back to article Boffins probe mystery of ANTARCTIC BLOOD GLACIER

Scientists have retrieved samples thought to be the cause of a red stain on Taylor Glacier, a 54km-long tongue in Antarctica. The stain has earned the name Blood Falls and is thought to be the result of iron-rich material trapped in a sub-glacial lake. Scientists have analysed Blood Falls' water in the past, and found microbes …

  1. Elmer Phud

    Is there life on . . .

    "making them additions to the growing list of extremophiles that find ways to live without direct input of solar energy or oxygen."

    I love this science stuff.

    It keeps on buggering over the satus-quo.

    It keeps on pointing out things like this where folks reckon you can't have life without the usual two that us humans rely on.

    Humans?

    What's so special about humans? - compared to some life-forms on this planet those humans are really delicate little things.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is there life on . . .

      Delicate but complex. And that is the problem. We don't want just boring old unicellular life on gas giant moons, but the evidence is that really tight control of the environment is needed to get complex life forms.

    2. phil dude
      Thumb Up

      Re: Is there life on . . .

      thumbs up for "buggering over the status-quo".

      It's why I love science!

      P.

  2. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Paris Hilton

    WHITE MONKEY PALACE found in ANATARCTIC BLOOD GLACIER on MOON!

    I know it's all about pulling in the clicks but this is again a headline that will cause the /paranormal/ and /lizard-control/ crowd to come for a look-see.

    Can we tone it down?

    1. Ashton Black
      Happy

      Re: WHITE MONKEY PALACE found in ANATARCTIC BLOOD GLACIER on MOON!

      Get them in and they might learn some science! (I know, I know, fat chance)

  3. TheFinn

    Errrr....

    Don't want to apply my own condiment to anyone's slivers of potato, but it looks just like the orange gunk that collects around my taps. When was the last time the Antarctic had a proper steam-cleaning?

    1. Martin Budden Silver badge

      Re: Errrr....

      About as long ago as you last cleaned your taps, from the sound of it.

  4. wolfetone Silver badge
    Coat

    Taylor Glacier

    Is this Taylor Swift's colder cousin?

    1. Someonehasusedthathandle

      Re: Taylor Glacier

      It's her dominatrix alter ego.

      She tortures you into submission with ice cubes and singing

      1. imanidiot Silver badge
        Trollface

        Re: Taylor Glacier

        And she doesn't really need the ice cubes...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Taylor Glacier - @imanidiot

          Someone who is obviously as old and cranky as I am. Have an upvote.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    ooh! where do i sign up?

  6. hplasm
    Alien

    Juices-

    of the Elder Things.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Pardon my ignorance, but...

    Isn't it the current thinking that these organisms evolved elsewhere (in much more convivial surroundings) and then *adapted* to the harsher conditions when they became trapped?

    In which case, unless there was once conditions suitable for life to start on Europa or elsewhere, it doesn't matter much that conditions match or are similar to Taylor Glacier now, as life would never have got started in the first place (unless carried there by the muddy boots of extra-terrestrial visitors).

    1. Ashton Black

      Re: Pardon my ignorance, but...

      Not necessarily, for example after the heavy bombardment period (approx. 600mil years) after the formation of the earth, with nill oxygen and very harsh conditions, life emerged on Earth. Similar conditions (with liquid water oceans) existed on Mars. Combine that with the somewhat speculative exchange of organic materials from meteor strikes, then it's not inconceivable that life could form on more than one place. Not impossible, I may point out, just improbable.

      1. phil dude
        Alien

        Re: Pardon my ignorance, but...

        this is the pedantic view - life definite exists one place, what is P(life elsewhere).

        The evidence seems to suggest that amino acids can arise from atoms. All that is needed is a phase space search for a replication event, and life has a foot hold.

        The point is that the universe could be full of life but the distances are so enormous perhaps civilizations never intersect?

        P.

        1. Martin Budden Silver badge

          Re: Pardon my ignorance, but...

          The evidence seems to suggest that amino acids can arise from atoms.

          I can absolutely guarantee that atoms are involved in the formation of amino acids ;-)

  8. Trainee grumpy old ****
    Joke

    Boffins

    Boffins in the title but Scientists in the article? Is this pandering to new readers' complaints? Nothing but the finest boffins for us regular readers please!

    1. Robert Helpmann??
      Childcatcher

      Re: Boffins

      Nothing but the finest boffins...

      What, nothing? We should be allowed an occasional trick cyclist to liven things up a bit!

  9. This post has been deleted by its author

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