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Bacteria Found Alive In Ice 120,000 Years Old

Posted by kdawson on from the by-some-definitions-of-alive dept.

FiReaNGeL notes research presented this morning at Penn State on the discovery of a new, ultra-small species of bacteria that has survived for more than 120,000 years within the ice of a Greenland glacier at a depth of nearly two miles. From the psu.edu announcement: "The microorganism's ability to persist in this low-temperature, high-pressure, reduced-oxygen, and nutrient-poor habitat makes it particularly useful for studying how life, in general, can survive in a variety of extreme environments on Earth and possibly elsewhere in the solar system. This new species is among the ubiquitous, yet mysterious, ultra-small bacteria, which are so tiny that they are able to pass through microbiological filters. Called Chryseobacterium greenlandensis, the species is related genetically to certain bacteria found in fish, marine mud, and the roots of some plants."

11 of 326 comments (clear)

  1. Young earth creationists by genner · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Have another reason to point and laugh.

    1. Re:Young earth creationists by murky_lurker · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, I guess that just about wraps it up for God.

    2. Re:Young earth creationists by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You're not supposed to believe in science. That's the point; repeatability and maintaining a healthy scepticism.

    3. Re:Young earth creationists by geekoid · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Newsflash: some people don't believe in science. Get over it."

      I have never seen anyone so succinctly indicated there lack of understanding what science is.

      Newsflash: It doesn't require belief.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    4. Re:Young earth creationists by Idiomatick · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Well that certainly is convenient. I wonder why the bible has so many specific dates if its not literal. Anyways if you read any book that was filled with non-literal stories why would you believe any of it. Thats the exact same as trusting a known liar. If creation is just a metaphor then so is god, jesus and everything else in the bible. Either believe it all or none of it. I hate pick and choose believers. Too cowardly to abandon an ancient book yet too sensible to believe it.
       
        I'm sure i'll get modded down for bashing the religious folk. Before you do, re-read it and pretend i was talking about a religion you don't like such as satanism or .... wicca.

    5. Re:Young earth creationists by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You have your chance to ask now.

      I ask, but funny enough, nothing happens. I also ask Ra and Zeus to appear, and the identical thing happens.

      And you will definitely have your chance in the future.

      Should that happen, I will definitely ask him why he set up such a stupid system. If he wanted to be worshipped, he shouldn't have set everything up to appear as though he doesn't exist, and he shouldn't have made religion so absurdly irrational. I'd also probably ask him why, if he's all powerful, why he cares whether we worship him or not. Does it hurt his feelings or something? Or maybe he needs the ego stroke? If I was setting up a universe as my plaything and/or experiment, I'd hardly care about whether the individual pawns are worshipping me. It's kind of like caring whether people in The Sims are aware that a god outside their universe is watching them.

      Or maybe that's the point of the experiment -- give people intelligence, sprinkle a few hints early on in ancient history, then put mountains of contrary evidence around, and see how long people take to overcome the early conditioning that God existed.

      In fact -- I bet that's it! God will reward those who don't believe in him, because they used the intelligence God gave them to overcome irrationality and the fear instilled by the church. The ones who will be punished are the ones who rejected the intelligence that God gave them. If I was God, that's how I would dole out rewards. And given that God is rational and intelligent (though, the Old Testament kind of argues against both those, but I digress), this is clearly what will happen, should there actually be an afterlife. Better repent your beliefs now, just in case I'm right!

      --
      Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
  2. Addendum to the report by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny
    Further reports indicate that communication with the Penn State research station that unearthed the bacteria broke off shortly after the discovery. Another nearby research station is planning an expedition to the site, however, after discovering one of the Penn State sled dogs wandering into their camp.

    "This is a great discovery. There is nothing at all to worry about." said the oddly-behaving scientist who discovered the sled dog.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  3. But what about quality of life by techmuse · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sure, the bacteria survived. But how do you think it felt, being trapped in ice for 120,000 years? The first few years were probably ok. After that, it probably got really good at checkers. After the 1000th year, it proved that P=NP. At year 10,000, it dreamed of starting its own civilization. But then it started to go mad. Mad. MAD, I tell you. Now that it is free, the bacteria wants nothing but to seek revenge upon all other life forms for continuing to prosper and evolve while it was trapped beneath the ice. Buried alive. Buried alive...

    (Kaaaaahn....)

  4. What's Next? by Dareth · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am sure after all these years, this bacteria is either:

    A) Eager to evolve into an organism capable of having sex.

    B) Eager to start posting regularly on Slashdot.

    Yes, these options are mutually exclusive.

    --

    I only look human.
    My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
  5. Oblig. Futurama by Dachannien · · Score: 5, Funny

    But how do you think it felt, being trapped in ice for 120,000 years? Fry: "Bender! What was it like, lying in that hole for a thousand years?"
    Bender: "I was enjoying it until you guys showed up!"
  6. Alternate Link With Electron MIcroscopic Image by __aanonl8035 · · Score: 5, Informative


    Same exact text, but with a picture, from physorg.

    http://www.physorg.com/news131712233.html