Scientists uncover extreme life inside the Arctic ice • Hacker News Board

Re: Scientists uncover extreme life inside the Arctic ice

#31

Post by gus_massa » Wed, Sep 17, 2025, 2:32 AM UTC

jandrewrogers wrote: post #19

gus_massa wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They look like earthworm that like to live near ice and eat algae. What is the nightmare fuel?

Some people don't like the idea of worms and actively avoid them. I'm not one of them but I know several people that are. The idea of chilling on a pristine glacier somewhere and suddenly finding yourself surrounded by thousands of worms is pretty unsettling to the worm avoidant. Naturally I introduce these people to the existence of the Giant Palouse Earthworm [0], also in the Pacific Northwest, though these are so…

I don't mind if someone is afraid of worms, but I really expected a flesh eating monster tha lay eggs inside you and then eclosionarte like in the alien movie and go to the nearest glaciar or ice rink and sleep for centuries until someone comes nearby ...

Anyway, if someone hates worms (and doesn't care if they are annelids or nematodes) I suggest to donate to the Guinea Worm eradication campaign. They are pretty close https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eradication_of_dracunculiasis

Re: Scientists uncover extreme life inside the Arctic ice

#32

Post by contingencies » Wed, Sep 17, 2025, 4:14 AM UTC

DaveZale wrote: post #30

contingencies wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For normal brightfield microscopy industrial cameras are very good (the internal sensor chipset is the important component, and there are only a few manufacturers globally) and usually offer both USB UVC and HDMI output. Monocular optics are very cheap and offer free-zoom (so-called 'zoomtube', great for video) and configurable magnification. In terms of reflected light microscopy, you are going to get very good resu…

Great, I'll copy/paste your notes into an email to myself. Have you ever looked at a microscopy stains catalog? The most beautiful images you can't imagine. Just a different world. At the moment, I'm mostly concerned about a bindweed mite experiment we're conducting locally. They are elusive but we're seeing signs of predation. https://xeriscape.neocities.org/bindweedmites

After realising the organic insecticides were only a single active ingredient (Potassium laurate) and overpriced I launched a chemistry mission.

Based upon commercial retail product labeling, the target solution strength is 2% in water and this has been certified organic by some authority or other. Based upon my recent research, you can't buy it at full strength as far as I know, but you can buy two precursor chemicals: potassium hydroxide and lauric acid. It's an acid-base reaction. Therefore you need to work on equal molarity not equal weights.

1. Obtain potassium hydroxide and lauric acid

2. Weigh out 20.03g of Lauric acid, dissolve in 200mL water.

3. Weigh out 5.61g of Potassium hydroxide, dissolve in 200mL of water. This will get hot so you will need to wait until it cools down.

4. Mix the two solutions. It will give you 400mL solution containing 23.84g potassium laurate (60g/L).

5. Since a 2% solution is 20g/L, you dilute the solution in the ratio 1 part solution to 2 parts water (ie. add 800mL water). So in total you should have 1.2L of 2% product.

Re: Scientists uncover extreme life inside the Arctic ice

#33

Post by dendrite9 » Wed, Sep 17, 2025, 6:28 AM UTC

DaveZale wrote: post #21

I brought a sample of "pink snow" back to the lab- common at high altitudes in California. Under the scope, the algae were pink spheres. Extremophiles are so interesting

Maybe you can volunteer to send a sample to the Living Snow Project next year! It looks like they have samples from California, I've missed my opportunity in the last few years due to family stuff.

https://wp.wwu.edu/livingsnowproject/