Beneath Antarctica's colossal ice shield, over a mile thick, scientists have unveiled a pristine, prehistoric realm frozen in time for at least 34 million years.
This sprawling "lost world," spanning roughly 12,000 square miles (bigger than Belgium), boasts jagged peaks, steep ridges, and deep river-carved valleys from an era when the continent teemed with flowing waters, lush forests, and possibly dinosaurs under the supercontinent Gondwana.
Buried deep in East Antarctica's Wilkes Land, it's a snapshot of Earth before the deep freeze, preserved because the overlying ice has barely budged, no grinding erosion, just a natural vault sealing it away.
The team used a combination of satellite imagery and radio-echo sounding, a method where planes beam radio waves through the ice and measure echoes, to map the unseen terrain. What emerged was a stunning landscape: jagged peaks, plunging valleys, and steep ridges shaped by ancient rivers before ice covered the continent.
The frozen terrain lies 1.6 miles beneath the surface in East Antarctica, in a region roughly 12,000 square miles in size.
While the exact timing is uncertain, they estimate the land last saw sunlight at least 14 million years ago, and likely more than 34 million years, when Antarctica first transitioned into a frozen desert.
Unlike most glacial terrain, where moving ice grinds away the underlying rock, the ice here has remained relatively stationary. That’s why the landscape beneath is so perfectly preserved – almost like a natural time capsule.
Scientists warn, however, that this untouched landscape is vulnerable. If Earth’s climate continues warming, the region could eventually be exposed. Temperatures between 3°C and 7°C warmer than today, similar to conditions between 14 and 34 million years ago, could trigger significant melting.
[Jamieson et al., "An ancient river landscape preserved beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet," Nature Communications 14, 6688 (2023).
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42152-2]
Wildfire emissions have increased in August 2026, with smoke from fires in North America & Eurasia transported across the Northern Hemisphere, including the Arctic, while seasonal fires in Indonesia are expected to be enhanced by El Niño.
🔗CAMS analysis: https://t.co/R8hQQ0AQ6e
Robin Williams’ Instagram account has been reactivated after 12 years.
His children revived the account to protect his legacy from being misused by AI.
Banyak wisatawan ngira Tari Kecak itu ritual kuno Bali yang udah ada ratusan tahun.
Faktanya, tarian ini baru diciptain tahun 1930-an, dan salah satu penciptanya bukan orang Bali, tapi pelukis asal Jerman bernama Walter Spies.
Yang beneran kuno itu ritual Sanghyang, tarian sakral buat komunikasi sama roh leluhur dan tolak bala, di mana penarinya kerasukan sampai kondisi trance.
Spies yang lagi tinggal di Ubud, tertarik banget sama ritual ini, terus ngajak seniman Bali Wayan Limbak buat ngerombak jadi pertunjukan yang lebih teatrikal, dengan nambahin cerita Ramayana: Rama nyelametin Sinta dari Rahwana.
Suara "cak cak cak" yang jadi ciri khasnya diambil dari elemen ritual Sanghyang asli, tapi fungsinya diubah total.
Yang tadinya bagian dari ritual spiritual, jadi musik pengiring pertunjukan yang bisa dinikmati turis tanpa harus paham konteks religiusnya.
Ini nunjukkin sesuatu yang menarik soal budaya: Kecak bukan tradisi yang "dipalsukan", tapi contoh gimana warisan sakral bisa dikemas ulang jadi bahasa panggung modern tanpa kehilangan akarnya sepenuhnya.
Yang berubah cuma fungsi, dari komunikasi spiritual jadi komunikasi budaya ke dunia luar.
Sebuah brand bikin proyek unik: 200 kaos dijemur selama 6 minggu di bawah sinar matahari.
Hasilnya, 200 kaos dengan warna dan pola sunfade yang semuanya berbeda alias nggak ada yang benar-benar sama.
Namanya The Sunfade Project, resmi launching Rabu, 12 Agustus. Dan ternyata peminatnya sudah ramai banget bahkan sebelum resmi dirilis. ☀️👕
duit gobananku kupaksa lepas sebagai umpan ke tepi arus gaib ini agar kondisi ekonomiku dan bumi terproyeksi di 2 minggu terakhir..dari seupil waktu ini, untuk dapet 100 perak aja dari goban ternyata engep..tapi kalo kupake buat sekali beli sarapan anak istri, ya langsung blas..