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posted by mrpg on Friday August 18 2017, @01:31PM   Printer-friendly
from the my-dna-test-says-im-5%-algae dept.

A study of molecules in the fossil record has pinpointed the rise of algae on Earth:

A planetary takeover by ocean-dwelling algae 650 million years ago was the kick that transformed life on Earth. That's what geochemists argue in Nature this week [DOI: 10.1038/nature23457] [DX], on the basis of invisibly small traces of biomolecules dug up from beneath the Australian desert.

The molecules mark an explosion in the quantity of algae in the oceans. This in turn fuelled a change in the food web that allowed the first microscopic animals to evolve, the authors suggest. "This is one the most profound ecological and evolutionary transitions in Earth's history," lead researcher Jochen Brocks told the BBC's Science in Action programme.


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Friday August 18 2017, @06:17PM (2 children)

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Friday August 18 2017, @06:17PM (#556007) Journal

    Smaller scale projects may be more feasible. Such as an enclosed dome somewhere or a floating city on Venus.

    Mars, the Moon, Titan, and Venus all seem like top targets. The Moon has proximity. Mars has decent gravity. Venus has Earth-like gravity and possible Earth atmosphere like conditions high up. Titan has a much thicker atmosphere than Mars (no "rocket cranes" needed to land, less pressure/vacuum issues, and aerial flight + drones can be used). Honorable Mention to Ganymede which has less gravity than the Moon due to its icy lower density, more gravity than Titan, and lots of water and surface area. The radiation environment is not as bad as Europa since it is further away from Jupiter and has a magnetosphere.

    This wiki has some interesting info (doesn't make it any less implausible):

    http://terraforming.wikia.com/wiki/Special:AllPages [wikia.com]

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  • (Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Friday August 18 2017, @11:18PM (1 child)

    by realDonaldTrump (6614) on Friday August 18 2017, @11:18PM (#556170) Homepage Journal

    Terraforming makes it inhabitable, right? I'd start with Venezuela. Then Detroit. 🇺🇸