PERTH: Evidence that life on Earth existed 300 million years earlier than thought was found by geochemists of UCLA. The discovery indicates that life appeared on Earth shortly after the planet formed 4.54 billion years ago —not 4.1 billion years ago as commonly believed.
Scientists analyzed more than 10,000 zircons, formed from molten rocks and magma from Australia. Zircons are minerals, heavy and durable, with the ability to preserve their immediate environment, similar to a time capsule.
Using a Raman spectroscopy, researchers identified dark specks contained in 656 zircons, analyzing 79 of them in order to unveil the molecular and chemical structure of ancient microorganisms. What were they looking for? Carbon, the key component of life, contained on one of the analyzed zircons in the form of graphite.
Researchers believe that, with the “right ingredients”, such as carbon, life on Earth could have begun almost instantaneously, shortly after the bombardment of the inner solar system that formed the moon’s large craters 3.9 billion years ago. Some experts argue that all life on the planet died during the bombardment, meaning that it must have restarted pretty fast.
Tesla driverless system to use updated radar technology
WASHINGTON: Electric carmaker Tesla announced Sunday it was upgrading its Autopilot software to use more advanced radar technology. In a...
