Diamonds: bad for life
The planets circling some stars in our galaxy may be too diamond-rich for life. Our solar system is relatively carbon-poor; in carbon-rich regions of the galaxy planets may have a mantle of hard, brittle diamond that is incapable of flowing. As such, the plate tectonics important for life may not exist, Wendy Panero of Ohio State University in Columbus told this week’s American Geophysical Union (AGU) meeting in San Francisco.
Not listening for probe
The European Space Agency has given up trying to contact the Russian probe Phobos-Grunt, which is currently stranded in Earth orbit. ESA’s…
