The following is a true statement and not a synopsis of something on the SyFy Channel: Michigan State scientists are researching 30,000 year old giant viruses that have been found in the Siberian permafrost and under the Antarctic ice.

But - let me assure you. There is no "Blob" consuming East Lansing at this time. As far as I know. I haven't been out much.

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According to MSUToday, scientists at MSU are researching giant viruses. Allow me to quote MSUToday - "But don’t worry, “The Thing” is still a work of science fiction. For now." (IMO - respectively - I get it - "The Thing" is set in Antarctica, but "The Blob" is clearly more of a virus movie) And "they might be giants" (I'm a big fan of the 80s - I was dying to use that line), but the team still has to use electron microscopes to see them.

The virus that causes the common cold is about 30 nanometers in size. Giant viruses are about ten times that size and can survive for a long time. According to principal investigator Kristin Parent, associate professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MSU:

The giant viruses recently discovered in Siberia retained the ability to infect after 30,000 years in permafrost.

And if Dr. Parent is OK, then I think we're all safe. (Could somebody watch Dr. Parent for us and report back? Thank you.) Hopefully, studying these giant viruses gives us some help in understanding how all of them work - and these days, that might be key.

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