> Now a possible alternative explanation (not explored by the journalist) is that the bacteria lived off the remaining organic materials in the rock and the byp

> Now a possible alternative explanation (not explored by the journalist) is that the bacteria lived off the remaining organic materials in the rock and the byproduct of their life were substances that dulled the crystals. Is that your hypothesis or from an actual paper about the study? I think this makes a lot of sense, because if there wasn’t left over organic material the bacteria could “eat” and was simply about bacteria stripping electrons from inanimate matter...I’m left wondering why the bacteria wouldn’t indiscriminately strip electrons including from say the test tube itself?