Microorganism

Researchers found 33 ancient viruses in a Tibetan glacier core, about 15,000 years old. 28 were new to science. Because ice can preserve microbes and viruses for millennia, melting glaciers may expose long-frozen microorganisms to today's environment.

The earthy smell after rain has a name: Petrichor. Its core is Geosmin, a molecule from soil Microorganisms that the human nose catches at just 5 parts per trillion—said to beat a shark smelling blood in water. Perhaps a trace of ancestors who sniffed out water on dry land.

Seasonings slow food spoilage not by killing microorganisms, but by stealing their water. Salt and spice molecules bind with free water in food, lowering its 'water activity.' Even if water is present, microbes cannot use it.