Ever heard this life advice? When solving a big problem seems impossible, break it into smaller steps.
Well, scientists just took one of geology's biggest controversies and shrunk it down to atomic size. By zapping single atoms of lead in a tiny zircon crystal from Australia, researchers have confirmed the crystal is the oldest rock fragment ever found on Earth — 4.375 billion years old, plus or minus 6 million years.
Image: Cathodoluminescence image of a 400-μm Jack Hills zircon. Credit: John Valley, University of Wisconsin
