GUEST REQUEST - Prof Jonti Horner on extinctions

[somatichypermutation]

Great new paper and interview and when and how extinction events occur on earth. 

Podcast: http://www.abc.net.au/science/audio/2013/10/02/3860543.htm?topic=space

Article: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/10/02/3857090.htm

Art would have a blast with this topic.

"The timing of some major extinction events on Earth coincides with the solar system's journey through Milky Way's spiral arms, suggests a new study.

The research, published on the pre-press website ArXiv.org, supports the idea that mass extinction events were not always random.

The Sun spends 50 to 60 per cent of its 220-million-year journey around the galaxy passing through its spiral arms, says study co-author Dr Jonti Horner of the University of New South Wales.

"These are regions of higher than average density, where there are more stars and molecular gas and dust clouds," says Horner.

"It could be argued that the increase in the number of stars encountered as the Sun moves through a galactic arm, can trigger gravitational perturbations, sending comets from the Oort cloud towards the inner solar system, where the Earth is."

[onan]

Great new paper and interview and when and how extinction events occur on earth. 

Podcast: http://www.abc.net.au/science/audio/2013/10/02/3860543.htm?topic=space

Article: http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/10/02/3857090.htm

Art would have a blast with this topic.

"The timing of some major extinction events on Earth coincides with the solar system's journey through Milky Way's spiral arms, suggests a new study.

The research, published on the pre-press website ArXiv.org, supports the idea that mass extinction events were not always random.

The Sun spends 50 to 60 per cent of its 220-million-year journey around the galaxy passing through its spiral arms, says study co-author Dr Jonti Horner of the University of New South Wales.

"These are regions of higher than average density, where there are more stars and molecular gas and dust clouds," says Horner.

"It could be argued that the increase in the number of stars encountered as the Sun moves through a galactic arm, can trigger gravitational perturbations, sending comets from the Oort cloud towards the inner solar system, where the Earth is."

I think this would be a great show.

[Falkie2013]

I think this would be a great show.

Just so long as the extinction event doesn't happen while we're listening to the broadcast.

[onan]

Just so long as the extinction event doesn't happen while we're listening to the broadcast.

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