Earth & nature / DAY 24 OF 40
Ontario water with a deep past.
Water from a Timmins mine was dated in billions, not millions, of years.
Here's the strange part.
Deep below a mine in Timmins, Ontario, water came with a timescale that makes “old” feel inadequate. Xenon isotopes put its estimated age between 1.5 and 2.64 billion years. Its chemistry included ingredients that could support microbial life, but possibility is not discovery. Ancient water and confirmed microbes are two separate findings, and this report did not establish the second. (CBC News)
The reported estimate was 1.5–2.64 billion years. Chemistry that could support life is not proof that microbes were found in that sample.
REALITY CHECK · TRUE OR FALSE?
Ancient water. Are we getting ahead of ourselves?
Chemistry that could support life proves microbes were found in this water.
Go straight to the receipts.
Curious about the methods, dates or details? Open the original source and keep the caveat in view.
ORIGINAL SOURCECBC NewsOpen publication ↗NEXT IN THE 40-DAY TRAIL / DAY 25The universe has a very quiet neighbourhood. ↗