Intraterrestrials: The Most Alien Life We’ve Ever Seen Is Right Beneath Our Feet

While the possibility of life beyond Earth has long captivated the public, there are already tiny organisms on our own planet that are as alien to us as anything we’ve imagined. These microbes are found in places once thought inhospitable to life, such as inside volcanoes, underneath the Earth’s crust in the deep sea, or in the Arctic permafrost. Not only are they surviving in these harsh environments, they’re doing so in ways that challenge basic principles of biology scientists thought were firmly established. Karen Lloyd, a microbial biogeochemist at the University of Southern California, has been studying these subsurface organisms for much of her life. In her new book, Intraterrestrials: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth, she takes readers on a guided tour of her own work and that of others, exploring what makes these microbes tick. Gizmodo spoke to Lloyd about the discoveries scientists like her have made to date, the enduring mysteries about these earthly aliens, and wh ... Read full article.