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Iron-eating Bug Found to Thrive in 121C Heat

shobadobs writes "A story in the Independent reports that a microorganism appropriately referred to as 'Strain 121' has been found capable of thriving, with its colony size doubling, at a heat of 121 degrees Celsius, eight degrees more than the previously recorded maximum temperature that an organism can survive. This deep-sea volcanic vent creature was found on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and it feeds off of iron." Luckily it's only a microorganism. At first glance I thought scientists might have discovered a real-life rust monster.

375 comments

  1. Welcome by Phroggy · · Score: 5, Funny

    I, for one, welcome our new iron-eating overlords.

    --
    $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
    $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
    1. Re:Welcome by Ugodown · · Score: 1

      No no, its most likely to be a really good tool for the future robot mafia!

      --
      --- to swing on the spiral...
    2. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      LOL, I love that quote.

      Seriously though, the organism doesn't just chew through iron like a termite through wood. It only feeds off microscopic (smaller than itself) pieces of iron, such as wandering particles/shavings. Even if it were able to eat through an iron surface, its' small size would prevent it from doing much immediate damage.

    3. Re:Welcome by aug24 · · Score: 5, Funny
      Could you make yourself useful and round up humans to toil in their underground.... errr... iron mines...? Hey! That joke finally works!

      J.

      --
      You're only jealous cos the little penguins are talking to me.
    4. Re:Welcome by Phroggy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      OK, so I'm a seasoned karma whore. Now, would someone kindly clue me in as to the origins of this? Is it a quote from a bad sci-fi movie or something? What exactly is the original quote? Could non-Slashdotters be expected to get this joke too, or would they be just as confused as they are about the IN SOVIET RUSSIA joke? Thanks! ;-)

      --
      $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
      $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
    5. Re:Welcome by aug24 · · Score: 5, Informative
      By the magic of Google, I think it's Brockman of The Simpsons:

      "Ladies and gentlemen, uh, we've just lost the picture, but what we've seen speaks for itself. The Corvair spacecraft has apparently been taken over- 'conquered' if you will- by a master race of giant space ants. It's difficult to tell from this vantage point whether they will consume the captive Earthman or merely enslave them. One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. I'd like to remind them as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves." (Deep Space Homer)

      No idea about IN SOVIET RUSSIA though mate.

      J.

      --
      You're only jealous cos the little penguins are talking to me.
    6. Re:Welcome by srsabu · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      It's a simpsons reference from when homer is up in the space shuttle and breaks the ant colony experiment. An ant floats in front of the camera and Kent Brockman thinks that giant ants have taken over the space shuttle. He says that line.

    7. Re:Welcome by Foddrick · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's a Kent Brockman quote. See this Simpsons episode.

    8. Re:Welcome by Melchior_of_wg · · Score: 2, Informative

      The unmodified quote comes from Simpsons, in an episode where Homer goes on a space shuttle, and manages to smash the ant-farm (which the astronauts would be studying in space). Kent (the reporter) then broadcasts from the ground: "Ladies and gentlemen, er, we've just lost the picture, but, uh, what we've seen speaks for itself. The Corvair spacecraft has been taken over -- "conquered", if you will -- by a master race of giant space ants. It's difficult to tell from this vantage point whether they will consume the captive earth men or merely enslave them. One thing is for certain, there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. I'd like to remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves."

    9. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's from the Simpsons, the episode entitled Deep Space Homer.

      After Homer busted open the Ant Farm, Kent Brockman has an inteview with the astronauts:

      Kent: We're just about to get our first pictures from inside the
      spacecraft with "average-naut" Homer Simpson, and we'd like to
      -- aah!
      [Camera shows a close-up of an ant floating in front of the three astronauts]
      Everyone: Aah!
      Kent: Ladies and gentlemen, er, we've just lost the picture, but,
      uh, what we've seen speaks for itself. The Corvair spacecraft
      has been taken over -- "conquered", if you will -- by a master
      race of giant space ants. It's difficult to tell from this
      vantage point whether they will consume the captive earth men
      or merely enslave them. One thing is for certain, there is no
      stopping them; the ants will soon be here.
      And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. I'd like to
      remind them that as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful
      in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar
      caves.

    10. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      In Soviet Russia jokes originated from a coldwar era soviet comidian, Yakov Smirnov. This pagehas a more detailed description, as well as some of the original quotes.

    11. Re:Welcome by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

      No idea about IN SOVIET RUSSIA though mate.

      The russian comedian, Yakof Schmirnof (spelling is surely wrong) was well known in the 80s I think, and that was a running gag for him. He lasted slightly longer than the "You can call me Ray" guy....

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    12. Re:Welcome by Alien+Being · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      "its' small size would prevent it from doing much immediate damage."

      What if he has a brother?

    13. Re:Welcome by Phroggy · · Score: 2, Funny

      *taps fingers together* Excellent.

      Thanks. ;-)

      --
      $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
      $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
    14. Re:Welcome by skurk · · Score: 4, Informative
      Regarding the "IN SOVIET RUSSIA" jokes, check out this article at everything2.com.

      Apparently, a russian comedian named Yakov Smirnoff made a lot of jokes where he took, for example, a sentence and switched the subject and object around, removed a few words, and prepended "In Soviet Russia".

      Like the example from the everything2.com article above:
      • The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog
      becomes
      • In Soviet Russia, lazy dog jumps over quick brown fox!

      Just FYI. :-)
      --
      www.6502asm.com - Code 6502 assembly or.. DIE!!
    15. Re:Welcome by aug24 · · Score: 1
      Ah! Guess he never made it in the hard-to-break UK comedy market.

      J.

      --
      You're only jealous cos the little penguins are talking to me.
    16. Re:Welcome by Pharmboy · · Score: 2, Funny

      I could be wrong, but last I heard Yakov was still doing his act in Branson, Missouri, which is like Las Vegas...without the gambling, alcohol, ladies and fun. Lots of 700 Club'ers.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    17. Re:Welcome by Filmwatcher888 · · Score: 0
      IN SOVIET RUSSIA jokes are from Yakov Smirnoff...

      "...Yakov's movie credits include "Moscow on the Hudson" with Robin Williams, "Brewster's Millions" with Richard Pryor, "The Money Pit" with Tom Hanks and "Heartburn" with Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. His many television credits include Showtime's ACE Award nominee "Yakov Smirnoff from Moscow...Idaho," as well as his own 1986 syndicated series "What a Country." In the early months of 2003, Yakov appeared in his one-man Broadway Show, "As Long As We Both Shall Laugh" at the American Airlines Theatre in New York City. During the show Yakov invites everyone to celebrate the differences between the genders..."

    18. Re:Welcome by ldspartan · · Score: 1

      There's also an episode of the (AWESOME) TV Show "Family Guy" where the father (Peter) is showing his friends a new car. He demos the nav system, which has several modes, one of which is Russian.

      The car talks, and when he sets it to Russian mode it says:
      "In Soviet Russia, car drives you!"

      Thats my theory, at least.

      --
      Phil

    19. Re:Welcome by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 2, Funny

      There are plenty of ladies. It's just that they are the old, blue-haired type.

    20. Re:Welcome by anukit · · Score: 4, Informative

      I was shocked when I opened /. this morning to find that a news story I posted on the UMass News Office web site had made it here. I work for web development here on the UMass Amherst campus, and it's great that there's finally some research that's getting press. If anyone's interested, the original news release out of umass can be found here: http://www.umass.edu/newsoffice/archive/2003/08140 3microbe.html

    21. Re:Welcome by JimPooley · · Score: 4, Funny

      I, for one, am getting fucking sick and tired of that mindless misuse of a Kent Brockman quote...

      Mods: Let's have a new rating of "-10: Tired old joke" if you please!!!

      --

      "Information wants to be paid"
    22. Re:Welcome by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

      You sound like his agent trying to get him another gig :D

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    23. Re:Welcome by spudchucker · · Score: 2, Funny

      And I, for one, welocome our new meme destroying overlords. I'd like to remind them as a trusted Slashdot troll, I can be helpful in rounding up others to expose the only redeeming pleasures found in this godforsaken web site.

    24. Re:Welcome by Slack3r78 · · Score: 1

      I believe it's generally accepted that that particular Family Guy episode is how the Soviet Russia jokes made their way onto Slashdot. Kind of like how the profit joke was taken from South Park. :)

    25. Re:Welcome by spudchucker · · Score: 1

      In Soviet Russia, the meme kills you.

    26. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Alternatively, it could be from Family Guy where Peter gets help from the Mafia to get a new car.

      "In Soviet Russia, car drives you!"

      This may be from that 80's comedian, but I don't know, my age was still in single figures during that decade.

    27. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      You must be new here.

      *rimshot*

    28. Re:Welcome by Filmwatcher888 · · Score: 0
      What Can I say, I loved the TV show... I still remember the skit he did when he was daydreaming that they would change the rules and he could become the next American President.

      Very similar to the events happening in California

    29. Re:Welcome by mwood · · Score: 1

      Mr. Smirnoff also got a lot of mileage out of exaggerating the culture shock experienced as a result of moving from the USSR to the USA. {something we take for granted}! What a country!

      He appeared on several episodes of _Night Court_ and got to work in some of his standup gags. It was fun.

    30. Re:Welcome by NFNNMIDATA · · Score: 1

      The article neglects to mention that the jokes were usually something-somethings-YOU, and were basically references to the harshness of the soviet government or way of life (as affected by the govt). And of course that they were meant to be funny, which the example is apparently not.

    31. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, jokes where subject and object switched, few words removed, and "In Soviet Russia" prepended, made russian comedian named Yakov Smirnoff.

    32. Re:Welcome by Cylix · · Score: 5, Funny

      I, for one, welcome our new moderator overlords!

      --
      "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
    33. Re:Welcome by NonSequor · · Score: 1

      Actually, the line was "In Russia, road forks you!"

      --
      My only political goal is to see to it that no political party achieves its goals.
    34. Re:Welcome by Warped-Reality · · Score: 0

      We gnomes are experts at buisness!

      Phase 1: Collect Underpants
      Phase 2: ???
      Phase 3: Profit!

      --
      This is not the greatest sig in the world, no. This is just a tribute.
    35. Re:Welcome by FroMan · · Score: 1

      Quick get Magneto (sp?) He'll put these little bugs in their place. Wouldn't that be cool to see.

      --
      Norris/Palin 2012
      Fact: We deserve leaders who can kick your ass and field dress your carcass.
    36. Re:Welcome by phoenix_rizzen · · Score: 1

      He'd only be able to starve them. Or maybe move around the ones with iron still undigested in their system.

      These things eat iron, they aren't made of it.

    37. Re:Welcome by ccp · · Score: 1



      1. I, for one, welcome our new moderation guidelines .

      2. In Soviet Russia, YOU moderate the moderators!

      3. ???

      4. Profit !!!

      Sorry, I couldn't resist!
      Cheers

    38. Re:Welcome by lambadomy · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but thats when he's not painting.

    39. Re:Welcome by Mad+Bad+Rabbit · · Score: 1

      In particular, one of his best-known jokes was:

      "In America, you can always find a party;
      In Russia, the Party can always find you!"

      --
      >;k
    40. Re:Welcome by HaloZero · · Score: 1

      The Soviet Russia thing is a Family Guy reference with varying roots. In one episode, Peter gets a new car with onboard voice-activated GPS. He talks to it, asks for instructions, and it retorts 'In Soviet Russia, CAR drives YOU.' This goes on and on until the credits roll.

      --
      Informatus Technologicus
    41. Re:Welcome by jack+torrence · · Score: 1

      When do the Insect Overlords begin to duke it out with the Robot Overlords for final control of it all? And I do believe that deprived yokels (can't afford the future) and techno-luddites (don't want the future) are the main drag on this ultimate state of things-to-come. Don't blame it on the lowly microbe. They are generally harmless.

    42. Re:Welcome by WTFmonkey · · Score: 1

      I miss Night Court. Now it's only like, Lifetime at 2 AM. Oh, well.

    43. Re:Welcome by ducomputergeek · · Score: 1
      You can now see Yakov at his theatre in Branson, MO! He has a big sign and phone number include 1800 ### NO KGB.

      Damn I guess I just gave away where I live...

      --
      "The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money" - Thatcher.
    44. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In Soviet Russia, cock sucks Everything2.

    45. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      oh shit, the replicators are here

    46. Re:Welcome by BinLadenMyHero · · Score: 1

      ROTGL!!
      It's always the silliest posts that make me laught!

      That's why I browse at -1!

    47. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Rolling on the.. ground?

    48. Re:Welcome by _GrosLapin_ · · Score: 1

      Does that mean my tinfoil hat is useless against them?

      --
      Man who leaps off cliff jumps to conclusion
    49. Re:Welcome by Alien+Being · · Score: 1

      LMAO. If Taco adds a "-10 tired old joke" I hope he also adds "+10 classic".

    50. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess the /. crowd enjoy very similar things?

    51. Re:Welcome by Zork+the+Almighty · · Score: 2, Funny

      121 degrees Celsius!
      Quick people, are AMD processors made out of iron ?!?! I really need to know !

      --

      In Soviet America the banks rob you!
    52. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ten million? No, think really big numbers. Do you have any idea how many cells are in your thumb?

    53. Re:Welcome by dnahelix · · Score: 1

      "its' small size would prevent it from doing much immediate damage"

      What about 10,000,000,000 of them?

      --
      Slashdot Eds Link Anonymous Posts With Logged Posts
      They Are Vermin Feeding On Each Other's Feces.
      I Hate \.
    54. Re:Welcome by falzer · · Score: 1

      Actually, both lines were in that episode.

    55. Re:Welcome by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ms. Slocombe?

  2. Well... by eu_neke · · Score: 0, Funny

    at least it doesn't shut down pcs randomly...

    [blaster alert!!!]

  3. Tota! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Iron-eating bug found to thrive in 121C heat
    By Steve Connor Science Editor

    15 August 2030

    If microbes could scoff, this one would certainly laugh at the people who complained about the searing temperatures last week, which reached a record 38.3C (100.7F) in Gravesend, Kent.

    The microbe in question has been found to thrive at 121C (248.8F) - some 8 degrees Celsius higher than the previous recorded maximum temperature that a living organism could survive.

    The newly discovered micro-organism does not yet have a scientific name but its finders call it "Strain 121". The researchers, Kazem Kashefi and Derek Lovley from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, found the tiny creature in a deep-sea volcanic vent on the bed of the Pacific Ocean, where temperatures reach 400C.

    They put Strain 121 in a hot oven to find that it enjoyed the experience - colonies continued to double in size at 121C.

    Dr Lovely, whose study is published today in the journal Science, said Strain 121, which eats iorn, might give an insight into the conditions that led to the evolution of the first lifeforms more than 3.8 billion years ago.

    1. Re:Tota! by Queuetue · · Score: 1
      which eats iorn,
      Its strange that apparently, he retyped this himself. The typo isn't in the published article.
    2. Re:Tota! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      15 August 2030

      Wow! That's the first post from the future I've read!

    3. Re:Tota! by Theaetetus · · Score: 4, Funny
      They put Strain 121 in a hot oven to find that it enjoyed the experience - colonies continued to double in size at 121C.

      Citing a need to find out what other organisms 'enjoy hot ovens', researchers will be continuing their work, this time with kittens.

      ;)

      -T

    4. Re:Tota! by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "Citing a need to find out what other organisms 'enjoy hot ovens', researchers will be continuing their work, this time with kittens."

      Kittens give Morbo gas.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    5. Re:Tota! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least they are having better success than my years of experimenting with turkeys.

  4. Luckily by sploxx · · Score: 4, Insightful

    > Luckily it's only a microorganism.
    Hmm, aren't microorganisms eating iron and surviving in ovens are harder to extinct than some cm long creatures with hands and feet?

    1. Re:Luckily by Captain+Large+Face · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Firstly, why the hell would be want to make this micro-organisms extinct? Secondly, if you take the micro-organism out of its environment, it will most likely perish anyway, so you needn't be worried about becoming enslaved to something you can't even see. :)

    2. Re:Luckily by mblase · · Score: 2, Informative

      Hmm, aren't microorganisms eating iron and surviving in ovens are harder to extinct than some cm long creatures with hands and feet?

      Well, they're certainly easier to 'extinct' than first-posters with bad grammar....

    3. Re:Luckily by Dyolf+Knip · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I imagine that the chemical reactions that allow this thing to subsist on iron don't work too well at lower temperatures anyway. Otherwise we'd have seen that particular niche filled here on the surface a _long_ time ago.

      --
      Dyolf Knip
    4. Re:Luckily by digime · · Score: 1

      We need to find a way to kill them all. I wouldn't want them destroying the iron mine I keep in my oven.

    5. Re:Luckily by shadow303 · · Score: 1

      To quote Calvin, "Verbing weirds language"

      --
      I've got a mind like a steel trap - it's got an animal's foot stuck in it.
    6. Re:Luckily by Captain+Large+Face · · Score: 1

      It was only a matter of time. :)

    7. Re:Luckily by B3ryllium · · Score: 1

      "Come over here, smelly monkey, so I can food you."

    8. Re:Luckily by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We need to find a way to kill them all. I wouldn't want them destroying the iron mine I keep in my oven.


      Um, turn the oven up to at least 122 degrees?

    9. Re:Luckily by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "Well, they're certainly easier to 'extinct' than first-posters with bad grammar.... "

      I'd be embarrased to get modded up for a comment like that if the english isn't the parent poster's native language.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    10. Re:Luckily by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How long before these microorganisms get genetically modified to survive at room temperature and became weaponized?

    11. Re:Luckily by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, actually, unfortunately, this niche is filled. It seems there are numerous strains of iron consuming bugs. Some have taken to living in bilges of large ships, including oil tankers, where they use sulphur found in bilges to consume iron, sometimes eating large amounts of iron to the point they structurally damage ships. Its becoming a big problem. a few years ago, New Scientist had an article on this with some startling pictures of what these things could do to the interior of a ship. And similar bugs are in the enviroment, in the US, 1/3 of all copper is mined using leaching, removing copper released by the action of similar bacteria from crushed ore bearing rock.

    12. Re:Luckily by SEWilco · · Score: 1
      I'm sure it is at no risk of becoming endangered. Look at the temperatures a few thousand feet down in rock. On a nickel-iron planet, there are plenty of places for that thing to live. It's just that it's easiest for us to find on the surface (ocean bottom), in a hot spring.

      Can you say "Deep, Hot Biosphere"?

  5. Depth vs. Temperature? by Fesh · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I would guess that the only place these bugs could exist would be where the pressure is high enough to keep water liquid at a temperature that is 20 degrees C above boiling (at sea level)... Is the temperature a prerequisite for their metabolic processes?

    --
    --Fesh
    Kill -9 'em all, let root@localhost sort 'em out.
    1. Re:Depth vs. Temperature? by Ubi_NL · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Almost certainly. Metabolic processes (enzymes) have a narrow active temperature range. My guess is anything below 80 degC will slow them down so much that they won't multiply anymore. They probably won't die either, just slow down

      joris

      --

      If an experiment works, something has gone wrong.
    2. Re:Depth vs. Temperature? by ravenousbugblatter · · Score: 4, Informative

      I read the actual article in Science Magazine and it says they don't divide below ~80 degrees C.

    3. Re:Depth vs. Temperature? by pabx · · Score: 2, Informative

      According to the Boston Globe, "Strain 121 Reproduces [only] at temperatures of 185 to 250 degrees F", while they can survive up to 266 Degress F

    4. Re:Depth vs. Temperature? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I read somewhere they won't add or subtract below 40C.

    5. Re:Depth vs. Temperature? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What if NASA sends those bug to Venus - will it survive and thrive on Venus?

  6. What about hot bugs? by tiled_rainbows · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I read about this in the paper on the way to work. And the article ended, yet again, saying "this is encouraging for people who still hope to find life on Mars". I understand that extremophile microbes demonstrate that our conception of a life-supporting environment has heretofore been a little narrow, but recent discoveries keep turning up organisms that live in hot, high-pressure envirtonments, kind of the exact opposite of the conditions on Mars. So how does this help the Martian life lobby? Given these recent findings, wouldn't we be better off looking for monocellular life somewhere like Venus, say?

    1. Re:What about hot bugs? by Pharmboy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I understand that extremophile microbes demonstrate that our conception of a life-supporting environment has heretofore been a little narrow, but recent discoveries keep turning up organisms that live in hot, high-pressure envirtonments, kind of the exact opposite of the conditions on Mars.

      Not to mention (or rather TO mention) the fact that the majority of the surface of Mars suffers from terrible temperature swings, and we haven't seen many organisms that can handle temperature swings very well, except some viruses, and most viruses need other organisms as hosts.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    2. Re:What about hot bugs? by Anonymous+Shepard · · Score: 1

      Isn't the point that life may be found below, perhaps even considerably below, the surface of Mars, in a possibly warm and stable environment?

      --
      I have a life. I really do. I've just chosen to ignore it.
    3. Re:What about hot bugs? by koa · · Score: 1

      So how does this help the Martian life lobby? Given these recent findings, wouldn't we be better off looking for monocellular life somewhere like Venus, say?

      Actually, not really. One of the reasons why we speculate more about 'Life on Mars' and try to come up with these theories is becuase Mars is likely the second planet we as a species will enhabit. There is an enormous push to make damn-well sure that there isnt't anything unexpected that could thwart our colonisation. And we're curious, but curiosity is usually funded by commercialisation. :)

      --
      ....move along....nothing to see here....
    4. Re:What about hot bugs? by juhaz · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There are plenty of things that survice on temperatures below zero degrees celsius, even some bigger ones (like few fish). Nothing that is this far from the average, but then again conditions where you could find that kind of organisms on Earth are very rare, probably even more so than these deep-sea thermal vent critters.

      And if they can survive in one extreme, it gives a reason to believe other is also possible. Though in reality temperature of Mars is closer to 121C than conditions on Venus - average Martian temperature is -63C, difference of ~200, average on Venus is 457C, difference of over three hundred degree celsius. Surface temperature of Venus is hotter than Mercury!

      And even if there would be life on Venus, how the heck do you plan on finding it there? Ever present almost total cloud cover will make finding a landing place nigh impossible, and even if that could somehow be achieved no hardware of ours would survive the winds, somewhat corrosive atmosphere and infernal temperatures. In short, you can describe the place rather accurately with one word: Hell.

    5. Re:What about hot bugs? by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      It doesn't increase the hope of finding life on the frozen surface of Mars, but it does increase it for Europa whose icy outer shell seems to have volcanic activity underneath. Also there may be hot places deep in Mars that could support life. Overall it just underscores the fact that we don't know everything when it comes to mysteries of life.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    6. Re:What about hot bugs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh great, martian virii, here we come!

    7. Re:What about hot bugs? by Pharmboy · · Score: 1, Funny

      I, for one, welcome our new Martian Viral overlords....

      (sorry, couldn't resist)

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    8. Re:What about hot bugs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It does, its not a matter of the type of enviroment really. Its the fact that we have found something which can survive in an enviroment which otherwise was considered impossible to live in, and we found something which does not need oyxgen/etc to survive.

      Just kinda prooves - Just because a planet doesnt have XYZ, doesnt mean it cant support life

    9. Re:What about hot bugs? by ChibiLZ · · Score: 1

      I think the point about this increasing the feasability of Martian organisms is just that sometimes, life can exist in places that you wouldn't expect, combined with the fact that they live off of iron, which of course is plentiful on Mars.

      --
      Don't buy WoW Gold! Make it yourself!
    10. Re:What about hot bugs? by EelBait · · Score: 1

      The weather is nicer on Mars than on Venus -- so we should look there. Venus wouldn't make a nice vacation home.

    11. Re:What about hot bugs? by dpcgriffin · · Score: 1

      Right, but the Martian life lobby is happy that stuff can eat iron.
      Mars' soil has large quantities of iron oxide in it.
      Therefore, Martian worms are a possibility.
      (Worms eat dirt :-O )
      But then, heat might be a necessity for metabolizing iron.
      Or maybe we might not know anything about any possible Martian life.
      The martians, therefore, can do cold fusion, too!

      --
      Step away from the idiocy. Now. But first, a word from your sponsors!
    12. Re:What about hot bugs? by Upphew · · Score: 0

      "Ever present almost total cloud cover will make finding a landing place nigh impossible..."

      One word: radar

    13. Re:What about hot bugs? by DocDendrite · · Score: 1

      and most viruses need other organisms as hosts.

      Most viruses? ALL viruses. The definition of a virus is a subcellular parasite. Incidently, because it is SUBcellular that means a virus is not considered to be alive.

      -DD

    14. Re:What about hot bugs? by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

      Most viruses? ALL viruses. The definition of a virus is a subcellular parasite. Incidently, because it is SUBcellular that means a virus is not considered to be alive.

      Which makes me ask: in all this research we are doing to find "life" on mars, have we attempted to see if viruses exist outside of the earth? It would suck to spend $20billion to insure there is no life on mars, land, then die of some fucked up virus, millions of miles away, that came to Mars on an asteroid that was a planet 50 million years ago.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    15. Re:What about hot bugs? by danila · · Score: 1

      One piece of hardware (made in USSR) was able to do just that and it sent back a picture (more). I think that today we probably can fare even better, with things like aerogel insulators, etc.

      P.S. But it does indeed look like Hell .

      --
      Future Wiki -- If you don't think about the future, you cannot have one.
    16. Re:What about hot bugs? by Mryll · · Score: 1

      Yep, IMO they're nothing more than unfortunate shapes - tinker toy stuff that happens to resemble the stuff of actual life. :)

    17. Re:What about hot bugs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      in all this research we are doing to find "life" on mars, have we attempted to see if viruses exist outside of the earth?

      Most definitely - this was one of the major concerns in the initial space programs.

    18. Re:What about hot bugs? by juhaz · · Score: 1

      Ok. I'll take some of it back, something can make it trough and take a picture.

      First, you'd probably need way more complex (and vulnerable) units than a simple camera for picking up life signs. Maybe take samples, analyze them somehow, etc.

      All this seems to be very hard in Mars without the extra requirements needed on Venus.

      That unit only lasted operational for 53 minutes... you could take plenty of shots in that (they didn't. was the camera stationary? or did it blow right after the first one?), but can you do those other things? Aerogel et all could probably extend that life-expectancy for original probe like setup, but new sensory hardware would decrease it, will the compromise end up as near-insta death, somewhat lower, somewhat higher, lot higher, or in other words enough time to do what it must? Seriously doubt it, but I'm not a hostile-environment specialist.

      We might be able to do somewhat better, but then again we might not - Russians weren't probably too picky about budget back in 1975, now vs. then economical disadvantage might be bigger than technological advantage.

    19. Re:What about hot bugs? by danila · · Score: 2

      Of course, more complex equipment is needed, but today there is no question, whether we can design it and send it millions of kilometers away from home - the answer is "yes". The problem is that we are picky now and want to have a whole laboratory there to make every test possible so that one trip is enough to make a conclusive enough result. In 1975 it was ok to get just a couple of pictures (of course, there have been some other results from Venera 13 mission and even these pictures are extremely valuable for science, but anyway), today we want to find life or prove that it is not there. Similarly, 100 years ago it was enough to cross Antarctica, today we aim to solve the mysteries of the Earth climate or find life in the long-abandoned deep lake Vostok. It's not that our capabilities are not growing, it just is that our ambitions grow as fast or even faster. ;)

      Regarding the pictures, AFAIR, the problem was with slow transmission speed (from the lander to the orbiter), remember, it was the age when 300 baud modems were considered blazinlgy fast. And they didn't use any compression, just raw image transmission. Hopefully, today we can do better, but again, today we become frustrated (I know I do) because we can't get hours-long DVD-quality video from Mars rover.

      Regarding the whole thing, one idea that I can think of right now is to get using a disposable probe (or at least a telescopic hand) the samples inside a protected chamber. We will soon have the technology (diamond semicondustors - check the figures) to build electronics capable of working at Venus without cooling or insulation (and without melting). We definitely have the tech today to send the spacecrafts to Venus (logistically Venus is just another Mars, but closer to the Sun).

      But since the space race is over, space lost a lot of its coolness and even Venus doesn't look so hot. :) But every day the potential mission to Venus becomes easier and easier. Eventually we will see no more reason to procrastinate and the tech will be there to do it quickly, efficiently, and with invaluable results.

      --
      Future Wiki -- If you don't think about the future, you cannot have one.
    20. Re:What about hot bugs? by SEWilco · · Score: 1
      You forgot the crushing pressure on Venus. If memory serves me correctly, that Venus picture was taken through an artificial sapphire. There are not many transparent materials which could withstand that environment long enough.

      There are indications of volcanic activity, so the inside of the planet is probably also hot. The biosphere of Venus is up in the clouds. Or... bioshell. Kind of hard for the minerals of life to meet up there, but maybe something seeded from Mars or Earth found a niche.

    21. Re:What about hot bugs? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Well, a virus is probably created where life already exists. We could guess on how well a virus or microbe could last in space, but we don't know what evolution on stellar time scales might have created.

      I think it is likely that Mars life and Earth life are similar, as rocks have probably carried material between the planets. So concern about illness is understandable.

      A virus probably is created when DNA/RNA/etc gets chopped up and happens to have a piece which is viral. Genetic material gets broken up in huge quantities, both inside creatures and outside. The hard part is in the odds of a viral fragment encountering a suitable host cell.

      All it takes to break up DNA is mechanical force. Chemicals can do it too, but the simplest way of getting DNA from something in a test tube is to shake the test tube. Is it any wonder that many viruses appear from places where many creatures live together in wet messy areas? Stuff splatters, gets crushed, some gets ingested...

    22. Re:What about hot bugs? by Awptimus+Prime · · Score: 1

      Hopefully, today we can do better, but again, today we become frustrated (I know I do) because we can't get hours-long DVD-quality video from Mars rover.

      That's what I want.. The Mars DVD set. Hours of a rover wandering over alien terrain.

      It would definitely make a good backdrop video at a house party. Well, if you are like me and the only girls who frequent your parties are from IRC and AIM.

  7. Fear my Aluminium Suit. by Channard · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hah! How those fools laughed when I made my aluminium hat and bacofoil suit to block out the CIA's space-rays. Yet I alone will be safe from the iron eating scourge while those naysayers struggle to hold their trousers up as their belts are eaten away by the iron-devouring scourge.

    1. Re:Fear my Aluminium Suit. by twoslice · · Score: 1

      ...those naysayers struggle to hold their trousers up as their belts are eaten away by the iron-devouring scourge

      There are only geek naysayers here and we tend to wear belts and suspenders at the same time. So no, there won't be any struggling to keep our trousers up. Heck most of us don't even wear pants....

      --

      From excellent karma to terible karma with a single +5 funny post...
    2. Re:Fear my Aluminium Suit. by kfx · · Score: 1

      Your aluminum armor will keep you safe--that is, until our ferrivorous overlords discover the tasty iron-packed treat that is human blood... Which do you think they'll chose: sending humans to work in the iron mines, or just eating them outright?

    3. Re:Fear my Aluminium Suit. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOOOOOL maen!
      YOU Made A funny!!!11
      Taek OFF ur shirt!!111 lolZ!!!!eleven

    4. Re:Fear my Aluminium Suit. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I read you write on slashdot and i was not make me laug so i was verry angry and want hit you to make blood YES YES!

  8. Only possible in the deep sea by asciimonster · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Since this is, I presume, a water-based organism, it can only survive such high temperatures deep down in the ocean. At sealevel, the water inside the organism will boil and make the thing explode. Also I wonder how it can keep it's aminoacids and DNA intact. At 120 degrees C there is enough energy to break the Hydrogen bonds which give the proteines and DNA it's stability...

    Could somebody give me some indications on the pressures sown there?

    1. Re:Only possible in the deep sea by Captain+Large+Face · · Score: 1

      Well, it seems that vents have been found in the Pacific Ocean at the depth of 2500m, which at 1 atmosphere per 10 m, gives 250 atmospheres. However, I do not know if this is the level where the organism was found.

    2. Re:Only possible in the deep sea by cruachan · · Score: 4, Informative

      Proteins can be stabilised by increasing the number of S-S cross links from pairs of cysteines. Also the immediate intracellular environment matters and the precise nature of the proteins themselves - some of which can be amazingly stable.

      Still, I agree with the sentiment. I grew some hot spring bacteria myself for protein studies back in the early 80's and even though these *only* grew at 80 degrees C I remember looking at the incubator (i.e. adapter oven) and wondering how the little buggers ever managed to do that.

    3. Re:Only possible in the deep sea by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Pressure only speeds up chemical reactions.

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    4. Re:Only possible in the deep sea by kaan · · Score: 3, Informative

      I remember seeing some underwater footage on the Blue Planet series (very informative, if you ever get a chance to watch any of them). From what I recall, there are various thermal vents on the floor of the deep sea, which is about a mile down. Where these vents occur in the sea bed, you find huge plumes of extraordinarily hot water shooting up from the floor. It is only under the immense pressure at that depth that the water doesn't become steam. Anyway, while this Strain 121 critter wasn't mentioned in the Blue Planet movies, various other animals were, complete with footage of all kinds of little things moving around and appearing very active. The presence of a thermal vent on the ocean floor is very much like an oasis in the desert, and it attracts all kinds of weirdo life forms.

      As far as pressure goes, for every 33 feet of water depth you add, it's 1 ATM greater pressure than on the surface. So if you're 33 feet below the surface, the pressure is twice that of being on dry land. If you're 66 feet below the surface, it's about 3 times the pressure. For every 33 feet down, you'll add another multiple. If you're about a mile down, that corresponds (approximately) to 33 x 160, which means that the pressure down there is about 160 times that of what we're used to on dry land.

      I'll add that, according to the Blue Planet series, there are only a handful (maybe 5 total?) of submarine craft in the entire world that are capable of withstanding the intense pressures of the deep sea, which makes the continued exploration of the deep sea an extremely slow and patient process.

    5. Re:Only possible in the deep sea by CmdrDawgface · · Score: 1

      an additional atmosphere of pressure for every 10m of water. 1km down would be 100 atmospheres of pressure or about 100 kg per cent. squared.

      --
      You can be as mean as you want to be, as long as you're funny about it.
  9. So what does... by rusty+spoon · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...an iron eating microorganism poop?

    Once it's finished it's meal what's it's favourite after dinner beverage ... gotta be a coke surely?

    1. Re:So what does... by Channard · · Score: 0

      Really? I would have thought they'd prefer Iron-Bru.

    2. Re:So what does... by Dyolf+Knip · · Score: 1

      High-carbon steel?

      --
      Dyolf Knip
    3. Re:So what does... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      what does an iron eating microorganism poop?


      Ford parts.
    4. Re:So what does... by IowaFarmer41 · · Score: 1

      Probably mineable ore. Most likely source of gold veins, for instance. But, at that temperature, the protiens should curl up. How on earth can it live?

  10. Re:Thats 250 farenhight! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or 394 Kevin.

  11. In other news by Amsterdam+Vallon · · Score: 0, Funny

    In other news, IBM's Big Iron supercomputer division has already ordered more padlocks and window bars to protect against an iron-eating bug invasion, as well as SCO's lawyers ;-)

    --

    Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate. Ex-O'Reilly/MIT employee, now a full-time Google employee.
  12. High-temperature life forms by ajs318 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Now this is interesting! A life-form that can survive temperatures over 100 degrees can't be killed by boiling water. {Actually, water boils at less than 100C in most places on Earth since the atmosphere is less dense at altitude higher than sea level; therefore, with less pressure outside the liquid, the molecules don't have to have so much energy to break free from the surface tension prison}. Suddenly, heat is not the ultimate disinfectant you thought it was anymore.

    Just wait till someone finds a living creature that can withstand several hundred degrees ..... it'd have a real chance of surviving a fire ..... now that would be scary.

    --
    Je fume. Tu fumes. Nous fûmes!
    1. Re:High-temperature life forms by LordBodak · · Score: 2, Informative

      As someone said above, the pressure at that water depth probably contributes to it's survival.

      --
      LordBodak's journal.
    2. Re:High-temperature life forms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I assume you meant "most places on *land*" ... not yet? ok, most places on Earth are ocean or sea.

      Also if you're worried about nasties that can survive a fire turn your attention to the prions contributing to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (think mad cow).

    3. Re:High-temperature life forms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Everyoneone knows the Ultimate disinfectant is good ol' Plutonium

    4. Re:High-temperature life forms by Anthem.uxp · · Score: 1

      > Just wait till someone finds a living creature
      > that can withstand several hundred degrees .....
      > it'd have a real chance of surviving a fire .....
      > now that would be scary.

      Scary ? Check on Eucalyptus globulus. More info here and on google of course

    5. Re:High-temperature life forms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Just wait till someone finds a living creature that can withstand several hundred degrees ..... it'd have a real chance of surviving a fire ..... now that would be scary.

      The Europeans used to buy asbestos from the Chinese, and for hundreds of years Europeans believed it came from the skin of an animal that lived in fire.

    6. Re:High-temperature life forms by Lord_Dweomer · · Score: 2, Funny
      "Just wait till someone finds a living creature that can withstand several hundred degrees ..... it'd have a real chance of surviving a fire ..... now that would be scary."

      No it wouldn't be....we'd just be one step closer to being able to create a REAL dungeon with REAL fire resistant monsters. It will give me a chance to practice my lightning bol........err..........nevermind! Don't mind the little D&D geek. Nothing to see.

      --
      Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!
    7. Re:High-temperature life forms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, these beasties aren't living in boiling water. They're living in just very hot water. :) The pressure's too high for the water to boil.

    8. Re:High-temperature life forms by windlord · · Score: 1

      Now we just need to find someone to tank the creature so that we can get the +3 fire resist Armor from its corpse.

    9. Re:High-temperature life forms by lylfyl · · Score: 1

      The 121 C temperature is interesting because that is the typical temperature used for sterilizing.

      A typical autoclave will run at 121C, ~15psi for twenty minutes. This should've killed any bacteria. (I'm guessing on the pressure, may be wrong)

      I'm not too worried about this guy running rampant through our microbiological lab on its own, though.

  13. Too bad Futurama has been canceled. by Rolo+Tomasi · · Score: 4, Funny

    This would be really great material for a new episode. Of course it would have to include the line "Bite my shiny iron-eating-bug-infested metal ass!". :o)

    --
    Did you know you can fertilize your lawn with used motor oil?
    1. Re:Too bad Futurama has been canceled. by kannibal_klown · · Score: 1

      But from what I remember, Bender has like no Iron in him. He has Zinc, Titanium, and some other stuff. But I've never heard him mention iron.

      Then again, his face gets all rusty when he's sober.

    2. Re:Too bad Futurama has been canceled. by orkysoft · · Score: 1

      Remember the episode "The 30% Iron Chef"?

      Bender: "I'm 30% iron, I can't lose!"

      --

      I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
    3. Re:Too bad Futurama has been canceled. by kannibal_klown · · Score: 1

      I stand corrected. Good memoey :)

  14. How sex by vevva · · Score: 5, Funny

    Colonies doubling in size at 121C.

    Now that's what I call hot sex.

  15. Aha! by MacroRex · · Score: 1, Funny

    So this is why you really should have proper cooling system in your Big Iron!

  16. Re:This is not the first one. by aug24 · · Score: 1
    But those use heat reduction techniques to keep their inner temps lower, right? Or they withstand it for short periods. These things are 121C all the way through, 24/7!

    J.

    --
    You're only jealous cos the little penguins are talking to me.
  17. Aren't most diseases microorganisms? by Ensign+Regis · · Score: 0

    >Luckily it's only a microorganism

    Kind of like Tuberculosis? Or maybe Ebola? (Do viruses count as microorganisms?) I'm not sure I'd want this Strain 122 in my body.

    1. Re:Aren't most diseases microorganisms? by FooBarWidget · · Score: 2, Insightful

      But that doesn't mean most microorganisms are diseases. That Strain 122 will probably die in your body.

    2. Re:Aren't most diseases microorganisms? by void+warranty() · · Score: 4, Funny

      I think the actual infection would be your smallest problem when swimming in 120 degrees water at several hundred atm pressure.

    3. Re:Aren't most diseases microorganisms? by cruachan · · Score: 1

      Only a fraction of a fraction of a % of all microorganisms are in any way pathogenic. Indeed your body largely functions as efficiently as it does because of the large quantities of symbiotic bacteria living on and in you.

      Think of yourself more as an ecosystem than a single organism :-)

    4. Re:Aren't most diseases microorganisms? by SEWilco · · Score: 1
      Think of yourself more as an ecosystem than a single organism

      We agree.

  18. Re:This is not the first one. by craenor · · Score: 4, Informative

    That would be 121 Celsius there Mensa...as opposed to the 130 fahrenheit that your runner bug survives at, which is only 54.4C

  19. Re:Thats 250 farenhight! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who's Kevin?

  20. Real life rust monster. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Luckily it's only a microorganism. At first glance I thought scientists might have discovered a real-life rust monster. What are you talking about? They did... don't underestimate strength in numbers. OK maybe they don't oxidize iron, it's a joke, let it go... let it go.

  21. Gnome developers rebel : Fork iniment (5core:5) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Later on today I will be annoucning a fork of gnome! Why, because I'm fed up of HIG zealots stripping the features from my feet. My new gnome will be called u-Gnome (meaning usable gnome) and will actually have COOL features like A DECENT FILE DIALOG, LETS YOU CHANGE THE TIME, allows you TO CONFIGUARE EVERY THING FROM THE GUI! gconf-editor will be scrapped and I will allow the configuartion OF EVERY OPTION FROM AN EASY GUI. Epiphany will be replaced with galeon as the default web browser, I will add all the features they stole from 1.2 as well. Nautilus also have split pane support.

    Yes, this is offtopic, but I will be announceing the u-gnome 0.1 beta this afternoon.

  22. At last, a countermeasure by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1, Funny

    At last, we have something to stop those Air Force protecting robots

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  23. Fortunately, CPUs are made of silicon and copper.. by Max+Romantschuk · · Score: 1, Funny

    With the way things seem to be going (Intel's Prescott anyone?) we can be very fortunate that iron isn't used in CPUs!

    --
    .: Max Romantschuk :: http://max.romantschuk.fi/
  24. Re:This is not the first one. by Captain+Large+Face · · Score: 1

    Best put-down.. ever. :)

  25. Re:This is not the first one. by mrhodin · · Score: 1

    You sure thats 130 Celsius and not Fahrenheit? At that temperature Celsius at 1 atmosphere or presure any liquid/blood in the bugs or worms would be turned to high temp steam.

  26. Iron Eating Bacteria by BigBadBus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hi, Iron eating bugs/bacteria aren't exactly new. They can be found eating away the wreck of the Titanic for instance (where 20% of the ship's steel has been consumed)

    1. Re:Iron Eating Bacteria by BinLadenMyHero · · Score: 1

      I just remembered an old English class (I'm brazilian) when I was a child. I still remember it word by word:
      - Hi
      - Hi
      - My name is Myke. What's your name?
      - My name is Bill.
      - Are you Peggy?
      - Yes, I am.
      - Are you Vicky?
      - Yes, I am.
      - Come here. Let's sing.
      - All right

      Fuck! Precious bits of my memory lost forever!

  27. Re:This is not the first one. by Alien+Being · · Score: 3, Funny

    And his 140 IQ is actually only 60 ;-P

  28. Still fighting the Terminators by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Iron-eating bug found to thrive in 121C heat
    By Steve Connor Science Editor"


    I see that the son of Sarah is still researching ways to stop those pesky Terminators.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
    1. Re:Still fighting the Terminators by Zonekeeper · · Score: 0

      I think you mean John Connor.

    2. Re:Still fighting the Terminators by PeeCee · · Score: 1
      Iron-eating bug found to thrive in 121C heat
      By Steve Connor Science Editor

      15 August 2030

      Indeed he is... 27 years into the future.

  29. Re:Thats 250 farenhight! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tch, tch, tch. There's only 3 significant figures in the Celsius figure, so you can only give 3 significant figures in your conversions:

    farrenheight: 250
    Melvin: 394
    Ranking: 709
    Real Player: 96.8

  30. Take that Bacofoil man! by Shimbo · · Score: 1, Funny

    You've forgotten the RIAA's secret weapon: CD eating fungus.

    Aluminium eating fungus.

    MWHAAAA.

  31. Iron Man: Is Tony stark? by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1

    Well, we can try this out to find out of Iron Man wears boxers or briefs or....

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  32. Re:This is not the first one. by paxcirca · · Score: 1

    I'm fairly certain that nowhere on any desert does the temperature reach 250 Fahrenheit.

  33. Re:Fortunately, CPUs are made of silicon and coppe by Flingles · · Score: 1

    LMAO. Someone would need a jet engine for a cpu if it was regularly at 121 degrees C :)

    --
    Karma: -2^0.5 . Mainly due to the imbibing of dihydrogen monoxide
  34. Bug my ass... by sverrehu · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is no bug, but a cover-up of a nanotech experiment gone wrong. Call Bill Joy, and pray that those iron-eating nano robots won't reach the surface.

  35. Give it a couple million years by rf0 · · Score: 1, Funny

    then they will all be the size of dinosaurs eating our metal bodies. Then again I could just be suffering from to much caffine

    Rus

    1. Re:Give it a couple million years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Since they are Archaea, they've already had a couple of billion years... give them time.

  36. I know this is a little much to ask by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    but could you morons at least CONSIDER reading the article before you post nonsense that could be proven wrong by simply READING said article?? I mean come on just THINK about reading it before you make a fool of yourself again.

  37. Thanks! by Phroggy · · Score: 1

    I think I did see that episode, now that you mention it. Thanks. :-)

    --
    $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
    $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
  38. Scaling that mountain? by Tisha_AH · · Score: 1, Funny

    I guess it's a good thing you haven't programmed any interplanetary probes recently.

    --
    Tisha Hayes
  39. How High? by LordLucless · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If this little blighter is thriving at 121C, how high can it actually survive. The article mentions that temperatures in this guy's home top out at about 400C. How much heat can these guys actually take before cooking?

    --
    Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
    1. Re:How High? by Pharmboy · · Score: 4, Funny

      If this little blighter is thriving at 121C, how high can it actually survive. The article mentions that temperatures in this guy's home top out at about 400C. How much heat can these guys actually take before cooking?

      And once you have cooked these little iron eating bugs, what kind of wine do you serve with them? Red or white?

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    2. Re:How High? by SEEDELS · · Score: 1

      The temperatures increase dramatically a few inches/feet from the vents. All this guy would have to do is find the right distance from the 'flames' and sit back roasting a marshmellow or two.

    3. Re:How High? by SEEDELS · · Score: 1

      Decrease*

    4. Re:How High? by loucura! · · Score: 2, Funny

      According to here funny moderations no longer help your Karma, I just thought you might want to know that. That said, I'd have to say red, since it goes with most iron-rich meats... mmmmmmm microbe-steak.

      --
      Black and grey are both shades of white.
    5. Re:How High? by Pharmboy · · Score: 0

      According to here funny moderations no longer help your Karma, I just thought you might want to know that.

      I capped out on karma a long time ago. I think I am up to 890 comments here, and as you can see, we both signed up about the same time :D

      But good issue to bring up. I did not know they changed that policy, it appears in June of this year.

      That said, I'd have to say red, since it goes with most iron-rich meats... mmmmmmm microbe-steak.

      Oh, and good call on the red wine, makes sense to me. Not sure how much meat is on those bugs tho.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    6. Re:How High? by DarthApoc · · Score: 1

      I thought the answer was fairly obvious... Beer ffs ;)

    7. Re:How High? by loucura! · · Score: 1

      Well, I'm pretty sure you can get a bunch of them together and eat a nice microbe soup, and that'd still be a red wine meal. Of course, then they'd start eating your red blood cells and you'd have to start eating raw and bloody meat... or automobiles. :)

      --
      Black and grey are both shades of white.
    8. Re:How High? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      Venus has a temp of hundreds of degrees C, at hundreds of bars. Lots of CO2, a little sulphur (on the surface, more in the upper atmosphere).

      If those dinky pitiful lego-probes could just survive long enough up there...

      Multicellular orgs also survive in hot sulphurous abyssal volcanic vents. They might be able to be bred to quickly adapt to Venusian conditions.

      Cockroaches have been controlled by joystick (in Japan). In space, insects tend to grow larger. The MIR had a bad case of fungus, it even clouded some portholes from the outside (fact).

      Connect the dots. Don't scream.

    9. Re:How High? by SeanAhern · · Score: 1

      If this little blighter is thriving at 121C, how high can it actually survive?

      According to another article I read on this, the little guys finally perished at 130C.

  40. Re:Thats 250 farenhight! by narkotix · · Score: 2, Funny

    Bah the celcius scale is the devils tool!...ill be damned if i cant get 3 hogheads to the bushel!

    --
    We played dungeons and dragons for 3 hours.....then i was slain by an elf
  41. Of course.... by CowsAnonymous · · Score: 5, Interesting
    There is an animal that can probably live past all these creatures in extreme conditions, and that's the Waterbear

    From this article... The waterbear can revert to an "instant coffee"-dry state which resists storage in liquid nitrogen, contact with mineral acids, organic solvents, radioactive radiation and boiling water. After this kind of brute "scientific" scrutiny the miraculous creature is still able to return to normal life--it needs only a small droplet of water!

    --
    CowsAnonymous: We're here to help moo.
    1. Re:Of course.... by cruachan · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Not really. These black smoker type bacteria are way outside the normal confines of how 'life' handles extreme conditions using very unusual combinations of proteins and other biochemicals to survive. For example normal proteins are completely unstable in these types of conditions denaturing within seconds.

      Waterbears and their like are impressive, but they're still operating with a more 'mainstream' set of building blocks and their natural limits, whilst impressive, are not quite in the same league.

      Have a look at the ribosomal rna family trees to get some idea of how far these extremophiles are away from the rest of the life on the planet.

  42. Obligatory Stargate by Znonymous+Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Could it be... REPLICATORS!

    --

    Karma: The shiznight, mostly because I am the Drizzle.

  43. Don't Worry About Them... by tds67 · · Score: 4, Funny
    ...worry about the predators that feed on them.

  44. What comes out by Quill_28 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Excuse my ignorance, but what comes out?

    Basically what does it turn the iron into? FeO2

    Just curious.

    1. Re:What comes out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ferrous Calciferous Lithium or (FeCaL(i)) Matter is what is produced.

    2. Re:What comes out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I would think some sort of ferrous sulfur compound. IANAChemist, but I thought I remember reading about volcanic vent extremophiles using sulfur for oxidation instead of oxygen.

      Us: eat carbon, breathe oxygen
      Them: eat iron, breathe sulfur

      It's like the Odd Couple of evolution! So, are we the neat freaks or the slobs? I put my money on the latter...

    3. Re:What comes out by Shalda · · Score: 1

      I am a chemist. Firstly, you'd never se FeO2. Iron has oxidation states of +2 and +3, so you'd either see FeO or Fe2O3. Most likely, the organism oxidizes Iron from +2 to +3 as I don't think it's very likely to find much metallic iron disolved in the water, though I am neither a geologist, nor a marine microbiologist.

      I thought I remember reading about volcanic vent extremophiles using sulfur for oxidation instead of oxygen
      Most volcanic vent extremophiles oxidize sulfur, but iron oxidizers are not uncommon.

    4. Re:What comes out by new+death+barbie · · Score: 2, Funny
      A tiny, shiny brick of pure iron. Of course, it's hard as a rock, and hot enough to boil water, and so it's gotta hurt like hell.


      Sucks to be a microorganism. Especially one with hemorrhoids.

      --

      It's supposed to be completely automatic, but actually you have to press this button.

    5. Re:What comes out by Jhan · · Score: 1

      I thought I remember reading about volcanic vent extremophiles using sulfur for oxidation instead of oxygen. Most volcanic vent extremophiles oxidize sulfur, but iron oxidizers are not uncommon.

      That's not what he meant. I've also heard about thermophile vent bacteria using sulfurization instead of oxidization. IE "breathing" sulfur instead of oxygen. Sulfur and iron in, iron sulfide out. I even heard that it's a more energetic process that oxidization. True?

      --

      I choose to remain celibate, like my father and his father before him.

    6. Re:What comes out by SEWilco · · Score: 1
      Let's see... NSF news release...
      According to Lovley, Strain 121--it will be given a species name after his lab finalizes the microbe's description--uses iron the way aerobic animals use oxygen.

      "It's a novel form of respiration," Lovley says, explaining how Strain 121 uses iron to accept electrons. (Many archaea also use sulfur.) As oxygen does in humans, the iron allows the microbe to burn its food for energy. Chemically, the respiration process reduces ferric iron to ferrous iron and forms the mineral magnetite.

      OK, it reduces iron and produces magnetite.

      Try this...

      Life on other Planets
      Thomas Gold
      May 1997
      Where iron oxides served as the oxygen donors, the end product will be iron in a less oxidized state in which it is magnetic. Magnetite is the most common form.
      ...
      Microbial life on Mars could be dependent on the same processes as we have discussed for sub-surface life here. Highly oxidized iron is abundant on Mars, and very small-grained magnetite can then be expected to be one of the accumulated residues of microbial processes; so can iron sulfide and methane-derived carbonates.
      He also points out magnetite found around oil deposits, indicating iron-using bacteria eating methane and creating oil. So there's a lot of that going on in this planet already.
    7. Re:What comes out by fluffy666 · · Score: 1

      He also points out magnetite found around oil deposits, indicating iron-using bacteria eating methane and creating oil. So there's a lot of that going on in this planet already.

      Yeah, right.. Thomas Gold might be completely ignorant of mantle convection, modern isotope geology, petroleum geology, crustal fluid dynamics. He may be completely unable to explain why most basins do not contain commercial hydrocarbons, he may tell outright lies about modern petroleum geology, but he's got an alternative theory, so he must be right..

    8. Re:What comes out by SEWilco · · Score: 1
      He may be completely unable to explain why most basins do not contain commercial hydrocarbons,

      Because most basins do not happen to have deep flaws underneath which let carbon leak up? Because "most" basins leak?

      he may tell outright lies about modern petroleum geology,

      Examples?

    9. Re:What comes out by fluffy666 · · Score: 1

      Because most basins do not happen to have deep flaws underneath which let carbon leak up?

      All basins, pretty much by definition, contain faults down to the brittle/ductile transition at cf. 10-15km. In general, ductile rocks do not have the porosity or permability to allow 'carbon to leak up'. In modern areas of basin formation such as Greece or the Basin and Range province in the US, we do not observe 'carbon leaking up'.

      The simple reasons why these basins are not prospective is that source rocks are either absent or have not been sufficiently heated to produce oil. Borehole and seismic data confirms this. Where oil is present, its composition ties it to highly specific source rocks, and it's location ties it back to migration pathways from areas where this source rock has been sufficiently heated to produce oil; the kinetic parameters of this are routinely measured in the lab, as is the generation of oil of the same composition as that found in the traps.

      Because "most" basins leak?

      No, because of the above.

      Examples?

      the enormous quantities of hydrocarbons in the Athabasca tar sands in Canada would have required vast amounts of source rocks for their generation in the conventional discussion, when in fact no source rocks have been found.

      Yes they have

      This consideration is irrelevant now that we know that a cold formation process assembled the Earth and that hydrocarbons could have been maintained, and could be here for the same reasons as they are on the other planetary bodies.

      Unfortunately, TG is unaware that the mantle has been in vigourous convection for 4.5 billion years and has been entirely cycled through partial melting zones (and completely mixed). The progressive oxidation of the mantle was completed at around 2.5 billion years ago, after which CO2 instead of methane has been the dominant mantle carbon phase.

      Suppose that in the depth range between 100 and 300 kilometers we have a patchwork in which the carbonaceous chondrite material comprises 20 percent on an average. In this material, carbon amounts to 5 percent.

      ...then the OBSERVED seismic properties of that layer would be *dramatically* different

      [On the persian gulf] There is no feature that the geology or the topography of this entire large region has in common, and that would give any hint why it would all be oil and gas rich.

      The persian gulf has pretty unique geology - a highly stable platform for a long period of geological time, widespread prolific source rocks, and a very simple structural style. This last feature is very important; a small number of large scale geological structures can trap far more oil than the large number of small structures more normally found. To say there is 'no feature that makes it oil rich' is simply wrong.

    10. Re:What comes out by SEWilco · · Score: 1
      Nice list, thanks.

      Also remember that all of the ocean floor has been replaced, so there can't be primordial carbon deposits within it. That doesn't rule out carbon deposits, just that the ocean floor is not a layer of the original Earth-forming material. I don't know what the carbon cycle in the mantle might be, other than that the mantle seems to have carbon although a low percentage.

  45. Original newsrelease and mpegs at NSF by loonix_gangsta · · Score: 5, Informative

    The original news release, with mpeg videos, is available from the National Science Foundation website. Enjoy.

  46. Yakov's greatest joke by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yakov's greatest joke (or was it only great joke) was a take-off on the "American Express: Don't home without it" slogan that was used during the 80s:

    "Soviet Express: Don't leave home."

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
    1. Re:Yakov's greatest joke by tntguy · · Score: 3, Funny

      Don't forget to preview so you can be sure you don't words out.

    2. Re:Yakov's greatest joke by B3ryllium · · Score: 1

      ...

      should I point out that the missing words are the joke, or not? Ah well, too late.

    3. Re:Yakov's greatest joke by PenguiN42 · · Score: 1

      "American Express: Don't home without it"

      This wasn't the joke.

      --
      The following sentence is true. The preceding sentence was false.
    4. Re:Yakov's greatest joke by jericho4.0 · · Score: 1

      In Soviet Union, dead horse beats you!

      --
      "A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing" - Alan Perlis
    5. Re:Yakov's greatest joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lame.

  47. Immediate Scientific / Technological Impact: PCR by tm2b · · Score: 5, Informative

    The discovery of new extremophiles is very important to biotech.

    A discussion of the various discoveries from extremophiles is here. I'm going to focus on one process, made possible by genes from hyperthermophiles from deep ocean vents. One process, PCR (Polymer Chain Reaction), the technology that allows us to create large batches of identical DNA, depends upon polymerase taken from these organisms.

    The reason is this: in order to for PCR to work, a solution of polymerase and the desired DNA sequence is heated so that the DNA will quickly uncoil, allowing the polymerase to go to work - copying each strand of DNA present, doubling the amount of DNA. The solution is cooled, and then the process repeats, doubling the amount of DNA each time. Unfortunately, "normal" polymerase quickly breaks down at the best temperatures for this process.

    Extremophile polymerase changes all of this, since it's perfectly happy to operate at these high temperatures.

    --
    "It is our blasphemy which has made us great, and will sustain us, and which the gods secretly admire in us." - Zelazny
  48. Not A Bug by Biomechanoid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Iron-eating Bug Found to Thrive in 121C Heat

    That's not a bug, that's a feature

  49. Re:This is not the first one. by Pharmboy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    and for the first time, a score of: -1 Informative makes sense.

    --
    Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
  50. wow... by Prof_Falken · · Score: 2, Funny

    "they have bugs in iron nowadays!?"

    1. Re:wow... by mog007 · · Score: 0

      Yeah, it's called Windows ME

    2. Re:wow... by UnknownQ · · Score: 1

      It's amazing how resourceful Billy G can be if he puts his mind to it: Windows XP Iron Edition.

      --
      Wherever you go, there you are!
  51. Ned Flanders by AtariAmarok · · Score: 3, Funny

    In The Simpsons, Branson was described as "Las Vegas for Ned Flanders"

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
    1. Re:Ned Flanders by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Was than Branson or Bronson? :)

      Child: "Hey, Ma. How 'bout some cookies? "
      Mother: "No dice. "
      Child: "This ain't over."

    2. Re:Ned Flanders by sharkey · · Score: 1

      In the Simpsons, Yakov is in Branson, doing his act.

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  52. WAIT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He meant to say the MSBlaster or Lovesan worm. Being a Microsoft employee we undrstand not knowig the difference between C and F. Or maybe he meant Kelvin

  53. I wonder if they're related to CD Bugs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wonder if they're relate to the bacteria that eat away at optical media? Can we look at how they process these minerals differently than other lifeforms and develop a "poison" or alloy that makes them inedible? -- Good Guys Wear White Hats

  54. Microorgasms by Goody · · Score: 2, Funny

    Luckily it's only a microorganism.

    Microorgasms are usually a bad thing. It's usually caused by have a small thing or doing it really badly. See a therapist.

    --
    Tired of being "punished" by the Slashdot $rtbl since 2002. I'm now over at http://soylentnews.org/ .
    1. Re:Microorgasms by juhaz · · Score: 1

      That is utter and complete bullshit.

      Vast majority of micro-organisms are harmless, and quite a few of them are extremely beneficial, or actually vital. You couldn't live without microbes, and neither would any higher animal or probably even plant.

      Only a VERY small fraction of all microbes are pathogenic. Go see a therapist, maybe they can rid you of that microbiophobia.

    2. Re:Microorgasms by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

      Please go back and read the parent. His attempt was to mispronounce "MICROORGANISM" to "MICROORGASM". It doesn't always work on ./, just like visual gags don't always work on radio. Wasn't that funny when you DO get it.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    3. Re:Microorgasms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How is it bullshit? I'd imagine girls would have MICRO-ORGASMS when a SMALL PENIS was inserted in them.. Read the trolls post again, hes talking about small dicks causing micro-ORGASMS being a bad thing, not microorganisms

    4. Re:Microorgasms by juhaz · · Score: 1

      Ah. Yes.

      *goes to hide in the corner*

      Part of why it doesn't always work on /. might be the fact that we have lots of non-native English speakers (like myself), subtle language tricks are always harder to spot when not overly good at it.

  55. Re:This is not the first one. by Captain+Large+Face · · Score: 1

    Thanks. I try to use that as my guiding philosophy. Provision of useless information is my forte. :)

  56. the eric conspiracy by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Combine this with Yesterday's global warming story and all I can say is WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!

  57. What was the oven made out of? by Ambush · · Score: 2, Funny
    I'm guessing that the oven they tested these critters in was not made of iron.

    At least, not any more.

    --
    There are 10 kinds of people; those who know ternary, those who don't, and those now hunting for a dictionary.
  58. Lucky? by RealSalmon · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Luckily it's only a microorganism.

    Whew! It's only a microorganism . . . they're only responsible for more deaths than everything else on the planet combined.

    Remember . . . it's usually the little stuff that gets you.

    --

    -B

    1. Re:Lucky? by GeoGreg · · Score: 3, Interesting

      They are also probably responsible for more life on this planet than anything else combined. I've heard estimates that about 50% of Earth's biomass is made up of bacteria. And this article includes a couple of interesting statistics. It is estimated that there are 10^30 bacteria on Earth. However, it's also estimated that there are 10^31 (note that extra zero) bacteriophages (viruses that prey on bacteria). So, remember, your role in life is as a bacteria culturing medium. And the bacteria serve as munchies for the phages. I, for one, welcome our new viral overlords (sorry, couldn't resist).

    2. Re:Lucky? by DarthApoc · · Score: 1

      Kinda reminds me of War of the Worlds... Who knows, this might be the martians revenge? =p

    3. Re:Lucky? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      except that virus aren't alive, as they:

      1. Can't reproduce themselves

      2. Don't have a metabolism.

    4. Re:Lucky? by Mryll · · Score: 1

      Bacteria are OK, at least they're trying to live. Fsck the viruses... :)

  59. More than 1 atmosphere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    These things were found in underwater volcanic vents. That sounds like more than 1 atmosphere to me. I'm not sure how or if they replicated that in the lab.

  60. Re:This is not the first one. by fyonn · · Score: 1

    well, the creatures are microbes, not insects or worms. and they live deep underwater next to active volcano's where pressure plays a part too. so yes, I imagine it is 130C

    dave

  61. Re:In the Soviet Union by psykocrime · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    "In the Soviet Union, our iron-eating overlords goatse all your base with dead *BSD!"

    There, I think that covers all of the troll/offtopic cliches.


    Nah, you left out any reference to SCO, hot grits, and Natalie Portman.

    --
    // TODO: Insert Cool Sig
  62. genetic engineering here we come by obstacleman · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Many years ago I read a short story about an army private that invents a device that can turn anything made of iron into a pile of rust. He wanted to end wars by disarming the world, but it could make an effective offensive weapon by destroying enemy guns, tanks, planes etc. Figure out the genetic code for iron eating and splice it into something that thrives at 1 atmosphere. Other specialized organisms could make for interesting anti-submarine warfare too. Great potential does not always equal great good. Ugh.

    1. Re:genetic engineering here we come by Spyral999 · · Score: 2, Informative

      The short story was "A Piece of Wood" by Ray Bradbury, in the book "Long After Midnight", just FYI.

      --
      The big print giveth and the small print taketh away - Tom Waits
    2. Re:genetic engineering here we come by TheVampire · · Score: 1

      Not that it would stop people from having weapons & wars. They'd just build the weapons out of non-iron materials...

    3. Re:genetic engineering here we come by kaytea2k · · Score: 1

      As far as genetic engineering I would really think that a practical application of this microbe would be a biological weapon of some sort. Imagine infected a population with this iron hungry organism and setting an anemic plague loose on the world.

  63. Well, that's undersea colonies up the creek then.. by Channard · · Score: 1, Interesting
    So basically if we ever knacker the planet to the extent that the only livable location is deep under the ocean, would we risk these little bugs eating away at our colonies? Looks like Seaquest DSV got it all wrong then.

    Would it be possible for these bugs to spread out of the depths where they dwell to the point where any structure built on the ocean floor would be under threat? Eg, oil rigs now or colonies if we ever did indeed build things under the sea?

  64. here is the newscientist link. by Wycliffe · · Score: 3, Informative

    Here is the newscientist link:

    http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns9 99 94058

  65. Editor Pudge loses his cool - threatens a user! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    All of us who frequent Slashdot will eventually learn to know how the editors like power and, in particular, how they like to abuse their power.

    Yet, the entire Slashdot community was shocked yesterday by the viscious outburst from one of the editors. For no good reason, user's anonymity was threatened by the Slashdot resident editor, Pudge, who elsewhere in the same threat used abusive language when replying to users who questioned his comments about CNN. The bitter exchange ends in ominous: "Don't make me question your anonymity!". The threat is even more serious given Slashdot's pride in a being freedom loving site and anti-censorship.

    Please read the thread and mail OSDN about the on-going abuse over here. Also please post this all over Slashdot.

  66. great idea. by m1chael · · Score: 0

    bring it up here!

    --
    I know you are psychotic, but please make an effort.
  67. Mining bugs by ChibiLZ · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Could these be put into a pressurized, heated slurry and pumped into the earth, then sucked back out after they stewed for a while? Could we use this as a method of mining iron from previously thought 'dead' mines? If these 'bugs' excrete FeO2 as a waste product, it shouldn't be too much of a problem to take that iron oxide and turn it back into iron.

    --
    Don't buy WoW Gold! Make it yourself!
    1. Re:Mining bugs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Iron is not even remotely in short supply. There is no reason to develop exotic/expensive extraction mechanisms for it. The "red clay" that covers much of the southern US is actually a form of iron ore.

  68. Hot Tub Love.... by spineboy · · Score: 1

    I for one can't imagine trying to get busy with my wife in a 80 deg C hot tub. Mr. Johnson's operating range would be out of limits by then..

    --
    ..........FULL STOP.
    1. Re:Hot Tub Love.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you somehow end up in a 80 deg C hot tub, you had better get out fast before you get burns bad enough to kill you. You can survive 80 deg C or even hotter air for an hour or so if you drink enough since the evaporation of sweat keeps you cool, but in equally hot water you start getting immediate burn damage.

    2. Re:Hot Tub Love.... by Hormonal · · Score: 1
      you start getting immediate burn damage.

      3d6 burn damage each round until you get out of the hot tub, to be exact.

    3. Re:Hot Tub Love.... by redfenix · · Score: 1

      Is that regular or subdual?

      --
      "It's a very tangled subsystem." --Windows kernel guru
    4. Re:Hot Tub Love.... by SomeGuyFromCA · · Score: 1

      Aggravating.

      --
      if the answer isn't violence, neither is your silence / freedom of expression doesn't make it alright
    5. Re:Hot Tub Love.... by SEWilco · · Score: 1
      Is that regular or subdual?

      He referred to two people, thus it is tubdual.

  69. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    GM, Ford and Chrysler have purchased all of the samples and are planning on replicating and 'installing' them in their new lines of sport utility vehicles.

  70. Mod parent up!!!! Please. by spineboy · · Score: 1

    He said the funny words!

    now I want to say the Funny words.

    --
    ..........FULL STOP.
    1. Re:Mod parent up!!!! Please. by dpcgriffin · · Score: 1

      I wanna say them, too!

      --
      Step away from the idiocy. Now. But first, a word from your sponsors!
  71. Heat-Resistant Prions by handy_vandal · · Score: 4, Informative

    Just wait till someone finds a living creature that can withstand several hundred degrees ..... it'd have a real chance of surviving a fire ..... now that would be scary.

    Prions -- the deformed proteins responsible for Mad Cow, CJD, and related spongiform encephalopathies -- can survive autoclaving (steam at high pressure).

    Autoclaved surgical instruments (e.g. eye-surgery scalpels) have been found to transmit CJD between patients. This means that the tiniest trace of protein on a knife blade isn't denatured.

    --
    -kgj
    1. Re:Heat-Resistant Prions by haggar · · Score: 1

      But prions, as far as I know (I might be grossly misinformed) are not living organisms. In fact, they don't rreally multiply at all, do they?

      --
      Sigged!
  72. Extreme Pressure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    The pressure at any depth in the ocean can be approximated by assuming 1 atmosphere of pressure for every 33ft of depth. So, to calculate the pressure, divide the depth by 33 and add 1 to account for atmospheric pressure. Then, multiply by 14.696 psi/atm to get the pressure in psi. I don't know at what depth these things live, but the pressure has to be extreme.

    1. Re:Extreme Pressure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      One litre of water weighs 1 kg, close enough. Work on from there.

      And forget about the 14.66 thingy. Damn Americans.

      :)

    2. Re:Extreme Pressure by InOverMyFeet · · Score: 0

      Americans didn't come up with the English/Imperial system of measurement you idiot.

      --

      -- Probability does not dismiss possibility --

  73. Re:Well, that's undersea colonies up the creek the by Slack3r78 · · Score: 1

    Wasn't Seaquest supposed to be organic itself though? I seem to remember a few episodes where the Seaquest was damaged and it basically regrew the missing parts. Besides, I doubt we'll be building anything that deep or directly on top of volcanic vents anyway.

  74. :-P by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    2003-08-14 22:41:09 Iron Eating Bug Can Live in 121C Heat (articles,bug) (rejected)

    My article was better:

    "What does XP and a deep sea volcano have in common? They're full of bugs..."

  75. It was really only one joke by donscarletti · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I believe there was only one joke actually by Yakov Smirnoff, that was:

    In America you can always find a party, in Soviet Russia party can always find you

    an extremely witty joke by almost everyone's standards, making a great pun with the word "party" to create truly a beautiful and lasting joke.

    The classic joke was later reused in the cartoon Family Guy as the Yakoff Smirnoff setting of the autodrive system. The voice made comments like "you are coming to a fork in road, in soviet russia, road fork you!" and "in soviet russia, car drive you" to succesfully create riotous amusement by the shear lameness of the repitition.

    Unfortunantly lameness and repititon are also the chosen methods of expression on another media: the internet. This continuation of the running joke has made the memory of that great joke lost in a sea of "in soviet russia, opteron makes beowolf cluster out of you!" travesties.

    But it seems in this corrupt world, anything innocent and beautiful will eventally be raped by those who have nothing to do but distroy purity.

    --
    When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
    1. Re:It was really only one joke by kin_korn_karn · · Score: 1

      But it seems in this corrupt world, anything innocent and beautiful will eventally be raped by those who have nothing to do but distroy purity.

      That's right. Bend over.

    2. Re:It was really only one joke by forgetmenot · · Score: 1

      But it seems in this corrupt world, anything innocent and beautiful will eventally be raped by those who have nothing to do but distroy purity.

      In soviet russia, purity destroy you!

    3. Re:It was really only one joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      But it seems in this corrupt world, anything innocent and beautiful will eventally be raped by those who have nothing to do but distroy purity.
      --
      "Email is for geeks and pedophiles" - Sebastian Valmont, Cruel Intentions

      Most topical sig ever. Well done.
    4. Re:It was really only one joke by transient · · Score: 1

      Thanks for posting the original joke. All the repeats seem kind of stupid now, lacking the extra level added by the double-meaning of "party".

      --

      irb(main):001:0>
    5. Re:It was really only one joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I thought the orignal joke was:

      In America people watch TV. In Soviet Russia, TV watches you.

    6. Re:It was really only one joke by ndogg · · Score: 1
      But it seems in this corrupt world, anything innocent and beautiful will eventally be raped by those who have nothing to do but distroy purity.

      Including spelling, which also used to be innocent and beautiful until Slashdot came around.
      --
      // file: mice.h
      #include "frickin_lasers.h"
    7. Re:It was really only one joke by Lars+T. · · Score: 1

      In Soviet Russia, car drives you. In Capitalist Russia, you can't afford car.

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    8. Re:It was really only one joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if you want us to think you're smart, don't use "distroy" because it's not a word. jackass.

  76. In Soviet Russia by scarolan · · Score: 0

    Actually the original joke was an oblique reference to Orwell's 1984, eg Big Brother is watching:

    "In Soviet Russia, TV watches you!"

  77. that's 250F, correct? by mraymer · · Score: 3, Interesting
    My math might be a little rusty... and NO I haven't read the article! I mean c'mon, this is Slashdot. Don't be silly. Reading the article is like backing up data. I'll do that "later" of course. ;)

    This is good news, though. The discovery of life in extreme conditions always raises the possibility of discovering life somewhere besides planet Earth.

    I read that there were some sort of organisms on the outside of the command module that actually survived the trip to and back on Apollo 11. That means surviving re-entry... that's pretty incredible.

    Also, didn't some of the creatures on board Columbia survive the disaster?

    All things considered, extra-terrestrial life doesn't look that far-fetched...

    --

    "To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking

    1. Re:that's 250F, correct? by dan+dan+the+dna+man · · Score: 1

      Yep some nematodes (little worms) survived the shuttle crash. They were on their 4th or 5th generation "post-crash" when they were recovered.

      You can get more info here

      --
      I don't read your sig, why do you read mine?
    2. Re:that's 250F, correct? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      google calculator to the rescue!

    3. Re:that's 250F, correct? by ispeters · · Score: 1

      Just curious--how do they know that the command module didn't pick the bugs up after the external temperature returned to something normal?

      Ian

  78. Sci-fi connection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Does this remind anyone of that Ray Bradbury story, I think it was called "A Stick of Wood"? Where the guy does away with metal weapons by disintegrating them with an iron-destroying device?

  79. Rustmosters by dezwart · · Score: 1

    You zap the rustmoster with a wand of fire. -MORE-
    The rustmonster divides from the heat. -MORE-

  80. Celsius? Centigrade? Pussies! by Call+Me+Black+Cloud · · Score: 3, Funny

    Real men use Fahrenheit!

    Science: Iron-eating Bug Found to Thrive in 250F Heat

    Corallary: real scientists use Kelvin!

    Science: Iron-eating Bug Found to Thrive in 394K Heat

    Remember, if we start using celsius for temperature the terrorists have already won.

  81. No problem by Snarfangel · · Score: 1

    Luckily, if it ever becomes infectious we can cure ourselves with refrigerator magnets.

    Snarfangel

    --
    This tagline is copyrighted material. Please send $10 for an affordable replacement.
  82. Now we know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now we know where the RIAA grows their lawyers!

  83. So who else thought of... by mwood · · Score: 1

    ..._Mutant 59: The Plastic Eaters_?

    Or that story I heard about, that ends with the termite "holding in its jaws a glittering crumb of steel."

  84. It all comes full circle by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    By the magic of Google, I think it's Brockman of The Simpsons... ...SNIP...

    No idea about IN SOVIET RUSSIA though mate.


    Strangely enough, that soviet russia joke originates from Yakov Smirnoff. He is performing now in Branson, Missouri, which was featured in an episode of the Simpsons, with Yakov himself making an appearance in the family's onstage performance with other Branson performers that "most people think are dead."

    He even gets the last laugh in the production number, Ode to Branson, with a play on his 'in soviet russia' joke, but I can't seem to find the line at the moment.

    Incidentally, the producer of The Simpsons, Mike Scully, used to write jokes for standup comics, including Yakov Smirnoff.

  85. Here's the line from the simpsons: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Yakov's character sings:

    "In Soviet Union, review watches you!" ::curtain closes::

  86. Missed the Joke by Solx37 · · Score: 1

    The Rust Monster remark was a reference to (Advanced) Dungeons and Dragons. It was a creature they made up to scare people with armor, it could destroy their armor :)

    1. Re:Missed the Joke by ckaminski · · Score: 1

      Yea... how 95% of us proved just how big a bunch of geeks we really were... May the Terrasque eat your soul and pick it's teeth with your bones, intrepid explorer... ;-)

  87. Can somebody ask Natalie by Giggle+Stick · · Score: 1

    ... if these things can live in 121 degree HOT GRITS!

  88. Rust Monster? by X_Bones · · Score: 2, Funny

    man, those are the worst... every time I hit up David's Treasure Zoo there's always a rust monster, and I've forgotten to grease my longsword and helm of brilliance... I've lost so much good stuff that way

  89. Vitamins and minerals... by blcamp · · Score: 1


    Hell, it can have my share of iron, I don't mind... ...I never liked spinach anyway.

    --
    The problem with socialism is that they always run out of other people's money. - Margaret Thatcher
  90. Okay.. wow. by mcc · · Score: 1

    "Strain 121" is now officially the best name for a metal band that modern science has produced in years.

  91. That explains my Chevrolet by bl8n8r · · Score: 1

    That explains the rust holes in every chevy truck I've owned.

    --
    boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org
    1. Re:That explains my Chevrolet by toddestan · · Score: 1

      I take it then that you drive around in 250F heat a lot?

  92. Now that's planning! Forethought! by HarveyBirdman · · Score: 4, Funny
    It will be the only organism left in the universe, trillions of years from now, when all the atoms are either fused or decayed to iron.

    Or maybe this happened once before, and the current universe is the product of Strain 121 excrement.

    Man, that's a really weird thought. Must be Friday.

    --
    --- Ban humanity.
  93. The REAL rust monster by jpellino · · Score: 1

    was the Fiat 128. They apparently used them for anchors on the way over from Italy.

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
  94. Shhhhh by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1

    Shhhh. You were not supposed to mention the other son, fathered upon Sarah Connor by Schwarzenegger's T99000 character in "T5".

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  95. Re:Immediate Scientific / Technological Impact: PC by kaytea2k · · Score: 1

    Just think if the genetic traits (gene sequence) which allow these microbes to leave in such extreme environments were somehow found and made dominate in the human genome. Also I wonder if the most common microphages in the world would be able to feed on these extremophiles.

  96. The smoking gun, at last! by ThinWhiteDuke · · Score: 1

    I knew Saddam had bioweapons.
    Besides, the bug thrives at 121C. Guess what's the current temperature in Iraq's desert. 121F. Cant' be a coincidence.

    --

    It would be nice to be sure of anything the way some people are of everything.
  97. All your jokes are belong to us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can't the Slashdot editors just write an automated script to post the message
    'In Soviet Russia, I for one welcome all your first post belong to Natalie Portman. 3: Profit'
    immediately any story is released and mark everything else as redundant?

  98. Re:This is not the first one. by ThinWhiteDuke · · Score: 1

    And my IQ is 373 Kelvin. I'm uber-genius.

    --

    It would be nice to be sure of anything the way some people are of everything.
  99. Not a Pathogen, though by jtheory · · Score: 1

    I read an article about this yesterday on BBC news that specifically mentioned that none of the high-temp microorganisms discovered so far have pathogens.

    In other words, they aren't interested in the iron in your blood. Yet.

    --
    There are only 10 types of people: those who understand decimal, those who don't, and, uh, 8 other types I forget.
  100. re: iron eating bug by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    just for the record:

    That's 249 for all of us non-metric people that didn't go read the article.

    I just know someone that isn't using the metric system was saying '121?, shoot that's not a record!' :)

  101. Short story in Analog by rdmiller3 · · Score: 1

    There was a short story in "Analog" some years ago where the protagonist used just such a bacteria to defeat invading aliens which had an iron-based skeletal structure...

  102. I don't understand how it can eat iron by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It can't /only/ eat iron, right? Because if it only ate iron, how would it replace its molecules? What does it mostly eat?

  103. MOD UP INFORMATIVE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Heh. D&D

  104. Car rusting by HermanAB · · Score: 2, Funny
    So, now a rusting car can be cured with antibiotics?

    Car drive in clinics anybody?

    --
    Oh well, what the hell...
  105. Transformers by tetro · · Score: 1

    Reminds me of those Transformer bugs that ate metal.

    --
    .smell my feet.
  106. Picture of the surface of Venus by magullo · · Score: 1

    Here's what the surface looks like

  107. Magnetite by name773 · · Score: 1

    magnetite comes out

  108. yikes! by spazoid12 · · Score: 1

    Luckily it's only a microorganism. At first glance I thought scientists might have discovered a real-life rust monster.

    Well, maybe if they stand on each other's shoulders...

  109. 8 degrees....... by InOverMyFeet · · Score: 0
    The article makes the point that these mo's can survive at temperatures 8 degrees hotter than any previously recorded maximum temperature that an organism can survive. Is that such a big deal? 6.6% sounds more like noise to me.

    On a more serious note: Iron-eating bugs! Just what we need as more and more structures are moving away from traditional stick framing. I mean, with that "Global Warming" trend it wont be long until these critters take the place of termites on Orkin's most wanted list. I'm buying stock in magnets.

    --

    -- Probability does not dismiss possibility --

  110. Erection by bstadil · · Score: 1

    Not to mention what the males erection must be like

    --
    Help fight continental drift.
  111. Re:Welcome --- HOT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hot grits down their pants.

  112. Re:Hot babes found to thrive away from Linux... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you can look at that chick without wondering what she looks like naked, you've got a serious problem, dude.

    And by the way: AFAIK she's about 25.

  113. Finally I think my Lady has a little competition.

    Maybe.

    --
    Wanted : A Signature.
  114. ferrobacillus oxidans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There are several strains of iron "eating" bugs. Some of these are responsible for acidic streams. The actually capture the energy from oxidizing or reducing iron in iron pyrite ( I don't remember REDOX chemistry that well ).

  115. Where can I get some of these critters?! by pair-a-noyd · · Score: 1

    I could pour some on my sons' "new" pickup truck (that he just *HAD* to have and bought anyway) and then the neighbors would quit laughing..

  116. Terraforming Mars by Radical+Rad · · Score: 1

    Hey splice its genes in with something else that lives in the cold and another that that withstands UV radiation and seed it on Mars. Assuming we don't find any native life there of course.

  117. Mutant 59 the plastic eaters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well there was such a book and it is close.
    The 'rust monster' of fiction was an old story of a machine the made itself smaller then replicated out of control.

  118. Re:This is not the first one. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He was talking about the worms that live at 130C, the microbes live at 121C and the worms at 54c

  119. Iran-eating? My mistake by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1

    I read this one wrong at first. I thought it said Iran-eating bug, perhaps something found in the hot Iraqi desert left over from the Iran-Iraq War that was going to be used soon....

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  120. Re:This is not the first one. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Error: User=ID10T in win.ini...

  121. Check WindowsUpdate by wazzzup · · Score: 1

    I beleive they just came out with a patch for this bug.

  122. Useless fact by ehiris · · Score: 1

    The human body contains enough iron to make a small nail.

  123. Re:Branson & little iron bugs by Cragen · · Score: 1

    Remember those little carnies that used to visit your old home town? They all slammed head-on into each other at the original Branson traffic light and just stayed. I went to SMSU in Springfield in the days before Branson became the old folks home for the Grand Ole Opry. It's like the "Love Boat" quadrupled. Every cheesy thing ever invented, from piano-playing chickens to floating bumper cars at McDonalds, for pete's sake, is in Branson. Bring on them iron-eaters. Branson needs 'em bad!

  124. This discovery... by zr-rifle · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ...may have even great importance regarding the possibility of life on other planets.
    If bacteria can flourish (or at least survive) in these extreme conditions, the often cited scenario of alien micro-organisms living underground may become more than a possibility.

    --
    Hack your mind out of its sandbox.
  125. Re:This is not the first one. by Nexus+Seven · · Score: 1

    QED:

    IQ != intellect

  126. Re:In Soviet Russia by hesiod · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    > In Natalie Portman's Soviet Russia, our iron-eating overlords use dead *BSD to goatse all your hot grits. SCO sue ever Zig!

    If you had a beowulf cluster of those, you'd be set.

  127. Welcome to you! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I for one, welcome our angry Jim Pooley overlords, and look forward to their future derision

  128. The Mad Chef by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


    Not that many genes. Great. Just get the hot bits and splice them along in that human-rabbit hybrid from the outer^H^H^H^Hther post. Or enhance some junkyard dogs. Or... ah, never mind.

    Well, if earth does go down the Venus path, then at least these critters will be just the thing for the next billions of years around here.

  129. Could almost be a comment on communism by jcsehak · · Score: 1

    But it seems in this corrupt world, anything innocent and beautiful will eventally be raped by those who have nothing to do but distroy purity.

    In Soviet Russia, purity destroys you.

    --

    c-hack.com |
  130. Missing words? by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1

    What missing words?

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  131. Minor correction by Tjp($)pjT · · Score: 1

    At first glance I thought scientists might have discovered a real-life rust monster.

    They have, it is just that this is the microorganism that is also a symbiot with gelatinous cubes in normal atmospheric conditions.

    --
    - Tjp

    I am in wallow with my inner money grubbing capitalistic pig. ... Oink!

  132. Rust Monster lab recipe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Rust Monster recipe

    1 large armadillo (live)
    2 lb. Calamari, uncooked
    1 cup Iron reducing bacteria
    1 large egg

    In a small bowl, beat egg until scrambled and set aside.
    In a large bowl, mix Armadillo and Iron reducing bacteria, stirring widdershins.
    Select two large Calamari and attach to front of Armadillo using egg mixture.
    Place on large cookie sheet and bake in oven at 121 degrees fahrenheit for 1 hour.
    Let cool and serve. Makes 4 to 6 portions (from 1 to 2 adventurers)

  133. Re:Celsius? Centigrade? Pussies! by SEE · · Score: 1

    And the bionic superment of the future use Rankine!

    Science: Iron-eating Bug Found to Thrive in 710R Heat

  134. Micromoog? by 13Echo · · Score: 0

    Was I the only one that read "micromoog" in "microorganism"?

  135. Rust Monsters are lame by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Rust monsters don't scare me. The Basilisk in the Harry Potter movie didn't scare me either. I kept remembering I'd slayed hundreds of the buggers in the C64 Dungeons and Dragons games, usually six or eight at a time. Hollywood; please try harder.

  136. Iron eating bug... Space fungus.... by minion · · Score: 1

    Is this perhaps the same space fungus that was eating the Mir space station that we brilliantly crashed into OUR ocean. Lets see. Weird space bug.... Eats space ships... Lived in space... Yeah, why not, lets bring it to earth!

    --

    -- If we don't stand up for our rights, now, there will be no right to stand up for them later.
  137. Prions: not alive, yet infectious by handy_vandal · · Score: 1
    But prions, as far as I know (I might be grossly misinformed) are not living organisms. In fact, they don't rreally multiply at all, do they?

    Prions are not alive. They are proteins, naturally occuring in the brain. Prions can become deformed -- same molecule, different geometry -- and this 'rogue' version causes deformation of nearby normal prions. It's not a living organism, yet the effect is infectious.
    "Prions are proteins that occur in the brains of all mammals so far studied. The normal function of prion proteins is not understood, but recent research on mice that lack the PrP gene -- which encodes the prion protein -- suggest that it protects the brain against dementia and other degenerative problems associated with old age. Sometimes, 'rogue' prions are produced by genetic mutations. This explains why some cases of CJD in humans are inherited."

    http://www.mad-cow.org/~tom/prion_evol.html
    The situation is not well understood, and there is considerable debate about the nature of prions, spongiform encephalopathies, etc.:
    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/madcow/prions.html
    --
    -kgj
    1. Re:Prions: not alive, yet infectious by haggar · · Score: 1

      Thank you very much for this explanation. I did know that the prions are proteins found in the braincells. I didn't know that the broken prions can occur due to genetic mutations - i.e. I didn't know there is a hereditary factor in the CJD and other similar diseases.

      Of course, it would be nice to know how these broken prions manage to duplicate themselves, almost analog to the cancer cells.

      (I didn't even hope my answer would be picked up, since the story is somewhat old, thanks a lot, dude)

      --
      Sigged!
    2. Re:Prions: not alive, yet infectious by handy_vandal · · Score: 1

      Of course, it would be nice to know how these broken prions manage to duplicate themselves, almost analog to the cancer cells.

      Something to do with the protein geometry ... the deformed prions cause deformation of nearby normal prions.

      Why does it happen in the first place? Various causes:

      * Mutation -- about one person in a million gets CJD spontaneously. * Heredity -- some people pass on the gene. * Ingestion -- eating deformed prions (e.g. Mad Cow).

      --
      -kgj
    3. Re:Prions: not alive, yet infectious by benzapp · · Score: 1

      Proteins deformed by heat can also have the geometric properties of prions.

      There is some truth to the fact that cooking food is not always very healthy.

      --
      I don't read or respond to AC posts
  138. Waterbears, of course!! by StikyPad · · Score: 1

    Once I saw your post I recognized them immediately. Of course, growing up, we always called them by their common name -- sea monkeys. In Soviet Russia, do monkey sea monkey.

  139. Cooking and Deformed Prions by handy_vandal · · Score: 1

    Proteins deformed by heat can also have the geometric properties of prions. There is some truth to the fact that cooking food is not always very healthy.

    Specifically, the geometric properties of deformed prions (as opposed to normal prions).

    --
    -kgj