This 830-million-year-old crystal might contain life. And we're about to open it.

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:

NPR
@NPR
830-million-year-old salt crystals originally found in central Australia might be the inhabits for microorganisms. A research team is ready to open the crystals and find out what is inside.

npr.org
This 830-million-year-old crystal might contain life. And we're about to open it
A recent study in the journal Geology finds microorganisms trapped in an 830-million-year-old salt crystal. The researchers say it might still be alive.
10:10 PM · May 24, 2022

https://www.npr.org/2022/05/24/1100972368/830-million-year-old-salt-crystal-microscopic-life-study-discovery

From lemons to ham, salt is a handy food preservative. But researchers studying some really old salt crystals found them preserving something else — evidence of life.

"There are little cubes of the original liquid from which that salt grew. And the surprise for us is that we also saw shapes that are consistent with what we would expect from microorganisms," said Kathy Benison, a geologist at West Virginia University. "And they could be still surviving within that 830-million-year-old preserved microhabitat."

The salt crystals (aka halite) that Benison and her team studied were originally found in central Australia. Benison was part of the team that published these findings in the journal Geology.

This video of a different salt crystal shows how the liquid looks when moving inside.

*snip*

[sunonmars]

1. Do not open it, for crying out loud...have you never watched The Thing....

Why oh why do they keep thinking this a good idea.

[Delmette2.0]

19. I have not watched The Thing.

But I do remember the story of Pandora's Box.

[Samrob]

2. I hope we can handle those organisms. nt

[grumpyduck]

3. Ooooo noooooo!!!!!

We're going to let those aliens out!!!!!!!!!!!

[Effete Snob]

14. I welcome our new salt crystal void fossil life form overlords

[Karadeniz]

4. Handle with care!!!

[highplainsdem]

5. NOT a good idea.

[KarenS]

6. I think it's a really stupid idea,,,, n/t

[Effete Snob]

7. Yeah, I have a can of V8 juice that expired a decade ago

I’m afraid to open it.

[tenderfoot]

8. What could go wrong?

[ret5hd]

9. OK...elevator pitch: "Trumpomedra Strain"...or

“DeSantis Zone”.

Either way, it’s a virus that:

1) if you’re white you turn Black
2) if you’re straight you turn gay
3) there’s a vaccine, but a lot of us aren’t that worried about it…our houses are neater, our wardrobes are better, and our taste in music just made a quantum jump.
4) TX, OK, FL, etc governors enforce the tightest lockdown in the world, etc

What do you think? Better than Sharknado?

[Nittersing]

10. Oh goodie! New life from Australia

More here: https://www.boredpanda.com/australia-scary-nature-animals/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

[canetoad]

12. Had to laugh despite myself

At least you didn't refer to a drop-bear.

[Goonch]

11. Salt crystal grows legs to avoid slippery surface

[Kid Berwyn]

13. Oh, what the hell?

[maxrandb]

15. Don't look at it Miriam

[Midnight Writer]

16. Paging Michael Crichton.

[Ilsa]

17. Capt. Tripps. 'nuff said. nt 😉

[edbermac]

18. Not advisable.

[BumRushDaShow]

20. ...

(ETA, the replies in this thread have me )

[sakabatou]

21. We've seen enough sci-fi and horror movies to know what's going to happen.

[Kaleva]

22. Let Florida Man open it or stick it up his ass or try to fuck it.

[DFW]

23. Depending on what they find

If there is 800,000 year old life in there, and people start taking injections to alter their DNA, we may have to completely rewrite our Social Security schedule..........

[sdfernando]

24. Don't open it

It’s The Man Trap!!!!!!

[Thunderbeast]

25. Just put it in a peach tree dish and see what happens.

[Takket]

26. nothing could go wrong!

Now, I'm off to watch some movie called The Andromeda Strain

[Xolodno]

27. Australia...

The land that time forgot.