
Is Most Life in the Universe Lithophilic? - sohkamyung
https://www.centauri-dreams.org/2019/01/11/is-most-life-in-the-universe-lithophilic/
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steve19
From Wikipedia:

"Early data suggest some only engage in cell division once every hundred
years. In August 2013 researchers reported evidence of endoliths in the ocean
floor, perhaps millions of years old and reproducing only once every 10,000
years.[13] Most of their energy is spent repairing cell damage caused by
cosmic rays or racemization, and very little is available for reproduction or
growth. It is thought that they weather long ice ages in this fashion,
emerging when the temperature in the area warms."

Incredible!

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endolith](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endolith)

~~~
senectus1
then some arse-hat species pops up and in the space of an eye blink for these
things start destroying their liveable world...

I hope it means we just as rapidly develop the tech to undo/repair that
damage.

~~~
TheSpiceIsLife
> start destroying their liveable world...

This seems largely unlikely. From what I’ve gleaned extremophiles are,
probably by their very nature, the least likely for us to extinct.

Having said that, we do seem to be having a decent go at messing things up for
more complex life, and it’s hard to know the downstream / long term
consequences.

