Experiments on the International Space Station have shown that the process of “biomining” will work in microgravity; a discovery that could help the first space settlers gather the minerals they need to build a long-term presence beyond Earth. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-12-biomining-future-settlements-worlds.html…
Tag: minerals
Singapore Becomes First Country To Approve Lab-Grown Meat
Singapore has granted San Francisco start-up Eat Just Inc. regulatory approval to sell its laboratory-grown chicken in the city-state — the world’s first government to allow the sale of cultured meat. CNN reports: The product, created from cultured chicken cells, has been approved as an ingredient in chicken bites following Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approval, Eat Just said Tuesday. Initially, the…
Leaf-Cutter Ants Have Rocky Crystal Armor, Never Before Seen in Insects
Leaf-cutter ants are named for their Herculean feats: they chomp foliage and carry unwieldy pieces, like green flags many times their size, long distances to their colonies. There they chew up the leaves to feed underground fungus farms. Along the way, the insects brave all manner of predators — and regularly engage in wars with other ants. But these insects are…
Ancient zircon minerals from Mars reveal the elusive internal structure of the red planet
Analysis of an ancient meteorite from Mars suggests that the mineral zircon may be abundant on the surface of the red planet. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-11-ancient-zircon-minerals-mars-reveal.html…
Your own sweat could be used to produce a natural antiperspirant
Minerals found naturally in sweat may be able to act as an antiperspirant by clogging your sweat ducts Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2259920-your-own-sweat-could-be-used-to-produce-a-natural-antiperspirant/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Meet the hell planet with a magma ocean and rocky rain
Exoplanet K2-141b is fiery hot world that circles so close to its star that 1 side of the planet features a deep ocean of molten lava. Meanwhile, the other side is freezing cold. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/k2-141b-lava-planet-with-magma-ocean-rocky-rain-supersonic-winds-super-earth…
Ancient life signs under dinosaur-killing Chicxulub crater
Researchers have found evidence for an ancient microbial ecosystem in a hydrothermal system beneath Mexico’s Chicxulub Crater, thought to be the site of the impact that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/dinosaur-killing-chicxulub-impact-crater-hydrothermal-microbial…
Deep-sea mining is making the seabed the hottest real estate on Earth
As the race to extract valuable minerals from the deep ocean ramps up, how can we also protect unique marine ecosystems? Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24833070-700-deep-sea-mining-is-making-the-seabed-the-hottest-real-estate-on-earth/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Analysis of a Martian meteorite reveals evidence of water 4.4 billion years ago
A meteorite that originated on Mars billions of years ago reveals details of ancient impact events on the red planet. Certain minerals from the Martian crust in the meteorite are oxidized, suggesting the presence of water during the impact that created the meteorite. The finding helps to fill some gaps in knowledge about the role of water in planet formation. Source:…
Top 10 things to know about asteroid Bennu
Take a video tour of asteroid Bennu’s remarkable terrain and read a list of 10 cool things scientists know about this pristine remnant from the early days of our solar system. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/top-10-things-to-know-about-asteroid-bennu-video-tour…