Transcript
Verizon Advertiser (0:00)
AI.
Raj or Noah (Am I Doing It Wrong? Hosts) (0:02)
Had the time of my life.
Podcast Advertiser / Host (0:06)
A I never felt this way before.
Dr. Samantha Amin (0:10)
From building timelines to assigning the right people, and even spotting risks across dozens of projects, Monday Sidekick knows your business, thinks ahead, and takes action. One click on the star and consider it done. And I owe it all to you. Try Monday Sidekick AI you'll love to use on Monday.com.
Verizon Advertiser (0:31)
In a world where January is supposed to be boring, one staple of the holidays refuses to end the great deals at Verizon, the joy just keeps on coming. Right now, you can save on four new phones and four lines. Critics agree it's the deal that keeps on giving. Come into Verizon and save on four new phones in four lines on unlimited. Welcome. Additional terms apply@seeverizon.com for details.
BILT Advertiser (1:00)
It's 2026, and if you're still paying rent without Bilt, it's time for a change. BILT is a loyalty program for renters that rewards you for your biggest monthly expense. Rent. I don't like paying rent, and I bet you don't either, but BILT makes it feel a little better. BILT is the loyalty program for renters that rewards you monthly with points and exclusive benefits in your neighborhood. Let me explain. With bilt, every rent payment earns you points that can be used towards flights, hotels, Lyft rides, Amazon.com purchases, and so much more.
Dr. Katie Mack (1:29)
And more.
BILT Advertiser (1:30)
And here's something I'm really excited about. Starting in February, BILT members can earn points on mortgage payments for the first time. Soon you'll be able to get rewarded wherever you live and unlock exclusive benefits with more than 45,000 restaurants, fitness studios, pharmacies, and other neighborhood partners. Personally, I'd use my BILT points for travel. Turning rent into flights feels like a win. It's simple. Paying rent is better with bilt, and soon owning a home will be better with bilt, too. Earn rewards and get something back wherever you live. Join the loyalty program for renters@joinbuilt.com acast that's J-O I N B I L T.com acast make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you.
Dr. Samantha Amin (2:18)
A lot of people think about science as a pursuit of answers, and it is. But the most fun part is that it always, always leads to more questions. There's no limit to things to be curious about, like, can you believe we're still discovering new organisms? I can't wait to tell you about the recently discovered fire amoeba, a remarkable organism that thrives in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. And then to talk about fascinating unknowns, we'll be joined by theoretical astrophysicist Dr. Katie Mack. We'll get into dark matter and the universe from beginning to end. And later, thankfully, some helpful answers about the impact of exercise on cancer prevention. Welcome to Curiosity Weekly. I'm Dr. Samantha Amin. Meet the fire amoeba, a newly discovered species that pushes the boundaries of what we thought was possible for complex life. Because it thrives at a shocking 63 degrees Celsius, that's about 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The fancy name for the fire amoeba is Incendiaba cascadensis for the hot, fiery conditions it thrives in, particularly those associated with geothermal activity, like hot springs. For a long time, scientists thought complex organisms couldn't survive that kind of heat because the high temperatures would damage their DNA and cause proteins to lose their shape. Picture cooked eggs. So most of the research around extremophiles, that's life that can survive in extreme conditions like acidity or temperature. Most of this extremophile research is focused on bacteria and archaea. They're simpler in their biology. But what about eukaryotes? Any organism whose cells have a separate nucleus for their DNA? Dogs, trees and mushrooms, and yes, even humans, are eukaryotes. And so far, there haven't been any eukaryotic organisms to survive such extreme heat. But it turns out, maybe there is one that can. A team from Syracuse University conducted field studies at Lassen Volcanic national park in California. They collected samples from a hot geothermal stream. This type of stream is typically found near volcanoes, where the heat from the magma or hot rocks can war. So they collected water and sediment samples from the geothermal stream and brought it back to the lab. There, they cultured their samples, basically mimicking the conditions of the stream in a flask. By providing the right nutrients, temperature and conditions. Over the course of several weeks, the researchers looked for signs of growth. That's when they found an unfamiliar amoeba species that had never been documented before. They reported the findings in a preprint, meaning it hasn't been peer reviewed yet. Amoeba are single celled eukaryotes, the kind of complex cell you wouldn't typically expect in such hot conditions. Now, what was most surprising was not only was the new amoeba surviving, it was reproducing at temperatures up to 63 degrees Celsius and still active at 64 degrees. Even more impressively, it could survive up to 70 degrees by forming a protective coating and essentially going dormant until the temperature dropped again. This is like 20 degrees hotter than what we think humans or other mammalian cells can handle. So this is giving biologists a reason to rethink what might be possible for life here on Earth and beyond. The team says that understanding how this little amoeba manages to exist in such extreme conditions could help scientists develop heat tolerant proteins and enzymes that could enhance everyday things. Even laundry detergent.