no miracles required, no test of faith

[foraker]

just plain science, but really cool

 

i actually had a field course with jack sepkoski way back in the day

[Winter]

Is that the elephant man on the right?

[catbirdseat]

Every 62 million years we have a mass extinction. So is it any wonder that biodiversity drops at the same time?

[selkirk]

no, not particularly. But what's so special about 62 million years?

[Thinker]

no, not particularly. But what's so special about 62 million years?

 

That's how often the Aztec calendar starts over.

[catbirdseat]

no, not particularly. But what's so special about 62 million years?

No one knows for sure, but it appears the earth gets bombarded by asteroids or comets about ever 62-65 million years. It could be that our sun has an unseen and distant companion (brown dwarf) star that periodically dislodges massive comets from the Oort Cloud. There is no agreement among scientists that I know of.

 

Others think it is volcanic activity on a huge scale, but why should volcanic activity be so regular?

[dberdinka]

So...how much longer until the next 62 million years is over?

[Squid]

Thursday

[selkirk]

Thursday

 

Is that the day Layton finally gets some?

[catbirdseat]

Thursday

Just about, give or take a million years. We are actually past due for another extinction event. It will be interesting to see whether we exterminate ourselves before the next asterioid hits.

[Camilo]

It could be that our sun has an unseen and distant companion (brown dwarf) star that periodically dislodges massive comets from the Oort Cloud.

I have a rarely seen and distant companion brown star too, and it also periodically dilodges massive things, usually preceded by Oort clouds!

[Fairweather]

no, not particularly. But what's so special about 62 million years?

No one knows for sure, but it appears the earth gets bombarded by asteroids or comets about ever 62-65 million years. It could be that our sun has an unseen and distant companion (brown dwarf) star that periodically dislodges massive comets from the Oort Cloud. There is no agreement among scientists that I know of.

 

Others think it is volcanic activity on a huge scale, but why should volcanic activity be so regular?

 

Maybe a burst of solar radiation or some sort of gamma bombardment that periodically eminates from the theoretical super black hole at the center of our galaxy? Would such a gamma burst be readable in the geologic record here?

[snoboy]

Others think it is volcanic activity on a huge scale, but why should volcanic activity be so regular?

 

Perhaps virgins have lots of (moral) fiber?

[Dr_Flash_Amazing]

some sort of gamma bombardment

 

"the chief brigadier's head began to swell

firing off depleted uranium shells

he bombarded everything pretty well

except for the gamma ray

 

and the gamma ray seemed to say

if you carry twelve margaritas on a tray

you cannot be touched in any way

by the benign yet malevolent ...

 

gamma-gamma-gamma-gamma

gamma-gamma-gamma-gamma ray"

 

- Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros, "Gamma Ray"

[Skeezix]

How about that purple lava lamp on the desk in the foreground. Who says scientists aren't cool?

[Dru]

but why should volcanic activity be so regular?

 

what is the turnover rate of the mantle?

[Dechristo]

...the Aztec calendar starts over.

When does it end?

 

The Mayan calendar ends 2012.