Canadians, assemble!
Apparently these deep-core blobs, possibly originating from the hypothesized planet Theia that crashed into Earth billions of years ago, are called "large low-velocity provinces".
Which province in Canada best fits that description, too?
#Space #Science #News https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/nov/01/blobs-near-earths-core-are-remnants-of-collision-with-another-planet-study-says
@MLClark Hmm... Is this phenomenon also associated with the blob below the Indian Ocean that has created a gravity well effect?
@MLClark I had a conversation about the collision with Theia. This collision did a lot for life on earth: it created the moon which established a day-night cycle, it donated heavy elements to Earth resulting in a solid core, the donated angular momentum spun up Earth's core creating the electromagnetic dynamo which shields Earth from deadly solar radiation, the impact blew away Earth's choking primordial atmosphere, and the moon slowed Earth's speedy rotation down over many years to 24 hours.
Yes, indeed! The giant impact hypothesis has been around awhile, but the latest run of sample-gathering missions has foregrounded it again - precisely because we need more comparative samples to flesh out the theory.
It's one of those places where all cosmologies can meet in wonder. To me there is nothing teleological about our existence, while theist friends would see this as part of a grand plan. Either way, we all get to marvel at the wild ride that made the Earth we know. :)
When we get more samples from otherworldly objects, we can compare them with the chem profiles of most Terran "stuff" (e.g., high nickel content is a good sign of extraterrestrial origin). Recent NASA missions & other global space programs are currently collecting samples to that and similar ends.
That said, comp-sci is the bane of those of us who appreciate empirical data! Ergo the reason I still call Theia an hypothesis. :)
Glad we get to share in this wonder, though!
Also, while I have you - I just want to say that I appreciate how you stood up for the view you believe in, with grace and care, against the frustration of someone angry to be living now under such a horrible political representative for your (general) faith. I know you're striving to carry the best of your tradition forward - and that effort matters. The world needs less focus on cosmological difference and more focus on moral convergence right now. Thank you for your journey.
@MLClark Thank you for the kind words. I had good teachers and role models growing up. I also learned excellent theology. I was on Twitter for several years before moving here full time. This was not my first argument and far from the worst. The way to move forward in that situation was to recognize the pain and try to defuse the situation. You know the rest. I live out my values the best that I can. This has been a hard week thanks to Mike Johnson. He will drive Democrats to vote in 2024. 😉
I have no doubt that you are a good presence in your communities outside of voting cycles, too. I'm glad to know you, Daniel. :) May your truth always serve you well.
@MLClark I'm glad we can share in the wonder of it all. 😄
As for evidence, I really don't know how that's going to work. We don't have a lot of impact data on a planetary scale to compare with and most of the "evidence" would've melted. 😁 As I understand it, most of our understanding comes from detailed computer models because all of the physics point toward an event like this. I'm sure it's been absolutely fascinating to the researchers rewinding the clock on our solar system's formation.