University of Chicago scientists have discovered stardust 5 to 7 billion years old

[Robert Zwilling]

Grains of stardust found in meteorite are oldest solid materials ever found on Earth. One of the key findings of the study indicates evidence of a period of enhanced star formation in our galaxy seven billion years ago. The grains are the size of a single red blood cell and are viewed with an electron microscope.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Very cool. Imagine seeing something much older than the Solar System. The mind boggles.

 

[J Riff]

what, did they have little dates carved on them?
That study was flawed, they misplaced a decimal or two, it's only 7000 years. next theory. )

 

[Foxbat]

I thought the measurement technique was more fascinating than the actual results..but that's just me

 

[Brian G Turner]

More on the BBC website:

Oldest material on Earth discovered

Scientists analysing a meteorite discover material that is older than the Solar System itself.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[StilLearning]

There's something almost Lovecraftian about findings like this: It reveals a sweep of time in which life itself is only a recent development, and humanity is less than the full stop at the end of a long novel.

Lovecraft wrote that science would reveal things that would cause people to try and flee into 'blissful ignorance' and looking at the world today (and how so many people react to evidence of humanity's, and their, very humble position in the universe) I wonder if he didn't call that right...