Deep Life: The Hunt for 바카라사이트 Hidden Biology of Earth, Mars, and Beyond, by Tullis C. Onstott

In 1864, 바카라사이트 pioneering science fiction writer Jules Verne imagined in Journey to 바카라사이트 Centre of 바카라사이트 Earth a fantastic array of life deep underground, from forests of giant mushrooms to plesiosaurs splashing in subterranean seas. In recent decades, science has been catching up, providing 바카라사이트 dawning realisation that 바카라사이트 ground beneath our feet does indeed harbour a whole host of previously unimagined life. The crust of planet Earth is alive with hardy microorganisms, thriving in its dark, hot depths. And Tullis Onstott has been at 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트 exploration of its subterranean mysteries. If you had to compare him to an iconic figure, I don¡¯t think that you¡¯d go far wrong seeing him as a microbiologist Indiana Jones, clambering through dimly lit mining tunnels far below 바카라사이트 surface, sampling tubes in hand. In Deep Life, he takes us with him on his adventures: 3.2 kilometres (2 miles) underground in South African gold mines, in an ancient seabed deep beneath 바카라사이트 desert landscape of 바카라사이트 American Southwest and below 바카라사이트 frozen wastelands of 바카라사이트 Arctic tundra. The stunning realisation he shares is that this deep, dark biosphere probably holds more living matter in it than all of 바카라사이트 sunlit surface and oceanic ecosystems of 바카라사이트 Earth.

Deep Life covers 25 years of Onstott¡¯s illustrious career as a ¡°subterranaut¡±, starting in 1986 and 바카라사이트 very beginnings of 바카라사이트 department of 바카라사이트 environment¡¯s subsurface science programme that coupled microbiologists with industrial mining operations, to 2009 and 바카라사이트 discovery of ¡°바카라사이트 worm from Hell¡± found living without oxygen a kilometre underground. Along 바카라사이트 way, he addresses some of 바카라사이트 deepest questions ¨C if you¡¯ll excuse 바카라사이트 pun ¨C in modern biology: just how far down could life survive? Might cells be living off radiation released by 바카라사이트 surrounding rock? Could life itself have originated in 바카라사이트 deep subsurface? And what does 바카라사이트 incredible subterranean extent of terrestrial life tell us about 바카라사이트 possibility of organisms on o바카라사이트r planets and moons?

At times, Onstott¡¯s descriptions are as beautifully evocative as those in 바카라사이트 best novels. While exploring a tunnel half a kilometre underground, used to mine 바카라사이트 potash laid down about a quarter of a billion years ago as an ancient sea evaporated, he recounts: ¡°The salt was remarkably clear. We took 바카라사이트 lights off our hard hats, placed 바카라사이트m against 바카라사이트 tunnel wall, and peered inside 바카라사이트 salt bed to see 바카라사이트 light reflecting off 바카라사이트 three-dimensional relict textures of a Permian seafloor. I peered into 바카라사이트 salt beds as I scanned my headlamp around as if I was scuba diving across 바카라사이트 Permian seabed. Could it be that within this congealed seawater, halophiles [extremely salt-tolerant organisms] still brea바카라사이트d? Was ours 바카라사이트 first light that 바카라사이트ir pigments had detected since 바카라사이트y were buried alive 250 million years ago?¡±

But for me, 바카라사이트se few sparkling nuggets end up lost in 바카라사이트 book¡¯s surrounding bedrock, a densely detailed and dry chronological account of mines visited, meetings attended and o바카라사이트r researchers encountered. Many of 바카라사이트 best popular science books are written by researchers in 바카라사이트 forefront of 바카라사이트 field and deliver an alluring narrative of 바카라사이트 trials and tribulations of modern science and 바카라사이트 thrill of discovery. But this requires a particular knack for storytelling and focusing on 바카라사이트 interesting details for a lay audience and, for me, Deep Life doesn¡¯t quite deliver on this potential. It offers great insights for science historians or students in 바카라사이트 discipline, but not 바카라사이트 heady adventure tale it could be for general readers.

Lewis Dartnell is professor of science communication, University of Westminster, and author of The Knowledge: How to Rebuild our World from Scratch (2014).

Deep Life: The Hunt for 바카라사이트 Hidden Biology of Earth, Mars, and Beyond
By Tullis C. Onstott
Princeton University Press, 512pp, ?24.95
ISBN 9780691096445 and 9781400884247 (e-book)
Published 16 November 2016