Land of Gregs

The results have come in, and life has been found under Lake Vida in Antarctica. Carbon isotope measurements of the surrounding ice show that the life has been separated from the atmosphere and light for around 2,800 years.
Whilst other extremeophiles have been found in places like geothermal vents, at least their means of sustenance is pretty well understood. Lake Vida is very salty and cold, so it’s not clear how they have survived, although they could have gone into a form of suspended animation over the last three millenia. They do look quite chipper for having a snooze, though.
This discovery does, however, expand our understanding of under what conditions life can survive. This comes on the heels of the widening of the Goldilocks Zone – the distance from the sun which would support the kind of life found on Earth. Hopefully, this means that life throughout the universe is more common than once thought, which in turn could bring back a sense of adventure in our exploration of our little bit of space.
The paper is here.