Pictures of Earth from outer space often show the planet as a gaudy quilt. Shimmering aquamarine water covers more than 70 percent of its surface and those hues often seem to signify life against the vast darkness of the universe. But…

Pictures of Earth from outer space often show the planet as a gaudy quilt. Shimmering aquamarine water covers more than 70 percent of its surface and those hues often seem to signify life against the vast darkness of the universe. But…