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NASA discovers link between Earth’s core and life-sustaining oxygen

For over half a billion years, Earth’s magnetic field has risen and fallen in sync with oxygen levels in the atmosphere, and scientists are finally uncovering why. A NASA-led study reveals a striking link between deep-Earth processes and life at the surface, suggesting that the planet’s churning molten interior could be subtly shaping the conditions for life. By comparing ancient magnetic records with atmospheric data, researchers found that these two seemingly unrelated phenomena have danced together since the Cambrian explosion, when complex life first bloomed. This tantalizing connection hints at a single, hidden mechanism — perhaps even continental drift — orchestrating both magnetic strength and the air we breathe.

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