer admitted he didn’t know who had placed the devices, but said they were unlike anything ever seen, not just decades ahead of current technology, but hundreds of years beyond it.

He described one such device as a 'sliver of metal' that could reconfigure and camouflage itself depending on its surroundings. 'It would cloak itself and try to blend into the environment,' he said. 'That's how we could tell it was extraterrestrial.'

Despite the bold claims, Banduric offered no physical evidence to support them.

His comments have reignited online speculation about UFO disclosure, with some users calling 2024 the year 'disclosure really happened.' The Pentagon, however, continues to deny the existence of any alien retrieval programs or confirmed contact with extraterrestrial life.

Richard Banduric (pictured) revealed what he knew about US efforts to reverse engineer alien technology in December 2024

As for why some advanced group would be scattering tiny objects as part of a global monitoring system, the engineer claimed that extraterrestrials could be trying to influence human society.

'They have all sorts of functions. This really implies that maybe this group is actually manipulating our species,' Banduric warned in his first public comments.

Since the 2024 podcast, he and other guests, including UFO researcher Hal Puthoff and former NASA advisor Dr Anna Brady-Estevez, have continued to share details of humanity's attempt to reverse engineer alien technology.

He added that it was still possible to acquire these cloaked devices scattered around the world, but his access had been cut off by the groups he was working with after he chose to go public with what he knew in 2024.

Banduric had originally been recruited by the US Department of Defense and the Air Force to work on classified projects aimed at analyzing systems from crashed UFOs.

However, he noted that these technologies weren't being used by the US government. Instead, it was non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that were studying most of the recovered alien technology.

'Some of that work I was doing with NGOs was really exciting. But one of the other things that comes out of this is that these individuals, or whoever this group is that has this advanced technology, probably does not want us reverse-engineering what they're working on,' Banduric explained.

To stop other groups or governments from utilizing these materials, scientists discovered that the unknown metals could break apart into tiny particles that couldn't be reactivated.

Banduric said that most of the technology from crashed UFOs was being studied and taken apart by non-government groups, not the military

(Stock Image) 

'They were smart materials. You'd be looking at them and trying to reverse engineer them, they would turn to dust,' the engineer revealed.

'They would do it within a minute or two. Then, you could take the dust, send it off, and get isotropic analysis done on it. It turned out they were extraterrestrial,' he disclosed.

According to Banduric, NGO scientists continued to run into these problems, suggesting that the technology was carefully constructed so that no one would be able to duplicate what they found.

Along with being able to self-destruct, scientists examining these materials also found they could bend light around them, projecting the image of whatever was behind the extraterrestrial material in front so no one could see what was there, Banduric claimed.

Along with potentially trillions of smaller objects seeded throughout the world, the former government engineer revealed that the US was aware of giant triangle-shaped craft that could use this cloaking technology as well. 

The giant triangles Banduric referred to have been described by many people reporting UFO sightings of the years.

The engineer noted that they were 'not ours,' implying the triangles scientists were observing were extraterrestrial craft which appeared to vanish after being spotted.

In April, former US national security official Matthew Brown disclosed that classified mission reports he read revealed how a large black triangle-shaped UFO 'decloaked' out of thin air over several Russian vessels in the Pacific.

'The [NGOs] I worked with were trying to figure out how these rather large craft, which people call triangles, would be able to disappear on a dime,' Banduric explained.

'These triangles were taking whatever was behind them and actually projecting it in front of them, which might be equivalent to taking the light rays and bending it around the actual triangle,' he added.

Although Banduric did not reveal how many of these craft had been seen or were in the possession of the US government, another guest on the Ecosystemic Futures podcast did.

Dr Puthoff noted that the US military had recovered and were studying at least 10 extraterrestrial craft since the 1940s.

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

16-09-2025 om 22:05 geschreven door peter  

Mysterious tentacles emerging from a 'meteorite' spark frenzied reaction: 'An Alien growing'

• MORE: Scientist claims life on Earth was not random... but engineered

By CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR

A man claims to have found an alien-like species within a meteorite, causing a stir on social media.

The individual, who identifies himself as Kin online, said he discovered a small, silver-colored space rock in a fiery crater in Panama on August 29.

Since then, he has shared a series of videos on TikTok showing what he described as the meteorite burning leaves on contact and an unruly, tentacled organism sprouting from within it.

A week after his initial post, he claimed that the crater 'shines at night,' sharing footage of the dark site glowing mysteriously.

Subsequent videos appeared to show a mass of oily, tentacle-like growths spreading rapidly from the rock's crevices, eventually engulfing the object. 

The videos have gone viral on social media, with some viewers claiming they show 'an alien growing,' while others dismiss them as a hoax. 

'There are people who want to believe, but in reality it looks like a potato,' one user shared on X.

'That metallic sheen smells like paint, and the camera cut before touching it is suspicious. By the way, iron meteorites don't do photosynthesis. It's a potato.'

Just days after finding the 'meteorite' in Panama, Kin shared videos on TikTok of the object appearing to grow plant-like tentacles

The rock appeared to burn leaves - but some online users claimed it was a hoax

Kin said the tentacle-covered specimen now must be kept inside a large safe, but some have doubted his story, claiming the organism is a common plant and the meteorite scene was staged. 

Although his videos have been viewed millions of times, there has been no independent confirmation that the object is a meteorite, nor any verification from scientists regarding the make-up of the organism growing around it.

Meteorite trackers have also not confirmed that a space rock fell last month in the Pedregal district of Panama.

Regardless, Kin has claimed to have mailed samples of the tentacles to friends, but no analysis has been publicly reported.

Skeptics online have pointed out that an image of the supposed crater where Kin pulled the meteorite from appeared to have several matchsticks in it, suggesting the hole had been intentionally set on fire.

Others have noted that Kin was able to pick up the meteorite with his bare hands without any issues, despite the object just burning through multiple tree leaves.

Critics have raised concerns about Kin's handling of the specimen, noting that he appeared to touch the strange tentacles with his bare hands, which could have contaminated the samples he claimed to be sending for study. 

Videos appeared to show a mass of oily, tentacle-like growths spreading rapidly 

Kin added in his videos that some have reached out to him claiming the object he found was not a meteorite at all, but was a plant 'egg' which sprouts an organism called Clathrus archeri, or the Devil's Fingers fungus.

However, Kin's mystery organism appears to look different from that fungus. The substance has many tentacles that have a black, tar-like shine to them.

As for the Devil's Fingers fungus, the plant is typically red with much less tar-like slime covering the tentacles.

Kin claims that the substance has continued to grow, now taking up almost an entire safe 

The viral sensation grew even more terrifying in the last four days, as Kin even claimed the organism had detached itself from the silver rock and moved to hide itself inside Kin's locked safe.

'Today I was scared and I felt afraid, I thought it had escaped,' the man said in a TikTok post translated from Spanish on September 11.

According to his follow-up posts, the organism continued to grow whenever it was exposed to light and was seen pulsing and moving inside Kin's kitchen, which he kept unlit except for shining a flashlight near the object.

'When the night comes, I feel calm, I know it won't grow. Every time I show it to them, when I light it, it grows and puts me in danger,' Kin wrote in a new video posted Sunday.

The Panamanian claimed that some individuals have approached him and requested that he hand over the strange substance out of 'concern for his safety'.

Meanwhile, those on social media have warned Kin that they feared government authorities may try to take the mystery specimen from him and erase the videos from the internet.

In a post that was translated into multiple languages, Kin pleaded with his followers to: 'Save the videos. They're our evidence. They'll probably all be deleted.'

While Kin's videos have captivated social media, many have also claimed the entire story is a hoax. 

If a creature were to grow out of a rock, researcher John Greenewald Jr commented that it could be evidence of panspermia, the concept that life on Earth was deposited here by meteorites from space.

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

16-09-2025 om 21:52 geschreven door peter  

Misunderstood Science or Paranormal Activity? Bizarre Cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion

Arguably one of the strangest phenomenon of human life is spontaneous human combustion, something that has claimed many lives over the years, and left many others scared and unsettled by such bizarre encounters. Moreover, it is not simply that a person might burst into flames for no apparent reason, but these fires are so intensely hot that the respective victims are reduced to ash in a matter of moments. Deepening the mystery even further, despite this intense raging inferno, all around the victims is largely unaffected. 

Indeed, while spontaneous human combustion is still unexplained, there have been some remarkable facts and statistics revealed over the course of decades of research. Over 60 percent of victims of spontaneous human combustion, for example, are women, and over 50 percent of these bizarre occurrences take place between midnight and 6 am. Perhaps most perplexing is that despite the intensely high temperatures that victims of spontaneous human combustion burn at, and the fact that they are usually reduced to nothing but ash, there is most often a single limb or a foot that is left untouched.

While we might suspect that cases of spontaneous human combustion are a modern phenomenon, the fact is that we can find cases stretching back hundreds of years, at the very least. In the mid-1600s, for example, we can find one of the earliest documented accounts of spontaneous human combustion, most often attributed to Thomas Bartholin, who documented an incident in Milan in 1654. However, since this encounter was documented (in Latin), it has suffered terribly with inaccurate translations and interpretations. So much so that many of the finer details of the case have since become lost to history. 

We do, however, have the basics of the account. They involve a knight who was serving Queen Bona Sforza. On the night in question, after enjoying an evening of fine food and even finer brandy,  the knight sat down at the table after refilling his glass, feeling the amber liquid burn its way down his throat. A moment later, however, he claimed he could feel the burning sensation rising back up his throat from his stomach. Then, a moment later, when he opened his mouth, a surge of flames sprang from him and engulfed him almost instantly. 

Around three-quarters of a century later, a case of apparent spontaneous human combustion almost resulted in a presumed innocent man being charged with murder. In 1725 in France, Nicole Miller's remains were discovered almost completely incinerated in a chair in the house she shared with her husband. The chair itself was completely undamaged (as would become a standard detail when such cases were researched in more depth). At the time, though, such details were not widely understood, and so Nicole's husband was suspected of her murder, arrested, and charged. In fact, it was only the intervention of surgeon, Nicholas Le Cat, that saved him from the guillotine, who argued that Nicole had almost certainly been a victim of spontaneous human combustion. Although the court didn't enter such details onto the record, they did accept that the death had been caused "by a visitation of God!"

Only six years later, on the evening of April 3rd, 1731, in Verona, Italy, Countess de Bandi Cesante was at home enjoying her evening meal as usual before she retired to bed. Before she went to sleep for the evening, she talked for several hours with her maid, who later recalled that although she mentioned that she felt "dull and heavy", she appeared as she usually would, and so when she fell asleep, the maid left the room, planning to return in the morning as soon as she was called by her mistress. However, the following morning, no call came, so the maid decided to check on the countess. When she entered the room, she was confronted by a sight she was simply not prepared for. 

According to the report, around four feet from the bed, there was a "heap of ashes, two legs untouched, from the foot to the knee with their stockings on!" Even more harrowing, between them were the charred remains of the countess's head, as well as three "blackened fingers". Moreover, when the ashes were picked up to examine, they left a "stinking moisture" in the hand. Bizarrely, however, despite the brutal remains of the countess, there was no more damage to the rest of the room. Although there was an oil lamp on the side, it was unlit, as were the two candles next to it. Whether of consequence or not, the bed covers were found turned down, as if the countess had briefly left her bed at some point during the night, fully expecting to return.

As bizarre and intriguing as these details are, the eventual conclusions are even more remarkable. Not only was the oil lamp not lit but there were no signs of any accelerant in the room, and the countess was not a drinker of alcohol. However, it was suggested that the countess had risen during the night to open a window and allow fresh air into the bedroom. A short time later, it was suggested, "silent lightning" had "crept in through a crack in the window or down the fireplace!" However, this conclusion was later revised, with the amount of perfume that the countess often wore being highlighted as the likely reason she had perished in such a way.

Around a decade later, however, Paul Rolli examined the case once more, certain that the previous explanations had been too simplistic. He wrote in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London that:

"Such an effect was not produced by the light of the oil-lamp, or any candles; because common fire, even in a pile, does not consume a body to such a degree and would have besides spread itself to the goods of the chamber, more combustible than a human body!"

It was, Rolli suggested, likely a combination of factors that led to the untimely demise of the countess. He suggested that "flammable gases" mixed with the alcohol from the perfume the countess was wearing, which then created a "potent fuel" that was capable of "incinerating the body!" The reason the head and limbs had escaped such carnage from the flames was likely down to the fact that by the time the flames reached them, the fuel had likely died and burned out. 

Around 150 years later, on the other side of the Atlantic in the small farming community of Seneca in Illinois, on Christmas Eve 1885, Matilda Rooney was busy in the kitchen while her husband Patrick was in the next room. What exactly happened that evening is not entirely clear, but at some point during the evening, Matilda, essentially, "burst into flames" and was reduced to a pile of ash within moments. In a strange twist to the whole affair, Patrick was also found dead in the house, seemingly from suffocation from the fumes (even though there was no damage at all to the rest of the property). 

When investigators examined the scene, they were utterly baffled. One of the farm workers informed them that he had spent several hours at the property before leaving for the evening, and that the couple had appeared fine before he left, each enjoying a glass of whiskey and preparing for the holidays. It was ultimately determined that Matilda herself appeared to be the fuel source of the fire that consumed her. 

As we have seen, there are many historic cases of spontaneous human combustion for us to explore. Without a doubt, though, the majority of these recorded cases have unfolded in the twentieth century. 

Perhaps the most notable of these occurred in July 1951, when 67-year-old Mary Reeser from St. Petersburg, Florida, or at least what was left of her, was discovered "sitting" in a chair at her home. In fact, all that was discovered of Mary was a skull fragment, one of her feet, and a small piece of her spine, with the chair that she had been sitting on also completely reduced to ash. As was noted at the time, given the high temperatures required to reduce a human body to ash, it was a mystery why the entire property had not been engulfed in flames. 

Despite this strangeness, the FBI, which investigated the case, concluded that Mary had likely fallen asleep with a cigarette in her hand, which had then likely ignited her clothes and resulted in her death. As we might imagine, many researchers and investigators simply do not accept this explanation. In fact, some researchers have pondered just what the authorities might have known about the strange death for them to wrap it up so quickly. 

Five years later, in December 1956, another baffling spontaneous human combustion case unfolded. On the day in question, 78-year-old Sik Kim was sitting in his wheelchair reading his newspaper. As he did so, however, he suddenly noticed flames appearing around his torso. As he called out for help, the flames began to engulf him. His neighbor, Virginia Cadet, rushed over to see what the matter was. As soon as she saw Sik Kim in flames, she rushed off again to get help. By the time she returned 15 minutes later, Sik Kim was nothing but a pile of ash - except, that is, for his two feet, which remained intact. Even stranger, nothing else in the room was damaged by the flames, including papers, books, and clothes. Sik Kim's death remains a complete mystery. 

Around a decade later, on the afternoon of October 16th, 1964, 75-year-old Olga Worth Stephens met a harrowing end outside of a convenience store in Dallas, Texas. She had been in the car with her nephew when he decided he wished to purchase a cold drink and so pulled into the parking lot of the store. He left Olga in the vehicle while he went inside. He was only inside for several minutes, but when he returned, his aunt was completely enveloped in flames. Passersby eventually managed to pull her out of the car and smother the flames. However, she passed away from her injuries eight days later. 

Perhaps what made Olga's death all the more mysterious was a line from an article in the Dallas Morning News that stated she had received treatment for "burns received in mysterious circumstances!" Stranger still, when the vehicle was examined by investigators, they discovered no damage whatsoever, not even traces of an accelerant or stimulant. Ultimately, like several other cases we have examined here, it would appear that Olga herself was the fuel source of the fire that killed her.

Only several months later, on the morning of November 8th, 1964, in Upper Darby Township in Pennsylvania, the burnt-out remains of Helen Conway were discovered in her home. Interestingly, when the fire chief, Paul Haggarty, attended the scene, he declared publicly his belief that the incident was one of spontaneous human combustion. Further study, though, perhaps suggested, on this occasion, an alternative explanation for the grim discovery. It came to light that Helen was a "careless smoker" who regularly left cigarettes around the house, leading investigators to ponder if this was how she had come to such a fiery end. Indeed, it appeared that Helen's death was simply a tragic accident. However, when investigators looked deeper into the case, that appeared decidedly unlikely. 

It was discovered that Helen had asked her granddaughter for a box of matches on the morning of her death, no more than 20 minutes before her body was discovered, with her granddaughter even suggesting that she found her remains around three minutes after. The fire department had arrived at the property at 8:48 am, meaning that Helen was likely alive as late as 8:42 am - the six minutes not being enough time for her to accidentally set herself on fire and be consumed by the flames. 

We should note that several skeptics have suggested the "wick effect" (something we will explore in a little more detail later) as an explanation for Helen Conway's death. However, tests easily showed that this would have taken at least several hours, and certainly a lot longer than between six and 20 minutes. 

Only two years later, on the morning of December 5th, 1966, 92-year-old Dr. John Irving Bentley's burnt-out remains were discovered at his home. The remains were discovered by Don Gosnell, who had arrived at the property for a prearranged meeting to read the meters. He entered the property and began on his way to the basement. However, as he did so, he noticed a strange odor in the air, as well as a faint blue smoke.

When he entered the basement, he discovered a small pile of ash on the floor, which he assumed was the source of the strange odor. He then made his way to the bathroom that was directly above the basement. Upon arriving there, he discovered the remains of a lower leg and a foot, still with an undamaged slipper on it, as well as Bentley's walking frame, and a large pile of ash. Stranger still, there was a hole in the bathroom floor that allowed Gosnell to see into the room below. 

A particularly bizarre encounter unfolded at around 5 am on the morning of September 5th, 1967, in Lambeth, London, when early work commuters found themselves witnessing one of the strangest incidents they had ever seen. Inside, a local man named Robert Bailey, who was a known alcoholic, was burning to death with an unusual flame bursting forth from his stomach. After several members of the public called the fire brigade, they arrived at 5:19 am - only five minutes later - to a sight that they were not ready to witness. 

One of those in attendance later stated that when he entered the building, Bailey was lying at the bottom of the stairs, clearly contorted in pain. He stated that he could see blue flames coming from a small slit in his stomach. Despite using fire extinguishers in an effort to save the man's life, all efforts failed, with one member of the fire brigade offering that he was "literally burning from the inside out!" Even more harrowing, it is claimed that Bailey had seemingly bitten down on the bottom wooden staircase, such was the pain he was in, with his jaw having to be pried open to remove his body. 

There were plenty of other strange details. For example, despite the flames coming from his body, Bailey's clothes were largely undamaged, as was the case with the wooden floor and stairs. Moreover, there were no accelerants discovered in the property, and both the gas and the electricity had been cut off.  These details led investigators to consider whether Bailey had actually died from exposure to the fumes from the fire. Ultimately, it was determined that Bailey’s death was down to “unknown causes!” Even the wick effect explanation had to be dismissed because witnesses noted “blowtorch-like flames” originating from inside Bailey’s torso. The incident remains one of the strangest cases of spontaneous human combustion on record. 

What makes the case of Jack Angel all the more intriguing is that he survived spontaneous human combustion. On the night in question, in 1974, Angel, who was a traveling salesman, parked his motorhome outside a hotel and then ventured into the back to settle down for the night. However, several hours later, Angel awoke with severe burns to his arms and legs. In fact, one of his arms was so drastically burned that it had to be amputated. Much like other cases of spontaneous human combustion, however, there was no damage at all to the motorhome, even though, given the extent of his injuries, the motorhome should have been completely incinerated.

The case baffled investigators and researchers, not least as the flames appeared to extinguish themselves before they had a chance to reduce Angel to a pile of ash. We might ask if Angel was in a trance-like state as opposed to being asleep, similar to the report from the Robert Bailey case.  Despite an investigation by the police, there were no faults found with the motorhome, and there was no accelerant discovered. The case remains a complete mystery.

A particularly harrowing case of spontaneous human combustion unfolded on the afternoon of October 9th, 1980, in Jacksonville, Florida. On the afternoon in question, airwoman Jeanna Winchester was in a car driven by her friend Leslie Scott, when Jeanna suddenly “burst into flames!” Jeanna began screaming, “Get me out of here!” as Leslie looked on in shock. She later stated that the flames simply came out of nowhere, and after she tried to put them out with her hands, she lost control of the car and crashed into a telephone pole. 

Although she had burns to 20 percent of her body, Jeanna survived the incident, recovering in the hospital. When the vehicle was examined by investigators, there was little damage to the interior of the vehicle, with only the seat and door panel showing any signs of the sudden fire. Moreover, Jeanna herself claimed to have had no memory between setting off that afternoon and waking up in the hospital. With this in mind, we might ask if her mind had simply blocked out the incident, or if there is something more paranormal or supernatural involved in these strange cases of spontaneous human combustion. 

If we return to London for a moment, in September 1982, we can find the case of 61-year-old Jean Saffin, who was mentally disabled, and who seemingly burst into flames in front of her father. At the time of the incident, as her father was sitting at the kitchen table when a sudden “flash of light” lit up the room. The next thing he realized, Jean was completely engulfed in flames. He immediately got to his feet and attempted to drag his daughter to the sink, calling to his son as he did so. Between them, they managed to douse the flames before they contacted the emergency services. Jean was taken to the hospital, but she passed away from her injuries just over a week later. Her death, officially at least, is unsolved. Jean’s father, however, was convinced that spontaneous human combustion was the cause of his daughter’s death. Moreover, Jean’s brother-in-law, who also witnessed the incident, stated that “the flames were coming out of her mouth like a dragon, and they were making a roaring noise!” Despite this, the coroner refused to put the death down to spontaneous human combustion because, in his opinion, “no such thing existed!”

Without a doubt, one of the most thought-provoking cases of spontaneous human combustion is that of Vietnam veteran Frank Black, whose case was featured on the television program The Unexplained Files.  According to the report, in June 1985, Black and his friend, Pete Wiley, were preparing for a fishing trip and were sitting in Black’s living room. Suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, Black’s arm burst into flames. He and Wiley managed to smother the flames and then sought out medical advice for the burns. Bizarrely, although very similar to other cases of spontaneous human combustion, the doctor who examined Black’s wounds stated that they appeared to have “burned from the inside out!” Although Black was not significantly injured, a second incident occurred during their fishing trip. Needless to say, Black was left deeply shaken by the experience. 

In more recent times, on the afternoon of August 24th, 1998, Agnes Philips left the nursing home where she was a resident with Alzheimer’s with her daughter Jackie, who regularly drove Agnes around to let her enjoy a change of scenery. As they were returning home, with Agnes asleep in the passenger seat, Jackie decided to stop at a grocery store to pick up some groceries for later. Several minutes later, with Jackie still inside the store, she could see smoke rising from her parked car. Then, moments later, a “burst of flames” exploded from the vehicle. 

Jackie immediately rushed out of the store. By the time she arrived at her vehicle, a passerby was dragging her mother from the car before attempting to smother the flames. Bizarrely, despite being almost completely engulfed, Agnes remained calm, almost in a trance-like state, offering only that it was “too hot!” 

The flames were eventually extinguished, and Agnes was taken to the hospital with severe burns to her entire body. Unfortunately, she passed away a week later. Much like many of the other cases we have examined here, the inquest discovered no reason for the explosion of flames. No accelerant was found anywhere in the vehicle, and as the engine was not running at the time, it was unlikely that an electrical fault was responsible. Ultimately, the inquest ruled an open verdict. 

Just short of a decade later, on the evening of December 16th, 2007, in Brazil, an unnamed woman suddenly burst into flames, becoming incinerated within seconds. By the time the flames had died down, the woman was left “beyond recognition!” Although her right leg was undamaged, her left leg, upper torso, and both arms were completely obliterated. Moreover, all of her clothing also remained undamaged from the flames. Once more, it was noted that it appeared as though her body had “burned from the inside out!”

The case fascinated many researchers and investigators, with various explanations put forward. Some people, for example, suggested that ball lightning might have been responsible for the horrific inferno, while others suggested that the young woman could have been involved in some kind of “gang initiation”. However, the lack of accelerant meant these suggestions were largely dismissed. 

Around the same time, 76-year-old Michael Faherty succumbed to a sudden burst of flames, only this time, the coroner, Ciaran McLoughlin, ruled that the death was the result of spontaneous human combustion. When Faherty’s remains were discovered in West Galway, Ireland, investigators were perplexed as to how he could have been completely consumed by the flames while everything else around him was largely unaffected. Moreover, like other suspected cases of spontaneous human combustion, there was no sign of any accelerants anywhere in the property. The only other damage to the building was the spots directly above and below where Faherty’s remains were discovered. Although McLoughlin rued the death to be a result of spontaneous human combustion, he issued a caveat that “a source of ignition” had to have been responsible for the fire, although he could offer no sound explanation. 

Several years later, in early 2013, the charred remains of 65-year-old Danny Vanzandt were discovered at his home in Muldrow, Oklahoma. Despite the intense damage to Vanzandt, his property was unscathed. It is interesting to note that Vanzandt was a heavy smoker with a history of struggles with alcohol, something some researchers into spontaneous human combustion have offered are key components of these bizarre cases. However, investigators found no evidence that a lit cigarette caused the fire, nor did they find any evidence that Vanzandt was drinking at the time of his death. Similar to the Faherty case, the only damage to the property was a few scorch marks close to where the remains were found. Furthermore, there were no signs of a struggle inside the house, almost as if Vanzandt had calmly allowed himself to succumb to the flames. Ultimately, his death remains unexplained. 

Around two years later, in November 2015, in the small town of Flensburg, near Hamburg in Germany, a local woman (although unnamed in the report) suddenly burst into flames in front of multiple witnesses in the middle of a busy park. Although several onlookers attempted to smother the flames, the fire spread so quickly that her entire body was engulfed in seconds. As we might imagine, there were several theories following the encounter, including that the woman had committed suicide. However, not only were there no signs of any accelerants, but none of the witnesses recalled seeing the woman self-immolate. In a strange twist to the affair, several witnesses reported seeing two strange men leaving the area shortly after the incident, with their identities remaining a complete mystery. 

Only several months later, in January 2016, in Novi Sad in Serbia, a video surfaced online (since removed) that appeared to show a man in a doorway with strange “white flames” emerging from his torso. The video showed the flames beginning to engulf the man, even though he remained “indifferent” to the situation. Then, without warning, the man simply got to his feet and “brushed off” the flames before walking off as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Various theories were aired following the footage's first appearance, including that the incident was some kind of hoax. 

With all of these cases in mind, it is worth turning our attention to the work and research of Joe Nickell and John F. Fischer, who conducted a two-year study into spontaneous human combustion in the mid-1980s. In total, they extensively studied 30 cases of spontaneous human combustion, with cases spanning three centuries, highlighting several points of interest about the phenomenon. 

One thing they highlighted was the fact that many of the victims had been discovered close to fireplaces or candles, possibly highlighting a source of ignition. Moreover, many of the victims had been incapacitated at the time of the incident, usually through alcohol consumption, something they stated was likely to make the respective victims somewhat careless in their final hours, as well as reducing their ability to respond to any situations unfolding around them. 

It was also Nickell and Fischer who put forward the “wick effect” explanation, stating that combustible materials close to the victims would have assisted in retaining melted fat, which would, in turn, localize the flames and cause the body to burn quicker, which also then melted more fat. At the time this explanation was put forward, it was felt spontaneous human consumption had at last been explained. However, in the decades that have followed, other researchers have dismissed the wick effect as simply not being plausible.

Nickell and Fischer also explained why clothing, papers, and furniture remained largely undamaged despite their proximity to the respective victims. They offered that this was because fire tended to “burn upwards” as opposed to sideways, further offering that this was similar to people and objects being around a campfire without catching fire. 

Although they had put forward multiple explanations for the cases they had studied, they cautioned against a “one size fits all” explanation and urged other researchers to investigate claims of spontaneous human combustion on a case-by-case basis. 

With that in mind, there have been many other explanations put forward to explain the mysteries of spontaneous human combustion. In his book Ablaze! The Mysterious Fires of Spontaneous Human Combustion, Larry E. Arnold suggested that a subatomic particle that he named “pyroton” could be responsible for the many cases on record. He offered that this particle could, under certain circumstances and in certain conditions, increase the body’s flammability, particularly if there was increased alcohol in the bloodstream. He also offered that stress could act in such a way. Moreover, according to Arnold’s research, this increased flammability used hardly any oxygen, which is why the body burned so quickly and why the flames themselves didn’t spread. We should note that Joe Nickell was highly critical of Arnold’s methods and conclusions, stating that he used “selective evidence” for his research. 

John Abrahamson suggested, after his research into spontaneous human combustion, that ball lightning was responsible, highlighting how cases of ball lightning had left similar charred and burnt marks on human limbs. Similar to Arnold, however, most people dismissed these findings as unlikely at best. 

Of course, one suggestion we should consider is whether there could be a more paranormal explanation for spontaneous human combustion, perhaps even dealings with demonic entities, or even the Devil himself. And while such considerations sound bizarre, there are several such cases on record. Perhaps one of the first researchers to suggest this was Michael Harrison, who drew comparisons between poltergeist activity and spontaneous human combustion in his 1976 book Fire From Heaven. He looked at several such cases, pondering if objects could burst into flames through poltergeist activity, then maybe human beings could too. It is certainly worth considering, and while it would be almost impossible to delve into this aspect of past cases, it would be interesting to find out how many people who were apparent victims of spontaneous human combustion might have also experienced paranormal or poltergeist activity in the weeks and months leading up to their unfortunate and untimely ends. 

It is also interesting to note that many people who have witnessed spontaneous human combustion up close report seeing a bizarre mix of red, orange, and blue. The color of the flames is, generally speaking, determined by the material being burned, as well as the heat of the flames themselves. Could it be, though, that in cases of spontaneous human combustion, the flames, or the source of them, is something supernatural? We might also consider, particularly in the case of the Tuck family, which we will explore in a moment, that a strong odor of sulfur was also noticed, something which is common in not only poltergeist cases, but also Bigfoot encounters, and cases of alien abduction. Once more, does this suggest some kind of connection between different aspects of the paranormal, and does spontaneous human combustion fit into these bizarre and mysterious encounters somehow?

If we turn our attention to the Tuck family, we can find not only one of the most intense poltergeist cases on record, but a case that featured regular blazes appearing out of nowhere. The encounters of the Tuck family – Calvin, his wife Willie Bell, and their six children – began in August 1958. The family, who were already living in absolute poverty, began experiencing small, unexplained fires around their home in Talladega, Alabama. Moreover, some of the objects that seemingly burst into flames were as strange as the incidents themselves. On one occasion, for example, a loaf of bread suddenly burst into flames, while on another, a single item of clothing was engulfed while nearby garments were strangely unaffected. Once more, it is worth noting that the family stated that the flames of these strange fires were a strange mix of red and blue, and were almost always accompanied by the smell of sulfur. 

These fires broke out at random times, and while they were small to begin with, the intensity soon increased, as did the regularity of the fires. In total, over 50 fires were reported by the Tuck family, with several people outside the family also witnessing these bizarre events. In fact, one person, a contractor working at the home, claimed to have witnessed small fires breaking out at the property every 15 minutes. Eventually, with no explanation in sight, the Tuck family sought help from the authorities, although they were equally as mystified. 

The family noted that these fires usually started at the ceiling, although, as the family didn’t have access to electricity, faulty wiring had to be dismissed as the cause. Eventually, with the fires becoming so regular, as well as threatening to spread to other properties, several neighbors stood guard outside the Tuck property with buckets of water, ready to put out any fires that might start while the Tuck family slept. This assistance worked temporarily. Then, however, the Tuck family was confronted with a day of “relentless” fires that spread so quickly that their home was burned to the ground. Fortunately, none of the Tuck family was harmed, but they, of course, were left homeless. With no insurance and even less money, there was no possibility for the Tuck family to rebuild. Ultimately, they moved to a nearby property. However, only hours after they had done so, fires began breaking out in their new abode. 

At this point, undoubtedly worn down by the constant bizarre activity, Calvin dragged all of the family’s possessions out of the new house and set fire to them, believing that they must be cursed and that by destroying them, they would stop the fires. It didn’t. The fires continued, eventually burning down their new property. Homeless once more, the Tuck family moved in with Calvin’s brother-in-law, Darnell Suttle. However, almost immediately, the fires followed them there also. 

The Tuck family and Suttle took to keeping buckets of water in each room, ready to douse any potential fires. Once more, the authorities were contacted, with police officers arriving at the home shortly afterward. When they arrived, they saw a blanket draped over a branch in a tree outside the house. To their absolute shock, the piece of material burst into flames right in front of them. Then, after several moments, the flames simply stopped. One of the officers walked over to the blanket and attempted to set it alight with his lighter. To his shock, the flames refused to take hold. 

Once the officers went inside the house, Willie Bell informed them that several items of their clothing had ignited similarly, with officers noting severe burn marks where the clothes had been. 

Ultimately, after several days, Suttle, fearing his own property would burn to the ground, asked the Tuck family to leave. With nowhere left to go and with no money, the Tuck family moved in with Calvin’s father. The fires, though, moved with them. At this point, with nowhere left to turn, the family sought the advice of a Voodoo doctor, who offered that a “fire curse” was responsible for the strange occurrences. He gave the family a strange herbal mixture that he instructed them to chew daily for three days, as well as a concoction in a bottle that they were to bury in the yard of the property. They did as instructed, but the fires continued. 

Shortly after, the authorities began a full investigation of the events, fearing not only for the Tuck family but also for other nearby residents, and an incident witnessed by the local Fire Chief gave the first clue as to what might be causing these bizarre events. The Fire Chief, as well as other officers, witnessed an old rag suddenly bursting into flames. However, after it had been incinerated in only a matter of seconds, they discovered a strange, green substance where the piece of material had been. Although they couldn’t explain how, they began to suspect that arson might be the cause of these strange events. In fact, when the Tuck family moved again, this time to a friend’s house, the authorities kept a close eye on them, treating the incidents as a crime. In part due to the strange green substance they had discovered, officers began to suspect that phosphorus had been used to somehow start the fires. However, while extremely flammable, phosphorus is also extremely volatile, and is only safe when handled by an expert, which Calvin or his family certainly was not. 

Then, things took an even stranger turn. 

Out of the blue, The Tucks’ 9-year-old son, Calvin Jr., claimed he was behind the fires, claiming he had started them using matches or by making rags “smolder” so that they burst into flames. He did this in an attempt to trick his family that the house they were living in was haunted in the hope that they would move back to Birmingham. He further stated that he only wanted to scare his family into moving and didn’t intend for the properties to burn down. He was sent for psychiatric evaluation, with the police more than certain that they had found their culprit. Some people, however, were more than skeptical about this confession. 

They asked, for example, how a young boy could have perfected the slow-burning process of a smoldering rag so that it appeared to simply burst into flames. Moreover, this didn’t explain the blanket that burst into flames on the tree, and we should recall that when the officer went to light the blanket, it simply wouldn’t ignite. Perhaps even more damning against the young boy’s confession was the fact that many of the fires occurred when he wasn’t even in the properties in question. 

We might consider, given the publicity the fires were generating, not to mention the concern among the local community, whether the police faced some kind of pressure to “get the case wrapped up!” This is pure speculation, but in other cases, particularly those of a paranormal nature, we have seen this type of action. 

Perhaps above all else, though, we might ask, if we assume for one moment that Calvin Jr. was responsible for the fires, how did he manage to control the flames to the point that one item was incinerated while items around them remained untouched, a detail, incidentally, that is also prevalent in cases of spontaneous human combustion. Ultimately, the cause of the fires remains a complete mystery. 

As we can see, then, spontaneous human combustion, whatever the cause might be, is very real and has left a trail of destruction and death in its wake. Are the encounters we have explored here simply cases of carelessness? Or might we even consider that one day science will understand what makes some people seemingly burst into flames? Or could it really be that these cases have more of a paranormal origin? As always, there are many more questions than answers.

{ https://mysteriousuniverse.org/ }

16-09-2025 om 18:47 geschreven door peter  

The moon is drifting AWAY from Earth at a rate of 1.5 inches per year – and it could mean days become 25 hours long, scientists warn

• READ MORE: NASA finds clearest sign of life on Mars yet

By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR

It's the reliable celestial companion that's stuck around for 4.5 billion years.

But the moon is slowly drifting away from Earth, a physicist has revealed.

Dr Stephen DiKerby, a researcher in Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State University, said the moon is getting 1.5 inches (3.8cm) further away from our planet every year.

As a result, the Earth's rotation is also slowing down, he revealed. And it means that – over time – days could get longer.

The revelation helps explain why around 70 million years ago, near the end of the time of the dinosaurs, Earth's days were only 23.5 hours long.

As the moon continues to move further away, the number of seconds, minutes and eventually hours in a day will also gradually increase – but it's likely none of us alive today will be around to notice it.

'Don't worry, these effects are so small,' he wrote on The Conversation. '1.5 inches per year compared to a distance of 239,000 miles (384,000 km) is just 0.00000001 per cent per year.

'We'll keep having eclipses, tides and days that last 24 hours for millions of years.'

The moon is getting 1.5 inches further away from our planet every year, an expert revealed. Pictured: The moon over London in February 2023

Dr DiKerby explained that the moon is getting further away due to our tides.

The Earth's tides are strongly influenced by the moon's gravitational pull, which causes our oceans to slosh in two bulges.

One points towards the moon, because this is where the force of gravity is the strongest, while the other points away from the moon, where the force is weakest.

'These liquid bulges do not quite line up with the moon,' Dr DiKerby said. 'They "lead" it a little bit because the Earth is rotating and dragging them forward.

'This forward pull from the closer tidal bulge causes the moonto speed up, which causes the size of its orbit to increase.

'This means that the moongets slightly farther away from the Earth.'

However, he reassured that the effect is very gradual and is only detectable on average over years.

'If we fast–forward tens of billions of years into the future, eventually the Earth's rotation could slow down until it is tidally locked with the moon,' he said.

The Earth's tides are strongly influenced by the moon's gravitational pull, which causes our oceans to slosh in two bulges. Pictured: The moon over the Dolomites

'At this point the moon would stop getting more distant, and you would see the moon only from one side of the Earth.'

Future generations will never get to witness this phenomenon, however.

First, in around a billion years, the Sun will get brighter and boil away the oceans, meaning there are no longer tides to influence the moon's position in the sky, he explained. 

And second, a few billion years later, the Sun will expand into a red giant, likely destroying the Earth – and the moon.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

16-09-2025 om 18:38 geschreven door peter  

The ozone layer is healing! Hole over Antarctica is recovering – and could soon close for good, promising study reveals

• READ MORE: Ozone may be weakening Earth's important cooling mechanism

By SHIVALI BEST, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

It has been four decades since scientists discovered the growing hole in Earth's ozone layer.

But a promising new study has revealed that this protective shield – around 20 miles above our planet's surface – could be well on its way to recovery.

Experts from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) say that, compared to previous years, total stratospheric ozone cover was higher over much of the globe in 2024.

What's more, the ozone hole that appears over Antarctica every spring was well below the 1990–2020 average. 

'The ozone layer is healing,' said Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary–General. 

'This achievement reminds us that when nations heed the warnings of science, progress is possible.'

If progress continues at the current pace, the ozone layer could soon recover to its 1980 values (before the appearance of the ozone hole). 

The experts predict that a full recovery could take place by around 2066 over the Antarctic, by 2045 over the Arctic, and by 2040 for the rest of the world.

Experts from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) say that, compared to previous years, total stratospheric ozone cover was higher over much of the globe in 2024

The ozone layer is Earth's 'natural sunscreen' that protects humans, plants, and animals by filtering out harmful UV–B radiation. 

Without it, we'd be at significantly increased risks of skin cancer, cataracts, and ecosystem damage due to excessive UV exposure.

Back in the 1970s, scientists first raised concerns about the effect of man–made chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) on the ozone layer. 

Concerningly, CFCs were used in a range of products, including refrigeration, air conditioning, firefighting foam, and even hairspray. 

An international treaty called the Montreal Protocol was signed in 1987, leading to the phase–out of over 99 per cent of these ozone–depleting chemicals. 

However, it was too late – a huge hole had already appeared in the ozone layer over Antarctica. 

Beyond CFCs, the ozone hole has also been kept open by global warming. 

'A side effect of global warming is that the temperature of the ozone layer is falling slightly,' explained the British Antarctic Survey. 

The ozone hole that appears over Antarctica every spring was well below the 1990–2020 average

'This means that more of the stratospheric clouds can form over Antarctica, and hence delay the recovery of the Antarctic ozone hole.' 

Now, promising data shows that the depth of the ozone hole was below average in 2024, with a maximum ozone mass deficit of 46.1 million tonnes on 29 September.

'Its onset was relatively slow, and delayed ozone depletion was observed through the month of September, followed by a relatively rapid recovery after the maximum deficit was reached,' WMO explained in its report. 

'The below-average level of ozone loss persisted through mid-November.' 

While this is promising, the experts say our work is 'not yet finished'. 

'There remains an essential need for the world to continue careful systematic monitoring of both stratospheric ozone and of ozone-depleting substances and their replacements,' said Matt Tully, Chair of WMO's Scientific Advisory Group on Ozone and Solar UV Radiation. 

The Ozone layer sits in the stratosphere 25 miles above the Earth's surface and acts like a natural sunscreen

Ozone is a molecule comprised of three oxygen atoms that occurs naturally in small amounts. 

In the stratosphere, roughly seven to 25 miles above Earth's surface, the ozone layer acts like sunscreen, shielding the planet from potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation that can cause skin cancer and cataracts, suppress immune systems and also damage plants. 

It is produced in tropical latitudes and distributed around the globe. 

Closer to the ground, ozone can also be created by photochemical reactions between the sun and pollution from vehicle emissions and other sources, forming harmful smog.

Although warmer-than-average stratospheric weather conditions have reduced ozone depletion during the past two years, the current ozone hole area is still large compared to the 1980s, when the depletion of the ozone layer above Antarctica was first detected. 

In the stratosphere, roughly seven to 25 miles above Earth's surface, the ozone layer acts like sunscreen, shielding the planet from potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation

This is because levels of ozone-depleting substances like chlorine and bromine remain high enough to produce significant ozone loss. 

In the 1970s, it was recognised that chemicals called CFCs, used for example in refrigeration and aerosols, were destroying ozone in the stratosphere.  

In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was agreed, which led to the phase-out of CFCs and, recently, the first signs of recovery of the Antarctic ozone layer. 

The upper stratosphere at lower latitudes is also showing clear signs of recovery, proving the Montreal Protocol is working well.

But the new study, published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, found it is likely not recovering at latitudes between 60°N and 60°S (London is at 51°N).

The cause is not certain but the researchers believe it is possible climate change is altering the pattern of atmospheric circulation - causing more ozone to be carried away from the tropics.

They say another possibility is that very short-lived substances (VSLSs), which contain chlorine and bromine, could be destroying ozone in the lower stratosphere.

VSLSs include chemicals used as solvents, paint strippers, and as degreasing agents.

One is even used in the production of an ozone-friendly replacement for CFCs.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

16-09-2025 om 17:57 geschreven door peter  

Chinese scientists hunt for alien radio signals in 'potentially habitable' TRAPPIST-1 system

By Mark Thompson

Researchers in China have conducted the most thorough search yet for alien radio signals in the nearby TRAPPIST-1 system, which may harbor potentially Earth-like planets.

Trappist-1, seen here in this illustration with the Sun for scale, has been the target of the search for extra-terrestrial signals. 

(Image credit: CactiStaccingCrane)

TRAPPIST-1 is a red dwarf star located about 40 light years away that hosts seven Earth sized rocky planets, with at least three orbiting in the habitable zone where liquid water could potentially exist. This makes it one of the most Solar System like exoplanet systems discovered, with TRAPPIST-1e considered among the best potentially habitable exoplanets. The system's proximity and multiple potentially habitable worlds make it an ideal target for searching for technological civilizations.

The research team conducted their search using the Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) to exploit its unprecedented sensitivity. The observations consisted of five independent L-band pointings, each with a 20 minute integration, for a total time of 1.67 hours. The frequency coverage spanned 1.05 to 1.45GHz with a spectral resolution of ~7.5Hz allowing them to detect extremely weak radio signals that might indicate alien technology.

The team led by Guang-Yuan Song from the Dezhou University in China looked for very precise radio frequencies that slowly changed over time due to planetary motion.

Related: 

• Will the James Webb telescope lead us to alien life? Scientists say we're getting closer than ever.

Such signals would be virtually impossible to produce naturally and would strongly suggest artificial origin from an advanced civilization. Based on the configuration of FAST, the researchers had the ability to detect radio signals as weak as 2.04×10^10 watts. This means they were able to detect fainter signals than any previous studies. If there were aliens transmitting radio signals regularly on a specific frequency, this study would be more likely to find them than earlier attempts.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Alas, the search found no convincing evidence of alien technology. However, rather than being disappointing, this result still provides valuable scientific information. It places upper limits on the presence of certain types of alien transmitters in the TRAPPIST-1 system and demonstrates the remarkable capabilities of modern SETI searches.

RELATED STORIES

• Potentially habitable planet TRAPPIST-1b may have a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere
• Will the James Webb telescope lead us to alien life? Scientists say we're getting closer than ever.
• Cosmic rays could help support alien life on worlds outside the 'Goldilocks zone'

It may be some years or even decades before we can completely rule out life in the TRAPPIST-1 system but at least for now, it remains a compelling target for future SETI efforts. The team plans to expand their search to look for other types of signals, including periodic or transient transmissions that might be missed by current methods.

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence remains one of our most profound scientific endeavors, with the potential to fundamentally transform our understanding of our place in the universe. As we continue to peer out into space with ever greater precision, we're not just looking for aliens, we're taking the first steps toward what may be the most significant moment in human history.​​​​​​​​​​

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.livescience.com/space/extraterrestrial-life }

15-09-2025 om 22:27 geschreven door peter  

Scientists measure the 'natal kick' that sent a baby black hole careening through space for the first time

You may like

Scientists detect most massive black hole merger ever — and it birthed a monster 225 times as massive as the sun

This supermassive black hole is eating way too quickly — and 'burping' at near-light speeds

James Webb telescope spots earliest black hole in the known universe, looking 'as far back as you can practically go'

"It's a remarkable demonstration of what gravitational waves can do," study co-author Koustav Chandra, an astrophysicist at Pennsylvania State University said in a statement.

Collision signals

When black holes careen toward one another they produce gravitational waves. But when one black hole is much more massive than the other, the gravitational waves produced look very different depending on the angle from which they are observed.

By looking from different angles, researchers can find the direction of the kick. Then, the kick’s speed can be determined by measuring the mass ratio and spin of the two original black holes — information that can also be determined from studying gravitational waves.

Related: 

• Scientists detect most massive black hole merger ever — and it birthed a monster 225 times as massive as the sun

If the recoil from the collision is strong enough to slingshot the merged black hole from its star cluster, this prevents this new black hole from subsequently merging with other black holes and potentially forming a supermassive black hole — which can be 100,000 to 50 billion times the mass of the sun. This makes understanding the speed and direction of kicks essential for tracking the formation of supermassive black holes.

In 2018, study co-author Juan Calderón Bustillo and his colleagues figured out exactly how to measure the natal kick based on these gravitational wave signals. But their model had to rely on simulations, as no black hole merger resulting in a recoil had been detected at that point.

Then, on April 12, 2019, the Advanced LIGO detectors in Louisiana and Washington State and the Virgo detector in Italy recorded the GW190412 picked up a signal resulting from two stellar-mass black holes merging: One 29.7 times as massive as the sun and the other 8.4 times as massive.

Despite taking place more than 2.4 billion light-years away from Earth, the researchers used two angles relative to Earth to determine where the kick sent the newborn black hole. It raced away from its birth site, likely a dense grouping of stars called a globular cluster, at an astonishing 111,600 miles per hour (179,600 kilometers per hour). This speed would be more than enough to enable it to escape the cluster and become a runaway black hole.

"This is one of the few phenomena in astrophysics where we're not just detecting something," Chandra said. "We're reconstructing the full 3D motion of an object that's billions of light-years away, using only ripples in spacetime."

The team’s next steps will be to look for more black hole mergers to measure with both gravitational waves and visible light, a search that could yield deeper insights into how the cosmic monsters grow.

{ https://www.livescience.com/space }

15-09-2025 om 22:14 geschreven door peter  

This Man Claims Death Is Not the End: Brains May Remain Viable for Days, Research Suggests

But what is actually observed is quite the opposite. Instead of fading, people’s consciousness seems to become expanded, powerful, and vast after death.

Dr. Parnia argues that this observation suggests human consciousness is a mystery that cannot be fully explained by brain activity alone. The idea that consciousness is purely a product of the brain and ends when the brain dies is questionable and, in his view, incorrect. This has opened up a new and vast field for scientific research.

This Man strongly believes death is not the end of the human mind/consciousness. In his 30 years of research, he discovered that brains remain “salvageable for not only hours, but possibly days of time.”

Sam Parnia, an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone, suggests that if we consider death as a process where the brain deteriorates, and if consciousness is simply created by the brain (a notion that remains debated), then logic would suggest that consciousness should also fade or diminish.

But what is actually observed is quite the opposite. Instead of fading, people’s consciousness seems to become expanded, powerful, and vast after death.

Dr. Parnia argues that this observation suggests human consciousness is a mystery that cannot be fully explained by brain activity alone. The idea that consciousness is purely a product of the brain and ends when the brain dies is questionable and, in his view, incorrect. This has opened up a new and vast field for scientific research.Dr. Parnia argues that what people commonly believe about death is fundamentally wrong. Contrary to the usual idea that death is final, he sees death as a reversible state rather than an absolute end.

Recent research has shown that the idea of dying as a sudden event is mostly a social convention that does not match scientific realities. Parnia calls this a new frontier of science that challenges one of life’s fundamental certainties. He expresses frustration that outdated and inaccurate theories about death continue to prevail despite the tools and research now available.From a scientific perspective, death is not a moment that happens all at once but a gradual process that can take many hours.

For example, brain cells and other cells in the body do not immediately die or decompose right after death, which challenges the common assumption that consciousness and life end instantly when the heart stops or the brain ceases to function.

Remarkably, he says brains can remain salvageable for not just hours but possibly days. For instance, he cites a case where brain cells retained full function 48 hours after being removed from a body, even though preservation was delayed.

He details his findings in his book “Lucid Dying,” where he presents evidence suggesting that reviving the dead is not as difficult as commonly thought and explores what happens to consciousness as it fades. (Source)

Dr. Parnia directs the Human Consciousness Project, which has conducted the largest study on people who recalled experiences near death, using AI tools to analyze their accounts and reveal new insights. He stresses that science has begun to investigate what used to be philosophical territory, what happens after death.

He discussed research, such as a study on pig brains by neuroscientist Dr. Nenad Sestan, in which brains were taken from pigs hours after death and connected to a special system with drugs to preserve them. (Source)

This restored some brain functions, showing that brain cells do not die immediately and suggesting it might be possible to restore life and brain activity after death in humans as well.

He says that this research could revolutionize resuscitation and save many lives, because currently, people are often declared dead too soon, especially in cases like heart attacks or accidents.

He clarifies that “functioning” and “consciousness” are different. In the pig study, the animals were given drugs that suppressed brain electrical signals linked to consciousness (similar to anesthesia). Without those drugs, it’s likely the pigs could have regained some form of conscious awareness, raising ethical concerns.

Regarding consciousness, Dr. Parnia explains that it is a deeply puzzling phenomenon. Although brain activity is linked to consciousness, there is no clear scientific explanation of how brain cells produce the subjective experience of thinking and awareness.

He discusses two main views: one sees consciousness as simply a product of brain activity, but there is no strong evidence for this.

The other, supported by some scientists including Nobel laureates, suggests consciousness is a distinct entity that interacts with the brain but is not generated by it, similar to how a computer accesses the internet but does not create it.

A 2022 study showed, for the first time, detailed brain waves from a dying person. It involved an 87-year-old man who had fallen, was admitted to the emergency room, and quickly went into cardiac arrest while hooked up to an EEG machine that tracked his brain activity as he died. Before this, most studies on brain activity near death had only recorded limited signals from certain brain areas, but this case provided a much more comprehensive recording. (Source)

Dr. Parnia explained that many people experience periods of surprising mental clarity and heightened consciousness near death. Although such cases were once thought anecdotal, studies suggest nearly 10 percent of people might experience these lucid moments, possibly involving about 800 million people worldwide.

The researchers focused their analysis on the 30 seconds before and after the man’s heart stopped. They observed changes in brain waves typically involved in higher cognitive processes, such as information processing, memory recall, concentration, conscious awareness, and different stages of dreaming.

This suggests that, even as the brain begins to shut down, it may actively engage in recalling memories or consciousness moments before death. These findings provide possible biological evidence for the common expression that people’s “life flashes before their eyes” in near-death experiences.

However, the researchers caution that the patient’s health was already compromised by brain trauma, seizures, and medications, which complicate interpreting the data and limit comparisons to healthy brain activity. Still, the observed “cross-coupling” patterns between alpha and gamma brain waves, linked to memory and alertness, support the idea that the brain might be replaying memories or conscious experiences at life’s end.

A 2023 separate study from the University of Michigan observed similar increases in gamma wave activity—associated with conscious thought—in two comatose patients after cardiac arrest when they were removed from ventilators.

This activity was localized in a part of the brain related to dreaming and altered states, implying that the dying brain can remain active in significant ways. The researchers described this as evidence for a “covert consciousness” that might allow life review experiences, as reported by survivors of near-death events. (Source)

Dr. Parnia explained that as the brain shuts down, typical inhibitory brain functions that regulate daily consciousness become reduced. This disinhibition may unlock access to deeper layers of awareness or reality not normally accessible during everyday life.

Dr. Parnia’s own large-scale AWARE-TO study across multiple hospitals interviewed people who survived cardiac arrest and had near-death memories.

About 15% reported vivid, unique experiences of consciousness during death, describing feelings of vastness and heightened awareness. These experiences often included perception of their surroundings from outside their bodies, recognizing detailed actions of medical staff, and a panoramic, all-encompassing sensing of information.

Crucially, people recalled reliving their entire life, but not as a simple flash of images. Instead, they re-experienced every interaction they had with others, feeling both their own emotions and those of others involved, especially in terms of ethical and moral dimensions. This life review prompts deep reflection on how they lived and their impact on others, offering a sense of higher purpose and moral significance that transcends cultural or religious backgrounds.

Dr. Parnia stresses that these near-death experiences are remarkably universal. It does not reflect religious practices, social status, or materialistic achievements, but rather how individuals behaved morally.

Advanced AI analysis has confirmed with high certainty that these recollections are distinct from dreams or hallucinations and uniquely tied to the dying process.

When asked if these experiences are supernatural, Dr. Parnia rejects it.

He argues that calling them supernatural just shows a lack of understanding. Instead, he says these experiences reflect natural processes in the brain during death, specifically, the brain shutting down in a way that removes normal inhibitory controls, allowing access to the full breadth of consciousness and memory that is usually inaccessible.

This sudden access to total consciousness and memory is responsible for the profound experiences people report.

He concludes that consciousness likely exists as a separate scientific entity interacting with but not produced wholly by the brain. Brain disorders may obscure consciousness, but consciousness itself is not destroyed with brain death. Instead, it can become more vivid and expansive at death, suggesting new territory for scientific exploration beyond the current understanding.

In 2011, a scientist named Sean Carroll wrote a blog for Scientific American. He said that the laws of physics show that life after death is not possible. He explained that our brains store information, like memories and thoughts, but when we die, our bodies break down into tiny pieces (atoms). According to science, there is no way for that information to survive after death. (Source)

A study published on Dr. Parnia’s studies in 2022 says, “So far, the researchers say, evidence suggests that neither physiological nor cognitive processes end with death and that although systematic studies have not been able to absolutely prove the reality or meaning of patients’ experiences and claims of awareness in relation to death, it has been impossible to disclaim them either.” (Source)

Dr. Parnia explains that as a physician and scientist, he is deeply interested in what happens when people die, both to be able to bring them back successfully and to restore their full consciousness and identity.

However, he finds the term “soul” problematic because it is vague and means different things to different people. He prefers to define the soul in terms of the Greek concept of the “psyche,” which includes all the elements that make a person who they are, their thoughts, emotions, consciousness, and sense of self.

Read also:

• This Man Says NASA Asked for Help After Astronauts Encountered Orbs Containing 125-Foot Winged Angelic Beings That Smiled at Them
• The Mexican Scientist Who Vanished Said We Live in Holographic Matrix & Shamans Can Manipulate It
• This Man’s Mind-Blowing but Controversial Theory Says Ancient Humans Heard Gods’ Voices and Treated Dead as Alive Because of a ‘Bicameral’ Mind

According to him, the soul or psyche can be understood scientifically as the conscious, thinking self.

His research and data from studies of cardiac arrest patients, those who have temporarily died and then been revived, suggest that consciousness or the soul does not immediately vanish or become annihilated after death, at least in the early stages.

He differentiates his scientific findings, which show the soul or psyche continuing beyond clinical death, from many religious or philosophical definitions of an immortal soul. His data does not, he clarifies, confirm those religious or metaphysical beliefs directly.

Dr. Parnia focuses on the objective results of his research, which align with the viewpoints of esteemed scientists like Nobel laureate Sir John Eccles and Professor Bahram Elahi.

These scientists propose that consciousness or the psyche is a separate, undiscovered entity distinct from the brain, likely a very subtle form of matter, neither immaterial nor magical, but something physically real, though different from anything currently understood.

He points out that if consciousness has some form of subtle material existence, this challenges traditional religious dualistic views where the soul is purely immaterial and wholly separate from the body. Such a perspective places consciousness fundamentally within the material world, though in a subtle form we have yet to fully comprehend.

His research increasingly supports the idea that consciousness, psyche, or soul may continue to exist independently of brain function after clinical death.

{ https://howandwhys.com/ }

15-09-2025 om 21:50 geschreven door peter  

If evolution is real, why are there still monkeys? Scientists reveal the surprising answer

• READ MORE: Scientists discover a 'hidden chapter' in human evolution

By WILIAM HUNTER, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

When you learned about the history of human evolution in school, there's a good chance you were shown one all-too-familiar image. 

That picture probably showed a conga line of human-like creatures, from a primitive ape at one end to a modern man proudly strolling into the future at the other. 

For many people, this iconic image captures evolution's slow but inevitable march from the simple to the complex.

But it also raises a puzzling question: If this really is how evolution works, then why are there still monkeys and apes? 

Surely, if humans evolved out of primates, there's no reason that so many species should have remained so primitive.

While it might be easy to dismiss this as a trivial question, the answer actually reveals a fascinating detail of our shared evolutionary history. 

In fact, it uncovers what scientists have called a 'widespread and persistent misconception' about the nature of human evolution.

So, Daily Mail asked some of the leading experts to explain why we might need to rethink our place in the evolutionary lineup. 

It's a common thought that many people have about evolution, but now scientists have given their answer to why monkeys and other apes still exist if humans evolved from them (stock image) 

If evolution is real, why are there still monkeys? 

One common view of evolution is that it is a linear process which takes primitive species and slowly brings them closer to perfection.

Unfortunately, this is a greatly simplified perception of how evolution really works.

Professor Ruth Mace, an expert on human evolution from University College London, told Daily Mail: 'Think of the evolutionary process as tree-like. All living species are at the tips of the branches.

'Humans and monkeys are on branches that separated at some point. Both branches still exist.'

If we were to trace those branches back in time through the generations, we would eventually find that they merge into a single species. 

Modern humans' closest living relatives are chimpanzees and bonobos, with whom we share about 98.7 per cent of our DNA.

We also share a lot of common traits with our primate relatives, including anatomical features, complex social hierarchies, and problem-solving skills. 

Bonobos (pictured) and chimpanzees are humans' closest relatives, with whom we share over 98 per cent of our DNA. However, evolution experts say we didn't really evolve from these primate species 

If humans evolved from primates, why are there still monkeys?

It might be easy, therefore, to think that modern humans evolved from a group of chimpanzees or bonobos, leaving the rest of the species behind on a lower rung of the evolutionary ladder. 

However, modern genetic data shows that this isn't the case. 

Anthropologists currently think that humans split from the family containing bonobos and chimpanzees somewhere between six to 10 million years ago.

Scientists call the species at that branching point our 'last common ancestor'. 

When scientists talk about early humans like the Neanderthals and Homo erectus, it can seem like modern humans replaced all the species that came before them.

This creates a misconception that every earlier species either evolved to be more human-like or died out.  

However, since Darwin's 'tree of life' doesn't grow straight up like a beanstalk, but spreads like a bush, there are also lots of evolutionary 'dead ends'. 

Neanderthals are just another branch that split away from our latest common ancestor that lived sometime between 800,000 and 100,000 years ago. 

Humans branched off from the chimpanzees (pictured) and bonobos about six to 10 million years ago. They are not earlier stages on the path towards humanity, but ends of a different branch in the evolutionary tree

Most of the branches on the human family tree were evolutionary dead ends. The other human species, such as Neanderthals (pictured), eventually died off, but not because they evolved into humans 

But there's no reason that any of those other branches necessarily had to go extinct; they just took different paths to our own. 

Why haven't monkeys become as smart as humans?  

Our evolutionary story is one of gradually improving sophistication, particularly when it comes to intelligence.

This intelligence has allowed human beings to flourish in a way no other species ever has before, pushing many other primate species close to extinction.

But if our intelligence is such a massive evolutionary advantage, why haven't our close relatives also evolved to be just as smart? 

While our intelligence might seem extremely important to us, it simply isn't necessary for other species to succeed, experts said.

Professor Mace explained: 'If you live in the rainforest in groups of primates that mostly eat plant matter, then the kind of intelligence you need is not necessarily the same kind of intelligence you need if you are a carnivore who needs to hunt large prey in groups on the savannah.'

That means there's no reason for monkeys to have evolved into a more human-like species.  

Chimpanzees are extremely intelligent and well-adapted to their environment. Scientists say there is no reason that they would need to evolve the kind of intelligence found in humans 

Why didn't apes become as smart as humans?

In fact, when it comes to evolutionary 'success', human intelligence isn't all that it's cracked up to be. 

Dr John Rowan, assistant professor of human evolution at the University of Cambridge, told Daily Mail: 'Chimpanzees and bonobos do very well in their respective niches, so why not ask the reverse question: Why haven’t humans evolved to be more like chimpanzees or bonobos?

'Bonobos in particular do not engage in large-scale intergroup violence and killing, whereas we humans are constantly consumed by conflict and warfare—why haven’t we evolved to be more like bonobos?'

Contrary to common belief, humanity is not the goal towards which evolution is striving.

'It’s often assumed that the human version of a trait must be the "best", but that’s almost never the case,' says Dr Rowan.

'Humans have many interesting adaptations, but we must remember that so do all the other billions of species we share the planet with. And many are far more remarkable than human adaptations humans have!'

Could monkeys evolve into humans in the future?

However, although monkeys and apes don't have any reason to evolve human-like intelligence at the moment, that might not always be the case.

In the very far future, scientists say that some primate species could evolve to be more human-like in a Planet of the Apes-style scenario. However, that species might not resemble humans today 

In the far future, or if humans were to disappear from the planet, there could be an evolutionary niche which some primate evolves to fill.

Professor Mace says: 'Every mutation happens by chance, but if species live in similar environments, there are plenty of examples of convergent evolution.

'So it is entirely possible that something not too different from ourselves could evolve, but it is not inevitable as the environment is bound to be slightly different.'

That means, a Planet of the Apes-style scenario is not entirely inconceivable in the extremely distant future. 

However, whatever creature did emerge from that lengthy process of evolution might not look anything like humans as we recognise them.

Dr Edwin de Jager, a biological anthropologist from the University of Cambridge, told Daily Mail: 'Evolution doesn’t repeat itself exactly, but given enough time and the right pressures, it’s possible that some primates could evolve greater intelligence or more human-like traits.

'But they wouldn’t become human, I think they’d be something entirely new.'

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

15-09-2025 om 21:31 geschreven door peter  

Scientists reveal exactly what will happen if the Earth continues to spin faster - including devastating earthquakes and catastrophic flooding

• READ MORE: Experts blame climate change for the record–breaking summer

By JONATHAN CHADWICK, ASSISTANT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

You may already feel as if there’s not enough time in the day. 

But it's not just your imagination – the days have been getting shorter. 

According to scientists, July 9, July 22 and August 5 this year were between 1.3 and 1.51 milliseconds shorter than the standard 24-hour day. 

Although the exact reason is still a mystery, there could be several causes, such as changes in the atmosphere, the melting of glaciers, motion in the Earth's core, and a weakening magnetic field.

While the loss of a few milliseconds is not a cause for too much concern, a frightening new book imagines a world literally 'spinning out of control'.

In 'Circular Motion' by Alex Foster, days on Earth last 23 hours, then 20 hours, and then eventually two hours.

Like a supercharged spinning top, the planet spins so fast that even gravity loses its grip, as the sun rises and sets ever faster. 

Now, experts reveal the real implications of such a terrifying scenario, from large-scale disasters, floods and earthquakes. 

A new novel called 'Circular Motion' by Alex Foster imagines a world literally spinning out of control, until a day last just two hours 

In Foster's new novel, Earth's rotation speeds up due to a network of massive aircraft that orbit the Earth at 30,000 feet, revolutionising global transportation. 

The acceleration of Earth’s spin begins gradually, and days are just a few seconds shorter than normal, so nobody initially notices. 

However, Earth’s spin progressively gets faster and faster until a day lasts just two hours – triggering a global catastrophe. 

If Earth's spin really did get faster, experts say it cause a 'centrifugal effect' where the things start to swing away from the planet's axis, much like the hanging chairs on a spinning carousel ride.

Earth's oceans would start to bulge around the equator, giving the planet more of a diamond shape, with sloping northern and southern hemispheres. 

Water pulled from the polar regions (where centrifugal force is low) would cause the Arctic Ocean to become shallower and send the equatorial region underwater. 

Even land around the equator that's not underwater could have a greatly increased chance of tsunamis and flooding. 

Duncan Agnew, professor of geophysics at the University of California San Diego, said the 'largest changes would be in the ocean tides'. 

This long-exposure photo of the northern night sky above the Nepali Himalayas shows the apparent paths of the stars as Earth rotates. If Earth spun fast enough, is this what we would see?

According to scientists, July 9, July 22 and August 5 this year were between 1.3 and 1.51 milliseconds shorter than the standard 24-hour day . Although the exact reason is still a mystery, there could be several causes, such as changes in the atmosphere, the melting of glaciers, motion in the Earth's core, and a weakening magnetic field (stock image)

Could the world keep going faster?

It is unlikely that the world will start to spin faster. In fact, the world is actually slowing down over time.

About 4.4 billion years ago, the planet was spinning so fast that days lasted four minutes. But this slowed down after a large object hit Earth and created the moon.

The only way Earth could speed up is if a large object hits at just the right angle. But this would likely liquify the planet's crust, so no humans would survive to see the results.  

As any beach-goer knows, in coastal areas around the world there are high tides and low tides, which are due to the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun, combined with the rotation of Earth.  

The daily rotation of the Earth produces two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes. 

'Change that by 10 per cent and the tides in some places would get larger and in others smaller,' Professor Agnew told the Daily Mail. 

Also, the faster the Earth's spin, the faster tectonic plates would move, would could add to more geological stress and 'a lot of earthquakes', the academic added. 

It’s worth remembering that the equator (where Earth’s circumference is the widest) spins faster than elsewhere, such as the tropics or the poles. 

The equator spins at about 1,025 miles (1,650km) per hour, while the poles spin barely above zero miles per hour. 

As Earth spins and we go around with it, we are held into place by gravity, but if the Earth spun fast enough, centrifugal force would overcome gravity, causing objects to be flung into space. 

'The faster Earth turns, the more gravity will be canceled out and the lighter you’ll feel,' said Foster in a piece for New Scientist. 

Hurricanes will spin faster and carry more energy if the world's spin greatly increases, researchers claim. In this picture from space, a swirling hurricane forms

The faster Earth's spin, the faster tectonic plates would move, would could add to more geological stress and 'a lot of earthquakes'. Pictured, damage from Afghanistan earthquake, September 4, 2025

NASA astronomer Dr Sten Odenwald also warned that weather phenomena would become more extreme, capable of causing more damage. 

As the planet spins faster, an apparent force known as the Coriolis effect, which gives hurricanes their spin, intensifies. 

'Hurricanes will spin faster and carry more energy,' Dr Odenwald said.

If Earth’s spin increased, there would of course also be both less sunlight in the day and less time to sleep at night, which might make humans less productive. 

People would have keep putting their clocks back as the days shortened, or come up with a whole new time-keeping system.

Humans have a 'circadian rhythm' – an internal clock that is closely attuned to the 24-hour day – which can cause physical and mental issues if disrupted (by factors like plane travel).

Additionally, many satellites would no longer be positioned correctly, which could disrupt satellite communications, internet, TV broadcasting and more.

Luckily, Professor Agnew said the idea of Earth's rotation speeding up to the extent portrayed in the new novel is a 'particularly absurd premise'. 

Each day on Earth contains 86,400 seconds, but the rotation isn't uniform, which means over the course of a year, each day has a fraction of a second more or less

'This cannot happen and nothing like it has ever been observed for any planet or star,' Professor Agnew told the Daily Mail. 

In actual fact, the Earth has been rotating more and more slowly over the long-term, but this change has been very gradual.

'A billion years ago the day was maybe 19 hours long,' he told the Daily Mail. 

'If you went back to when there were dinosaurs and didn't have a clock you wouldn't probably notice that the day was 30 minutes shorter.' 

Dr Judah Levine, Fellow of the US government's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Maryland, also questioned how close the book's premise is to 'real physics'. 

'If the story is loosely connected to reality, then the speed-up of Earth had to be accompanied by something else losing angular momentum, maybe the orbit of the moon,' he told the Daily Mail. 

'This is a fundamental principle.'

Maybe the orbit of the moon losing angular momentum could cause the speed-up of Earth, he added.  

'If that is what happens, the moon gets a lot closer, and the tidal effects become much stronger and more frequent because the periods are driven by the length of the day.' 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

15-09-2025 om 20:51 geschreven door peter  

Earth has another moon! Hidden 'quasi-moon' has been following our planet for decades, astronomers reveal

• READ MORE:  NASA finds clearest sign of life on Mars

By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR

For the last 4.5 billion years our planet has had a reliable celestial companion – the moon.

Its orbit around the Earth has a profound effect on life here, from influencing the tides to stabilising our seasons.

But astronomers have now discovered another sidekick that may have been following our planet around for some time.

Experts at the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii have spotted a quasi-moon, called ‘2025 PN7’, that has been tagging along after Earth since the 1960s.

This cosmic body is actually an asteroid, they explained, and – rather than orbit the Earth – it is orbiting the Sun on a similar trajectory to our planet.

The astronomers made the discovery after analysing orbital data from the asteroid, which is just 19 metres (62ft) wide.

They determined it has been in a quasi-orbit for around 60 years and would likely be nearby for another 60 years or so before departing.

It joins the six other known quasi-moons in Earth-like orbits - but boasts the title of the ‘smallest and the least stable’.

Experts have spotted a quasi-moon, an asteroid called ‘2025 PN7’, that has been tagging along after Earth since the 1960s

(stock image)

Scientists have been aware of quasi-satellites since 1991 when they first discovered ‘1991 VG’ – which some believed to be an alien probe at the time.

‘Over three decades later, it is now widely accepted that such objects are natural and constitute a secondary asteroid belt that occupies the region in which the Earth-moon system orbits around the sun,’ the researchers wrote.

Unlike our moon, which can usually been seen with the naked eye, this quasi-moon is only visible through good telescopes.

And although it may appear to be orbiting Earth it is not gravitationally bound to our planet.

While it may sound like this neighbour has been ‘following’ Earth for quite some time, it’s relatively short compared to another famous quasi-moon, Kamo’oalewa, which has an Earth-related orbit lasting around 381 years.

Quasi-moons are part of a special category of space objects called Arjunas, that move in sync with our planet’s journey around the sun.

2025 PN7 maintains a wide range of distances from Earth – anywhere between around 2.8 million miles (4.5 million km) and 37 million miles (59 million km).

These quasi-moons in Earth-like orbits are ‘full of surprises’ co-author Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, from the Complutense University of Madrid, told Live Science.

Earth's orbit around the Sun (blue) contrasted with that of its quasi-moon Kamo'oalewa (yellow, labeled with its provisional designation 2016 HO3). The large yellow circle traces just one of the quasi-moon's orbits around the Sun. Over many orbits, it also traces the series of loops around Earth shown to the right

This new quasi-moon is ‘small, faint and visibility windows from Earth are rather unfavourable, so it is not surprising that it went unnoticed for that long,’ he explained.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which recently became operational, can scan for other quasi-moons and ‘may uncover many more’.

The latest discovery was recently published in Research Notes of the AAS.

Alongside quasi-moons the Earth is sometimes joined by ‘minimoons’ – objects that do orbit our planet but only temporarily.

Only four have ever been discovered, and none are still orbiting Earth.

Experts from The Planetary Society said: ‘Quasi-moons and minimoons are pieces of our neighbourhood in space, and they carry information about where they come from. They might originate in the main asteroid belt, from impacts on the Moon, or from the break-up of larger objects on similar orbits — scientists don’t know for sure.

‘Answering that question, and finding out what these almost-moons are made of, can help researchers learn more about asteroids and how they threaten Earth.’

The phases of the moon

Like Earth, the Moon has a day side and a night side, which change as the Moon rotates. 

The Sun always illuminates half of the Moon while the other half remains dark, but how much we are able to see of that illuminated half changes as the Moon travels through its orbit.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the phases of the moon are:

1. New Moon

This is the invisible phase of the Moon, with the illuminated side of the Moon facing the Sun and the night side facing Earth.

2. Waxing crescent

This silver sliver of a Moon occurs when the illuminated half of the Moon faces mostly away from Earth, with only a tiny portion visible to us from our planet.

3. First Quarter 

The Moon is now a quarter of the way through its monthly journey and you see half of its illuminated side. 

4. Waxing Gibbous

Now most of the Moon's dayside has come into view, and the Moon appears brighter in the sky. 

5. Full Moon

This is as close as we come to seeing the Sun's illumination of the entire day side of the Moon.

6. Waning Gibbous

As the Moon begins its journey back toward the Sun, the opposite side of the Moon now reflects the Moon’s light. 

7. Last Quarter

The Moon looks like it’s half illuminated from the perspective of Earth, but really you’re seeing half of the half of the Moon that’s illuminated by the Sun ― or a quarter. 

8. Waning Crescent

The Moon is nearly back to the point in its orbit where its dayside directly faces the Sun, and all that we see from our perspective is a thin curve. 

RELATED VIDEOS

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

15-09-2025 om 20:38 geschreven door peter  

The Impact Event that Shaped Earth’s History: An In-Depth Scientific Analysis of the 35-Million-Year-Old Asteroid Collision

Introduction

Throughout Earth's complex geological history, extraterrestrial impacts have played a significant role in shaping the planet’s surface, climate, and biological evolution. Among these, asteroid impacts stand out due to their catastrophic potential and their ability to produce profound, sometimes global-scale effects. Approximately 35 million years ago, a colossal asteroid struck the eastern coast of what is today North America, leaving behind one of Earth's largest and best-preserved impact craters beneath Chesapeake Bay. This event not only caused immediate destruction but also triggered a series of subsequent catastrophic phenomena, including massive tsunamis and environmental upheaval. Recent research has provided new insights into this ancient impact, revealing the event's true scale and its far-reaching consequences. This comprehensive analysis aims to detail the geological evidence, reconstruct the sequence of events, and explore the implications of this impact for Earth's history, drawing from recent scientific findings published in the journal Southeastern Geology.

A 5-kilometer asteroid caused two devastating planetary-scale catastrophes 35 million years ago.
Illustrative photo: SciTechDaily

The Asteroid: Dimensions, Velocity, and Impact Site

The impactor was approximately 5 kilometers in diameter, a size capable of releasing an enormous amount of energy upon collision. Traveling at velocities exceeding 64,000 km/h (about 17.8 km/s), the asteroid imparted an immense kinetic energy, estimated at roughly 10^24 joules—comparable to billions of nuclear bombs detonating simultaneously. Such an energy release would have instantaneously vaporized a vast area, generated shock waves propagating through Earth’s crust, and initiated global environmental disturbances.

The impact site was in what is now Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, a region characterized by sedimentary deposits accumulated over millions of years. The collision created a transient crater that, over geological time, was buried beneath sediment and oceanic deposits, resulting in the present-day impact structure lying approximately 500 meters below the current ocean floor. This buried crater remains one of the best-preserved terrestrial impact structures, providing a unique window into the processes and consequences of asteroid impacts.

Geological Evidence of the Impact

Recent geological studies, notably those published in Southeastern Geology, have uncovered compelling evidence of the impact event far from the crater itself. Notably, fossils and rock layers discovered in Moore County, North Carolina—approximately 386 km southwest of the impact site—serve as a crucial record of the event's global influence. The identification and analysis of these layers have significantly advanced our understanding of the impact’s scale and consequence.

An asteroid struck the East Coast of North America 35 million years ago. Ejected material from the impact site was distributed over an area of at least four million square miles. Researchers have found clear traces of the impact and dated them for the first time using the uranium-thorium-helium technique. ODP 1073 on the map refers to the ocean drilling project site where the sample material for this study was collected.
Credit: GEBCO world map 2014, www.gebco.net

Layered Sedimentary Record

Central to this research is a nearly one-meter-thick stratigraphic sequence containing four distinct layers, each representing different phases of the impact aftermath:

1. Bottom Layer (43 cm thick): This layer is rich in sandy clay, carbon glass (also known as tektites), and rock fragments. The presence of iridium at concentrations up to 18 parts per billion (ppb)—a hallmark of extraterrestrial material—provides unequivocal evidence that this layer originated from an extraterrestrial impact. Iridium is rare on Earth's crust but abundant in meteorites, making its presence a key indicator of cosmic origin.

2. Second Layer (9 cm thick): Comprising silt and loosely bound quartz and carbon fragments with reduced iridium levels, this layer signifies the dispersal of smaller impact ejecta as the initial shock wave dispersed material into the atmosphere and surrounding environment.

3. Third Layer (6 cm thick): Consisting of a mixture of marine sediments and seabed fragments, this layer indicates subsequent geological processes, particularly water filling the crater and triggering massive landslides of marine sediments into the impact basin.

4. Fourth Layer (15 cm thick): Composed of coarse sand and gravel, this uppermost layer bears the signature of a powerful tsunami wave depositing large sediments over the existing layers.

The stratigraphy offers a comprehensive timeline of the impact event, detailing the progression from the initial collision to subsequent environmental changes. Each layer reflects a distinct phase, revealing insights into the destructive processes and their global effects. Understanding this sequence helps scientists piece together the event’s magnitude and consequences, providing valuable context for Earth's geological history and impact assessment.

1. Impact and Shock Wave Generation

 The collision of the asteroid with Earth's surface instantly generated an intense hypersonic shock wave that propagated rapidly through the crust. This energy release caused widespread destruction within hundreds of kilometers, obliterating everything in its path, including flora, fauna, and geological formations. The shock wave also led to the melting and vaporization of rocks, producing molten debris that was ejected high into the atmosphere. The immense pressure and heat created a transient but powerful zone of devastation, marking the beginning of the catastrophic sequence. This phase is critical because it set the stage for subsequent environmental upheavals, and the physical evidence of shock deformation in minerals confirms the immense energy involved.

2. Ejection and Atmospheric Dispersal

Within minutes of impact, a layer rich in impact ejecta, such as tektites and iridium-bearing material, was deposited across a vast area. These materials settle over regions as distant as Massachusetts and Barbados, demonstrating the event's enormous dispersal capacity. The presence of iridium, a rare extraterrestrial element, confirms the asteroid's origin. This layer provides a precise marker for dating the impact event, serving as a key stratigraphic reference point. The dispersal of molten and shattered debris not only signifies the initial energy release but also indicates the widespread atmospheric circulation that transported these materials globally. The distribution pattern reflects the impact's immense force and the Earth's atmospheric dynamics during the event.

3. Dispersal of Fine Particulates and Cloud Formation

Following the initial ejecta, a fine particulate cloud formed from pulverized rock and debris dispersed into the atmosphere. This cloud caused a significant reduction in sunlight reaching Earth's surface, leading to what is often described as an impact winter. The diminished sunlight likely caused short-term global cooling, disrupting photosynthesis and affecting ecosystems worldwide. This environmental upheaval could have contributed to the mass extinction of species, especially those sensitive to climate change. The stratigraphic record of this phase includes layers of soot and ash, indicating widespread fires and atmospheric particulates. This phase underscores how an impact event can trigger climate shifts, with short-term but profound effects on life. 

4. Crater Filling and Landslides

As water flooded the impact crater, the unstable sediments surrounding the site became prone to destabilization. Massive landslides of marine sediments cascaded into the basin, filling the crater with a mixture of soil and seabed fragments. This process signifies a transition from a primarily impact-driven environment to a water-dominated one, altering local geology dramatically. The resulting layer contains evidence of sediment reworking, including disturbed strata and displaced marine fossils. This phase reflects the ongoing geological response to the impact, highlighting how secondary processes like flooding and landslides shape the stratigraphic record. It also indicates the importance of water in modulating the impact's environmental impact.

5. Tsunami Generation and Sediment Deposition

The final, most destructive phase involved the generation of a colossal tsunami triggered by the sudden displacement of water due to the impact and crater infilling. The tsunami propagated across the Atlantic Ocean, inundating coastal regions with high-energy waves. This resulted in the deposition of coarse sediments, such as gravel and sand, over large areas, including Moore County. The uppermost stratigraphic layer records this event, characterized by high-energy deposits indicative of tsunami action. The deposits include chaotic, poorly sorted sediments with marine fossils embedded within them, evidence of rapid, forceful inundation. This phase demonstrates the global reach of impact-induced phenomena and their capacity to reshape coastlines and sedimentary environments dramatically.

A microscopic photograph of tiny silica droplets, formed by an asteroid impact.

Credit: Natalie Cheng / Bridget Weed.

Environmental and Biological Consequences

The immediate aftermath of the impact was utterly catastrophic, unleashing a series of devastating environmental effects that reshaped Earth's ecosystems. The colossal shock wave generated by the impact would have propagated across vast distances, exerting immense pressure on both terrestrial and marine life forms. Simultaneously, the intense thermal energy released during the collision caused widespread vaporization of rocks and minerals, creating a colossal plume of superheated debris that was rapidly dispersed into the atmosphere. This atmospheric dispersal of particulate matter and aerosols would have triggered a temporary but severe "impact winter," dramatically reducing sunlight penetration to Earth's surface. The resulting drop in temperatures and suppression of photosynthesis would have led to mass extinction events among many plant species and the animals dependent on them, disrupting entire food chains and ecological networks.

The climatic perturbations caused by these events likely persisted for several years, or even decades, profoundly influencing evolutionary pathways. The prolonged darkness and cold conditions would have favored the survival of species capable of enduring harsh environments, thus driving selective pressures that shaped future biodiversity. The impact's influence on climate and ecosystems could have facilitated the emergence of new adaptive traits among surviving species, setting the stage for subsequent evolutionary diversification.

In addition to atmospheric and climate effects, the impact would have generated enormous tsunami waves that radiated outward from the site of impact, inundating coastal regions and reshaping shorelines. These massive waves would have caused widespread flooding of low-lying areas, leading to the destruction of habitats and the displacement of countless organisms. The marine environment, in particular, would have undergone profound changes: sedimentation rates increased sharply due to the influx of debris, and habitats such as coral reefs and seabed communities faced destruction or significant alteration. These disruptions would have led to a decline in marine biodiversity and a reshuffling of marine ecosystems.

On land, the effects were equally severe. The intense heat and shockwaves sterilized large areas, destroying plant life and disrupting terrestrial habitats. Forests, grasslands, and other ecosystems faced massive die-offs, while soil erosion and habitat fragmentation further impeded recovery. The combined terrestrial and marine ecological upheavals resulted in a significant biotic turnover, particularly during the Miocene epoch, a period marked by notable evolutionary shifts and diversification among surviving species.

Overall, the impact's environmental and biological consequences were profound, triggering immediate mass extinctions, altering climate patterns, reshaping coastlines, and instigating long-term evolutionary changes. The aftermath set in motion a series of ecological shifts that would influence the course of life on Earth for millions of years to come, marking a pivotal point in Earth's geological and biological history.

Popigai in Siberia, the result of an asteroid strike 36 million years ago, is one of the largest and most well-preserved impact craters on Earth. 

(Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Joshua Stevens, using data from NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Space Systems and the US/Japan ASTER Science Team)

Implications for Earth's Geological and Biological Evolution

This impact event provides a compelling example of how extraterrestrial collisions have significantly influenced Earth's geological landscape as well as its biological history over millions of years. The evidence discovered in Moore County serves as a crucial piece in understanding the far-reaching effects that such catastrophes can have. Scientific investigations reveal that the physical and chemical signatures resulting from this impact are not confined to the immediate vicinity of the impact crater but can be detected hundreds of kilometers away. These signatures include shocked minerals, specific isotopic anomalies, and unique mineral formations such as shatter cones and tektites, which serve as telltale markers of large-scale impact events.

The timing of this impact correlates with a period of notable transition in Earth's biological and ecological systems during the Miocene epoch, approximately 15 to 10 million years ago. This era was characterized by significant shifts in flora and fauna, including the evolution and extinction of various species, as well as the expansion of grasslands and the diversification of mammals. The coincidence of this impact with such biological upheavals raises the possibility that extraterrestrial collisions may have played a role in accelerating or triggering these evolutionary changes. While it remains difficult to establish a direct causal relationship, this association underscores the importance of considering extraterrestrial influences as factors in Earth's complex evolutionary history.

In addition to its implications for understanding Earth's past, this impact event enhances our knowledge of planetary defense and risk assessment strategies for the future. By studying the physical evidence and the sequence of events surrounding ancient impacts, scientists can better recognize the signatures of similar events that might occur again. This knowledge enables the development of more accurate models of impact frequency, size, and potential consequences—such as widespread environmental disruption, climate change, and mass extinctions. Furthermore, understanding the long-term geological and biological effects of past impacts informs the creation of mitigation strategies, including asteroid detection programs and deflection technologies, aimed at preventing or minimizing the damage caused by future celestial collisions.

Overall, this impact event exemplifies the profound influence extraterrestrial collisions can have on shaping Earth's surface features and biological diversity. It highlights the importance of continued research into impact geology, planetary defense, and Earth's evolutionary history to better understand our planet's past and to safeguard its future.

(Data courtesy of the Republic of Guinea and TGS) (a) regional map showing the location of the Nadir Crater on the Guinea Plateau, offshore West Africa. Other important seabed features are also highlighted, including the Nadir Seamount after which the crater is named. (b and c): regional seismic cross sections across the Guinea Plateau, showing the age of the sedimentary units across the plateau and the location of the Nadir Crater and Nadir Seamount.

Conclusion

The asteroid impact approximately 35 million years ago near present-day Chesapeake Bay represents a pivotal event in Earth's geological history, with profound and lasting effects on the planet's surface, climate, and biosphere. The recent discovery of detailed stratigraphic layers in Moore County has provided invaluable insight into the sequence of events that followed the impact. These layers reveal a complex interplay of immediate shock wave destruction, widespread wildfires, and the formation of a massive tsunami, which collectively reshaped the landscape and influenced the environment for millions of years thereafter. The irrefutable evidence of extraterrestrial origin, including shocked mineral grains and impact ejecta, emphasizes the importance of understanding cosmic influences on Earth’s history.

Studying such impact events is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it enhances our comprehension of Earth's geological and biological evolution, shedding light on how catastrophic events have contributed to mass extinctions and subsequent recovery periods. Additionally, these findings help us recognize patterns and frequencies of large asteroid impacts, which is essential for assessing future risks. As the Earth continues its orbit through a universe teeming with potential hazards, ongoing research into past impacts serves as a vital tool in planetary defense strategies.

Furthermore, understanding the aftermath of such impacts can inform us about the resilience and adaptability of life, offering lessons on survival and recovery following global catastrophes. The knowledge gained not only satisfies scientific curiosity but also has practical implications for preparing for future impact threats. As technology advances, our ability to detect and potentially mitigate such events improves, emphasizing the importance of continued research and international cooperation in planetary defense efforts.

In conclusion, the study of the Chesapeake Bay impact event and similar occurrences underscores the dynamic and interconnected nature of Earth's history and its cosmic environment. These investigations deepen our appreciation of Earth's vulnerability and resilience while guiding us toward better preparedness for possible future cosmic encounters. Ultimately, understanding Earth's impact record enriches our knowledge of planetary evolution and supports the ongoing quest to safeguard our planet for future generations.

{ PETER2011 }

15-09-2025 om 17:57 geschreven door peter