First, NASA hinted at a finding tied to extraterrestrial life. But it was just the discovery of arsenic-eating bacteria in Mono Lake. Then came the skeptical scientists.
The stage was set by a coy news release from NASA that hinted at a discovery tied to the search for extraterrestrial life. The blogosphere went wild: Had bacteria been found on one of Saturn's moons, or life of some sort on Mars?
Instead, it was revealed this month in the journal Science that a strange bacterium lurking in the mud of California's Mono Lake had an uncanny ability to live off the poisonous chemical arsenic and even build it into its DNA.
News reports were dewy-eyed with wonderment over the study, which challenged conventional notions of what life on Earth — or elsewhere — could look like. Then, in short measure, came the scientific trash talk.
"Flim-flam." "Naive." "Fraudulent."
Raed more: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-arsenic-bacteria-lessons-20101222,0,7347052.story
Instead, it was revealed this month in the journal Science that a strange bacterium lurking in the mud of California's Mono Lake had an uncanny ability to live off the poisonous chemical arsenic and even build it into its DNA.
News reports were dewy-eyed with wonderment over the study, which challenged conventional notions of what life on Earth — or elsewhere — could look like. Then, in short measure, came the scientific trash talk.
"Flim-flam." "Naive." "Fraudulent."
Raed more: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-arsenic-bacteria-lessons-20101222,0,7347052.story
