An Ignoble Experiment: Unimaginable diversity of life discovered beneath Antarctic ice shelf

2021/12/31

Unimaginable diversity of life discovered beneath Antarctic ice shelf

Created for ignoble.experiment@arconati.us | Web Version

December 31, 2021

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The 10 strangest space structures discovered in 2021

(Torrance Hodgson, ICRAR/Curtin University)

This year, astronomers pulled back the curtain on monster black holes, invisible magnetic megastructures and a cosmic treasure trove of extraterrestrial planets.
As a reminder that the universe just gets stranger and stranger the farther you get from Earth, here are 10 of the most awesome, extreme and enigmatic space structures discovered in 2021.

Full Story: Live Science (12/29)

History & Archaeology

10 stunning swords and other ancient weapons uncovered in 2021

(Archaeological Service Graubünden)

Archaeologists have made some remarkable finds this year, from barnacle-encrusted Crusader swords at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea to non-returning boomerangs in South Australia. In this round-up, Live Science chose 10 of our favorite sword and weapons discoveries from 2021.

Full Story: Live Science (12/31)

Amazing Earth

Unimaginable diversity of life discovered beneath Antarctic ice shelf

Deep beneath Antarctica's ice shelves, researchers have discovered dozens of life-forms thriving on a tiny patch of the seafloor — an unprecedented level of species diversity for an environment that has never seen sunlight.
"If you had asked me three questions at the manuscript onset," said study co-author David Barnes, a marine biologist with the British Antarctic Survey, "How much richness of life will we find? Not much. How abundant is it going to be? Not very. What's it's growth going to be like? Very slow. And I would have been wrong on every point."

Full Story: Live Science (12/30)

Climate Change

8 ominous climate milestones reached in 2021

Wildfires. Heat waves. Life-threatening floods. The disastrous consequences of burning fossil fuels and pumping greenhouse gases into Earth's atmosphere are everywhere around us. Study after study directly links human-caused climate change to more powerful and wetter storms, longer and more intense droughts and rising sea levels that threaten coastal communities worldwide.

And 2021 made the accelerating pace of climate change painfully clear.

Full Story: Live Science (12/29)

Your Health

Best running headphones for the New Year

If you're ready to hit the pavement, or a treadmill, to lose those extra pounds or firm up muscles, the best running headphones are a must. These are the headphones that will keep you inspired during the last quarter-mile of your workout without falling out or bothering your ears.
At Live Science, we've compiled a list of the best running headphones — pulling from some of the most popular brands. You'll be able to find a pair for every budget and style preference.

Full Story: Live Science (12/31)

Curious Creatures

Mystery viruses, electric bacteria, tiny plastic-eaters: What we learned about microbes in 2021

Take a trip to the marvelous world of microbes, where bacteria breathe electricity, neon-yellow slime molds forage for snacks on the forest floor, and thousands of mysterious viruses hang out in your guts. This year, scientists made a slew of fascinating discoveries about the microscopic organisms living in and all around us — Here's a few of our favorite stories.

Full Story: Live Science (12/30)

Biology

Famed naturalist E.O. Wilson, 'Darwin's natural heir,' dies at 92

Famed naturalist Edward O. Wilson, or E.O. Wilson, has died at the age of 92. The biologist, author and teacher was the world's top authority on the study of ants and called Charles Darwin’s "natural heir."
"E.O. Wilson’s holy grail was the sheer delight of the pursuit of knowledge," said Paula Ehrlich, CEO and president of the foundation. "A relentless synthesizer of ideas, his courageous scientific focus and poetic voice transformed our way of understanding ourselves and our planet."

Full Story: Live Science (12/30)