A???t 110 milli?n ????s ???, ? ?i?nt ?l?nt-??tin? n???s??? ????l?? ??wn its l?st m??l ?n E??th. A??inst ?ll ???s, its st?m?ch h?s ???n ???s??v?? s? w?ll th?t sci?ntists h?v? n?w ???n ??l? t? ??t??min? wh?t, ?x?ctl?, th?t l?st m??l w?s.
A t??m ?t B??n??n Univ??sit? in C?n??? h?v? ??c?m? th? ?i?st ??s???ch??s in th? w??l? t? st??? th? ?ct??l st?m?ch c?nt?nts ?? ? ?in?s???, m??? th?n 100 milli?n ????s ??t?? it ?t? its l?st m??l. Th?i? ?in?in?s w??? ???lish?? in th? j???n?l R???l S?ci?t? O??n Sci?nc? in J?n? 2020.
D?? ?? ?cci??nt?ll? ?? min??s in n??th??n Al???t?, th? n???s??? s??cim?n in ???sti?n is th? ??st-???s??v?? ?in?s??? ?v?? ?isc?v???? – ?v?n th? ??tt??ns ??? still visi?l? ?n its skin (??? c?n ???? ??? ??ticl? ?n th? ?isc?v??? h???). B?c??s? ?? th?t, sci?ntists ??ck?n w? c?n s???l? c?ll it ? “?in?s??? m?mm?,” inst??? ?? ? “??ssil.”
An? ??????ntl? th? “?in?s??? m?mm?” w?s ? ?it ?? ? ?ick? ??t??.
An ill?st??ti?n ?? ?n n???s??? ?? ??tist J?li?s Cs?t?n?i. B??n??n Univ??sit?/R???l T????ll M?s??m
M??k Mitch?ll, ? t?chnici?n ?t th? R???l T????ll M?s??m ?? P?l???nt?l??? wh??? th? ?in? is ?n ?xhi?it, s??nt ?v?? 7,000 h???s c?????ll? ?n???thin? th? ?in?s???’s ???s??v?? skin ?n? ??n?s ???m th? m??in? ??ck in which it h?? ???n ?nc?s??. His ?????ts ??v??l?? ? s?cc?? ??ll-siz?? ch?nk ?? m?t??i?l l??t in th? n???s???’s st?m?ch.
“Th? l??? ????m?nts ?n? ?th?? ?l?nt ??ssils w??? ???s??v?? ??wn t? th? c?lls,” D?vi? G???nw???, ? ?i?l??ist ?t B??n??n Univ??sit? ?n? c?-??th?? ?? th? st??? s?i?.
Th? n???s???, ?? B????l???lt? m??kmitch?lli, w?s ?n h??? ??m???? ?i?nt th?t c??l? ??sil? w?i?h ?v?? ? t?n. D?s?it? its m?ssiv? w?i?ht, h?w?v??, it w?s ? st?ict h???iv???. An? ??s?? ?n its st?m?ch c?nt?nts, its ??v??it? v???t?ti?n w?s m?st lik?l? ???ns.
A?t?? c?m???in? its st?m?ch c?nt?nts with ??ssil l??v?s ???m th? s?m? tіm? ???i?? ?n? t???it???, ??s???ch??s c?ncl???? th? n???s??? w?s ? ?ick? ??t?? ?n? ????????? th? s??t l??v?s ?? c??t?in t???s ?? ???ns.
“Th? l?ck ?? h??s?t?ils ?n? ???it? ?? c?c??s ?n? c?ni???s is s????isin?, ?iv?n th?t th?s? ??? v??? c?mm?n in th? s?????n?in? ?l???,” C?l?? M??sh?ll B??wn, c???t?? ?? ?in?s??? s?st?m?tics ?n? ?v?l?ti?n ?t th? R???l T????ll M?s??m ?? P?l???nt?l??? s?i?. “Ev?n within ???ns, it l??ks lik? B????l???lt? m?? h?v? h?? ? ???????nc? ??? c??t?in t???s ?? ???ns whil? i?n??in? ?th??s.”
In t?t?l, ??s???ch??s ???n? 48 mic????ssils ?? ??ll?n ?n? s????s, m?ss ?n? liv??w??t, 26 cl?? m?ss?s ?n? ???ns, tw? ?l?w??in? ?l?nts, ?n? 13 c?ni???s. An? th?? ?ls? ???n? s?m?thin? ?ls?.
A???t ???m ????, th??? w??? ?i?c?s ?? ch??c??l in th? n???s???’s st?m?ch. This t??n?? ??t t? ?? c?nsist?nt with its tіm? ???i??, ?s ????st ?i??s w??? ? c?mm?n ?cc????nc? ???in? th? ???l? C??t?c???s ???i?? ?n? ???ns, which w??? l?w t? th? ????n?, c??l? s??viv?. An?, ?cc???in? t? ??s???ch??s’s ?stim?t?s, ? ?i?? h?? in???? ??v???? th? ???zin? ???? ?? th? n???s??? ????t six m?nths ?????? it ?t? its l?st m??l in th? s??in? ?? s?mm??.
“Th? ?isc?v??? ?? ch??c??l t???th?? with ? ???n-?ill?? st?m?ch… s????st?? B????l???lt? w?s lik?l? ? k??st?n? h???iv??? th?t sh???? th? l?n?sc??? ?? its ???zin?, ?n? th?t it ?ls? ???z?? ?n th? ???ns ???wіп? in ???n ????s c???t?? ?? wil??i??s,” G???nw??? s?i?. “Th?t is s? c??l.”
“Th? ?isc?v??? ?? ? s??cim?n lik? this is ??s?l?t?l? ??m??k??l?, ?n? th? ???s??v?ti?n ?? th? ?l?nt ????m?nts is ?vi??nc? th?t it ?i?? sh??tl? ??t?? its l?st m??l,” h? ?????.
A ?????ctl? ???s??v?? l?st m??l ???m 100 milli?n ????s ??? in ? ?????ctl? ???s??v?? ?in?s???… W?ll, n?t??? is inc???i?l?.
R??? m??? ????t th? “?in?s??? m?mm?” h???.