Intraterrestrials: Discovering Life on Earth, in the Crater, and in Permafrost Surfaces
There is a misconception that there is a thing as a Beach read on the subject ofMicrobes. That was how Karen Lloyd, the author of Intraterrestrials, informally billed her book when talking to her friends in science (including myself) — and at a beach-bag-friendly 200 pages or so, this lively and compulsively engaging book is an unusual page-turner. Lloyd shows readers how to find life on planets like Earth and the deep ocean crust, as well as in the most extreme environments, such as the volcanoes and permafrost soil.
The encounters include microbes that have never been cultured before, or that can live on extremely limited energy supplies, or that persist in states of suspended animation, their biological functions slowed or paused for thousands of years. The intraterrestrials in the title echo the extraterrestrials that might populate other planets and moons. But there’s no need to search far for alien-like life: surprising microbes thrive here on Earth.
Lloyd and her partners travel to Costa Rica to sample organisms in the picturesque turquoise-green crater lake in hopes that the volcano won’t erupt there andthen, but it did so 54 days later. Falling into or even touching the lake ‘water’ during sampling — while precariously standing on ground at a boot-melting 100 °C and leaning over with a syringe — is not advised: with a pH lower than 1, its concentrated mix of sulfuric and hydrochloric acid is acutely toxic. The adventures of Lloyd are very fast and set the stage for tackling challenges such as the biology of acid-adapted microbes and their mode of energy generation, which can often require high acidity.
Out of sight, the inter-terrestrials have diversified into a vast collection of different types of organisms. Metagenomic analysis involves decoding genes from entire communities,sorting snippets into reconstructed genomes, and then looking at the biochemical pathways behind the genes to figure out what works in different organisms.
How does trauma affect us? The effects of the genetics of chimpanzee drumming on the collective memory of a lost parent
The DNA of each child contains mutations not found in either of their parents. To find out how much DNA changes, and how fast the human genome mutates, researchers compared the genomes from four generations of a single family. There were bigger genetic changes than had been seen before.
The effects of trauma can affect generations, but most work focuses on individuals and their symptoms. This risks missing out on the full community and cultural context, argues Cindy Sangalang, a researcher of social welfare and ethnic studies. She suggests that a child who has lost a parent should be considered. If local violence and state authorities were to blame, what would the event look like? Sangalang says that an understanding of the child’s trauma is important. “But a broader understanding of how the community’s history shaped the neighbourhood can reveal larger-scale opportunities to prevent such harm in future.”
The drumming cultures of chimpanzees differ between subspecies. Plus, the EPA and NOAA are being hobbled by DOGE red tape and how fast the human genome mutates.
Wild chimpanzees drum on tree roots in specific rhythms to communicate across long distances. The western and eastern populations have different rhythms, with the eastern group taking alternating short and long pauses after beats. A study looked into how the Western schimp throws stones at trees. It’s possible that the social dynamics of the animals’ groups have an impact on the behaviors.
Source: Daily briefing: Chimp societies drum to a distinct beat
AMIE: AI AI assistant for diagnostics, with application to the FDA and EPA in the U.S. Department of Health and Environmental Protection
A new version of the medical chatbot can use photos from a person’s phones to diagnose and evaluate disease, as well as evaluate imagery. When presented with electrocardiograms and lab results in a simulation of medical scenarios, the Articulate Medical Intelligence Explorer gave more accurate diagnoses than did human physicians. AMIE is still purely experimental, but “brings us closer to an AI assistant that mirrors how a clinician actually thinks”, says epidemiologist Eleni Linos. Dan Zeltzer, a digital-health specialist, says the preprint did not show the code or prompt, so there is uncertainty about how it would be helpful.
The main science division is being de-facto shut down, despite the agency’s denials. The ORD carries out research in support of environmental laws and regulations such as assessing the safety of chemicals in drinking water. The first administration of US president Donald Trump cut off money for the ORD, according to the former Principal deputy assistant administrator at the ORD.
The situation at the EPA is an example of a approach spearheaded by billionaire Musk that is hobbling activities in several US federal agencies. Donald Moynihan, a public policy researcher, says the purpose of DOGE is not to make government work better but to stop government from working.
