The world, the universe and us Scientists discovered a 100,000-year-old organism; Breakthrough brain implant uses AI to treat pain; How climate change leads to revolutions
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Aug 29, 2025 Alexandra Thompson, a scientist specializing in neurotechnology, discusses an innovative brain implant that uses AI to treat chronic pain. This breakthrough offers targeted relief and has surprising benefits, including improved overall well-being. The conversation also touches on the intriguing discovery of a 100,000-year-old organism found in Siberian permafrost, prompting a reevaluation of life’s resilience. Lastly, they dive into how climate change has historically triggered revolutions, drawing parallels to current social unrest as environmental challenges escalate.
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Microbes That Live On Geological Timescales
- Researchers found individual microbial cells in Siberian permafrost that appear to have maintained intact DNA for ~100,000 years.
- This suggests some microbes perform active DNA repair over geologic timescales, blurring our definition of life.
Asgard Archaea Show Deep-Time Survival
- The long-lived organisms belong to the Asgard (Prometheoarchaeota) group, close relatives of eukaryotes.
- Their presence in permafrost implies long-livedness might be a common trait across this lineage.
Eonophiles Reframe Evolutionary Time
- Karen Lloyd coins 'eonophiles' for microbes adapted to thrive across eons by extreme slow growth.
- Viewing long-livedness as an adaptation reframes its role in deep evolution for these lineages.