Listen, I know we have enough problems that have been created by the here and now, but there’s nothing quite as unsettling as being reminded that viruses and microbes can literally live forever.

At least, that’s what it seems like.

In this particular case, the microbes in question are so old could help us learn the truth about the origins of our universe.

The rock is 2 billion years old and was found in South Africa. The pockets of microbes alive on its surface are thriving, and according to Yohey Suzuki, lead author on the study, are the oldest living microbes ever found.

“We didn’t know if 2-billion-year-old rocks were habitable. Until now, the oldest geological layer in which living microorganisms had been found was a 100-million-year-old deposit beneath the ocean floor, so this is a very exciting discovery. By studying the DNA and genomes of microbes like these, we may be able to understand the evolution of very early life on Earth.”

The microbes were hanging out inside a sealed fracture on the rock, which was formed when magma slowly cooled below the Earth’s surface. The area where it was found is home to some of the richest ore deposits on Earth and has remained relatively unchanged since it formed.

Organisms evolve slowly when they live below Earth’s surface, and also have a very slow metabolic rate. To find this sample, researchers drilled 49 feet below ground to collect the 12-inch long rock core section.

They stained the DNA of the microbes and used infrared spectroscopy to prove the microbes hadn’t been introduced by the drilling or examination process, as well as to verify they were alive and well.

The researchers believe the sky is the limit when it comes to what we could potentially learn from these microbes.

“I am very interested in the existence of subsurface microbes not only on Earth, but also the potential to find them on other planets. NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance is currently due to bring back rocks that are a similar age to those we used in this study. Finding microbial life in samples from Earth from 2 billion years ago and being able to accurately confirm their authenticity makes me excited for what we might be able to now find in samples from Mars.”

So I suppose it’s not the sky that’s the limit, but the whole universe.

And maybe not even that.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a second giant hole has opened up on the sun’s surface. Here’s what it means.