Did Scientists Really Make Metallic Hydrogen?

TL;DR

Scientists discover a tiny ancient ancestor linking all vertebrates, while physicists create potentially revolutionary metallic hydrogen.

Transcript

The fact that we exist at all is kind of amazing. Like, somehow, a bunch of primordial goop became everything living on Earth today. To figure out how that happened, scientists turn to the fossil record. And in a paper published this week in the journal Nature, a team of researchers reconstructed the face of one of our earliest ancestors, found in ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🙂 Saccorhytus coronarius may represent a crucial link in the evolutionary chain of vertebrates, shedding light on our ancient origins.
• 🥹 The potential creation of metallic hydrogen holds immense promise for technological advancements, from electronics to space exploration.
• ❓ The skepticism surrounding metallic hydrogen highlights the intricacies and challenges of scientific breakthroughs.

Questions & Answers

Q: What key features define Saccorhytus coronarius as a potential ancestor of vertebrates?

Saccorhytus coronarius exhibits over 60 shared features with living creatures and fossils, indicating its position as a possible early deuterostome, a classification based on embryonic development.

Q: How do scientists view the creation of metallic hydrogen, and what implications does it have for technology?

The creation of solid metallic hydrogen could revolutionize technology, potentially serving as an efficient superconductor and advanced rocket fuel, offering significant advancements in energy storage and conductivity.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Scientists reconstructed the face of a tiny, worm-like ancestor, Saccorhytus coronarius, potentially the common ancestor of all vertebrates.

• Metallic hydrogen, a long-sought superconductor and efficient energy storage material, may have been created by Harvard researchers but faces skepticism.