Although she was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and spent most of her career in southern California, in 2006 Lynn moved to Mt. Airy, North Carolina, the town which served as the inspiration for Griffith’s Mayberry.
She served as an ambassador for the Andy Griffith Museum, regularly appearing at the museum to speak to fans and sign autographs.
“I love watching the old shows and still laugh out loud,” Lynn told HuffPost in 2013. “Those days were some of the happiest of my life.”
After a number of bit parts in films like “Cheaper by the Dozen” and small roles in TV series including “Disneyland,” Lynn first appeared as Thelma Lou in 1961.
Her character was often flustered by the tightly-wound personality of boyfriend Barney Fife, played by Don Knotts, but they continued to date throughout most of the series.
After two decades of on-again, off-again romance, they finally married in the reunion TV movie “Return to Mayberry” in 1986, the characters’ final appearance together on screen.
“I saw her last a few years ago where she still lit up the room with the positivity,” director Ron Howard, who played Sheriff Andy Taylor’s son Opie, posted on Twitter Sunday. “It was great to have known and worked with her.”
Exercise leaves muscles riddled with microscopic tears, so after a rigorous workout, the control centers of muscle cells — called nuclei — scoot toward these tiny injuries to help patch them up, scientists recently discovered.
In the new study, published Oct. 14 in the journal Science, researchers uncovered a previously unknown repair mechanism that kicks in after a run on the treadmill. Striking images show how, shortly after the exercise concludes, nuclei scuttle toward tears in the muscle fibers and issue commands for new proteins to be built, in order to seal the wounds. That same process likely unfolds in your own cells in the hours after you return home from the gym.
The study authors discovered that “nuclei moved toward the injury site within 5 hours of injury,” Dr. Elizabeth McNally and Alexis Demonbreun, of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, wrote in a commentary, also published in Science. And within only 24 hours of the injury, the repair process was “nearly complete.”
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Skeletal muscles, which enable voluntary movements like walking, are made up of many thin, tubular cells; these cells are also called “muscle fibers,” due to their thread-like appearance. A single muscle can contain hundreds to thousands of muscle fibers, according to the National Cancer Institute. And each fiber contains units of contractile machinery, known as sarcomeres, that contract and lengthen during exercise.
Eccentric contraction, where your muscles are forcibly lengthened as they contract, can cause these sarcomeres to overstretch. (The second half of a bicep curl, where you slowly lower a dumbbell from shoulder-height to your side, and running downhill are examples of this type of exercise.) When sarcomeres overstretch during eccentric exercise, they can pull at the membrane surrounding them, causing damage, according to a 2001 review published in the Journal of Physiology.
In these situations, muscle cells rely on a skilled cellular pit crew to help fix them up. Previousstudieshave shown that, seconds after an exercise-induced injury occurs, various proteins form a “cap” over the damaged region of the membrane, and nearby mitochondria, the so-called powerhouses of the cell, help sop up any excess calcium that entered the cell through the tear, since the amount of calcium in muscle cells must be kept in check for them to function properly.
And now, the new study suggests that the nuclei in muscle cells rush over to help, too.
For the study, the researchers placed adult mice on a downward-tilted treadmill and then sampled muscle fibers from the animals following their jogging sessions. In addition, they asked 15 healthy human volunteers to run on a (person-sized) treadmill and then biopsied muscle fibers from the vastus lateralis, a part of the quadriceps.
Related: Does running build muscle?
Nuclei assemble near the site of an injury in a muscle fiber. (Image credit: William Roman)
They found that, in both the mouse muscle fibers and the human muscle fibers, proteins accumulated around tears in the fibers and formed “scars” within 5 hours after exercise. And in muscle fibers sampled 24 hours after exercise, clusters of nuclei had drawn close to the tears, whereas nuclei appeared farther away in the 5-hour samples. To see exactly how the nuclei had migrated toward the injury sites, the team grew mouse muscle cells in lab dishes and zapped them with lasers, to mimic exercise-induced injury.
In the lab-grown cells, the nuclei assembled around the laser injuries within 5 hours and soon generated “hotspots” of protein construction nearby. Specifically, the migration of nuclei was followed by a sudden explosion of mRNA molecules, a kind of genetic instruction manual built in the nucleus; mRNA essentially copies down the blueprints encoded in DNA and carries them out into the cell, where new proteins can be constructed. The newly built proteins then help to seal and reconstruct the injured muscle cells.
In the future, medical treatments could potentially be devised to target the molecular pathways that allow the nuclei to migrate and start this repair process. That could help speed patients’ recovery after muscular injuries, McNally and Demonbreun wrote in their commentary.
Interestingly, the authors also found that mice that trained on the treadmill prior to the study developed fewer scars on their muscle fibers than mice that didn’t undergo any prior practice. This aligns with previous evidence that, with consistent training, muscles become stronger and less prone to tearing during trained movements, according to The New York Times.
NFL general counsel Jeff Pash and former Washington Football Team executive Bruce Allen had a close relationship, according to emails collected during the NFL’s workplace misconduct investigation of the Washington franchise, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night.
The correspondence is among 650,000 emails collected in the NFL’s investigation.
That trove of emails helped lead to Jon Gruden’s resignation as Las Vegas Raiders coach earlier this week after reports from the Times and Journal showed he used misogynistic and anti-gay language and also used a racist comment to refer to NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith. Gruden was employed by ESPN at the time as the lead analyst for Monday Night Football when he sent the emails over a seven-year period.
Earlier this week, the NFLPA said it planned to request that the NFL release the remainder of the 650,000 emails reviewed as part of the investigation.
The emails between Pash and Allen show Pash reassuring Allen on controversies involving the Washington franchise and discussing league issues and other topics, including politics.
Pash, in one email exchange in 2013, told Allen that his franchise would not have to pay a $15,000 fine for manipulating their injury report, according to the New York Times. Allen’s appeal was initially denied only to be overruled by Pash, who wrote to Allen that the franchise did not have to pay the fine “or any other amount with respect to this matter and you should consider the fine to be rescinded in its entirety.”
In another exchange, according to the Times, Allen contacted Pash after the Washington franchise was entangled in sexual harassment allegations involving its cheerleaders. Pash responded to Allen that, “I know that you are on it and would not condone something untoward.”
Emails between Gruden and Allen and other men, however, included photos of women wearing only bikini bottoms, including one photo of two Washington team cheerleaders.
In another exchange from 2016, according to the reports, Allen complained to Pash when Jocelyn Moore, who is Black, was hired as the NFL’s top lobbyist after she had worked for several Democratic senators.
“Curious — is there a rule against hiring Libertarians, Independents or even a Republican?” Allen wrote in the email, to which Pash replied: “No, but it can sometimes look that way!”
Allen referred to the NFL’s rule that requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and general manager candidates in his response: “We have the Rooney rule …. So I’m going to propose a Lincoln Rule at the next meeting.”
The NFL, via NFL executive vice president of communications Jeff Miller, on Thursday denied there was any wrongdoing in the emails between Pash and Allen, who was fired as team president by the Washington franchise in 2019.
“Communication between league office employees and club executives occurs on a daily basis,” Miller said in a statement issued to both the Times and Journal. “Jeff Pash is a respected and high-character NFL executive. Any effort to portray these emails as inappropriate is either misleading or patently false.”
The NFL completed its investigation into Washington’s workplace culture in July, fining the franchise $10 million. In addition, Tanya Snyder, who was named the team’s co-CEO in June, took over the day-to-day duties of the franchise from her husband, Dan. All senior executives, including the Snyders, were ordered to take part in workplace conduct training.
That investigation, which began in 2020, was conducted by attorney Beth Wilkinson. Pash’s counsel was sought in the investigation, league officials told the Journal.
With the Pixel Fall Event one week away, new images provide our first good look at the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro’s camera bump in relation to the rest of the hardware.
Evan Blass (@evleaks on Twitter) is back this afternoon and shared renders showing off all angles of Google’s upcoming flagships. Starting with the Pixel 6 in “Seafoam” green, we see just how much the “camera bar” extends from the rear surface. Side shots are the least flattering, but the angle in the first image above does a good job of masking the visor as do head-on shots of the back.
We get another look at the matte rails of the smaller phone. In this colorway, the mint glass panel contrasts nicely against the dark components. “Stormy Black,” meanwhile, is solidly one shade. There are antenna lines at the top and bottom, but they are quite hidden. The power button and volume rocker look to be metallic, black, and somewhat submerged.
Next up is the Pixel 6 Pro in “Cloudy White.” The camera array — with a 4x telephoto lens — on this more premium offering does not jut out as much compared to the Pixel 6. The buttons are somewhat hard to make out on this silver model, with “Stormy Black” having the same effect. The SIM card slot is similarly hidden.
The coral Pixel 6 and gold Pixel 6 Pro are absent in today’s tweet thread, reflecting how color availability will differ from country to country.
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It girl novelist Sally Rooney has reportedly refused to allow her new novel to be published in Hebrew because she supports a boycott of Israel.
The acclaimed Irish novelist turned down Modan, the Israeli publisher that translated her previous books, because of her outspoken views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Haaretz reported.
“When Modan approached Rooney’s agent in an attempt to sign another translation deal, the agent announced that Rooney supports the cultural boycott movement on Israel and therefore does not approve translation into Hebrew,” Haaretz reported as an addendum to its reprint of an interview Rooney gave last month.
Rooney’s agent, Tracy Bohan, confirmed that the author had declined the translation of “Beautiful World, Where Are You,” Haaretz said.
Modan confirmed that it would not be publishing the award-winning writer’s third novel, but declined to say whether this was due to a boycott, The Telegraph said.
Rooney, 30, has previously been outspoken about her opposition to Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, The Telegraph noted.
She recently signed a so-called “Letter Against Apartheid” that called for “an end to the support provided by global powers to Israel and its military; especially the United States.” The open letter also urged governments to “cut trade, economic and cultural relations.”
Sally Rooney’s ‘Beautiful World, Where Are You’, will not be translated into Hebrew, according to a report.EPA/VICKIE FLORES
In her second novel, “Normal People,” the main characters attend a protest against Israel’s role in the 2014 Gaza war, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency also noted.
The reported boycott immediately brought condemnation.
“Boycotting the Hebrew language — spoken by millions of Jews worldwide — has nothing to do with Palestine. It’s just racism,” tweeted Stephane Savary, a member of the National Council Vice-Presidents of the UK-based Zionist Federation.
Fellow author Ben Judah called it “depressing and unpleasant,” while critic Tomiwa Owolade called it “appalling.”
Boycotting the Hebrew language- spoken by millions of Jews worldwide- has nothing to do with Palestine. It’s just racism. https://t.co/3S9431XntQ
— Stephane Savary 🕎 יְהוֹשֻׁעַ 🟣 (@stephane_ulrich) October 11, 2021
Political pundit Gerard Howlin, meanwhile, insisted, “Sally Rooney’s refusal to allow her new book be translated into Hebrew is book burning in another way.”
Literary scholar Gitit Levy-Paz wrote in Forward that “Rooney’s decision surprised and saddened me.”
“Rooney has chosen a path that is anathema to the artistic essence of literature, which can serve as a portal for understanding different cultures, visiting new worlds and connecting to our own humanity,” Levy-Paz wrote.
“Given the rise of antisemitism in recent years, especially in Europe, the timing of her choice is dangerous.”
Mark Harmon officially ended his run as a series regular on CBS’ long-running procedural drama “NCIS” Monday.
The latest episode acted as a goodbye for Harmon’s character, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, who has been with the series for the past 18 years after first being introduced on the show “JAG” in 2003.
According to Deadline, Monday’s episode, “Great Wide Open,” saw Gibbs and Special Agent Timothy McGee, played by Sam Murray, venture to Alaska to find a contract killer who was hired by a local company. In the aftermath of the case, Gibbs suddenly informed his partner and NCIS director, Vance (Rocky Carroll), that he would not be returning to law enforcement. Instead, he opted to stay in Alaska, noting that he had found a “sense of peace” in the north and wasn’t ready to give it up just yet.
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Mark Harmon ended his run on ‘NCIS.’ (Cliff Lipson/CBS)
The move comes as no shock to fans who had been speculating for months that Harmon’s time on the show might be coming to an end. The Hollywood Reporter previously revealed that he signed a deal to return to the show in Season 19, but at a limited capacity. Although he’ll remain with the franchise as a producer, it seems his time in front of the camera on the show is at an end as of Monday.
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Fortunately, the show will go on with current cast members such as Murray, Carroll, Katrina Law, Gary Cole, Brian Dietzen, David McCallum, Wilmer Valderrama and Diona Reasonover. Meanwhile, showrunner Steven D. Binder noted that Harmon’s Special Agent Gibbs is still out there in the world of the show and welcome to return should the actor decide to reprise his role.
Mark Harmon will remain on ‘NCIS’ as an executive producer. (Cliff Lipson/CBS )
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“As an executive producer and dear friend, Mark continues to be an integral part of the fabric of the show,” Binder said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). “Our north star has always been staying true to our characters, and that truth has always guided the stories we tell and where those characters go. So regarding the future of Gibbs, as long-time fans of the show may have noticed over the years … never count Leroy Jethro Gibbs out.”
This is not the new courtroom drama Americans were expecting from Judge Judy Sheindlin.
When one of the highest-paid stars on television — reportedly banking $47 million a year for “Judge Judy” — vacated the bench/throne she held for 25 seasons to star in a new streaming series, “Judy Justice,” the beloved badass decided to go solo.
Petri Hawkins-Byrd — who had served as Sheindlin’s bailiff since “Judge Judy” premiered in 1996 — has revealed that he was “not asked” to be part of the new show, premiering Nov. 1 on the Amazon and IMDB TV streaming platforms.
“My assumption is if you were going on to do something else, that you were at least going to ask me if I wanted to have the opportunity to audition for the role,” Hawkins-Byrd, 63, told EW of allegedly getting “priced out” of his gig.
Sheindlin’s sidekick found out about her new show just like the general public — but at the time he was more focused on caring for his wife, longtime “Judge Judy” producer Makita Bond-Byrd, who is recovering from surgery on a malignant brain tumor.
Petri Hawkins-Byrd — who had served as Judy Sheindlin’s bailiff since “Judge Judy” premiered in 1996 — has revealed that he was “not asked” to be part of the new show, premiering Nov. 1 on the Amazon and IMDB TV streaming platforms.Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
“I didn’t have time to think about or ask about ‘Judy Justice,’ ” said Hawkins-Byrd, adding that Makita just completed her third round of chemotherapy after doctors successfully removed 95 percent of her tumor. “It wasn’t until July that I called the judge and asked, ‘Hey, should I look for something else or am I included in the ‘Judy Justice’ project?’”
“She did inform me that fundamentally, I was priced out as the new bailiff on her new show,” Hawkins-Byrd said. “My salary would have been too much. I was curious: How would she know? She didn’t ask me. She didn’t give me an opportunity to have accepted a lower salary.”Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
That’s when his longtime colleague informed him he was not invited to her streamer. He didn’t ask why, he told EW, as that was her choice.
“But she did inform me that fundamentally, I was priced out as the new bailiff on her new show,” Hawkins-Byrd told the outlet. “My salary would have been too much. I was curious: How would she know? She didn’t ask me. She didn’t give me an opportunity to have accepted a lower salary.”
Sheindlin’s spokesperson released the following statement on her behalf: “Byrd is terrific and we had a great 25-year run. This is a whole new program with a whole new cast and an exciting energy.”
However, Hawkins-Byrd said it’s a bittersweet pill to swallow after more than two decades.
“I’m like if I did something wrong or offended you or brought shame to the show, or if was involved in numerous scandals in the 25 years we were together, I might understand why you didn’t want to bother in the end,” he said. “That’s just the way it went. I just know that God has something else for me.”
Now, Hawkins-Byrd is in the process of moving on professionally. In addition to some voiceover work, he recently did a guest spot on the CBS soap “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
He’s not holding any grudges against his former boss.
“The call with Judy ended pleasantly enough,” he said. “I don’t think she understood how confused and dismayed I was after being there for 25 years, from the beginning of her career, and not being at least given the opportunity to say whether or not I wanted to continue that relationship.”
Meanwhile, Sheindlin, 78, told The Post’s Cindy Adams she’s more than ready for big changes because “25 sounds right. Not right is 17 ¹/₂ years. Right is to say ‘my silver anniversary.’ Time for change. And I’m not tired. I’ve worked 50ish years and my legs are too short to be a ballet dancer. I wouldn’t know what else to do with myself.”
Point blank: The industry is changing — and she’s keeping up.
“My children have no landline. They live with a thing in their palm.” she told her pal Adams. “In the beginning, that to me was like living without pants. In three to five years all broadcasting will change. Now it’s streaming. I’m excited to be in this new venture. I’ve retired the lace collar. My robe is more chic. A different color.”
The first study showed that pregnant women with symptomatic Covid-19 had a higher percentage of emergency complications when compared to those who tested positive but didn’t have symptoms. This research was part of a presentation given to the Anesthesiology 2021 Annual meeting over the weekend.
Of the 100 Covid-positive mothers who delivered babies between March and September of last year at one hospital in Texas, 58% of those with symptomatic infections delivered in emergency circumstances, the study, which has yet to be peer reviewed, found. For those with an asymptomatic case, 46% did.
The mothers with symptoms were more likely have emergency complications that were a danger to the baby. More babies were born breech, there was more likely to be decreased fetal movement, and some had too little amniotic fluid.
The study also found that babies born to these symptomatic mothers were much more likely to need oxygen support and more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit.
Plus, babies born to these symptomatic mothers were much more likely to need oxygen support and more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit.
“COVID-19 has severe systemic effects on the body, especially symptomatic patients,” said Kristine Lane, a medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch, in Galveston, Texas, who helped lead the study. “It is possible that these effects are amplified in pregnant mothers, who have increased fetal and maternal oxygen demands.”
There’s also a possibility, she said, that the doctors caring for the symptomatic patients were being cautious because of the virus and proactively recommend a cesarean delivery.
Dr. Gil Mor, a reproductive immunologist who did not work on the study but reviewed the work, said it’s also possible that the problems could be related to chronic inflammation caused by Covid-19.
“Inflammation is extremely dangerous for both the mother and the development of the fetus. A chronic inflammation is now a fight for the survival of the mother and the fetus, and in every fight, they pay they pay a price,” said Mor, who leads a research lab at Wayne State University that studies the immune system during pregnancy and the impact of pathogens. “We need to do everything in our hands in order to prevent the chronic inflammation.”
The other study was peer reviewed and was published Sunday in The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine. This research looked at the impact Covid-19 had on women in the third trimester of their pregnancies.
Scientists looked at the records for more than 2,400 women at one hospital in Israel between March and September of last year and saw significant health differences between the women who had Covid-19 and those who did not. Of the Covid-19 positive patients, 67% were asymptomatic.
The women who had symptomatic Covid-19 had the most trouble, Dr. Elior Eliasi of the Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center and colleagues found. They had higher rates of gestational diabetes, a lower white blood cell count, and experienced heavier bleeding during their delivery. Their babies also experienced more breathing problems.
The increased risk of problems was nearly 20% higher for women who had Covid-19 symptoms, and 14% higher for people with asymptomatic Covid-19.
Unlike the other research, this study did not find symptomatic women were significantly more likely to deliver early.
The study has limitations as it only looked at women in one hospital, so its findings may not be true for all people who are pregnant.
These new studies add to a growing body of evidence that Covid-19, particularly symptomatic Covid-19, is a real threat to people who are pregnant and provides more evidence that the risks of Covid-19 far outweigh the risks to pregnant women of getting vaccinated, said Dr. Denise Jamieson, who did not work on this study.
Only a third of people who are pregnant are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccines can protect pregnant women from getting Covid-19 and if they have a breakthrough case, a vaccinated person is much more likely to have mild symptoms, if any at all. The protection that comes from a vaccine is also passed along to the newborn.
“These studies fit into an overall emerging pattern of what we have seen with other research,” said Jamieson, chair of the department of gynecology and obstetrics at the Emory University School of Medicine and a member of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s Covid-19 expert group. “Covid impacts pregnancies and can cause severe illness in pregnant persons and their babies, this is clear.”
Jamieson said it is important for doctors to urge their pregnant patients to get the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible. Initially the CDC guidance said that women could get the vaccine but it did not recommend it. That’s because the initial vaccine studies did not intentionally include pregnant women, although there were woman who became pregnant during the studies. After more research, the CDC sent out an urgent plea in September that strongly recommended pregnant women get vaccinated right away.
“I know pregnant persons can be reluctant to take medications or receive vaccines during their pregnancy and they really want to do everything possible to protect their baby, and they make sacrifices in pregnancies, but I think it has to be balanced with the risks of not getting vaccinated,” Jamieson said. “It’s important for all persons to get vaccinated, but in particular for pregnant persons to get vaccinated in order to protect themselves and to protect their babies.”
HONG KONG—Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan days after China’s People’s Liberation Army sent a record 56 bombers and other aircraft on sorties near the self-ruled island in a single day.
“The historical task of the complete reunification of the motherland must be fulfilled, and can definitely be fulfilled,” Mr. Xi said in Beijing on Saturday, adding that achieving that goal by peaceful means is in the interests of people in Taiwan.
Mr. Xi’s remarks were part of a speech that marked the 110th anniversary of the revolution that overturned Qing imperial rule in China. In the decades that followed, the Communists and Nationalists jostled for control of China, which later led to a split between China and Taiwan amid a civil war. Nationalist forces withdrew to the island, and communist leader Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949.
The Communist Party considers Taiwan part of China, despite never having ruled the island, and has vowed to take control of it, by force if necessary.
In a response to Mr. Xi’s speech, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said China’s continued threat of military action is the key to problems across the Taiwan Strait.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s rigid Taiwan policy doesn’t take a realistic measure of the current situation, completely fails to account for the development of global circumstances, and fundamentally ignores the doubts and opposition of the Taiwanese people,” it said.
Mr. Xi has long spoken of realizing what Beijing has called a peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but his remarks came as concerns within the U.S. mounted over China’s yearslong military buildup and recent threatening moves against the island.
The PLA has flown 150 sorties near Taiwan so far this month, a blitz that has sparked expressions of concern from the U.S., U.K. and Germany.
On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that a small number of American troops have been secretly training local military forces on the island.
Taiwan’s independence is the biggest obstacle to Beijing’s goal of unification and poses a “serious hidden danger to national rejuvenation,” Mr. Xi said. “Those who forget their ancestors, betray the motherland or split the country have always been doomed. They will definitely be spurned by the people and judged by history,” he added.
Mr. Xi said the issue of Taiwan is China’s internal affair and that no external interference is allowed, without naming any country. He didn’t mention the use of force on Taiwan in his speech.
China’s lunar rock samples – the first moon rocks returned to Earth in more than 40 years – show lava flowed there 2 billion years ago, according to scientists.
In a study published Thursday in the journal Science, a group of international authors led by researchers at Beijing’s Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences said the Chang’e 5 lunar mission collected samples of young lunar basalt lavas from the Oceanus Procellarum region.
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“Orbital data indicate that the youngest volcanic units on the moon are basalt lavas in Oceanus Procellarum, a region with high levels of the heat-producing elements potassium, thorium and uranium,” the team wrote.
China’s Chang’e 5 lander used a drill to collect samples about 170 kilometers east-northeast of Mons Rümker – a large volcanic complex – and used radioactive dating to determine their age.
Moon samples from China’s lunar exploration program Chang’e-5 Mission are displayed during an exhibition at the National Museum in Beijing, China March 3, 2021. (REUTERS/Tingshu Wang)
In measuring the chemical and mineralogical compositions of the volcanic rocks, the group found that the moon remained volcanically active for longer than its size would indicate.
Lunar rocks from the Apollo and Soviet missions in the 1960s and 1970s first revealed that volcanism on the moon occurred for hundreds of millions of years.
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The new study’s authors note that there is “no evidence for high concentrations of heat-producing elements in the deep mantle of the moon that generated these lavas, so alternate explanations are required for the longevity of lunar magmatism.”
The chemical analysis did not show an abundance of radioactive elements that would have provided the heat necessary for late volcanism to occur, and scientists still don’t know why lava was flowing on the moon so long after it formed.
Some theorize that gravitational forces from Earth may have played a part.
The findings may help scientists date surface regions on other parts of the solar system.
“The number of impact craters on a surface reflects its relative age, with older surfaces having more craters. The moon is the only planetary body where impact crater ages have been calibrated with radiometric dating, so the lunar chronology is used to infer the ages of other planetary surfaces throughout the Solar System,” the researchers explained.
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Before now, scientists had relied almost entirely on the dating of lunar samples that had been 3 billion years old or older.
“In this study, we got a very precise age right around 2 billion years, plus or minus 50 million years,” U.S.-based co-author Brad Jolliff, a planetary scientist at Washington University in St. Louis, said in a statement. “It’s a phenomenal result. In terms of planetary time, that’s a very precise determination. And that’s good enough to distinguish between the different formulations of the chronology.”
The moon formed some 4.5 billion years ago, 30 to 50 million years after the origin of the solar system.
