A bit off topic, but Lechuguilla Cave, where the bacteria was found, is an incredible sight. Large portions of Planet Earth: Caves was filmed there, and since

A bit off topic, but Lechuguilla Cave, where the bacteria was found, is an incredible sight. Large portions of Planet Earth: Caves was filmed there, and since access to the cave is extremely restricted it's the only way most of us will get to see it. The formations they found there are breathtaking. If memory serves me correctly, it's also where they found what they dubbed "snotcicles", giant bacteria colonies that had grown so big they were dripping from the ceiling, and whose growth was fueled by strong acidic compounds. I don't know if that was this bacteria or something a bit more garden-variety, but it just goes to show you what kind of wild stuff happens in tiny, sealed-off ecosystems.