Going back to our discussion on extremophiles, I thought I’d share some links I found after further
research. This animation gave short
summaries about some well-known microbes here on Earth, and speculation about
some on other planets.
For example, 6 feet below the
extremely dry Atacama Desert in Chile, they found microbes living in salt
crystals with a slim amount of water that feed on anhydrite and perchlorate. The research team developed an instrument to find the microbes, called SOLID (Signs of Life Detector). Their goal now is to use the instrument to search for life on Mars. Here's the 2012 article in Science Daily with a more in-depth description of the discovery.
If you’re interested in learning more,
here is another more recent discovery
of extremophiles in a cavern close to Tucson, Arizona.
Additionally, a side of cuteness: Who doesn’t love an adorable, indestructible microbial bear? Watch it waddle away here.
