Will the Earth last forever?
“Will the Earth last forever?” — Solomon, age 5, California Everything that has a beginning has an end. But the Earth will last for a very long time, and its end will come billions of years after anyone who is alive here now is gone. Before we talk about the future of our planet, let’s …
How has the inside of the Earth stayed hot for billions of years?
“How does the inside of the Earth stay boiling hot for billions of years?” — Henry, age 11, Somerville, Massachusetts Our Earth is structured sort of like an onion – it’s one layer after another. Starting from the top down, there’s the crust, which includes the surface you walk on; then farther down, the mantle, …