The electric car market is speeding up as consumer interest in EVs grows and a steady stream of new models are introduced

The floor of Crawford Lake in Ontario acts like a storybook, preserving Earth’s recent history in chronological order. Crawford Lake reveals the activities of local Iroquoian communities from the late 13th to 15th centuries, all the way through to the present day. This is because Crawford Lake is a meromictic lake, meaning that the dense bottom layer of water does not mix with the less dense upper layers. “The isolated bottom layer of water remains under disturbed, enabling the accumulation of clearly laminated valves which record precise information about the time during which they were deposited,” according to the Anthropocene Working Group. Experts have nominated Crawford Lake as representation for the start of the Anthropocene epoch, a proposed new geological era characterised by significant changes to the planet’s surface as a result of human behaviour. The Anthropocene is yet to be officially accepted as a unit of geologic time, but in 2016 a working group under the guidance of an International Commission on Stratigraphy subcommittee agreed that human behaviour has left scars so deep that they will remain evident even into the distant future. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter One of the most notable markers of the Anthropocene is the appearance of plutonium, a radioactive material that appeared in the mid-20th century as a result of hydrogen bomb tests. “The presence of plutonium gives us a stark indicator of when humanity became such a dominant force that it could leave a unique global ‘fingerprint’ on our planet,” explained Professor Andrew Cundy, Chair in Environmental Radiochemistry at the University of Southampton and member of the Anthropocene Working Group. “In nature, plutonium is only present in trace amounts. But in the early-1950s, when the first hydrogen bomb tests took place, we see an unprecedented increase and then spike in the levels of plutonium in core samples from around the world. We then see a decline in plutonium from the mid-1960s onwards when the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty came into effect.” Agreeing on a simple measure that defines the boundary between chapters in Earth’s history is just the first step. This measure requires agreement among scientists on a single location to define the boundaries. Known as the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point, or a golden spike, plays a crucial role in standardising these borders between epochs. The Anthropocene Working Group has been evaluating potential golden spike sites, from Oued Akrech, Morocco, to Alano di Piave, Italy. After spending three years assessing the qualities of a dozen potential golden spikes for the Anthropocene, finally the AGW has landed on Crawford Lake. “Crawford Lake is so special because it allows us to see at annual resolution the changes in Earth history throughout two separate periods of human impact on this small lake,” micropalaeontologist Francine McCarthy of Brock University in Canada, a voting member of the AGW, said at a press briefing. The lake’s unique properties, such as its small size, depth, and lack of water mixing create sediments that precisely record environmental changes over the past millennia. To officially establish the Anthropocene in the International Chronostratigraphic Chart, the golden spike at Crawford Lake must undergo a series of voting by various commissions and unions. If successful, it will mark the moment when human activities permanently altered the planet. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

One year ago, billionaire Elon Musk walked into Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters with a white bathroom sink and a grin, fired its CEO and other top executives and began transforming the social media platform into what is now known as X

Novak Djokovic launches his bid for a men's record 23rd Grand Slam singles title on Monday, while Carlos Alcaraz also gets his...

Josh Magennis is determined to keep proving his worth to Northern Ireland for as long as possible. When manager Michael O’Neill said after last month’s defeat to Kazakhstan he needed to evaluate some of the older players in his squad and whether they could still deliver for the team, the 33-year-old Magennis recognised he was among those under the spotlight. But a player who has 73 caps for Northern Ireland, having made his debut against Turkey in May 2010, still savours every opportunity to represent his country. “It’s up to me to stay fit, perform at club level and when I get a chance in matches here or in training show I’m still worth having around,” Magennis told the PA news agency. “I know I’m getting on but to me that’s just an excuse, whether people say it for you or you say it yourself. If you still play with intent, with the sports science that’s available now you can play endlessly. It’s up to you to prove you are worth your place in the squad.” Magennis went as far as telling fans at a meet-and-greet event in Belfast this week that he would fancy playing at Euro 2028 when it is hosted by the UK and Ireland in four and a half years’ time, when he would be just shy of 37. “Playing for your country is the biggest accolade you’ve ever had,” Magennis said. “I’m never going to retire and nor will I ever say I’ve retired. “If Michael decides, or anyone else decides, they don’t want me to come any more that’s up to them but I can never retire on my country. That’s not how I will be going out.” His love of playing shines through as he discusses his season so far with League One Wigan and “riding the wave” of being back after an injury lay-off. Magennis saw his 2022-23 campaign cut short by a bad knee injury in April, forcing him to miss Northern Ireland’s June fixtures as he went through a lengthy rehabilitation process. Although Magennis got himself back to fitness by August, the early season form of Charlie Wyke, who has scored six in 11 for Wigan, has meant all but two of his 10 club appearances have been from the bench, but one of them saw him score a hat-trick in an EFL Trophy win over Leicester Under-21s. “Charlie has been on fire and I’ve just had to wait for my chance,” Magennis said. “At any level scoring goals is massive. The goals don’t move. I’m just feeling good to be back and ready.” Goals would certainly not go amiss for a Northern Ireland side who have only scored four in their six Euro 2024 qualifiers to date, suffering four 1-0 defeats along the way. Qualification is beyond them but there is a clear opportunity to end a five-game losing streak when San Marino, the only team O’Neill’s side have beaten so far, visit Windsor Park on Saturday. But while they can change the mood with victory, Magennis said the team does not need a reset. “It’s not about trying to change our mentality,” he said. “Michael is working towards something. “I don’t want to say we’re rebuilding but there’s been an influx of new players, a lot of players Michael’s not been around before and a lot of players who are experiencing international football for the first time. “It’s just about trying to keep going, keep grafting and trying to implement what Michael wants us to do. It’s been tough not winning. This is a results-based business and everyone wants to win but there’s a process and Michael has proved this process has worked before. We’ve got to trust in it.” Read More Andy Farrell feels Ireland are becoming better at handling pressure Charlie Savage impresses Rob Page during his Wales debut Harry Maguire supported by ‘role model’ David Beckham after Hampden experience I want to play – Harry Maguire admits lack of matches will become an issue England forward Ollie Watkins: I no longer go shopping due to recognition Conor McGregor closes in on UFC return by re-entering anti-doping test programme

The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.1% annual pace from April through June, showing continued resilience in the face of higher borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, the government said in a downgrade from its initial estimate

FRANKFURT Germany's Commerzbank said on Wednesday that net profit more than tripled in the third quarter, better than

Kevin Garnett has high expectations for Jordan Poole on the Wizards. Like REALLY high expectations.

Wild bison that once numbered in the tens of millions in North America before being hunted almost to extinction are once again thriving in...

The New Jersey Attorney General's office is investigating the fatal shooting of a man who family and authorities say was mentally ill, after police said he lunged at them with a knife.

The Five Stripes forced game three with a 4-2 victory over the Crew.

Despite the unbeaten record and ACC title, Florida State will need some favors from the College Football Playoff selection committee if they want to get in.