20 million year old antarctic lake drilled

[bcbm]

http://rt.com/news/antarctic-million-secrets-lake-583/

this is pretty exciting, i am interested to see what they find

[Igor]

This is pretty awesome, though risky. There's a good chance of fucking up the ecosystem (if there is anything) if something goes wrong with the drilling. Still, looking forward to what they're going to find from there.

[ВАЛТЕР]

If there is any life down there. Especially more complex lifeforms. It is most likely very sensitive to any outside disturbances. The drilling may cause it a lot of harm to the ecosystem, and may even destroy it.

Either way, I am interested in seeing what kind of things they find down there and especially interested as to how it will relate to our views of life on other planets and what exactly is necessary for it to thrive. I am not expecting any complex organisms.

[Franz Fanonipants]

pollen analysis gonna be crazy

[bcbm]

This is pretty awesome, though risky. There's a good chance of fucking up the ecosystem (if there is anything) if something goes wrong with the drilling. Still, looking forward to what they're going to find from there.

It is most likely very sensitive to any outside disturbances. The drilling may cause it a lot of harm to the ecosystem, and may even destroy it.

the scientists doing the drilling are aware of the risks, they halted drilling for awhile in order to develop technology so that there would be minimal risk of contamination.

[Comrade Samuel]

as for the actual topic I am quite interested as to what they may find down there and I hope they keep the media informed just so this doesn't become yet another story to just fade away without anyone caring.

[bcbm]

last donut, mothercossack, explosive situation, please don't post spam

[ColonelCossack]

If much life is found there, what does it mean for Europa?

[Q]

If much life is found there, what does it mean for Europa?

If you're referring to the moon around Jupiter: Not much.

Antarctica didn't always have big iceplates and life evolved presumably in concurrence with the rest of the planet for most of the time that life has existed.

What makes this lake interesting is that it has been isolated for 20 million years. I'm sure many biologists will drool at the thought of what this might mean for finding completely new species, or maybe rediscover previously thought extinct ones.

Europa on the other hand has never been in contact with Earth's biosphere (as far as we know, of course ;) ).