19 ms·

I thought there was bacteria that used nuclear radiation to sustain themselves. They aren't doing fission... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/06101

I thought there was bacteria that used nuclear radiation to sustain themselves. They aren't doing fission... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061019192814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061019192814.ht...

wiml 12y ago
Those are really just feeding on the reactive chemical species produced by the ionizing radiation from nuclear decays in the rock. Pretty nifty, and I hadn't heard of them before. The other possible answer to this that I know of are the fungi who might be able to derive metabolic energy from gamma rays--- though last I checked it wasn't entirely certain that's what they're doing.