The pick of the science news
A penguin poop scoop from space
How do you know where penguins have been? By what they leave behind, apparently. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey are identifying the birds' guano from space to track migration in more remote regions.
Satellite images showing the guano's characteristic reddish-brown stains have helped scientists identify 38 colonies on the icy continent, including 10 new colonies, six that have moved and six that seem to have disappeared, according to results published in Global Ecology and Biogeography.
"It's a very important result scientifically, even though it's a lighthearted method," says researcher Peter Fretwell.
Bombarding earth into life?
We may have meteorite showers to thank for our existence, according to a new study. Scientists from Imperial College London burned meteorite fragments and concluded that in the extreme heat of entering earth’s atmosphere, meteorites are capable of releasing up to 12 per cent of their mass as water and 6 per cent as carbon dioxide.
The cumulative effect of the “Late Heavy Bombardment” four billion years ago, when meteorites rained down on earth, could have added 10 billion tonnes each of carbon dioxide and water vapour per year to the planet’s atmosphere, the researchers estimate.
“This may have been a pivotal moment in our early history, where earth’s gaseous envelope finally had enough of the right ingredients to nurture life on our planet,” says researcher Prof Mark Sephton.
By numbers
12 million
The estimated age in years of a fossilised primate face and jaw found in Spain. The hominid had “modern” features and is thought to represent a new genus
71
The percentage of astronauts who had more than 21 headaches during a space mission, according to a Dutch study of 17 space-goers
Claire O’Connell e-mail: 1000.claire@gmail.com