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Curiosity Weekly

Mantle Drill, Tongue Exam, Stonehenge Discovery

Sep 25, 2024
Discover how scientists pierced 1.2 kilometers into the Earth's mantle, revealing extraordinary new geological insights. Learn about innovative algorithms that predict health conditions based on tongue color, potentially changing the future of diagnostics. Uncover the mystery behind a Stonehenge altar stone believed to have traveled over 500 miles from Scotland, raising intriguing questions about ancient construction and trade networks. These fascinating topics combine cutting-edge science with deep historical inquiry, offering a peek into our planet's past and future.
12:14

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • A record-breaking drill into the Earth's mantle revealed unexpected serpentinized rocks, challenging existing views on the crust-mantle boundary.
  • An AI algorithm predicting health conditions through tongue color analysis demonstrates potential for rapid and accessible disease detection using smartphone technology.

Deep dives

Deepest Drill into Earth's Mantle

An international team of geologists achieved a significant milestone by drilling 4,160 feet deep into the Earth's mantle, surpassing the previous record of 659 feet. This drilling took place at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where tectonic activity has made the mantle more accessible. They successfully recovered 70% of the rock samples, revealing unexpected findings such as serpentinized rock, which indicates a chemical interaction between seawater and mantle material. These discoveries suggest that the boundary between the crust and the mantle may not be as distinct as previously believed, opening new questions about Earth's geochemical cycles.

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