SpaceX Aims for Lunar City, Discoveries in Ancient Life, and Venusian Lava Tubes

SpaceX has redirected its efforts towards establishing a 'self-growing city' on the Moon, a project anticipated to come to fruition in less than a decade. Elon Musk disclosed on his X social media platform that this initiative has taken precedence over the longstanding endeavor to colonize Mars, though plans for Mars are still on track to begin in five to seven years. He emphasized that securing civilization's future is the primary goal, and the Moon presents a more immediate opportunity for development.

In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists in Nova Scotia have unearthed the skull of Tyrannoroter heberti, one of the oldest known plant-eating land vertebrates. Dating back 307 million years, this fossil provides insight into early animal evolution. The creature's triangular skull allowed for strong cheek muscles, with teeth suited for consuming tough plant material, marking a key evolutionary transition.

New analysis of NASA's Magellan spacecraft radar data from the 1990s has unveiled a vast underground cavity on Venus, created by lava flow activity. This finding marks the first detection of a subsurface feature on Venus and suggests the presence of lava tubes, similar to those found in specific volcanic regions on Earth. These structures are also speculated to exist on the Moon and Mars.