From the Smithsonian Museums: The Smithsonian is so much more than its world-renowned exhibits and artifacts. It is an organization dedicated to understanding how the past informs the present and future. Once a week, we will show you how the National Museum of Natural History’s seven scientific research departments take lessons from past climate change and apply them to the 21st century and beyond.Minerals are known for their geologic origins, but they aren’t exclusively made by Earth. For over 3.5 billion years, living organisms have also been creating their own hard parts:...…From the Smithsonian Museums: The Smithsonian is so much more than its world-renowned exhibits and artifacts. It is an organization dedicated to understanding how the past informs the present and future. Once a week, we will show you how the National Museum of Natural History’s seven scientific research departments take lessons from past climate change and apply them to the 21st century and beyond.Minerals are known for their geologic origins, but they aren’t exclusively made by Earth. For over 3.5 billion years, living organisms have also been creating their own hard parts:...WW…

From the Smithsonian MuseumsFrom telescopes on Earth, Bennu’s surface appears smooth. That’s one of the reasons why NASA picked the asteroid as a destination for . But in 2018, when OSIRIS-REx approached the asteroid, scientists discovered that Bennu’s surface was covered with massive boulders. It turns out those boulders moved a lot over the last few hundred thousand years, according to .“When you think of small asteroids, you’d think they aren't very dynamic because they have no atmosphere or volcanic activity. But Bennu is so small and its gravity is so weak that material can move around...…From the Smithsonian MuseumsFrom telescopes on Earth, Bennu’s surface appears smooth. That’s one of the reasons why NASA picked the asteroid as a destination for . But in 2018, when OSIRIS-REx approached the asteroid, scientists discovered that Bennu’s surface was covered with massive boulders. It turns out those boulders moved a lot over the last few hundred thousand years, according to .“When you think of small asteroids, you’d think they aren't very dynamic because they have no atmosphere or volcanic activity. But Bennu is so small and its gravity is so weak that material can move around...WW…