Around 700 million years ago, the Earth cooled so much that scientists believe massive ice sheets encased the entire planet like a giant snowball. This global deep freeze, known as Snowball Earth[1], endured for tens of millions of years[2].
Yet, miraculously, early life not only held on, but thrived[3]. When the ice melted and the ground...
Think back to that basic biology class you took in high school. You probably learned about organelles[1], those little “organs” inside cells that form compartments with individual functions. For example, mitochondria produce energy, lysosomes recycle waste and the nucleus stores DNA. Although each organelle has a different function, they are...
On Nov. 9, 2024, the world will mark Carl Sagan’s 90th birthday – but sadly without Sagan, who died in 1996 at the age of 62[1].
Most people remember him as the co-creator and host of the 1980 “Cosmos” television series[2], watched worldwide by hundreds of millions of people. Others read “Contact[3],” his best-selling science...
Read more https://theconversation.com/carl-sagans-scientific-legacy-extends-far-beyond-cosmos-240885
There’s a certain allure to the notion that some of the world’s brightest stars burn out at the age of 27. The so-called 27 Club[1] has captivated the public imagination for half a century. Its members include legendary musicians Jimi Hendrix[2], Janis Joplin[3], Jim Morrison[4], Kurt Cobain[5] and Amy Winehouse[6]. The idea is as...