New Evidence Shows Earth Had a Ring 466 Million Years Ago | 7 Days of Science

[@christianv-h3278]

The idea of the Earth having a ring is so beautiful 😯

[@matthewdavies2057]

Almost like a big colorful sail...

[@mhdfrb9971]

The night sky would be beautiful, but I could think of some really bad situation. - It would reflect so much light at night that astronomy would be set back by centuries, and navigation in the age of sail would have been even more perilous than it was. - It would make the launching of satellites, let alone manned spacecraft, much more dangerous and complicated. - Most rings are young and short-lived, meaning there would be a constant drift of ring matter down onto the planet's surface, and that's no fun for anyone. The moon's orbit would tug the ring material constantly. Meteor showers would be about as common as high tide. Big cities, especially coastal ones in the tropics would be death traps. - The rings, by reflecting sunlight, would wreak havoc on terrestrial weather. There's some evidence that a severe ice age a few million years back was triggered by an asteroid impact that not only threw up a dust shroud but then launched a ring which reflected sunlight away from the equatorial region and aggravated climate change.

[@AncientWildTV]

@@mhdfrb9971 Could the existence of rings potentially create new opportunities for scientific research, despite the risks they pose?

[@trolleyfan]

Until bits of it fall on you.

[@daltongalloway]

@@trolleyfannah they’d be small enough that they would burn up in the atmosphere

[@johnmoore8599]

Congrats on getting your Master, Ben! Thanks for the great news this week, Doug!

[@BarelyDecentProduction]

So that's why I keep seeing fanarts of ancient animals looking up at the sky and saying, "It's beautiful" on twitter

[@confus.d]

Imagine how beautiful the night sky would be

[@substantialcarp]

I love that that's where your mind took you 😁😁

[@mathewritchie]

Ah the beauty of an inbound artillery barrage.

[@Martial-Mat]

@@mathewritchie Only along the equator

It's already beautiful.

[@Dawg347]

It’d be pretty darn bright.

[@beastmaster0934]

I’m so glad Nigel Marvin got a prehistoric critter named after him. And a thylacine relative no less. And the fact that Earth may have had a ring at one point is also very cool.

[@persianking44]

The fact that the rings may have actually cooled the planet is deeply fascinating, and I can't wait to see what more research into them will yield. They must have made for quite the incredibly night sky.

[@man_at_the_end_of_time]

Now, Mister Bill is getting ideas how cool the planet and thin the sheeple herd down to a million or less. And Mister Bill thinks freedom of speech is a notion and really is only for those deserve it. This means owners of private jets and those who bribed ...err given grants to media organizations for favorable coverage. And then there is Greater Gavin and the outlawing of memes in Keckaforia.

[@littleoldlady523]

Félicitations, Ben! Do stay in science communications, please -- you and your team do an exceptional job of sorting out what the public (us) is really interested in in each area and communicating about it clearly without talking down to us.

[@mhdfrb9971]

If earth had always had rings, I can't help but imagine how much that'd effect history. How would our ancestors viewed the gods and the heaven? What art would come out of this change in the global skyline? Something big that comes to mind is travel. Seeing how the rings change depending on where you are on earth, I could see civilizations using it as a very handy way of getting around. We would use a different system of measuring time, to account for periods when the rings cast a shadow over the earth. I wonder if it would have also changed the idea that the Earth is flat.

[@TheBlackSkimmer]

Rings are unfortunately unstable. That being said, it would be sick if the Earth had rings while humans existed.

[@william3100]

​@TheBlackSkimmer how unstable are rings? Would mankind still exist and advance to where it is now?

[@bazpearce9993]

The ancient Greeks would have created a rock throwing god in their Pantheon. Let's call him Lithophos. :)

[@TheBlackSkimmer]

@@william3100 Depends on the rings. Yes, a ring could exist for the entire duration of mankind. The original comment said "Earth always had rings", which is almost impossible.

[@VictorbrineSC]

Rings tend to have "ringfalls" (like the evidence showing a possible ring system for our planet back then or what is currently happening with Saturn, where ring particles fall upon the atmosphere). And while they may appear thin and flat, there will always be some "rogue" rocks orbiting above or below the plane of the rings. It definitely would have changed our way of viewing the world and advanced our scientific understanding by a lot, but a ringed Earth would be a nightmare for space travel because of all the rocks. We might have advanced farther in mathematics but may have not gone to the Moon for the first time until the 2000's or even later: one tiny rock in space can absolutely destroy a spacecraft when flying at incredibly high speeds, required for orbiting.

[@carolynallisee2463]

Perhaps this Cretaceous bird is the avian equivalent of the Giant Panda: an organism whose physiology has yet to catch up with its change in diet.

[@alexanderross8462]

We should remember that while 466 million years ago is ancient in the history of complex life and ecosystems on earth, in the grand scheme of Earth's history of 4.6 billion years, these potential Ordovician rings are actually a fairly new structure in earth's history. The fact they were around for potentially up to 40 million years is also practically nothing in Earth's history since 4.6 billion years is WAAAAAY longer than 40 million years.

[@DaddioLovecraft]

Congrats Ben on the degree. Nice job.

[@crimesartbalaur]

Congratulations Ben!!

[@NilasJunkyard]

This is my favorite science show.

[@gianmarcozampella5138]

an extinct Thylacinid named after Nigel The Legend Marven? What a gargantuan W!

[@diannaknight9960]

Congrats, Ben, on finishing your Master's Degree!! What an accomplishment 🎉 Love the work you and the team do to share super cool info with the world .. can't wait to see what the channel expansion looks like 😁

[@SurfbyShootin]

"They call it ..... Halo."

[@TheDarkWiiPlayer]

Congratulations on the Master's, and while I'm at it, big thanks to everyone involved in this channel for the great content over the years. You guys are awesome :D

[@Graham_Cracker_Crust]

Congratulations Ben!! Living the dream. So amazing to have followed this channel for so long. Between this and Doug's film project it's like everybody's growing up.

[@mudgetheexpendable]

All good luck to you, Ben!

[@XmarkedSpot]

I think I speak for everyone and you: this is our favorite science channel!

[@garypfeiffer3489]

Congratulations, Ben! Also, I've read today that fossilized Martian spiders awoke on earth. Better get that news out before it's too late

[@ModelsExInferis]

Earth with a ring, that's got to have been a beautiful sight! Saturn has been my favourite planet since I was a kid, I had a big poster on my door I'd bought on a school trip to the NHM, THAT'S how much I love that planet! Really should dig that out and put it up again. So yes, Earth with a ring would have been an amazing thing to see, shame we don't still have it. And congratulations Ben! What's the plan for your future? Whatever it is, if you've... Ahem... Mastered a masters (yes, I know, I know) I'm sure you'll excel in anything you put your mind to!

[@K8theKind]

CONGRATULATIONS, BEN, MASTER OF SCIENCE!!!!🦕🦖🐬🐋🪱🌖🪐🌍❄️🫧

[@DaveCosley]

Congrats Ben 🎉

[@bedengus]

congrats master ben

[@oranjmusemeyer968]

Congratulations Ben!🎉

[@erinrising2799]

congrats to Ben 🎉🎉

[@rileyernst9086]

Congratulations to Ben!!

[@chulanthadiyes3117]

Congratulations, Ben, on your new achievements! Keep up the great work. I joined the channel while I was completing my higher studies, and it has been fun learning new things from you guyz.

[@luciusfucius]

Congrats Ben! 🎉🎉🎉👏👏👏

[@michaelpytel3280]

Good Job Ben ! We should name an Ichthyosaur after Ben.

[@tomholroyd7519]

Fruit and whatever worms are in there ... but teeth like that are good for carrying fruit that would slip out of a bill

[@arjunjadhav8658]

Congratulations Ben you and your team have been an important and reliable inspiration and source of knowledge for me

[@beareid6053]

Congratulations Ben. You have worked so hard for this, enjoy every minute of it!

[@Martial-Mat]

Surely, finding seeds does not eliminate that the bird might have been an omnivore?

[@thelittleal1212]

I guess we didn’t need to let the moon crash into the earth to have a ring 😂(if you get what I mean) Also, Nigel Marvin absolutely deserved it

[@chickduong]

Kurzgesagt watcher am I right.

[@siegel947]

What happened to the earth ring ? Curious to know how the rings disappeared before our species...

[@darkonyx6995]

They probably were absorbed by our planet, absorbed by our moon or slowly vanished into space.

[@WaterShowsProd]

Saturn's rings are slowly falling into the planet. Rings are a temporary feature.

[@AncientWildTV]

Earth's gravitational influence, its relatively small size compared to gas giants, and the presence of the Moon make it unlikely for Earth to maintain a stable ring system. Any temporary debris would either spiral into the atmosphere or collide with the Moon. So, while Earth may have had rings at some point, they were short-lived and did not persist.

[@MissingTiramisu]

Congrats Ben!!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@jodebever]

Man earth nowadays really is a downgrade

[@orranenzo]

I don’t mine the stability 😂😂😂 outside of the man made stuff 😂😂

[@MichaelWinter-ss6lx]

Untill we're ready for the stars, Earth will have its ring again. 🚀🏴‍☠️🎸

[@drebarthelotte5712]

Congratulations Ben. Thanks again for keeping me up to date.

[@FatFrankie42]

*_comment offering for the algorithm gods_*

[@patreekotime4578]

Congrats Ben! Just a few more years and we'll be calling you Dr. Ben!

[@christiancorralejo8726]

If I understand correctly, the ring in Earth’s past caused some cooling on the planet’s surface. If that’s correct, could creating a new planetary ring (putting all that space junk to use) be a way to cool the planet down?

[@kaya_leo_lou]

This ring idea give me chills !!

[@nedoran5758]

I know, imagine the sunlight glittering through it, and reflecting off it late after sunset

[@kaya_leo_lou]

@@nedoran5758 oh freaking god

[@jaredsmith112]

🧥

[@Thao-nathos]

I found out about the rings from artists on twitter drawing their favourite little prehistoric animals admiring the rings It was a very beautiful way to find out

[@WaterShowsProd]

I'd never considered the effects on climate that a ring would cause.

[@karlsamsongardek2622]

Congratulations on your degree Ben! 🥳 Have been following and enjoying your content for more than three years now, I am glad things are going well for you! 👍😎

[@paulbags123]

Congratulations Ben on ye Olde Masters 😉. I got a mention on this channels Q&A many years ago. I've been following this channel for quite a while now😂 and pretty much watched you grow up... well if you can call it that 😂. Nah its been wonderful watching the channel develop and I wish u all the best for the future as I continue following. Thanks all at BGT❤

[@broccanmacronain457]

Great video as always. Congratz on your Masters, Ben.

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

Congratulations, Ben! That’s so awesome!

[@thetommytrontommyrose6497]

The ringed Earth idea sounds pretty cool. Also, good luck on the masters thesis, Ben!

[@littlebuttons]

Congratulations on completing your Master Ben! Also great reporting on the palaeo news 7DOS.

[@andreagriffiths3512]

Def my fave science show! And congrats Ben! What a wonderful achievement 🎉🎉🎉

[@StarGazer2o2]

Congrats Ben! So proud of you

[@Vinixyon]

Congratilations, Ben! The channel will have it's residential Master very soon. How cool is that?! It's a great achievement in the academic and science world.🎉

[@rileyernst9086]

Flying foxes have very canine like carnassials. They have the dentition like a carnivore because they are flesh eaters. Just fruit flesh eaters! I can imagine that longipteryx's teeth were for a similar purpose. Their position remains the baffling part though.

[@mbvoelker8448]

Congratulations on your accomplishment, Ben.

[@pencilpauli9442]

Thanks Cardboard Doug and good luck to Ben!

[@delicategardenpizza3588]

YOOOO congrats on finishing your masters ben!!

[@susannameth8721]

Yay Ben. And thanks for presenting science for alternative learning

[@itachi8822]

Congrats Ben!!

[@QuintenWhyte]

Congrats, Ben !!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@Tigerbearwolf8600]

Congratulations Ben

[@melgillham462]

Congrats young sir! May your hard work serve you well.🤝

[@scrappyfu]

Master Ben! Congratulations 🎉

[@Life-on-Planet-Earth]

Congrats and it was so interesting. Thanks!

[@jamesmitchell6925]

My favorite science show!

[@Kargoneth]

Thanks for the news, Doug.

[@Kargoneth]

Congrats and well done on your master's degree, Ben.

[@jaxntax5509]

Congratulations Ben good work

[@shep9231]

Grats Ben!. Well earned.!

[@ecurewitz]

Congrats Ben!

[@Andreas_42]

The background music on the earth ring chapter somehow made me think about the Mass Effect games.

[@harjifs]

Well done Ben!

[@WildBillCox13]

Enjoy the ride, Ben.

[@mr.maip_macrothorax]

I feel like we constantly find new things to pile onto how bad the great dying was😂😂

[@ShepStevVidEOs]

Congratulations, Ben!

[@little_bergnid]

2:55 I think it should definitely be noted that the permian did NOT have the same climatic and sea currents for it to be called "el nino" but instead an equivalent or something else entirely

[@marioroz3142]

Congratulations Ben!

[@Geo_Seph]

You almost gave me a heart attack thinking nigel marven had died. Im gonna go watch some of his skit now.

[@iamsuzerain3987]

Congratulations Ben🎉👍

[@grahamjones8126]

Well done Ben.

[@markbilger2851]

Congrats Master Ben!!

[@relaxingthesoulmind1879]

Congratulations Ben on your Masters 😊

[@Dr.Cosmar]

Grats Ben.

[@furlizard]

Woo!! Go Ben!

[@igorperes8445]

Congrats Ben! from your fan from Brazil!😊🙏

[@joaorodrigues4494]

GO BEN!!!

[@kirsiselei8703]

Congrats to Ben🥳🌹

[@kaltneta6704]

When I first learned about space from the Magic School Bus as a kid, I wished Earth had a ring.

[@bucketcreature]

congratulatione ben!!!!!

[@Scrinwaipwr]

Nigel Marven deserved an animal named after him.

[@pithball6383]

Congratulations on your masters! :)

[@nullofthenull]

Congrats Ben good luck

[@williamwiesmeth5187]

Congratulations ben

[@_robustus_]

Yay! Marsupial Bears!

[@StuffandThings_]

Imagine if that supposed asteroid had _hit_ the Earth instead of passed by and turned into a ring. That could have easily be an extinction event. Or alternatively, if the Chicxulub meteor had instead fragmented into a ring instead of impacting.

[@AndrewTBP]

It all hit the Earth eventually, just spread out over time.

[@ambertypereiraty3627]

Congratulations on your Masters Ben 🥳🥰🥳🥰🥳 I'm so happy to see one of my favorite paleontology KZbinrs doing well (who am I kidding -- I love 💕 ALL MY PALEONTOLOGY/ZOOLOGY/WILDLIFE/NATURE based channels and will always cheer all of you on in your ventures!!! 🎉🎉🎉 CONGRATULATIONS once again my good man 🧑🏻‍🎓👩🏽‍🔬🕵🏽‍♀️👩🏽‍🔬🕵🏽‍♀️🧑🏻‍🎓🥳🎉

[@bazpearce9993]

Cool about Ben's Masters. Will he be uploading his work anywhere? I'd love to have a read at some point.

[@BigRedsIsopods]

Congratulations 🥳