No, bad album art did not kill animal life. But the type of radiation did hand life on Earth its head a few million years ago.
Scientists have recently proven that gamma rays from a supernova bombarded Earth 450 million years ago. How much did it kill?
60% of all life.
The problem was, well, proving it. In theory, a supernova’s radiation could really ruin humanity’s day, but nobody was really sure it was actually possible. Still, they had to explain the Ordovician somehow, and now science has shown it’s absolutely possible and even likely.
In other words, science has found yet another way that the galaxy can bring everything we have ever created to ruin, with no way to prevent it or protect ourselves.
Sleep tight!
[ via the doomsday types at io9 ]