Lifelike biochemistry continued to unfold in sterilized soil

buildsjets 16 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

Reminds me of the Gamma Forest at Brookhaven National Labs. From 1961 thru 1978 they irradiated a section of the pine barrens forest with a cesium-137 source just to see what would happen. It sterilized the soil and hardly anything grows there, almost 50 years later.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/pJYr6qiZnMdVwLJS6

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/brookhaven-gamma-forest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsuiLxcDuHY&t=925s

	▲	ErroneousBosh 11 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I'm guessing the distinct lack of Google Streetview on that circular bit of road nearby and the tracks implies a certain amount of resistance to access if you get off that dual carriageway to the west?

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emsign 7 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This is huge news if true for evaluating soil experiments on Mars. They could give false positives for life if they only look for metabolic products.

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JackFr 17 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Obligatory Asimov: 'The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most discoveries, is not "Eureka!" but 'That's funny...”'

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j16sdiz 26 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

It feels next would be trying isolate the component that make CO2. Try to use smaller sample. Put them under microscope, etc.