4,000 meters under the ice
Russian scientists have reportedly unlocked Lake Vostok. That is Antarctica's largest sub-glacial lake. It has been sealed up for about 20 million years.
State-run RIA Novosti says scientists have finally reached the lake's surface after more than two decades of drilling. It was no easy task. Temperatures at Vostok Station can drop below minus-80 degrees Celsius.
Scientists believe the pristine waters could hold life... possibly primitive bacteria or something that evolved in isolation. But there are fears that research could contaminate Lake Vostok with drilling fluids or the kerosene needed to keep the borehole from freezing over.
Lessons learned from Lake Vostok would stretch far beyond our planet. Its conditions are thought to be similar to Jupiter's moon Europa. So the South Pole could very well heat up the hunt for ET.
... wonderful and very important scientific information, ... This Post has a very relevant caracterítica on whether or not to look in Space "that" that very logic has very likely to recur and be accessible for Research on the truths of nature, much closer to us than we think in addition to the possible overvaluation of interactions "E & ET", and "possibly primitive bacteria or something that evolved in isolation" and others problems "trancendentes ??? "... especially wonderful and VERY CURIOUS, this INNOVATIVE ISSUES Post about that "raises" ... very interesting ...
I suppose it's asking too much to hope they've opened up a 20-million-year-old biological Pandora's Box, accidentally unleashing some microbes with which homosapiens has never had to cope. About time for another evolutionary bottleneck?
Golly. Would certainly solve a lot of problems...from a certain point of view. But that's jus' me....