In the 1950s, scientists exposed a tin of meat to a dose of radiation that they expected would kill all forms of life. But one organism defied the odds and lived: Conan The Bacterium. Turns out this microorganism, known to science as Deinococcus radiodurans, is capable of surviving extreme levels of radiation — thousands of times the amount that would kill a human. So what's Conan's secret?Want more stories about the microbial world? Let us know by emailing us at [email protected]!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Full Episode
You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.
Hey Short Wavers, Jessica Young here. And Emily Kwong. With our bi-weekly science news roundup featuring the host of All Things Considered. And today we have Ari Shapiro. Hello! Happy to be here.
I hear today we're talking about the secret behind the world's most radiation-resistant microorganism.
We also have cures for our loneliness epidemic.
Plus, why some animals can restore their hearing naturally, even though other animals, like us, cannot.
All that on this episode of Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR. OK, Ari, where do you want to start?
I'm intrigued that there is a radiation resistant microorganism, this like super, super tiny little thing. What is it?
Oh, totally. OK, so formally, this bacteria is called Deinococcus reuterans. It was discovered back in the 1950s and has been long known to withstand radiation doses thousands of times higher than what it would take to kill a human or any other living thing.
Which is why scientists have given it this funny nickname, Conan the Bacterium, a resilient superhero of the microbial world.
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