• Astronomy

A team of Japanese planetary researchers led by Osaka University’s Professor Kentaro Terada has discovered that the solar wind and Earth’s magnetic field can transport high-energy ions of biogenic oxygen from the atmosphere of our planet to the lunar surface. “The Earth is protected from solar wind and cosmic rays by the planet’s magnetic field,” Professor Terada and colleagues explained. Read more. The study is referenced here.

• Biology

With increased globalization, our world has seen unprecedented levels of connectivity resulting in human-caused spread and introduction of organisms. This rapid dispersal of species at both temporal and spatial scales can result in invasive species which have severe negative consequences for the natural function of our ecosystems. Read more.

• Astronomy

While scientists have made many impressive discoveries about the universe over the years, they have yet to agree on a single model that explains how the solar system formed. The prevailing theory is that a massive star exploded billions of years ago and compressed a dense cloud of interstellar dust and gas until it collapsed under the force of gravity to form new stars — including our sun.

But scientists at the University of Chicago and Clemson University have proposed an alternative theory that suggests the solar system instead formed within the walls of a massive bubble surrounding a Wolf-Rayet star. Read more. See the study here.

• People

Thure Cerling and James Ehleringer received the 2017 Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held December 13, 2017, in New Orleans, LA. The award honors “a sustained commitment to excellence in geophysical education by a team, individual, or group.” Read more.