Important Innovations

  The Earth Bio Genome Project                                                  Source:  Stock Images More Than 5,000 Scientists and 1.8 Million Species Scientists from around the world are rushing to protect nearly 2 million species on the planet Earth. They are documenting the genetic makeup of 1.8 million animals, plants, fungi and more, as the United Nations warns that 1 million plants and animals are at risk of extinction within upcoming decades.  The global scientific collaboration is called the Earth Bio Genome Project.  More than 5,000 global scientists are involved.  By the end of this decade, they hope to have digitized the DNA footprints of 1.88 million living species.  It is an incredibly arduous task.  By the end of 2022, they hope to have sequenced just 3,000 species' genomes.   Why Do This?    There are many benefits including saving species, benefitting humanity, protecting biodiversity and understanding ecosystems and sustaining life.  All of the species are intert

Circling Stars Gave It Away to Astronomers Source:  European Space Agency A Black Hole "In Our Neighborhood" European astronomers have found the closest black hole to Earth ever discovered.  It is so close that two stars circling it can be seen with the naked eye.  The black hole is called the HR 6819 triple system.  It was created by the death of a fleeting young star.  Two remaining super hot stars continue to orbit it. Trillions of Miles From Earth It is the closest black hole discovered but it is still 1,000 light years away.  Every light year equals 5.9 trillion miles.  It was discovered by astronomers using the European Space Agency's massively powerful telescope at the European Southern Observatory in northern Chile.  Lead astronomer Thomas Rivinius says the black hole "is in our neighborhood".  He adds there may be 100 million to one billion of these relatively small but hugely dense objects in the Milky Way. Black Holes Where Nothing Escapes

Earth Vibrating Substantially Less Source:  NASA Global Commerce and Life Profoundly Charged The coronavirus has had a profound impact on the planet  Earth.  Schools and universities are closed.  Businesses  are shuttered.  Retails malls, libraries, movie theaters, beaches, parks, professional sports and Broadway are all in pause. The world is in a shelter at home mode to stop the spread of the virus. Fewer trains are running and  flights are grounded.  Rush hour is no more. The result on planet Earth is unprecedented. The dramatic shutdown of global economic activity has resulted in the Earth vibrating a great deal less. Standing Still According to seismologists the planet Earth is virtually standing still.  Researchers in London, Brussels and Los Angeles have documented a 30 to 50% drop in ambient seismic noise since the pandemic lockdowns began.  They say this demonstrates that most people are sheltering in the safety of their ho

Stardust 5 to 7 Billion Years Old Found in a Meteorite in Australia Source:  NASA Meteorite  Stardust Material That's Older than the Sun This is an extraordinary scientific discovery just announced by a team of astronomers led by University of Chicago Professor Dr. Philipp Heck. In a meteorite that fell from space in Australia 50 years ago, there is awesome stardust dating back 5 to 7 billion years.  This stardust predates the Sun. Heck and his team analyzed the contents of the meteorite.  They found it to be the oldest, solid material ever found on Earth.  Their work has just been published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. What This Discovery Opens Innovative Views On The scientists say this stardust will tell us how parent stars were formed in our galaxy. It will tell us about the origins of the oxygen that we breathe and provide the opportunity to trace materials back before the creation of the Sun. The stardust is the oldest materi

Black Hole Closest to Earth Displays Massive Flashing Bright Lights Source:  NASA Sagittarius A Astronomers Call the Phenomenon "Unprecedented" Astronomers using the powerful Keck II Telescope viewed an extraordinary cosmic light show.  The massive black hole that's closest to the Earth, Sagittarius A, put on an "unprecedented" display of bright, flashing lights.  Astronomers do not have an explanation for the cause.  For more news details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Unprecedented Cosmic Event : Flashing Bright Lights from Massive Black Hole in our Galaxy Source:  NASA Sagittarius A Sagittarius A:  Black Hole Light Show The ...