Galactic Origin For 62M-Year Extinction Cycle? 221
Hugh Pickens writes "Cosmologist Adrian Mellott has an article in Seed Magazine discussing his search for the mechanism behind the mass extinctions in earth's history that seem to occur with a period of about 62 million years. Scientists have identified nearly 20 mass extinctions throughout the fossil record, including the end-Permian event about 250 million years ago that killed off about 95 percent of life on Earth. Mellott notes that as our solar system orbits the Milky Way's center, it oscillates through the galactic plane with a period of around 65 million years. 'The space between galaxies is not empty. It's actually full of rarefied hot gas,' says Mellott. 'As our galaxy falls into the Local Supercluster, it should disturb this gas and create a shock wave, like the bow shock of a jet plane,' generating cascades of high-energy subatomic particles and radiation called 'cosmic rays.' These effects could cause enhanced cloud formation and depletion of the ozone layer, killing off many small organisms at the base of the food chain and potentially leading to a population crash. So where is the earth now in the 62-million year extinction cycle? '[W]e are on the downside of biodiversity, a few million years from hitting bottom,' writes Mellott."
Re:First Post (Score:2, Funny)
Every 62 million years, a giant goatse [goatse.fr] monster appears and sucks 95% of life on this planet into it's anus.
Better find something strong to hold on to!
Its also possible... (Score:4, Funny)
Its also possible that my opening of a coke can will unsettle the quantum state of the water molecules vaporized in the air consequentially causing a pony to spontaneously appear. But as much as i wish it to be true, it aint going to happen (at least not for a really long time).
The whole point of the 65 million year cycle was not only the extinctions, but also the discover of elements in the ground only found as a result of asteroid impacts. Tha'ts why researches spend to much time trying to find a large mass that could disturb the Kuiper belt.
Re:What a f**king dick (Score:5, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Its also possible... (Score:5, Funny)
Which is precisely why Coke kill a pony for every can they make ;)
Re:Its also possible... (Score:5, Funny)
Which is precisely why Coke kill a pony for every can they make ;)
Ah, the well known Pony Preservation Principle.
From a Galactic Origin (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Crap (Score:5, Funny)
Research my ass.
I've just got the research report about your ass, and you're not going to like the findings.
Re:Its also possible... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Clouds? (Score:5, Funny)
http://xkcd.com/326/ [xkcd.com]
Re:Brain full? (Score:5, Funny)
I'm starting to think we just have too much knowledge these days. I've lost count of the number of 'discoveries' that are already known, both in IT and the wider areas of science and beyond.
Sorry, somebody already thought of that.
Probably the Simpson's.
The reapers are coming! (Score:4, Funny)
Re:What a f**king dick (Score:4, Funny)
Re:awesome (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Just no (Score:5, Funny)
The interval between extinctions is 62 million years only if you accept ~30 millions of year of error margin. The current downfall of biodiversity is really fast compared to the time scale mentioned here. Its most likely reason has two legs, two arms, a big brain and a various set of forest-destroying machines as well as a bad habit of dumping various materials into the ocean.
You're right! It's people that is the problem. Please write your congressman and tell them to expand Cap'n Trade to cover Humans. All that human breathing is producing unacceptable levels of CO2.
We could put a life clock on everyone's hand, and only allow a few people selected by lottery to live past age 35. That should keep the population down enough to save planet Earth!
Re:Its also possible... (Score:1, Funny)
Get it right. Its ...
OWM Pwnies
http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/womens/a078/
Re:Just no (Score:3, Funny)
This isn't the first time a speices (or multiple species in that case) destroyed life on Earth. The anarobic bacteria were perfectly happy until they stupidly unleashed all that oxygen.
Re:Not the First Post (Score:3, Funny)