A 'potentially hazardous' blue-whale-size asteroid will zip through Earth's orbit on Friday

Scientists uncover ancient source of oxygen that could have fueled life on early Earth | Twin 'grumpy mouth' reliefs of Olmec contortionists discovered in Mexico | 37,000-year-old mammoth butchering site may be oldest evidence of humans in North America Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( August 10, 2022 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](  [] Top Science News [] [Scientists uncover ancient source of oxygen that could have fueled life on early Earth]( [Scientists uncover ancient source of oxygen that could have fueled life on early Earth]( (Jon Telling / Jordan Stone / Newcastle University) Powerful earthquakes that shook Earth some 3.8 billion years ago split open the planet's crust and allowed chemical reactions to unfold deep within the fractured rock. These reactions, fueled by seismic activity, water and near-boiling temperatures, may have provided oxygen to some of the world's earliest life forms, a new study suggests. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Just the Facts, Ma'am "I stopped watching TV news a year ago, so sick of the bias everywhere. But in doing so, I was out of the loop. I decided to give 1440 a try & I've not been disappointed. Finally, Walter Cronkite style reporting! Just the facts. I also love that I can click a link to see more on many stories. Keep up the good work!" [Join for free now](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] History & Archaeology [] [Twin 'grumpy mouth' reliefs of Olmec contortionists discovered in Mexico]( [Twin 'grumpy mouth' reliefs of Olmec contortionists discovered in Mexico]( (Courtesy INAH Tabasco) Archaeologists in Mexico have uncovered two Olmec reliefs chiseled into large, circular stones that are thought to depict local rulers performing ritual contortion. The twin pieces were found in Tenosique, a town located in the state of Tabasco, near Mexico's southern tip, and are believed to feature rulers from the ancient Olmec civilization, whose name comes from the Aztec (Nahuatl) word "Ōlmēcatl," which means "rubber people." The Olmec reigned between 1200 B.C. to 400 B.C. and are considered the first elaborate pre-Hispanic civilization in Mesoamerica. Today, they're best known for their sculptures of colossal heads. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [37,000-year-old mammoth butchering site may be oldest evidence of humans in North America]( [37,000-year-old mammoth butchering site may be oldest evidence of humans in North America]( (Shutterstock) A 37,000-year-old mammoth butchering site, uncovered in New Mexico, might be the earliest evidence of humans in North America, controversial research finds. Some of the bones at the site show signs of being handled by humans or even being used as tools, which is "some of the most conclusive evidence" yet that humans settled in North America much earlier than experts previously thought, according to the new study. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Astronomy & Astrophysics [] [A 'potentially hazardous' blue-whale-size asteroid will zip through Earth's orbit on Friday]( [A 'potentially hazardous' blue-whale-size asteroid will zip through Earth's orbit on Friday]( (Shutterstock) A "potentially hazardous" asteroid the size of a blue whale is set to zip past Earth on Friday (Aug. 12), according to NASA. The asteroid, named 2015 FF, has an estimated diameter between 42 and 92 feet (13 and 28 meters), or about the body length of an adult blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), and it will zoom past the Earth at 20,512 mph (33,012 km/h). Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Curious Creatures [] [Creepy deep-sea 'vanilla Vader' woodlouse is 25 times bigger than a land louse]( [Creepy deep-sea 'vanilla Vader' woodlouse is 25 times bigger than a land louse]( (Ming-Chih Huang, Journal of Natural History) A colossal, creamy yellow woodlouse relative that has a vague resemblance to Darth Vader has been discovered deep below the ocean surface in the Gulf of Mexico, a new study finds. At more than 10 inches (26 centimeters) long, the creature is 2,500% larger than common roly polies, or woodlice (Oniscus asellus) that are found chewing on decaying matter in most people's backyards. This blond behemoth is the latest addition to a group of about 20 deep-sea crustaceans in the genus Bathynomus that live in the benthic zone, the deepest reaches of the ocean, according to a statement. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Quiz [] POLL QUESTION: When NASA flags a fast-moving space object as "potentially hazardous," how close will it be to Earth? (Learn the answer [here]() [Vote]( [Within 1.2 million miles of Earth]( [Vote]( [Within 4.65 million miles of Earth]( [Vote]( [Within 6 million miles of Earth]( [Vote]( [Within 300,000 miles of Earth](   [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Cookies Policy]( | [Terms and Conditions]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:livescience@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE]( Future US LLC © 1100 13th St. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005