Jupiter’s Gravity, Ancient Mariners & A Climate Warning

The Point by Modern Sciences - December 17, 2025

Author

Don Smith
December 17, 2025

056

By The Modern Sciences Team

December 17, 2025

Happy Wednesday, Cultivators of Curiosity!


Welcome to the 50th volume of The Point by Modern Sciences!


In this landmark 50th volume, we are looking backward in time to understand our current place in the universe. We begin by rewinding 4.5 billion years to investigate how the formation of giant planets like Jupiter may have been the cosmic "nudge" Earth needed to support life. Closer to home, we explore groundbreaking archaeological evidence from the Philippines that is rewriting the history of human migration and proving that ancient innovation dates back much further than we thought. Finally, we turn our eyes to the present with a critical look at a climate anomaly in Panama—an unprecedented failure of ocean upwelling that serves as a vital warning for our changing planet.

Itsy Bitsy Solar System Caption This artist's conception compares a hypothetical solar system centered around a tiny "sun" (top) to a known solar system centered around a star, called 55 Cancri, which is about the same size as our sun. NASA's Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and two telescopes in the Chilean Andes, the Blanco telescope of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and the Gemini South telescope, discovered the beginnings of such a miniature solar system 500 light-years away in the Chamaeleon constellation. Credits NASA/JPL-Caltech

SPACE

In what order did the planets in our solar system form?

How did our solar system form? After the Sun, the giant planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn, were the first to take shape beyond a crucial "ice line." These older, massive worlds then migrated, with Jupiter’s gravity acting as a cosmic sculptor that cleared out debris and ultimately nudged the younger, rocky Earth into the "Goldilocks zone" perfect for life.



The Point:

  • Formation of the Solar System: About 4.5 billion years ago, the Sun formed first from a collapsing cloud of gas. The remaining gas and dust created a massive protoplanetary disk where particles collided and gradually accreted into planets, moons, comets, and asteroids.

  • Planet Development and Ice Line: Beyond the “ice line” in the early solar system, it was cold enough for ice to accumulate, aiding the rapid formation of giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn. In contrast, inner rocky planets such as Earth formed more slowly due to less material, taking up to 100 million years.

  • Planetary Migration and Earth’s Habitability: Giant planets like Neptune and Jupiter shifted positions after forming, with Jupiter's gravity influencing the inner solar system. This movement helped place Earth in the habitable “Goldilocks zone,” making conditions suitable for life.


HISTORY

Ancient Maritime Network Uncovered in the Philippines: Evidence of 35,000-Year-Old Human Migration

Stone tools, shell adzes, and ancient graves found on Mindoro reveal that humans navigated and settled the Philippine islands over 35,000 years ago. These discoveries suggest the existence of a vast early maritime network linking Island Southeast Asia, reshaping our understanding of prehistoric migration and coastal adaptation.



The Point:

  • Mindoro was a key hub in early human migration and innovation: Archaeological finds dating back over 35,000 years show that Mindoro played a central role in ancient maritime Southeast Asia.

  • Early inhabitants displayed advanced seafaring and fishing skills: Evidence from tools and remains suggests Mindoro’s ancient people navigated open seas and connected with distant island populations.

  • Artifacts reveal deep cultural ties across Island Southeast Asia: Shell tools and a 5,000-year-old grave point to widespread regional exchange and shared social practices among early coastal communities.


EARTH

Panama's vital ocean upwelling fails for the 1st time

For the first time in 40 years, the seasonal upwelling in the Gulf of Panama failed to occur in 2025. A new study from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute links the event to weakened trade winds, a potential consequence of climate disruption. This failure threatens the region's fisheries, coral reefs, and the coastal communities that depend on this vital oceanic process.



The Point:

  • A vital ocean system has collapsed: The Gulf of Panama’s annual upwelling, a constant phenomenon for 40 years, failed in 2025, preventing the seasonal influx of cool, nutrient-rich waters essential for marine life.

  • Weakened winds are the likely culprit: A study in PNAS led by STRI scientists suggests a reduction in trade wind strength caused the failure, possibly linked to broader climate patterns.

  • Scientists warn of global climate impacts: This event demonstrates the vulnerability of critical tropical upwelling zones and underscores the urgent need for enhanced ocean-climate monitoring to predict future disruptions.