Science Quickly Enceladus’s Alien Ocean, Ancient Fungi and the Flavor of Influenza
6 snips
Oct 6, 2025 Saturn's moon Enceladus is stirring excitement with its potential extraterrestrial chemistry, hinting at life beneath its icy surface. Meanwhile, ancient fungi take center stage, revealing their critical role in Earth's early soils. There's a new warning about the increased risks of long COVID in children after reinfection. Plus, tasty science: researchers have developed a flu test producing a burst of herbal flavor, and ants are being explored as unconventional yogurt makers, though safety concerns linger with homemade batches.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Organic Chemistry In Enceladus’s Ocean
- Cassini data reanalysis found esters and ethers in Enceladus's subsurface ocean that resemble life's chemical building blocks on Earth.
- That chemical complexity strengthens Enceladus as a candidate for studying possible extraterrestrial life or life's origins.
Fungi May Have Preceded Land Plants
- Molecular-clock analyses incorporating horizontal gene transfer push fungi's origin back to roughly 1.4–0.9 billion years ago.
- Fungi may have predated and prepared land for plants by breaking down rock and forming early soils.
Repeat COVID Raises Long COVID Risks
- A Lancet Infectious Diseases study found second COVID infections doubled the risk of long COVID in children and young adults.
- Repeat infections increased risks like blood clots and myocarditis, reinforcing ongoing immunization importance.