Microbe Hunting in Antarctica

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Check out Ariel's KZbin Channel:
/ arielwaldman
Checked out her Life Under The Ice Project:
lifeundertheic...
The Cryoconite Holes Project:
cryoholes.word...
McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research:
mcm.lternet.edu/
San Francisco Microscopical Society:
sfmicrosociety...
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Hosted by Hank Green:
Twitter: / hankgreen
KZbin: / vlogbrothers
Music by Andrew Huang:
/ andrewhuang
Journey to the Microcosmos is a Complexly production.
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SOURCES:
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royalsocietypu...
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[@journeytomicro]

Start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel. Get up to 65% off in your subscription here: go.babbel.com/12m65-youtube-journeytothemicrocosmos-jan-2022/default

[@stoddern]

It's McMur-doh not McMur-doo

[@88997799]

Could you look at a product called Nano-oil under your microscope? Wonder if you could even see the Nano-bearings under 0.090 micron in size?

[@88997799]

So much for any type of reply.. Why subscribe when they don’t even answer a question? Ya got two weeks then I’m gone.

[@Dwarfgourami]

@@88997799 They get thousands of comments a day, i think they have turned off notifications. Their phone would die just under the sheer number of e-mails that someone commented

[@ArielWaldman]

Hey Microcosmos friends! I'm overjoyed to geek out with you all here. Thank you so much for tuning in!

[@gasdive]

Thank you for giving us this peek at another world.

[@ArielWaldman]

@@gasdive My pleasure!

[@RiffZifnab]

Holy poop, I was hoping you would pop up, thanks for bringing us along! Did you leave any of that gear at McMurdo? I imagine that if they are going to fly something in it might make more sense to leave it there for future use. Now I'm off to watch your videos about this trip, it looks like an incredible journey. That underwater tube, yikes. (:

[@JustMeJH]

What an amazing work trip! I’m from a state with frozen winters, so I can’t imagine going myself, but I tip my hat to you having such an adventure! The solitude of hiking across Antarctica, must have been incredible! And I’m so interested to hear more about the comparisons of the microcosm from the 1900s to now. I’m off to check out your channel. Best wishes.

[@brendakrieger7000]

Likewise! Thank you for sharing your research!

[@alberthung6191]

I once attended a talk by a professor who researched microbial life in antarctic ice and he had a wonderful saying: - When you go to Antarctica for the 1st time, it's for the adventure - If you go back to Antarctica a 2nd time, it's for a paycheck - And if you go back a 3rd time, it's because you just don't fit into normal society anymore

[@ArielWaldman]

Ha! The saying I have heard is, “nobody goes to Antarctica twice”, by which they meant you either go once or you’re hooked for life. I am scheduled to go back later this year for my second time and I unfortunately can assure you there’s no paycheck in it for me (hence I have a Patreon)!

[@stevethompson988]

I was lucky enough to find a water bear. My science class went to a local lake for water samples. We came back to class, placed our samples under the microscope, and Bingo, there it was! Me and my partner freaked out. Called the teach over, blew his mind. He told us that this was only the second one he’d ever seen. The whole class took a look and we got an A+. A day I’ll never forget.

[@facewrinkles3886]

What a cute story! And a great addition to your lifelong memories. :) I'd be stoked to find one

[@curiodyssey3867]

Haha fantastic story love it

[@ArielWaldman]

That so amazing, well done 👏

[@michelleespino9814]

Well done! I would love to see one of those cuties. A+

[@artmakersworlds]

That sounds so awesome. I didn't even know what a water bear was until I started watching these videos.

[@wingedwolf94]

I'm so glad I found your videos. Microbes are so much more interesting than I ever imagined! School made learning about them boring. They should show these vids in schools. Kids would love it.

[@theflyingcrud]

Totally agree! Luckily I had a good biology teacher, but many aren't so lucky. They are the foundation of global ecology and yet mostly unknown to most people.

[@fevre_dream8542]

It's always odd to see youtubers you follow interact, but I'm super stoked to see you're a fan of Journey to the Microcosmos as well. Love your animations. As far as the learning bit - I feel that it's highly dependent on the teacher and the curriculum. An enthusiastic teacher who isn't as overworked will be able to inspire more students than one who's stymied by strict time restrictions and unreasonable class loads. Which is a shame, as it really just takes one good teacher to start a lifelong love of science.

[@alt_ms_frizzle]

I am super committed to making sure my kids get to see protists under the microscope since we are in person this year. We are observing and recording protists we see from local ponds on Tuesday, but I've been showing them some from a fish tank & I can tell they are super excited.

[@Skeptical_Numbat]

I'm increasingly astonished at just how utterly vast *Earth's Microbial Biosphere* truely is. How *_Bacteria_* & *_Extremophiles_* are just goddamn _everywhere:_ • From *Bacterial spores* captured *100km* up in The Outer Atmosphere; • To life found tremendously deep underground. *Bacteria* have been found within mud layers sampled at *11km* from the surface (that's *5km* underground, below a *6km* deep ocean), • To *Archaea* in boiling hot, deep-sea, oceanic vents, • To *Archaea* in sub-freezing cold, hyper-salinated lakes in *Antarctica...* *_We have to face it, this is Their planet, we just get to live here..._* *_(Of course, providing yet another environment for bacteria to thrive in )_*

[@substandard5587]

Tardigrades are so FREAKING CUTE. They never fail warm my heart every time I see them on this channel, apparently even the ones that have been frozen in ice for who knows how long.

[@ArielWaldman]

I know, right!? I love them so much.

[@notliterallyme]

can you imagine a dog sized tardigrade pet, that’d be amazing

[@Satellite_Of_Love]

@@notliterallyme Yep, everyone is asking for dinosaurs to make a comeback, and here I am wanting a Dachsund-sized tardigrade to take with me on my morning walks. Whosa good little water bear?! Who?! Is it you?! Sit, stay! Good boy!

[@DracarmenWinterspring]

They're charismatic microfauna :)

[@atomlightstone]

Idea: maybe in a future video, you could talk about prehistoric microorganisms?

[@Curry-tan-]

I love these extreme biomes. Pores in ice, pores in rock deep underground, clay... Even if there is nothing alive on Mars it has some places just warm enough to accept new microscopic residents. Thank you for sharing.

[@kristenholbrook9548]

I'm an undergrad researcher working with Dr. Jill Mikucki with her samples she collected at Blood Falls and I was super excited to see this pop up! It is very cool to see the Eukaryote side of the story! I'm culturing prokaryote isolates from the falls run off (the red stuff on top of Lake Bonney) and I haven't had a chance to see them under a microscope yet - so it is nice to see some other inhabitants swimming along! Very cool work! 🤓

[@ArielWaldman]

Jill is the one who took me to Blood Falls with her! She is amazing and I owe her so much.

[@ThunderousMuffin]

Came here for microbes, stayed for fitting “Ariel” and “under the sea(ice)” into the script.

[@ArielWaldman]

Not this time, alas! I have been on some deep sea expeditions, too though.

[@ethan-loves]

Those two dark-field clips of Nostoc towards the end there are so artistic. This whole episode was visually stunning and surprisingly moody.

[@christopherhughes2211]

This was an exceptional episode guys, you really outdid yourselves. You’re really doing phenomenal work.

[@beckyheydemann1332]

Being at McMurdo was a great experience. The seasons I spent baking for the scientists were fantastic.

[@patricialessard8651]

Whenever I see something like this from Antarctica, it makes me think of all the -40° nights I stoked my wood stove. In Northern NH, it would get that way for at least 2 weeks of winter. We heated with wood and when it got down to minus 40, I would always end up hitting the wood pile at 2 or 3am. I thought it was cold then but watching those divers made me feel that I must have been a wussy ,lol! Kudos for all those who work in those climates. Great video again and thoroughly enjoyed it as well as learning something new. Thank you kindly.

[@ArielWaldman]

Thanks for watching!

[@patricialessard8651]

@@ArielWaldman You are so welcome.

[@aldenconsolver3428]

Good on you Ariel Waldman, with that kind of gumption you have the respect of this geologist. Keep it up.

[@ArielWaldman]

Thank you!

[@Markfps]

What an amazing and surprising episode this was! Impressive work everybody!

[@ArielWaldman]

Thank you!

[@seraaron]

Are the microbes in the Antarctic different speices from the ones we're used to seeing on the show, or are they the same sorts of things just in a different place? In other words: are we looking at cats and dogs here, or wildcats and wolves?

[@ArielWaldman]

On a species level, some are specific to Antarctica and others are not.

[@Guydude777]

Awesome footage. So cool to see such familiar things in as remote a place as the Antarctic.

[@ArielWaldman]

Thank you!

[@gudadada]

genuinely interesting

[@ArielWaldman]

Thanks for watching!

[@Bill-lt5qf]

This may be my favorite episode.

[@ArielWaldman]

❤️❤️❤️

[@tangent7078]

man i heard ariel's story on the radio and was thinking about this channel the whole time!!! now here we are like two weeks later haha this makes me so happy! so cool to hear you guys talk abt this after hearing her interview!!

[@ArielWaldman]

It's been an absolute joy to share this work on NPR and on Microcosmos!

[@NewMessage]

I don't feel so bad about the walk to the mailbox in -26c weather now.

[@hannahlennertkristiansen4797]

new microbes or not, these videos lifts my mood everytime, thank you! Love this channel❤

[@ArielWaldman]

Thanks so much for tuning in :)

[@hannahlennertkristiansen4797]

@@ArielWaldman awesome work💖

[@ArielWaldman]

@@hannahlennertkristiansen4797 thank you!

[@jayamiheiyang1602]

This was awesome, thanks so much to Ariel for sharing her work!

[@PopeGoliath]

Had to pause the video in the first minute to satisfy my curiosity about what vascular plants exist on Antarctica. There are two! One is a grass. The other is a cute yellow flower.

[@ultravioletwaterfall]

Extremophiles are absotulely fascinating. I would like to research in Antarctica some day.

[@austinbutts3000]

"Antarctic seawater on tap" is not a phrase I ever thought I would hear, but I'm very glad I did.

[@ArielWaldman]

Same.

[@carlblix7794]

Fascinating to see and hear about. Scientifically important. All of that -But also: That's literally Ariel being 'unda da sea' at 4:00.

[@taifahmed3401]

Thank you Ariel for capturing such rare sights and creatures. Also, thanks to Hank, your narration keeps getting better and better.

[@azurelad236]

Just received my paramecium socks...saving them for a special occasion...☺

[@bigbrady2244]

What powerful and beautiful evidence for creation.

[@VANOXmicroscopy]

Amazing that you were able to explore the microcosm from such a cool place!!!

[@driverjayne]

Every time I watch a tardigrade or other microscopic creature move I'm always so grateful to have legs. And hands. It seems like so much work to wiggle through the microcosmos.

[@gudadada]

It's because of the slides, they don't actually struggle as much when not being observed.

[@RJFerret]

They had done an episode on how at those sizes, movement is different, water is thicker/more viscous to them than to us, so it's more like moving through syrup.

[@yahwea]

I would LOVE an episode on nostoc cyanobacteria!

[@ArielWaldman]

Nostocs are amazing!

[@beautyforashes2022]

2:34 it's a Polar Water Bear, and it's even frosted white like the ice it lives in, very cool.

[@GianJin]

What a thrilling change of perspective. Life truly is tougher than we think. Life truly is, all around us.

[@X1Y0Z0]

Congratulations 🎉🎊 Dr. Waldman!Thanks 4 sharing!

[@MaryAnnNytowl]

What an amazing group of critters the extremophiles! I really enjoy watching the wee beasties & listening to your soothing voice. 😊 ❤ ❤ ❤

[@MCNarret]

I've always wanted to go to Antarctica, maybe some day I will. It really is the most alien place on the planet, being that it looks, and possibly feels, like being on another planet.

[@bar111a.5]

Thank you for this absolutely beautiful video

[@AHIDDENWORLDmicrobiology]

YOU INSPIRED ME TO START MY OWN MICROBIOLOGY CHANNEL. THANKS. LOVE JOURNEY TO THE MICROCOSMOS. :)

[@logic3686]

Makes me rethink all that snow I ate as a kid.

[@emmy9345]

Music sounds like the Spore in game music maker

[@summermcnizzle]

A few days ago I was wondering if I needed to bring my own microscope to Antarctica, then this pops up on my feed 🤣 This girl is amazing and I am so excited to follow her future journeys! Who knows maybe her and James will get to be check out the Mars samples when they return!

[@exeter7414]

I love how you always tie up the end of the video with a moral that applies to the macro cosmos.

[@axeldaar9100]

It is great to have some variety in microscopers! Of course, James is great and his footages are a bit higher quality, but I could only wish to have some other people as well

[@ArielWaldman]

Pleased to expand the pool!

[@Nefville]

There is a microscopical society? Not a very big one, I can assure you!

[@ArielWaldman]

Ha! ;)

[@microborealis1064]

The moment I saw the title I knew it would be Ariel! Love it!! Enjoyed her live explanations about her story awhile back. Too cool.

[@718Insomniac]

This was a awesome episode! Nice way to start the day off, thanks for taking us along with you =]

[@NeoWasami]

There is something special about seeing your name in credits normally glossed over.

[@FionavanDahl]

2:41 haha for a second I thought this was a world map and the tardigrade was crawling along the coast of Africa

[@melanieborup5037]

I'm doing my PhD on Antarctic microbes with the University of Tasmania! Great video!

[@uprightape100]

1) Robert Falcon Scott did NOT bring anything back, what with being in a condition that can only be described as "dead". 2) If offered a chance to go polar exploring, avoid the British expeditions and sign up with the Norwegians instead, cause those Vikings actually prepare. Skol.

[@melissamartinez8819]

Wow how incredible! Microorganisms are crazy.

[@oneshotme]

Enjoyed the video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@liisakanemagi9872]

Besides loving your content, I also love your background music!

[@Shadowrunner123]

Was anyone else irrationally hyped when they saw the arctic claw boots?

[@KendrixTermina]

aww, its like when you go to the ice level of a videogame & find ice-themed variants of all the usual creatures

[@GordonFreechmen]

An amazing episode. You ought to bring in more guest Masters of Microscopes more often!

[@jonathanhella7194]

This is the coolest profession ever…wish I could go back in time and pursue the study of microbiology…it’s like a new universe inside of our universe…that has no clue about us but are ENTIRELY fundamental to every aspect of out survival and nature…so damn cool 😎

[@potatolard9643]

Y’all should do an episode on prochlorococcus! I might be doing researching them soon at my university and it would mean so much!

[@thedoruk6324]

This is epic!

[@ArielWaldman]

❤️

[@katiek1319]

I can't believe these videos don't have millions of views.

[@cernunnos_lives]

It wasn't always so desolate there. It was once populated with rain forests filled with life. And it was the homeland for marsupials.

[@erictaylor5462]

2:00 What survives down there? Some really tough creatures, that's what.

[@sibayonchatterjee8596]

Outstanding exploration.

[@Fitten06]

So cool! And what a surprise as far as content goes - thank you for this collaboration to bring us such awesome work!

[@KyleBlues1]

I won't lie, the wiggling tardigrade was cute.

[@bradleymahurin5582]

It's refreshing to know that you found Walter Kronkite holes in the artic

[@hogofwar0]

great presentation and info as normal thanks

[@johnsteinat5213]

Love this channel

[@ArielWaldman]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@deadlikedisco4726]

I can't wait for a point in the future where we can observe these organisms moving in a three-dimensional space with full color and a high resolution. I hope we can figure out how to do such a thing. Until then, these videos and images are absolutely fantastic.

[@WhichDoctor1]

“Life exists everywhere life can, where life can’t exist it merely takes a little longer” ~ Terry Pratchett

[@johnnyarm3181]

The only thing that gets me is the collection process isnt sterile so how can they knw what microbes might of been on them from the ones in the environment?

[@froiDchaT]

I would love to do some NGS on these arctic microbes, but the most amazing part would be the sampling I guess 😁

[@thesilentone4024]

Can we see contaminated water micro life. So mybe visit some abandoned mines that have water in it and if theres any flowing out then collect the water before you entrie and when your 25% to 50% and 75% then at the sorce of water collect it to see how the life changes. Thoughts.

[@raquelespinola513]

excellent video as always!!

[@ArielWaldman]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@raquelespinola513]

@@ArielWaldman you did a fantastic job Ariel! hope to see more of you! :)

[@bennyfactor]

I guess the good thing about going for a dive in Antarctica is that the water can only be so cold, otherwise it'd be ice.

[@ArielWaldman]

True, although the salt water there at the time was -2C

[@garrettscott4094]

Do you guys recommend, for the lack of a better word, a picture book of these microbes? Something ideal for someone who just simply wanted to learn a what they are seeing in their own microscope.

[@animalpeeps]

I am so, so eager to know what resides in and makes up the ice of Mars. If there is this much life in such a dire place, then image what could be possible on Mars!

[@sarahskileth6925]

This channel is so interesting and keeps amazing me every single video

[@donaldduck830]

Important question: Did they disinfect the divers and gear for taking probes? What did they do to keep their containers sterile before filling them with samples?

[@88997799]

Could you look at a product called Nano-oil under your microscope? Wonder if you could even see the Nano-bearings under 0.090 micron in size?

[@__nog642]

"Canada glacier" in the top left kept confusing me, lol

[@PlayerXIII]

These are referenced as Antarctic but we also see creatures tagged as from a Canadian glacier? A bit confused Edit: found out that the glacier is called Canada glacier

[@465maltbie]

And when that ice breaks away the life there is floated away to new shores.

[@anonymous-rb2sr]

"For Ariel, it means finding a way under the sea... ice" you thought you could sneak that one in didn't you xD?

[@anonymous-rb2sr]

3:40 btw, it's a reference to a disney movie where the main character is called ariel with a song called "under the sea"

[@Rishikotenkirama]

Was that an air bubble in the ostracod seen at 2:16 minute mark?

[@ArielWaldman]

Yep!

[@Shnarfbird]

The thumbnail not being a microbe threw me off for a second there

[@Dwarfgourami]

Hey James! Someone needs your help! Luke's goldies channel needs to identify a worm like microbe, if its a parasite or not. Go and look at his recent videos about his goldfish, you might can save one of his sick goldfish.

[@jamesreid6940]

damn ariel is a badass

[@ArielWaldman]

😊

[@mapo5959]

this is wild. the dream job

[@ronkirk5099]

Back in the day, I almost made a side trip to Antarctica while I was rounding Cape Horn in my sailboat because it was only a one week sail distant, but alas, it was just a little too late in the sailing season and the weather would have been atrocious.

[@jobriq5]

Antarctica is big

[@flosslittle5231]

Love it 😀 It's like a school excursion 😂

[@MESvenssonpost]

You should try to make a movie on Kakabekia barghooriniana... ...surprisingly un-studied it seems...

[@user-gf8zv4ov2x]

oh man I cant wait to see what this video has instore for me

[@ArielWaldman]

Some pretty cool stuff ;)

[@user-gf8zv4ov2x]

@@ArielWaldman that's so cool you responded! your work is awesome, what led you into learning about microbes and how many years of school did it take for you to be able to go do these types of expeditions?

[@timsmith6675]

My question is where on our planet is there aren't any type of life?

[@ArielWaldman]

Possibly the South Pole, but even there a team wrote a paper 20 years ago that there might be bacteria in the snow. Needs further investigation!

[@dbe_manny]

In the magma core probably

[@little_grey_mouse]

Have microbes ever been found on things brought back from space?