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New Theory Links Biodiversity to the Stars
eldavojohn writes "Space.com's Mystery Monday has an article proposing a hypothesis that our solar system's undulations directly affects biodiversity on earth through cosmic-ray exposure. There's data that, through the fossil record, shows us earth's biodiversity peaking again and again until a great cataclysmic period where it is greatly reduced. The theory essentially suggests that this 62 million year cycle can be attributed to how our solar system moves within the milky way galaxy which turns out to be a 64 million year cycle. It's a plausible explanation though very tough to prove, hopefully we don't have to wait around 64 million years to draw a conclusion on this hypothesis."
Not quite.
If you read TFA, you'll see that this particular extinction does not fit the cycle. This one is blamed on the asteroid.
TFA says we have ~10 million years to go.
We actually have mass extinctions going on now. It's off-cycle, since we're the cause.
I remembered it being Heinlein, too. You're right
I've been meaning to re-read Heinlein for a while now that I'm older. This looks like the cynical depressing stuff that drew me to Heinlein when I was a kid.
Man, you really need that seminar!
According to a different article on the same study, the dinosaur mass extinction at the K-T boundary doesn't fit the pattern.
We've still got at least 10 million years before we enter the next cosmic ray cycle.