alitalf: Skiing in the 3 Valleys, France, 2008 (Default)
[personal profile] alitalf
Nuclear powered bacteria have been found in a goldmine. Analysis shows that they get their energy from the radioactive decay of uranium in the surrounding rocks. It extracts carbon from dissolved carbon dioxide and fixes nitrogen, which comes from the surrounding rocks.

Date: 2008-10-21 02:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] romancinger.livejournal.com
That is fascinating!

Date: 2008-10-21 02:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gayalondiel.livejournal.com
Please tell me they have super-strength?!

Date: 2008-10-21 02:37 pm (UTC)
emperor: (Default)
From: [personal profile] emperor
"nuclear-powered" is a little misleading. They are sustained by geologically produced sulphate and hydrogen (the latter of which comes from radioactive decay).

You can read the original research paper here

Date: 2008-10-21 03:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gayalondiel.livejournal.com
spoilsport :p

Date: 2008-10-24 02:24 pm (UTC)
ext_20852: (Default)
From: [identity profile] alitalf.livejournal.com
I could read it if I had a subscription. The New Scientist article I originally saw did not make the path of energy from radioactive decay to bacterial metabolism quite clear.

Date: 2008-10-24 02:34 pm (UTC)
emperor: (Default)
From: [personal profile] emperor
Sorry, it's hard to tell which papers I can read are only because I'm surfing from .ac.uk. In any case, my criticism was more aimed at the New Scientist article, not your reporting of it!

Date: 2008-10-21 03:07 pm (UTC)

Date: 2008-10-24 12:58 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] estiel.livejournal.com
I guess that's important news by everyone's reaction. Mostly yours. "Nuclear-powered" derived from "consumes radioactive decay." Well, all right. Based entirely on a post you made a long while ago, I am attending a lecture tonight at Christ Episcopal on "Post-Human Future". If it stops raining.

Date: 2008-10-24 02:27 pm (UTC)
ext_20852: (Default)
From: [identity profile] alitalf.livejournal.com
The really interesting thing is that it does not seem to need an ecosystem with any other types of living organism in it - there is just itself and the chemical energy it uses.

Would you post anything interesting that you hear at the lecture? I would be interested in other people's views on this topic.

Date: 2008-10-24 11:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] estiel.livejournal.com
I'm sorry. I got involved in grading essays and let the time slip away.

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alitalf: Skiing in the 3 Valleys, France, 2008 (Default)
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