The Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Mosses are among Earth's great terraformers, turning barren rock into fertile soils, and now a team of scientists is proposing these non-vascular plants could do the same onto create a second home for us Earthlings, ecologist Xiaoshuang Li and colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have a candidate that they think should do just the trick.
The success of these terrestrial trailblazers hinged on their ability to harness and digest the nutrients that seep from or flow over rock, while surviving utterly hostile conditions that would reduce other living things to dust. But as they spread across Earth's rocky frontier they created soils, which paved the way for other less hardcore lifeforms to gradually step foot on dry land.
This genetic gumption continues to serve mosses across the world, and the researchers think we could harness their inbuilt talents tois committed to upholding a severely frugal way of life. It thrives in the deserts of China and the US, along with the icy mountains of the Pamir, Tibet, the Middle East, Antarctica, and circumpolar regions.
"Although there is still a long way to go to create self-sufficient habitats on other planets, we demonstrated the great potential ofcan turn totally arid land into a 'living skin', even after surviving such extreme conditions, offers some hope for life on our own planet, which is, it seems, more resilient than we sometimes give it credit.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Extreme E Is Dead, Will Be Replaced By Extreme H With Hydrogen RacersThe series replaces the electric buggies with new ones running on hydrogen
Read more »
Extreme E is now Extreme H, a hydrogen-powered racing series starting 2025Cheyenne is Engadget’s weekend editor and covers a little bit of everything. She’s particularly interested in emerging technology and niche gadgets, climate change, space, privacy, and internet culture. She’ll talk your ear off about Tamagotchis if you get her started.
Read more »
Extreme E Rebrands To Extreme H Featuring Green Hydrogen And Fuel CellsGreen hydrogen is front and center in the new Extreme H fuel cell electric vehicle racing series, a rebrand of the former Extreme E series.
Read more »
Scientists Pinpoint Where Extreme Moods of Bipolar Disorder Exist in BrainThe Best in Science News and Amazing Breakthroughs
Read more »
Murder, birth and test scores: What scientists are learning about extreme heatThe fallout from soaring temperatures goes far beyond sweatiness, dehydration or heat stroke. Scientists have found links between extreme heat and violence, premature births and test scores, among other outcomes.
Read more »
Scientists confirm first lunar cave that could help shelter astronauts from the moon’s extreme temperaturesAfter pondering its existence for decades, scientists have confirmed the first moon cave. Here’s how the structures could contribute to long-term lunar exploration.
Read more »