In the movie The Core, Hilary Swank saved humanity by drilling to Earth’s center. In reality, of course, that’s impossible – and not just because Swank isn’t the geologist type. Try as they might, actual scientists have yet to get through even the crust, the thinnest, outermost skin of the planet. It’s just too deep.
Enter the Chikyu – a 689-foot-long, 57,550-ton ocean vessel. Chikyu means “Earth” in Japanese, and the ship’s sole mission is to drill deeper than anyone has before: 6.2 miles down. After tests off the Japanese coast, researchers in June will head for deep Pacific waters, weigh anchor, and probe all the way to the mantle, that molten layer between the crust and the core.
And why are scientific feats like this not publicized mor- ohh, the game is on!
Thanks, Matt.
Aaron Fulkerson 