In an astonishing feat of ancient biology, scientists in Russia successfully revived two nematodes that had been frozen in Siberian permafrost for over 30,000 and 40,000 years, respectively. These microscopic worms were part of a batch of 300 specimens extracted from layers of ice dating back to the Pleistocene epoch. Once thawed, both nematodes began moving and eating—demonstrating metabolic activity after tens of thousands of years in suspended animation.

This discovery has profound implications for our understanding of extremophile life and the boundaries of biological resilience. It also raises questions about the possibility of reviving other long-extinct organisms as global temperatures rise and permafrost melts, potentially unlocking both scientific breakthroughs—and biosecurity concerns.

#AncientLife #Permafrost #ResurrectionBiology #Nematodes #ExtremeSurvival

Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, has an unusual and often misunderstood rule: dying there is strongly discouraged due to extreme permafrost conditions.

The town lies in the Arctic Circle, where the ground remains permanently frozen (permafrost), making traditional burial unsafe.

When bodies are buried in such frozen conditions, decomposition slows drastically or even halts entirely.

In fact, during a flu epidemic in 1918, bodies were buried in Longyearbyen's cemetery, and decades later, scientists found that the virus strains remained preserved in those corpses—raising public health concerns.

Because of this, Longyearbyen officially stopped allowing burials in 1950.

If someone is terminally ill or close to death, they are typically flown to mainland Norway to pass away. The town does not have the infrastructure to handle death in the usual way, and cremation or mainland burial is required instead.

In a devastating turn of events, a massive landslide wiped out an entire Swiss village—vanishing it from the map in seconds. The dramatic “before and after” is a haunting reminder of nature’s raw power. Residents were evacuated just days earlier after experts detected signs of instability. Thankfully, there were no reported casualties, but the destruction is complete—and irreversible.

This incident highlights the growing impact of climate-related geological shifts, as thawing permafrost and increased rainfall make mountainous regions more vulnerable to sudden collapses. Switzerland has since increased monitoring efforts across similar high-risk zones.

Watch how an entire valley was erased:


#SwitzerlandLandslide #NaturalDisaster #BeforeAndAfter #ClimateImpact #MountainCollapse