Extremophiles are not just a weird alien species – the term refers to any form of life evolved to survive in harsh, usually murderous environments. This includes the glaciers of Antarctica, the deepest parts of the ocean, and even underwater hydrothermal vents that shoot out extremely hot water on the ocean floor.

These life forms are of interest because of their unique adaptations and potential to survive in a climate like the one on Mars…

The lake is incredibly remote, hampering recovery efforts and delaying study:

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What do 400 meters look like? The new World Trade Center in New York clocks in just a hundred meters above the ice coverage. That building is the tallest in the Western Hemisphere.

Mud is a remarkably good preserver of organic matter, even allowing for thousand year old food and flesh to remain intact. Mud, in combination with ice, has allowed entire mammoth to freeze and preserve, saving DNA and even skin for study. The same happened in Lake Hodgson.

The margins refer to the lakebed of the original lake, unaltered since their deposition over 100,000 years ago. Because of this, any dormant life, as well as fossils and imprints, is preserved as-is, allowing for exact research.

Lakebeds can also date the lake’s progress! The layering, usually seasonal, can be added up, giving a remarkably accurate picture of where the lake was, and when.

The lake in question, while not hard to find, presents the same issues as Lake Vostok.

The lake is not deep, 3-4m below the ice, but contamination is a significant issue. The team had to use similar techniques to the Lake Vostok recovery, letting some water rise up and freeze, then recovering the core later.

The 5S is the first iPhone to feature what Apple calls a “fingerprint identity sensor.” The feature allows you to securely lock your phone without a PIN or password, mixing ease of use with security. The coolest part? Where it lived: directly under the home button!

A healthy 2-hour boost from the original iPhone 5 comes from an upgraded lithium-ion battery that delivers up to 250 hours of standby and 10 hours of LTE! The iPhone slowly creeps closer to a feature phone.

Not only does the main processor get a significant boost, from the 32-bit A6 to the new 64-bit A7, but the 5S adds a side processor to power sensors and certain applications. This reduces the load on the main processor, minimizing the reaction time and significantly boosting speed and graphics power, an apparent 50% increase!

Unlike it’s cheaper sister, the 5S will be carrier locked. While it will still use a SIM card, the phone must be “unlocked” for global use. While the 5c appears to be limited to Apple.com sales, the 5S will feature in stores as a flagship phone for each carrier.

The price points match the release costs of the iPhone 5, but are $100 more expensive than the cheaper model, the iPhone 5c.