History of the Earth

Earth’s magnetic field nearly collapsed 591 million years ago. It may have allowed complex life to thrive

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Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. Earth’s magnetic field plays a key role in making our planet habitable. The protective bubble above the atmosphere protects the planet from solar radiation, wind, cosmic radiation and wild temperature fluctuations. However, Earth’s magnetic field … Read more

Are we in the ‘Anthropocene’, the human age? No, say scientists.

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The Triassic was the beginning of the dinosaurs. The Paleogene saw the rise of mammals. The Pleistocene included the last ice ages. Is it time to mark humanity’s transformation of the planet with its own chapter in Earth’s history, the ‘Anthropocene’, or the human era? Not yet, scientists have decided, after a debate that lasted … Read more

Are we in the ‘Anthropocene’, the human age? No, say scientists.

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The Triassic was the beginning of the dinosaurs. The Paleogene saw the rise of mammals. The Pleistocene included the last ice ages. Is it time to mark humanity’s transformation of the planet with its own chapter in Earth’s history, the ‘Anthropocene’, or the human era? Not yet, scientists have decided, after a debate that lasted … Read more