How Earth Once Cooled Off

The latest from Nautilus, and this week’s Facts So Romantic. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( This Thursday, read the latest stories from Nautilus—and this week’s Facts So Romantic below [GEOSCIENCE]( [How Earth Once Cooled Off]( A geological discovery shows how carbon was captured to chill the planet. BY MARCIA BJORNERUD Could understanding the forces that drove former ice ages on Earth help us figure out how to slow or even reverse global warming? [Continue reading→]( [The Future Is Fossil-Free]( [TRIWA]( and SSAB have collaborated to bring you the world’s first watch made from fossil-free steel. With innovative materials that drive positive change and lead the industry forward, you can contribute to a more sustainable future with a watch. It’s time for decarbonization. [SHOP NOW]( The latest from Nautilus [ARTS]( [We Were Born to Groove]( Babies dig the beat, a new study shows, offering a cool insight into the origin of music. BY HENKJAN HONING[Continue reading→]( [ARTS]( [We’re Biased Against AI-Made Art]( And that could be a good thing. BY DEENA MOUSA[Continue reading→]( [PALEONTOLOGY]( [A Day in the Life of a Fossil Preparator]( Recreating the past requires as much art and craft as science. BY CAITLIN DONAHUE WYLIE [Continue reading→]( [COMMUNICATION]( [The Most Beautiful Science of the Year]( These are a few of our favorite things from 2023. BY NAUTILUS EDITORS[Continue reading→]( WE'RE CURIOUS TO KNOW... If you could listen to only one piece of music for the rest of your life, what would it be? Let us know! Reply to this newsletter with your response, briefly explaining your choice, and we’ll reveal the top answers. (This question was inspired by [“We Were Born to Groove.”]([)]( FACTS SO ROMANTIC The 5 Best Things We Learned Today We emit 50 times more carbon dioxide annually than all the world’s active volcanoes combined. [Nautilus→]( Newborn babies can anticipate a missing beat in a drum rhythm. [Nautilus→]( People consistently assign less value to art labeled AI-made versus human-made—even when the work of art itself is held constant (labeling the same piece as human- or AI-made). [Nautilus→]( Earth’s magnetic field underwent a significant power surge and signs of the anomaly were preserved in the mud bricks that the ancient kingdom of Mesopotamia baked. [CNN→]( The most distant and earliest quasar yet found in the universe is 13.2 billion light years away. [The New York Times→]( [“It’s tempting to think these carbon-gobbling minerals could help us avert climate disaster.”]( [Marcia Bjornerud writes about a geological anomaly that gave Earth its ice ages.]( Better Living Through Science Soothe your headaches and alleviate eye strain with [Therabody’s biometric SmartGoggles](. This comfortable eye mask delivers a combination of personalized therapies to help you shake off your day and relax. What does it mean to be healthy? By analyzing your blood, DNA, and daily habits, [InsideTracker]( creates personalized, evidence-based health recommendations––just for you. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could predict when you’re getting sick? [Oura Ring]( can help. This sleek wearable continuously measures your body temperature, heart rate, and more to give you a heads up when you might be coming down with something. Your free story this Thursday! ARTS [The Creeping Techno-Horror of “The MANIAC”]( Benjamín Labatut’s latest novel excavates science history to hint at the madness of AI advancement at any cost. BY NICK HILDEN “It was as if those awful things had a will of their own,” says physicist Richard Feynman in Benjamín Labatut’s latest novel The MANIAC. [Continue reading for free→]( EXCLUSIVE MEMBER CONTENT | [Explore Memberships→]( [Where Art Meets Science]( Our readers often tell us that our commitment to art and illustration is one of the most cherished parts of Nautilus. It’s a key ingredient in the special sauce that makes Nautilus and our community so unique—the recognition that art is another outlet for the creativity that drives our storytelling. With that in mind, we’ve got a gift you’re going to like: our favorite art platform, Colossal, is offering $25 towards a membership to their platform, exclusive to Nautilus members. Colossal is a leading contemporary art platform that celebrates the work of thousands of artists, many of whom are influenced by science. It’s an online gallery, where you’ll find rich stories behind the work and artists. Recently, they’ve featured [puzzles designed to mirror the rare element bismuth’s crystalline network](, [historic glass models of marine invertebrates](, and [an ambitious project to photograph every edible plant seed in exquisite detail](. This $25 credit is only available to Nautilus members, so join Nautilus with any membership to claim yours. [JOIN NOW]( P.S. The mathematical and scientific polymath John von Neumann was born on this day in 1903. He is the main character in Benjamín Labatut’s latest novel The MANIAC. That title refers explicitly to one of the earliest computers built—the Mathematical Analyzer Numerical Integrator and Automatic Computer—constructed at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project around an architecture developed by implicit titular maniac von Neumann, Nick Hilden wrote. “The novel’s unique fusion of fact and fiction follows the rise and collapse of von Neumann and his quest to create ‘self-reproducing machines,’ an obsession he assumed because ‘[something had to survive the bombs](.’” Today’s newsletter was written by Brian Gallagher Thanks for reading. [Tell us](mailto:brian.gallagher@nautil.us?subject=&body=) your thoughts on today’s note. Plus, [browse our archive]( of past print issues, and inspire a friend to sign up for [the Nautilus newsletter](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 NautilusNext, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from [nautil.us](. Our mailing address is: NautilusNext 360 W 36th Street, 7S, New York, NY 10018 Don't want to hear from us anymore? [Unsubscribe](