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New Theory Explains Periodic Mass Extinctions

Posted by Zonk on from the we're-not-due-for-a-little-while-yet dept.

i_like_spam writes "The theory that the dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid impact, the K-T extinction, is well known and supported by fossil and geological evidence. Asteroid impact theory does not apply to the other fluctuations in biodiversity, however, which follow an approximate 62 million-year cycle. As reported in Science, a new theory seems to explain periodic mass extinctions. The new theory found that oscillations in the Sun relative to the plane of the Milky Way correlate with changes in biodiversity on Earth. The researchers suggest that an increase in the exposure of Earth to extragalactic cosmic rays causes mass extinctions. The original paper describing the findings is available online."

17 of 383 comments (clear)

  1. It burns... by unchiujar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Will my tinfoil hat protect me ?

    --
    Shakespeare poems - infinite monkeys with infinite time.Computer tech support - a few trained ones working from 9 to 5.
  2. Re:Does anyone make.... by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 4, Funny

    Im sure the Chinese do.

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  3. Nah this is not correct either. by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 5, Funny
    What? Sun? Galactic Plane? Intergalactic Rays? You guys are watching way too many reruns of Star Trek.

    Everyone knows the extinctions were perfectly explained using the Theory of Intelligent Smiting.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Nah this is not correct either. by Himring · · Score: 4, Funny

      lol! I love making fun of god. It's ok too, cuz god's gotta sense of hu

      [NO CARRIER]

      --
      "All great things are simple & expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." --Churchill
  4. Re:Huh. Better get to work! by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 5, Funny
    So we have 7 million years to figure out space flight and/or a way to record the sum of our knowledge for future intelligences.

    We're hosed.

    --
    If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
  5. (5am posting, sorry) by ggvaidya · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... extragalactic cosmic rays causes mass extinctions ...

    Can we please oh please oh please call them death rays?
  6. Well... by Chouonsoku · · Score: 5, Funny

    I for one welcome our new cosmic ray-based overlords! (I just felt like I hadn't seen that lately. :'( Mod me as you wish. But, be gentle.)

  7. Re:Huh. Better get to work! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dude... A house 1 kilometer underground, and you want to stock up BEANS??

  8. Re:Huh. Better get to work! by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... the emerging rat civilization

    Let me guess: the rats are the warriors, the hamsters are the scientists,
    and a bright orange guinea pig named Dr Zeus will be in charge.

  9. Re:Perfectly reasonable hypothesis? by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds like someone needs to edit Wikipedia to make this hypothesis fit a little better...

    --
    This guy's the limit!
  10. Re:Huh. Better get to work! by Intron · · Score: 3, Funny

    A. Create separate colony around some other star
    B. Wait about 3 generations
    C. Get invaded by descendents of original colonists looking for better place to live.

    --
    Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
  11. Re:Huh. Better get to work! by Jehosephat2k · · Score: 2, Funny
    The human race's problem right now is that we have all our eggs in one basket; namely, Earth. If something terrible were to happen to our planet, the entire human race could be wiped out, forever.

    "That's an awefully nice planet you have there, it would be a shame if something were to, say, 'happen' to it?"

  12. Re:Come on Rock me Dr Zaius by Oktober+Sunset · · Score: 1, Funny
    It's:

    I hate every ape I see, From chimpan-A to chimpanzee.

    Just, be glad the librarian wasn't about.

    --
    What if Tetris was invented by Nazis?
  13. Eulogies by StikyPad · · Score: 2, Funny

    I, for one, would like to commemorate a few periodic mass extinctions:

    Dear AU, what has become of you? You may not be extinct, but I can never find you.
    Humble Promethium. Your existence was "predicted" long after your demise.
    Oh 271 Seaborgium, how did you decay? Let me count the ways. Alpha decay. Spontaneous fission.
    272 Roentgenium, we hardly knew you. Half extinct at the tender age of 1.5ms. You're the one we'll truly miss.

    --
    https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
  14. Re:Huh. Better get to work! by bl8n8r · · Score: 3, Funny

    If we leave it to the government, we won't have to wait 7 million years for mass extinction.

    --
    boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org
  15. Re:Huh. Better get to work! by aztektum · · Score: 2, Funny

    this event will only bother the emerging cat civilization. Fixed that for you.
    --
    :: aztek ::
    No sig for you!!
  16. Re:Huh. Better get to work! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    D. ?????
    E. Profit!