Scientists discover strange creatures under a half mile of ice

PLUS: The latest stories on how we move, work, and live. View this email in your browser  |   Manage newsletter subscriptions 02.22.21 Geologist James Smith wasn't looking for anything other than sediment when he drilled through a half mile of Antarctic ice shelf. But when he lowered a GoPro down the borehole, it struck not soft seafloor, but rock. As the camera panned out, it revealed something scientists thought to be extremely improbable, if not nearly impossible: life. The boulder was studded with all kinds of creatures, some long and stalked, others more stout. Bathed in total darkness, the rock is hundreds of miles away from a light source and even farther from a productive ecosystem that could supply it food. So how on earth could these animals exist? By analyzing ocean currents around the frozen continent, Smith's colleague, biologist Huw Griffiths, worked out that ecosystems powered by sunlight along the edge of the ice shelf could jettison food that'd float to the boulder. What exactly that food is, the researchers can't yet say, as they weren't able to collect specimens from the rock. But this much is sure: The finding changes science's understanding of where life can thrive in Earth's dark, frigid oceans. Read the full story of the incredible discovery here. Matt Simon | Staff Writer, WIRED   Scientists Accidentally Discover Strange Creatures Under a Half Mile of Ice Researchers only drilled through an Antarctic ice shelf to sample sediment. Instead, they found animals that weren't supposed to be there. 6-MINUTE READ A Case Against the Peeping Tom Theory of Privacy Yes, it's creepy when companies can track your every move. But that's not the only problem. 7-MINUTE READ The Digital Divide Is Giving American Churches Hell Covid-19 has upended churchgoing in the US. Like so much else with the pandemic, the impacts are not felt equally. 6-MINUTE READ The AI Research Paper Was Real. The 'Coauthor' Wasn't An IBM researcher found his name on two papers with which he had no connection. A different paper listed a fictitious author by the name of "Bill Franks." 3-MINUTE READ A Second AI Researcher Says She Was Fired by Google Margaret Mitchell was the co-leader of a group investigating ethics in AI, alongside Timnit Gebru, who said she was fired in December. 3-MINUTE READ   SPONSORED CONTENT Become Smarter In Just 5 Minutes Start your day along with 2.6 million other people by reading Morning Brew—the daily email covering the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Check it out. A Billion-Dollar Dark Web Crime Lord Calls It Quits The "big hack" redux, riot planning on Facebook, and more of the week's top security news. 3-MINUTE READ A Windows Defender Vulnerability Lurked Undetected for 12 Years Microsoft has finally patched the bug in its antivirus program after researchers spotted it last fall. 3-MINUTE READ Apple Offers Its Closest Look Yet at iOS and MacOS Security In its latest Platform Security Guide, Cupertino raised the curtain on the critical features that protect against hackers. 4-MINUTE READ '2034' Part IV: The Spratly Islands Ambush "Where will America be after today? In a thousand years it won't even be remembered as a country. It will simply be remembered as a moment. A fleeting moment." 25-MINUTE READ GET WIRED Exclusive Offer! Ending Soon: Get 1 year of WIRED access for $10 $5. Tech news and analysis you won't find anywhere else. Subscribe now.             This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions